Perhaps assessing and taking inventory of coups and counter-coups, failed transitions to civil rule, their consequences such as self- annihilation, embarrassment, destruction of the image and intergrity of the nations Armed Forces, on assumption of office as the 8 Nigerian Military Head of State on the 81 June, 1998, General Abdulsalami Abubakar embarked on the shortest transition to democracy. The general broke the jinx of failed transitions, by conducting general elections, resulting in the swearing in of the first Civilian President post- military era, in the person of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the 36 state governors on the 29th May 1999.
According to the 1999 Constitution upon which the civilian administration gained legitimacy, the roles of the military are unambiguous. Section 217 of the Constitution abridged includes the roles of defending Nigeria from external aggression; maintaining territorial and securing its borders, suppressing insurrection and acting in aid of civil authorities to restore order when called upon to do so by the president but subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly, and performing such functions as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.
Fourteen years into democracy, the Armed Forces have risen to their constitutional responsibilities and have confronted challenges. The transformation agenda is permeating through the various branches of the Army. Today the military is wearing a new outlook, civilizing fast, casting off the tango of earth scorched approach in dealing with civil matters or insurrection. The prevailing insecurity, wanton destruction of lives and property of innocent Nigerians, in addition to the unusual introduction of terrorism have been confronted with honour and valour. Presently, the military is in Mali to combat insurgence and to restore order, and not without huge financial and human sacrifices.
Yes, democracy empowers Nigerians to, ventilate, talk and write with their, heads on their shoulders but doing so to stir up anarchy, mistrust, misinformation and sensationalism threatens our heterogeneity
Against this background, Nigerians denounce the outburst and outrage by a group in the country on the Chief of Army staff, Major General Azubuike Ihejirika. There is more to it than meets the eye, if what looked innocent, impartial and normal routine exercise in the military is being interpreted as marginalization and ethnic cleansing. Although the Chief of Army Staff has clinically proved the allegation false, with unassailable facts and statistics, the dimension that Ihejirika should be relieved of his appointment by President Goodluck Jonathan reeks of desperation and frustration.
Nigerians are not short of memory. The woes of the nation cannot be totally apportioned to the political class alone. History has it that the creation of the 36 states of the federation, with 19 states in the North was the statecraft of the military and not the civilian. At the same time, the preponderate of Heads of state and their Army Chiefs by design or accident came from a section of the country. The same military authored and bequeathed Nigerians with the much tinkered 1999 Constitution with provisions or clauses stringent, cumbersome and near impossible to create additional states in the south-east zone, long marginalized even in this democratic dispensation. This deliberate injustice has kept the zone disadvantaged in all ramifications.
That the zone so marginalized since 1970, only recently that one of the jinxes was broken by no other person than the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, who found it worthy and long overdue to appoint Major-General Azubuike Ihijirika his Chief of Army Staff, proves him a leader determined to dismantle cleavages and clannishness.
Granted that uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, however to whom much is given, much is expected. False alarm and accusations, insinuations and antics are bound to exist in a diverse and complex nation as ours.
Imo Government Want’s Me To
