Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja
Elders from the South West geo-political region of the country have applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing one of their illustrious sons in the Nigerian Military into the nation’s security management team as Chief of the Air Staff.
The South West elders, operating under the umbrella of Conference of Concerned Yoruba Elders (CCYE), in a statement commended the president for considering the region for the second time for appointment into the security management team.
According to the statement jointly signed by their National Coordinator,Prof. Olusegun Ajibola and National Secretary,Dr Catherine Adisa, they stated that the president’s gesture was a demonstration of his unwavering confidence in the South West region to assist his administration give Nigerians much needed security as he pledged while vying to lead Nigeria.
They also urged the kinsmen to reciprocate the president’s gesture by wholeheartedly supporting his administration to succeed in bequeathing an enduring legacy of good leadership for the country.
They however expressed reservation over the continuous sidelining of their neighbours from the south east part of the country in the security management team.
While stressing that they were losing sleep over the development, the group said, it had happened for the second time, having experienced the first in 2015 when no military officer of South East extraction made it in the security team composed by the president.
READ ALSO: Northern elders reiterate total support for Buhari, APC-government
The elders said having carefully followed the development since 2015,they felt constrained to voice their concerns over the matter.
They appealed to the president to review the appointments of security heads and accordingly accommodate the South East for justice and equity, saying all major regions of the country be given equal representation in the security management.
The group tasked Nigerians not to sit on the fence on the matter, challenging them to stand up for the Igbos by voicing their concerns as according to it,”an injustice to one is injustice for all.”
Noting that no ethnic group or tribe in the country had stake in the Nigerian project than the others,the group insisted that it was time for President Buhari to right his wrong so that every part of the country could have a sense of belonging in Nigeria.
It said the reactions and counter-reactions trailing the appointments of service chiefs and alleged sidelining of officers of Igbo origin was a thing of concern to it hence its decision to speak out.
“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.
“The 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”, the group added.
The group while reiterating its position that a review of the appointments was necessary in the interest of justice and equity,said it had nothing personal against the service chiefs but was only calling for a right thing to be done given that the country is a multi-ethnic one.
“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 Igbos in the various arms of the Nigerian Military”.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.