BY: Ayomide Arowobusoye
Widespread reactions have trailed the replacement of Nigeria’s service chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari.
It should be recalled that The News Beam earlier reported that the President appointed new service chiefs after the former ones resigned and retired today.
READ ALSO: Meet The Newly Appointed Service Chiefs
Politicians and other Nigerians have taken to their social media accounts to react to the latest development.
In series of tweets, Former Ekiti Governor, Ayodele Fayose described the appointment of new Service Chiefs as a “step in the right direction” and “another victory for Nigerians”. However, the politician accused the former Service Chiefs of lip service and asked that they be probed.
“The sacked Service Chiefs only served themselves and their pockets and can at best be described as “Disservice Chiefs” under whom Nigeria became completely insecure. It is my call to the ICC and other relevant authorities that tenure of the “sacked” Service Chiefs should be investigated, most importantly human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings under their watch and commands”, he tweeted.
Similarly, opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party in statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, demanded for the probe of Buratai and the former service chiefs.
“The belated replacement of the outgoing wearied service chiefs, after much damage to our nation, shows President Buhari as a leader who has always refused to heed to wise counsel by well-meaning Nigerians but continually leads our country to a dire strait”, the statement titled, ‘Appointment of New Service Chiefs Late But……., Says PDP …Demands Probe of Buratai, Others’ read in part.
Human Rights Activist and convener of the “Bring back our girls” movement, Aisha Yesufu also hoped that the new appointments were selected based on merit.
Her tweet read, “So Buhari has found his liver? Hope the new service chiefs were chosen with brain and not with heart. We have had enough of incompetence. Here is looking forward to Buhari having the guts to sack himself”.
In a statement issued by the Paulinus Nsirim, State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state commended President Buhari.
Wike also said, “The new Service Chiefs should not politicise security by aligning with politicians. “What the country needs now is competence and professionalism that will reduce insecurity to the barest minimum.”
Reno Omokri, an aide of former President Goodluck Jonathan said “I commend General Buhari for listening to voices of reason and sacking his clueless and nepotistic service chiefs. Good riddance to bad rubbish. It is disappointing that he maintained his practice of appointing largely Northern Muslim males, but half bread is better than none.”
