President Muhammadu Buhari’s nomination of the immediate past service chiefs as non-career ambassador-designates has been described as one of the best nominations made by the current administration.
The Olowu of Owu Kuta in Ayedire Local Government Area of Osun State, Oba Adekunle Oyelude Makama, stated this on Thursday during a chat with newsmen in his palace.
Oba Makama said Buhari’s decision to nominate and send their names to the Senate was in the best interest of the country, adding that the ex-service chiefs would bring to bare the experiences they have garnered over the years in the military in their new roles for the country.
He said, “I want to assure Nigerians that one of the best appointments that President Buhari made was to nominate for appointment General Buratai and other ex-service chiefs as ambassador-designates. The country will be better off for it because they are loaded with a lot of experience.
“We may see some people who are against it, they are enemies and detractors of this country’s progress. They said the president is shielding them from ICC trial, I ask if anyone has been tried before. Tell me which Nigerian has been tried in ICC? Has anybody clamoured for the trial of the American general in Pentagon for bombing General Suleiman in Iran? We have general Sule Malu here. What happened in Odi, has anybody been tried?”
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Oba added: “We should always appreciate something good. I believe the nomination of Buratai and other ex-service chiefs is done strictly based on national interest.”
The monarch who urged the Nigerian Senate to honour the ex-service chiefs with the honour of traditional ‘bow and go’ said their confirmation would be to the benefit of the country.
President Buhari had, in a letter to the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on February 4, 2021, nominated and forwarded names of immediate past service chiefs as Non-Career Ambassador Designates for confirmation by the Senate.
They are: Gen Abayomi Olonisakin (Rtd), Lt Gen Tukur Buratai (Rtd), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd), and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Usman (Rtd).