The Presidency has warned the Peoples Democratic Party to stop defaming the former Service Chiefs appointed as Ambassadors by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Presidency said this in a statement on Saturday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, over the PDP’s position on the decision to appoint the retired Service Chiefs.
Those nominated by President Buhari for confirmation by the Senate are former Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi G. Olonisakin (retd); former Chief of Army staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Y. Buratai (retd); former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd); former Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (retd); and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed S. Usman (retd).
The PDP said the reason for appointing the outgone Service Chiefs was to stop their prosecution by the International Criminal Court.
Reacting to the position of the PDP on Saturday, Shehu said: “The Presidency wishes to dismiss the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) attack over the widely praised nomination of the former heads of the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Military Intelligence to the Senate for confirmation as non-career ambassadors.
“This transition is normal in decent democratic societies.
“But the newspapers and online media are full of pages of laughable criticisms of the President and former Service Chiefs by the party, the latest of which was the false claim that they were nominated as ambassadors so as to shield them from trial by the International Criminal Court, ICC.
“How on earth can decent people run down hardworking professionals who have put in their best to defend their country? How can you run down your country and equate that with normal political dialogue and opposition?
“What is baffling about this false and baseless assertion is that this is coming, not from Boko Haram terrorists who the military kept largely in check and confined to a known section of the country, Sambisa, but from a so-called leading opposition party that fraudulently kept power for 16 years and is nursing the hope of one day returning to office as an elected government.
“What is more, under these corrupt politicians the insurgency conquered large swathes of territory-18 Local Government Areas.
“Pray, if a political party, in a blind search for power can spurn the interest of the nation, embrace the language of hate campaign against the country’s military as enunciated by the terrorists, as the PDP does, what will be left for the Boko Haram to do? PDP is doing Boko Haram’s work!
“We live in an evidence-based era for arguments. If the PDP has evidence of rights abuse against the military in the war against terrorists, wouldn’t it be beneficial to the nation that they publish such evidence instead of levying grave accusations without proves? And to ask, in whose interest are they making these accusations that lack any depth?
“To add, we don’t think the ICC, which these childish calls are being made needs to be lectured on democratic values and human rights by the PDP. Who are they, and what is their record in office to lecture anyone? Zaki Biam and Odi where thousands of citizens were on record, the genocide operation comes to mind. Did they report themselves to the ICC?
“PDP’s attacks on the ambassadorial nominations should be seen in the context of the opposition party’s track record as a university of liars, whose modus operandi is to propagate lies.
“The President is rewarding hard work and exceptional sacrifice by a set of military leaders who gave their best to the nation and will be remembered, sooner than later, for their contributions to the security and survival of Nigeria as one nation. They should be allowed to move to the next level.
“This is so that their examples will help to inspire others if given the opportunity to serve.”