Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has alleged that senators have been offered $100,000.00 each to confirm ex-Service Chiefs recently nominated as ambassadors by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The President last week replaced the team of Gen. Abayomi 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) and sent their names to the Upper Chamber for confirmation as non-career ambassadors.
Frank, who had earlier condemned the nomination, urged the Senator, in a statement issued on Sunday, February 7, 2021, to show patriotism by rejecting the money and the nominees in national interest and as true representatives of the people.
“We have it on good authority that they have earmarked funds to the tune of $100,000.00 each per Senator to have their way but the Senators need to show patriotism by rejecting the money and the nominees in the national interest and as true representatives of the people,” he declared.
The ex deputy National Publicity Secretary of the ruling APC charged the Senate not to confirm ex-Service Chiefs recently nominated as ambassadors by President Muhammadu Buhari as it would mean rewarding incompetence.
He recalled that it had passed a vote of no confidence on the former army commanders over incompetence and as such, would be going against its many resolutions if it now approves them as ambassadors.
According to him, the confirmation of the ex-commanders, who he said President Buhari had passed a vote of no confidence on when he told them their “best was not good enough, would amount to both chambers of the National Assembly returning to their vomit.
He recalled occasions when the Senate and the House of Representatives had expressly urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the ex-military commanders over lack of capacity, incompetence and failure to stem the tide of insecurity in the country including the attack by army personnel on residents of Naka in Gwer-West Local Government Area of Benue State and the beheading of 67 rice farmers by Boko Haram insurgents in Zabarmari community in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State.
Going further, he added, “Senate’s resolution on a motion sponsored by the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, titled: ‘Nigerian Security Challenges: Urgent Need To Restructure, Review And Reorganise The Current Security Architecture.’
”The minority caucus in the House of Representatives again called for the sack of the service chiefs in its reaction to the attack on the convoy of the Governor of Borno State, Baba Gana Zulum, by suspected Boko Haram terrorists, on July 31, 2020.”
Frank also noted that prominent groups in the country including the Pan-Yoruba Socio-Political Group, Afenifere, Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development, apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndi’Igbo and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have at various times called or supported calls for the sack of the Service Chiefs over their failure to secure the country – humongous annual defence budgets notwithstanding.
The Bayelsa-born political activist wondered whose interest the Senate would be serving by confirming the ‘failed generals’ as ambassadors in the face of widespread doubt over their competence, capacity and capabilities when they held sway.
He said that Nigerians are watching to see how the Senate, especially its opposition lawmakers, will betray the confidence reposed in them by Nigerians by allowing this potentially egregious confirmation of the ex-military commanders to sail through.