Civil rights group, One Love Foundation, on Friday, tackled President Muhammadu Buhari, for appointing a junior northern officer as the Chief of Army Staff.
Global President of the group, Chief Patrick Osagie Eholor, in a statement said the President’s refusal to appoint a COAS from the south-eastern zone of the country shows lack of sensitivity to equity and national unity.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, appointed Major General Farouk Yahaya as the new Chief of Army Staff following the tragic death of the former COAS, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, in a plane crash last Friday.
Both Attahiru and his successor are from Northern Nigeria. Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, had criticised the President for appointing four service chiefs and an acting Inspector General of Police earlier in the year as none of the five appointees was of Igbo extraction.
Ohanaeze had said the injustice of the Federal Government under the leadership of Buhari was responsible for the growing agitations and insecurity in the South-East.
Reacting to the latest appointment of a new COAS, ONE LOVE FOUNDATION in a statement said “Nepotism is the bane and contention of the present crisis that have overwhelmed the nation.
The statement partly read, “The shameless, nepotistic decision of President Buhari to continue in the illegal and unconstitutional abuse of appointing only Hausa/Fulani citizens into juicy Internal Security positions in breach of the Nigerian Constitutional provision of Federal Character is despicable, reprehensible and totally toxic.”
The group accused Buhari of violating his constitutional oath of office by his aversion to respect the Federal Character principle.
“Nepotism is the bane and contention of the present crisis that have overwhelmed the nation.
“Justice, equity and fairness is much sort after for Nigeria to remain one indivisible entity. It has continuously eluded us because of lack of sensitivity on the part of the leadership.
“The late Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Attahiru died in a plane crash alongside ten other senior military officers. This development created a vaccum to be filled. The next in line to fill the gap created was a senior officer of Igbo extraction. Considering the heated polity the nation is presently witnessing, it created an opportunity for the leadership to start correcting the sensitive abnormalities that is very topical and glaring about the lop sidedness in appointments of sensitive positions, at least to cool down the created tensions that we are experiencing.
But rather the leadership still remained adamant and went ahead and appointed a junior officer as Chief of Army Staff; thereby, subjecting the senior officers to go on early unprepared retirement.
“The window created by the unfortunate demise of the Chief of Army Staff was an opportunity for an Igbo officer to become the next Chief of Army Staff. It became elusive because of his origin. How on earth will the current tensions calm down if the eyes of the leadership are closed to these facing realities?
“The compounding leadership deficit entrenched in the system is a barrier for a sustainable one united cluntry. It’s good these abnormalities are being drummed up by progressive Nigerians. No sleeping on these very facts. Nigeria must survive.” The statement said.
