VANGUARD : Headlines

THURSDAY, 26TH APRIL, 2001

I Malu & co fired for security reasons —FG*Northern senators protest sack as Gani faults new appointments








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By Rotimi Ajayi, Kingsley Omonobi & Emmanuel Arziken

ABUJ A — THE Federal Government admitted yesterday that the service chiefs were indeed fired, but declared that the action was to safeguard national security.

However, Northern senators expressed dissatisfaction at the development while Lagos lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi said the appointment of successors to the retired service chiefs were unconstitutional. Although, government had first announced that Lt.-Gen. Victor Malu, Vice-Admiral Victor Ombu and Air Marshal Isaac Alfa were retiring on their own, Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana said yesterday that President Olusegun Obasanjo announced the retirement "based on experienced, professional and qualified opinions."

"What the Commander-in-Chief did was completely in order. You just have to trust those people who took the decision, that they did it in the overall interest of the nation," Prof. Gana told State House correspondents at the end of the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in Abuja.

He added: "I am not saying there is anything ulterior that led to the changes but we should not as it were undermine the authority of the C-in-C to make changes when they are necessary. He (the President) did it for the good governance of Nigeria for peace and security of the land and in good faith. It was a decision that was professionally guided and it has nothing to do with political reaction to anything."

The President and his Defence Minister, Lt.-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd.), he said were qualified to take the decision, and ruled out any ulterior motive behind the action.

"I think if there are any two Nigerians that are qualified to take such decision in the highest interest of the land, I cannot see anyone who can beat those two.

"They will not do it to vilify anybody but will do it in the best interest of the land."

He, however, cautioned Nigerians against speculations on the retirement, pointing out that it would create more confusion in the country.

Asked by a reporter to give clarification on the circumstances surrounding the retirements, the minister said: "Further clarification on the issue would only lead to further confusion," adding: "There is really no detail but I think that the SGF (Secretary to the Government of the Federation) who issued the statement is in a better position to give you details. I think there was a need to accept those resignations and appoint officers according to seniority in the armed forces.

lNorthern senators warn

Reacting to the development at a press conference in Abuja, Northern senators through their chairman, Prof. Iya Abubakar and Secretary, Alhaji Idris Kuta said the retirements were capable of breeding disaffection in the military and cause instability in the country. According to them, the retirements might have been motivated by recent objections by former Army Chief, Lt.-Gen. Victor Malu to the training agreement between Nigeria and the US.

"We don’t know why that was done, but we have to link it to the statement credited to the Chief of Army Staff (Victor Malu) who was telling the Federal Government that what is happening, that the Federal Government is allowing foreign military personnel to come in and out of Nigeria that Nigerian troops are being asked to be trained by foreigners on things that they have already learnt," Senator Kuta said.

Continuing, he said: "Maybe the Commander-in-Chief (President Obasanjo) did not take the statement kindly. He said the Senate might have to consider the reasons for the removal in order to douse any possible disaffection in the military.

"This is the time the Senate should look at the constitutional provisions for the Senate to wade into the situation to find out why the service chiefs were retired and new ones appointed.

"Such a thing (retirement) will bring disaffection not only to the military but also instability to the Nigerian nation," Senator Kuta posited. He also said recent unilateral movement of Nigerian troops in and out of the country by the President were unconstitutional since the Senate had not been consulted. Any movement of Nigerian troops out of the country for any reason must be through the permission of the Senate," he said.

lMixed feelings in barracks

However, officers and men of the three arms of the military yesterday received the news of the retirement of their service chiefs with mixed feelings.

Air Force personnel in particular appeared devastated most by the removal of AVM Alfa who was generally considered to have found the magic wand with which he had been rebuilding the arm.

Several officers said the Air Force was on the way to its pre-1988 glorious days under AVM Alfa as officers’ welfare and professionalism were the watch words.

In the case of Lt.-Gen. Malu, some soldiers said it was a question of "soldier go soldier come," while others said it was a normal occurrence that will befall any serving military man one day.

Investigations revealed that Lt.-Gen. Malu had been away on a visit to India, and returned in the early hours of Tuesday only to be informed of his arrival of about 11.30 a.m. same day by Defence Minister, Lt.-Gen. Danjuma. His Air Force counterpart, Air Marshal Isaac Alfa and Vice-Admiral Victor Ombu of the Navy who both attended the closing ceremonies of the NAF Week 2001 last weekend before flying to Abuja for work, were said to be engrossed in serious pending issues when they were invited to the Ship House.

While Vice-Admiral Ombu was said to be preparing a report of the shuttle he undertook to Burkina Faso and Egypt on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief, Alfa was said to be working on pending matters that piled up as a result of the NAF Week celebration.

Military sources said yesterday that a face-off had ensued between minister of State for Defence (Navy), Mrs. Modupe Adelaja and Vice-Admiral Ombu over the last retirement in the Navy after some retired officers alleged that they were laid off on account of their ethnic background. In fact, Vice-Admiral Ombu had threatened to resign his appointment if two retired rear admirals were recalled, a position which got the backing of his colleagues in the army and air force.

lGani faults new appointments

On his part, Lagos lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi said the new appointments "are in conflict with Section 14 (3) of the constitution."

He particularly deplored the removal of Gen. Malu.

His argument:

"Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo is the President of Nigeria.

"Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. He is a Yoruba. The Minister of State in charge of Navy is Mrs. Dupe Adelaja from Ogun State. She too is a Yoruba. The Chief of Naval Staff appointed by Mr. President, Tuesday is Rear-Admiral Samuel Afolayan. He too, is a Yoruba.

"The other appointed service chiefs are: Chief of Army Staff — Gen. Alexander Ogomudia. He is from the old Bendel State (Edo/Delta), Chief of Air Staff — Air Vice-Marshal Jonah Wuyep. He is from Plateau State.

"Certainly, the status of each service chief is strategic to the defence of this country and to the maintenance of our territorial integrity. Consequently, the appointments of such officers must reflect Section 14 (3) of the constitution, which provides as follows:

"14(3) the composition of the government of the federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government or in any of its agencies."

"It is sad to note that not one of the service chiefs is an Igbo. The Biafran war ended in January 1970. The three R's initiated by Gen. Yakubu Gowon: Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation, ought to have been happily concluded. Unfortunately, the last R- Reconciliation has been a political hangover in our body politic. Biafra should have been consigned to the past but successive political leaders, military and civilian, continue to stir the conscience of the country with this hangover.

"We are no longer in a military dictatorship and I therefore call on the National Assembly particularly the Senate to rise to the occasion and defend Section 14 (3) of the constitution and call Gen. Obasanjo to order.

"The sack of Gen. Victor Malu leaves a sour taste in the mouth. Recently, on two different occasions he voiced out patriotic criticisms against making Nigeria a satellite of foreign powers and sought in vain to dignify our territorial integrity as a nation.

"For acting in consonance with the constitution and the ethos of his profession, Gen. Malu was given the boot by Gen. Obasanjo who swore on 29th of May, 1999 to uphold the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"What has happened in respect of Gen. Malu amounts to a signal to all and sundry that our national independence is not sacrosanct and that our national interest is subjugated to manipulation of foreign powers.

"It must be clearly understood that we cannot make progress in this country if our leaders fail to realise the age-long political axiom that a nation must have permanent interest but not permanent friends and it is only when we practise this philosophy that our independence will be meaningful and sound socio-economic growth will be attained.

"It is in this light that the sack of Gen. Victor Malu should be deprecated and condemned and I hereby do so."

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VANGUARD : Transmitted THURSDAY, 26TH APRIL, 2001

+++ Biafran efforts shall be vindicated in the minds of tomorrow.

=== Anichebe

We must acknowledge Gani as a man of strong character and intergrity.The one Nigerianist greedy Igbo leaders cannot find their voices and as usual we must wait for Ojuwkwu or Uwazuruike to raise Igbo morale as human beings by responding to this affront.This is in your face from Obasanjo to the Igbo and Hausa/Fulani and while the northern Senators are protesting,Pius Anyim is his masters voice.

Remember the times....Detectors never last long. Somebody somewhere is tick tack tick tack, tick tack and is likely to end with a bang.There goes Nigeria
Hail Biafra

Obasanjo loves you, as long as you are not armed. You are not to come close to controlling the gun. Even you weakling "moderate Igbos" are considered too dangerous to serve as service chiefs in BiafraNigeria. I hope that all of you "moderate Igbos" are reading this.

So you support Obasanjo violeting the constitution?, I don't care about what Obasanjo does, yes he has every right to do what he wants but does he have to violet the constitution in doing so. The Constitution may not be perfect, but if Obasanjo continue to tump his nose on it the way he has been how then do you expect others to respect it.

You cannot be selective in applying quota system as prescribed by the constituition.If all those three "most qualified"service chiefs were from the east you and the rest of Nigeria will have a problem with it.

People like Adamu Ciroma became central bank governor without a single days training in finance (he acknowledges this fact himself) all because of quota.In university admissions, federal service employments etc. Quota is practised.Even the 1994 world cup soccer team assembled by an European coach was accused of being dominated by Igbo/Biafrans and people demanded Northern and western representation in the team.Yet when it comes to sharing power you want the most qualified.Was Obasanjo/Abacha qualified to have become generals in the first place? Could a semi illitrate like Yar Adua have risen to such high ranks in an army with people like Ojukwu.

Chiboy:
I asked a variant of this question elsewhere. I was promptly accused by some, including some "moderate Igbos," of expousing an Igbo supremacist worldview. As we all know, the debate was subsequently scuttled by the invisible hands at that forum. I believe that until the Yorubas and Hausas stop impeding competition in BiafraNigeria, and Igbos are fully included in all competitive aspects of BiafraNigerian life, any achievements (intellectual, professional, or otherwise) posted by any Yoruba or Hausa person within BiafraNigeria, will always carry the badge of inferiority for excluding Igbos, and based on a Biafran standard, as evidenced by existing records of BiafraNigeria, and the sterling record of the short-lived State of Biafra.

As wind pointed out elsewhere, we all ought to be ashamed to call ourselves citizens of a country that represents nothing but failure in all measurable spheres of human civilization and achievement. It is instructive, that approaching forty years since the start of the Biafran war, in which the Biafrans fought under the most arduous of circumstances, the tiny Republic of Biafra was able to refine its own crude oil, build and guide its own rockets, guide them high and guide them accurately, build surface-to-air-missiles, sea-launched missiles, surface-to-surface missiles, weapons of mass destruction, armored cars, develop an effective civil society, and much more. Yet, today, all that Nigeria (BiafraNigeria) can boast of ever producing from its "military industrial-not complex" is salt. Table SALT folks? Tufiakwa!!!

I suppose that when Cameroon finally decides to invade the Nigerians, Nigerians are just going to throw salt at Cameroonians and hope that the Cameroonians are allergic to sodium.