Buhari won't sack service chiefs, he is afraid of coup

Despite public outcry for service chiefs to be changed, President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to but instead went public on Monday, showering

Despite public outcry for service chiefs to be changed, President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to but instead went public on Monday, showering encomiums on the chief of army staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai.

Buhari speaking remotely from his Aso Rock Palace while declaring open the Chief of Army Staff’s Annual Conference 2020, commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for their efforts at swiftly restoring law and order in various states during the large-scale criminality that ensued in the wake of the #ENDSARS protests.

He also commended the Buratai team for the successes of Operation Sahel in the North West and Operation Fire Ball in the North East, where the nation recorded a mind-boggling massacre of 78 farmers by Boko Haram two weeks ago.

But now, a former Kano Central Senator, Rufai Hanga, is revelaing why the president has refused to sack the service chiefs and is instead retaining them. Hanga says it is because he is afraid of a coup.

Hanga, an ex-member of the House of Representatives recalled that the National Assembly had, on different occasions, advised Buhari to remove the military heads. While decrying the illegality of retaining the service chiefs despite attaining retirement.

He said, “The Senate and the House of Representatives have made this call several times, but the president has refused to act for the reasons best known to him. Some people say he is afraid of coup. He once mentioned it that he didn’t want to change the Service Chief because there were very ambitious officers down the ladder. That means he is afraid of coup. The most unfortunate thing is that these Service Chiefs have over stayed their usefulness.

“Some of them have spent 40 years in service. The rule is that you retire after 35 years of service or upon the attainment of 60 years of age. Some of these people have spent far and above their age of retirement so much that the junior officers are being retired.”

Hanga described the situation as demoralizing and disheartening. He, however, stressed that the sack calls by federal lawmakers were mere political statements. He wondered why they have since failed to take a decisive action to enforce their demand.
“The resolution is empty because the president has refused to budge to their demand. So, there is nothing they can do.”

He also dismissed the House of Representatives’ invitation to Buhari.
“What has he not said before? If he refuses to appear before the House, nothing will happen”, he asserted.

Buhari will address a joint session of the National Assembly on December 10th. Benjamin Kalu, Reps spokesperson, made the confirmation to reporters last Thursday in Abuja.

Buhari is expected to brief the lawmakers on insecurity in the country.