Service chiefs: Clamour for inclusion of South-East heightens

By OKWE OBI, Abuja

Pan-Oduduwa socio-political organisation, Conference of Concerned Yoruba Elders (CCYE) has mounted pressure on President Muhammdu Buhari, to review the appointment of service chiefs to accommodate somebody from the South-East.

The group’s National Coordinator, Prof. Olusegun Ajibola and National Secretary, Dr. Catherine Adisa, in a statement, said sidelining the South-East for the second time in the nomination of service chiefs by President Buhari was not only unfair, but an abuse of the stipulation of the laws of the Federal Character Commission.

They charged prominent leaders in the country not to sit on the fence on the matter, but to stand up for the Igbo adding that “an injustice to one is injustice for all.”

They, however, hailed President Buhari for appointing Isiaka Oladay Amao as Chief of Air Staff from the South-West region, adding that the gesture was a demonstration of the president’s unwavering confidence in the zone to assist his administration boost security in the country.

The statement read: “We have carefully followed the reaction and counter reactions that is trailing the appointments of the new service chiefs and concerns raised by Nigerians over the exclusion of Igbo from South East, and as critical stakeholders in the Nigerian project. We wish to add our voice to this growing concerns.

“Firstly, we thank God and President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing our son, Air Vice Marshal Oladayo Amao as Chief of the Air Staff. This is the second time that the President is considering our region worthy enough for appointment into the nation’s security management. We are indeed grateful to him for this gesture.

“We can categorically say that it is an appointment that Mr President will not regret because of the professional and moral competence of the officer. We, however, stand totally with Ohanaeze Ndigbo and several other Nigerians who are of the view that justice was not done to South East in the composition of the service chiefs and should be urgently and fairly reviewed in the interest of justice and equity.

“Igbo nation has suffered so much in this nation and if God must be kind to us, we need to address the so many injustices done to them. Obviously, from the mood of the country after the long awaited sack of service chiefs, the low or poor excitement in the country is a clear indication that people were not happy with the composition of the appointment.

“We wish to say here in very clear terms that we have nothing personal against the new service chiefs because they are all competent in their various capacities. However,we wish to say also that there are also competent and qualified Igbo in the various arms of the Nigerian military. Anything done without justice cannot be effective because God will not be part of it. The needed peace and prosperity of a country cannot be guaranteed as God is a God of Justice.”

“We humbly appeal to him to prove his critics wrong that he does not have anything against the Igbo and write his name in gold by reviewing the appointments of service chiefs to reflect true federal character with an Igbo military officer in the team.

“We say this because this is the second time the president is appointing service chiefs in his government without an Igbo officer found worthy to be appointed. To us, and so many Nigerians alike, this is not fair. While we call on Nigerians to speak for the South East, we appeal to Mr. President to review this appointment in the interest of justice that he and his party stand for.” (Sunday Sun)