ON THE APPOINTMENT OF EX-SERVICE CHIEFS AS NON-CAREER AMBASSADORS – A STRATEGIC PLOY BY THE PRESIDENCY

By Zik Gbemre

With reports that President Muhammadu Buhari has forwarded the names of five of the immediate past Service Chiefs to the Nigerian Senate, as non-career Ambassadors-Designate, I believe the said move by the Presidency is more than just another appointment. But one that is a strategic tactic aimed at achieving an objective.

Firstly, one would wonder why would the President appoint all the former Military heads as non-career Ambassadors, when it is obvious that they don’t need such uncalled for appointments, and also especially when there are obviously other serving or retired military personnel that can gracefully take up such appointments.

In my opinion, I think President Buhari is scared that the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Burutai, may face trial at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, for genocide and crimes against human nature.

In other words, the said appointments by the President, is just for the sake of immunity. This is also coming amidst calls by many well-meaning Nigerians, for the prosecution of the former Service Chiefs, especially Lt. Gen Buratai for what they said were “crimes against humanity”. International organizations like Amnesty International alone has over the years, made several investigations with reports concerning the atrocities allegedly committed by the Nigerian Military under Lt. Gen. Burutai, in their supposed fight against insurgency and other violent crimes.

Come to think of it. There is no relationship between the present careers of the said ex-service Chiefs as military personnel, and the diplomatic job President Buhari is giving all of them. By this action that was hurriedly done by the President, it means the said ex-service Chiefs really do have cases to answer to the International Criminal Court of justice. The whole appointment thing is just a cleverly thought-out cover up.

More so, are there not other Nigerians in the military (be they serving or ex), to be given such Ambassadorial roles, and who will do it better. There is really no justification for the said appointment by the President.

The likes of Joe Garba, was one of the best Nigerian Foreign Affairs Federal Commissioners/ministers, under the military administration of Murtala Mohammed and Olusegun Obasanjo. But after him, I can’t remember any other Federal personnel who stood out from the crowd as former Ambassadors or foreign Affairs Commissioners/ministers. And now, the President Buhari-led Federal Government has gone ahead to appoint former Service Chiefs as non-career Ambassadors. We all can see that there is more to this than meets eye. Perhaps, only time will tell and expose all of this.
Zik Gbemre,
February 5,2021.




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