The Presidency has offered more insight into why President Muhammadu Buhari nominated the immediate past Service Chiefs as Ambassadors.
The Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, offered the explanation in his weekly Friday column.
President Buhari has days after the resignation of the Service Chiefs and their immediate replacement, nominated them as Ambassadors.
Those nominated were the former Chief of Defence Staff, retired General Abayomi Olonisakin; former Chief of Army Staff, retired Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai; former chief of Naval Staff, Vice Marshal Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd); former Chief of the Air Staff, retired Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar; and Air Vice Marshal Muhmmad Usman (retd).
Adesina said the ululation from certain quarters could almost pull down the sky last week when the nomination of the immediate past Service Chiefs as non-career Ambassadors was announced.
Adesina stated that some people were of the opinion that the past Service Chiefs were nominated as ambassadors in other to avoid being probed, and the International Criminal Court would not come after them for war crimes.
He explained that almost everything in Nigeria is accompanied by some sort of furore, noting that a person is damned if he does or doesn’t take actions.
He said: “Almost everything in our country is accompanied by some sort of furore. You do, you are damned. You don’t do, you are damned.
“No wonder President Muhammadu Buhari often says in private conversations, when some tumults occur on certain issues: ‘Head or tail, you never win with some Nigerians.’ And he then smiles, to show that he has learnt to live with it.
“That was what happened last week when the nomination of the immediate past Service Chiefs as non-career Ambassadors was announced.
“The ululation from certain quarters could almost pull down the sky.
“Some people said: Are they the only Nigerians who can do it? After serving for more than five years in plum positions? They failed, how can they then be rewarded for failure?
“And then, the most otiose, from a certain political party: Oh, they were being nominated as Ambassadors so that they would not be probed, and the International Criminal Court would not come after them for war crimes.
“I felt ashamed listening to that, from a party that once prided itself as the largest in Africa, before it was knocked off its perch. Rusticated, given the shorter end of the stick by the people.
“Could they be so dense as not to know that being a non-career Ambassador confers on you no immunity from probe? Were they still so filled with bitterness at having their snout yanked off the national honeypot in 2015, that they must criticize everything, however silly it sounds?
“They claim the Service Chiefs failed. And these critics are people who will miss target if they attempt to fire catapult at an elephant.”
The Special Adviser described the leaders of former administration in the country as poor marksmen who were given the left leg of fellowship in 2015, but could not do anything to curb insurgency in the country as almost 20 local government areas were under full Boko Haram occupation.
He said: “Poor marksmen! Where was the country in terms of insurgency when their party was given the left leg of fellowship in 2015? Almost 20 local government areas under full Boko Haram occupation.
“By full, we mean they had planted the flags of their so-called caliphate in those places.
“Insurgents sat on the stools of emirs, as the latter had fled for dear lives.
“Roads, schools, markets, NYSC orientation camps had been shut, as Boko Haram was the law in those places.
“They were collecting taxes and tolls, and running the local government offices.
“That was what that political party bequeathed to its successor, and to Nigerians.
“But in came Gen Gabriel Olonisakin, Chief of Defence Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, Chief of Army Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff, and Air Marshal Saddique Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff, and they gave the insurgents bloody noses.
“Drove them out of places they occupied, even went after them into their spiritual headquarters, Camp Zero, in Sambisa Forest, and took it from them.
“The Service Chiefs did not make a clinical end of insurgency, banditry, and other criminalities in the country.
“But not for lack of trying. They did their level best, made huge advances, but the times were very difficult.
“Did they fail as in FAIL? Only in the eyes of those who appreciate nothing, and don’t even know what success is.”
Adesina stated that President Muhammadu Buhari nominated the immediate past Service Chiefs as non-career Ambassadors because he would not use people who did their level best and dump them unceremoniously to become objects of derision.
He said: “But President Buhari is not in that mould. He would not use people who did their level best, and dump them unceremoniously, so that they become objects of derision in the eyes of those who like to see people fall from elevated positions.
“It never ceases to baffle me that some characters simply lay in wait, just to mock people who lose certain positions.
“It gives them some devilish kind of orgasm to see people fall.
“As if they were the ones that would be appointed as replacements.
“Or members of their families. Their predisposition is simply to gloat, and say, ‘serves him right.’
“And what do they gain? Nothing! In fact, they remain soused and marooned in their unsung stations in life.
“President Buhari nominated the immediate past Service Chiefs as non-career Ambassadors.
“And I say, bravo, Mr President. That is why we believe in you.
“That is why we have followed you through thick and thin, and will continue to do so, whether in or out of government.
“You are always faithful to those who serve you faithfully.
“You watch their backs, care for them, and that is why we believe. Yes, let everyone else be faithless, let them mock, but we believe.
“The former Service Chiefs did not end insurgency, but not for lack of will.
“I remember when Buratai himself relocated to the front, in Northeast, and he said he would not return to Abuja till the war was over.
“Under his charge, the insurgents were killed in many hundreds.
“But they were like locusts. The more they killed them, the more they increased. Very uncanny.
“They were attacked from the land, the air, and from the waters (where possible). But hell had enlarged itself, and continued to spew them out. Quite preternatural.
“The President would have wanted those Service Chiefs to go home as heroes.
“So he gave them time. Longer than was usual. And having realized that they had fought the war with all that was in them, he decided on some kind of reward, show of appreciation.
“Admirable. A display of good heart. No matter who you are; a President, a billionaire, Archbishop, Imam, if you don’t have a good heart, forget it. You should be avoided.
“Like a plague.”
Adesina further thanked the President for showing kindness to the immediate past Service Chiefs.
He said: “Thanks, President Buhari, for showing the way.
“Loyalty begets loyalty, and must be rewarded.
“Thanks for not following the mob, who love to see people fall.
“True kindness is the one you show to people, when they are both useful and no longer useful to you.
“The one you show to both the living and the dead.
“Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. (Ruth 2: 20)
“May God give us leaders who love people. Who know that man deserves to be treated decently, both in office and out of it.
“And President Buhari has shown the way.”