An advocacy group, Advocacy for Advancement of Peace and Harmony in Africa Initiative, ADAPHAI, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for nominating the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai and other ex-service chiefs as non-career ambassadors-designate.
The group in a statement on Monday by its national coordinator, Comrade Sulaimon Suberu the engagement of the ex-military chiefs will further help in the ongoing battle against insurgency and other security challenges facing the Nation.
Suberu stated that Buhari has once again proven to the world that he’s a leader that rewards hardwork and commitment. He said the appointment will serve s dual purpose boosting morale of soldiers at the frontline and also afford the nation of tapping from the wealth of knowledge and experience of the appointees.
“Also, serving as non-career ambassadors after meritorious service to curtail a large scale insurgency with overwhelming success will bring about dynamism to Nigeria’s foreign policy, especially in the area of pattern of involvement in security issues within the comity of nations.
“More importantly, it is a common knowledge that one of the greatest bane of victory against the current war to nip terrorism in the bud is the cumbersome process of accessing necessary weapons from producing countries abroad. The expertise of these ex-service chiefs in intricacies of armament will help Nigeria to facilitate negotiation and importation of such military hardware.
“As an organization saddled with the mandate to propagate peace in Africa as well as the obligation of monitoring and accessing interventions on peace building, we have consistently asserted that there is empirical evidence of high level of professionalism and commitment displayed by the out-gone service chiefs, with a clear-cut achievements from 2015 till this moment.
“That these noble men have patriotically and effectively coordinated the war against ideological struggle by Boko Haram and ISIS bloc of West Africa is under evaluation, the spread of the insurgency have been obviously restrained and greatly curtailed, unlike between 2010 and 2015, when insurgents were so emboldened to the extent of attacking the Force headquarters and the UN building located in the heart of FCT.
“Sincerely, President Buhari deserves huge accolades from Nigerians for recognizing act of patriotism and good performance; he must also be commended for making Nigeria’s foreign policy more dynamic and stronger by this appointment, for the purpose of sustaining Nigeria’s status as big brother in Africa within the comity of nations.”
It is equally important to enjoin members of the Senate as the bastion of democracy not to be distracted by ongoing campaign of calumny embarked upon by enemies of Nigeria and do the needful by giving accelerated endorsement to the nomination of the ex-service chiefs for them to commence their assignment in earnest.
“We want to specially appreciate and congratulate the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai (Rtd) for attaining this enviable feat and legacies left behind in the Army towards the ongoing fight against insurgency.
“In addition to this, Buratai, as a Chief of Army Staff unprecedentedly combined combative orientation with humanity and developmental inclination.
“His interventions in infrastructure across Nigeria, irrespective of region or religion is extremely laudable, he would be remembered as the best COAS in terms of capacity building, training and retraining, medical welfare and promotion of qualitative education for the younger generation.
African elite, especially those with military exposure continued to shower encomiums on him for the establishment of Nigeria Army University, which is arguably the best on the continent.”
