Award winning Film maker, Mazi Dickson Iroegbu has cautioned the National Assembly via a letter he wrote to the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan to reject the nomination of ex-service chiefs as non-career ambassadors.
Iroegbu who is also a presidential aspirant copied Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa (Senate Committee Chairman on Foreign Affairs) and
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Senate Minority Leader) in the letter.
Read the letter below:
8th February, 2021
His Excellency,
Distinguished Senator Ahmed Lawan,
President of The Senate and Chairman of National Assembly,
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Mr President,
PETITION AGAINST THE NON-CAREER AMBASSADORIAL NOMINATION OF GENERAL ABAYOMI OLONISAKIN RTD, LT. GENERAL TUKUR BURATAI RTD, AIR MARSHAL SADIQUE ABUBAKAR RTD & AIR VICE MARSHAL MOHAMMED USMAN RTD
Sir, we received the news of an unpatriotic letter written by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, and addressed to your esteemed self praying for the Senate to confirm the immediate past service chiefs; Gen Abayomi G. Olonisakin (Rtd), Lt Gen Tukur Y. Buratai (Rtd), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd), and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed S. Usman (Rtd) as non career ambassadorial designate, with shock.
Sir, we consider such request as ill-informed, against the interest of Nigeria and against what the Nigeria Senate has stood for since the 4th Republic, hence the 9th Assembly cannot betray the people of Nigeria in this regard.
Mr President, you may recall that Nigeria’s security challenges was a grave disaster all through the period that Gen Abayomi G. Olonisakin (Rtd), Lt Gen Tukur Y. Buratai (Rtd), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd), and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed S. Usman (Rtd), held sway as Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff and Chief of Air Staff respectively.
Mr President, you may also recall that during the period when they were in office, eminent personalities, groups and institutions, including the Nigeria Senate and your esteemed self, on several occasions expressed displeasure in their handling of the armed forces, passed a no- confident vote on them, and further recommended their sack to the President of Nigeria.
Mr President, you may recall that at a meeting you had with President Muhammadu Buhari alongside Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila on February 3rd, 2020, you and the Honorable Speaker informed State House reporters that one of the recommendations that was given to the President to address the growing insecurity across the country, was for the sack of Gen Abayomi G. Olonisakin, Lt Gen Tukur Y. Buratai, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed S. Usman as service chiefs.
Mr President may also recall that in July 2020, distinguished members of the Senate which you preside, demanded and called for the sack of the now ex service chiefs; a call that was re-echoed on 1st December 2020.
Sir, aside from the vote of no confidence passed by the 9th Senate in 2020, there were other calls made by other notable Nigerians, groups and institutions against the ex service chiefs.
Mr President, it will be against good judgement for the Nigeria Senate to proceed with the confirmation of the ex service chiefs as non-career Ambassadors.
Furthermore, their nomination has already made Nigeria a laughing stock before the international community, and any move to confirm them will portray our dear country as a joke before the comity of nations.
Mr President, Gen Abayomi G. Olonisakin (Rtd), Lt Gen Tukur Y. Buratai (Rtd), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd), and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed S. Usman (Rtd), that failed in their military career as service chiefs cannot add value to Nigeria as diplomats. They are already spent forces that need to spend time reconciling with Nigerians they failed rather than being rewarded with Ambassadorial positions.
The demand of Nigerians is that the ex-service chiefs be probed for every act of gross misconduct that they perpetuated while in office, including financial crimes that has been leveled against them. They don’t deserve further reward except their names are cleared.
Conclusively Mr President, Nigerians may rise against the Senate if the request of President Muhammadu Buhari is granted.
God bless you Mr President.
God bless the Nigeria Senate.
God bless the National Assembly.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thank you.
Yours Truly,
Dickson Nnamdi Iroegbu (DGN)
Anchor/Producer: Nigeria Right Now (with Dickson Iroegbu)
Cc:
Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa (Senate Committee Chairman on Foreign Affairs
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Senate Minority Leader)
