ABUJA – Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Friday, condemned in strong terms the appointment of Maj. Gen. Farouk Yahaya as the Chief of Army Staff.
He called on Nigerians and the international community to hold President Muhammadu Buhari responsible for bastardizing the military and reducing its officers and men to armed guards rather than a well-trained and disciplined fighting force, even in the face of security challenges in the country.
Frank, in a statement in Abuja, condemned the act saying it represents a gross violation of the Constitution, Federal Character Principle and a total negation of long-cherished military traditions and values. Yet Buhari’s touted military and security credentials could have brought him to power in 2015. What a colossal disappointment!
He lamented that the parochial elevation of Yahaya over and above his seniors is a direct hit against the military, which will see senior, capable officers being purged through compulsory retirement as in the past and situation that would further weaken the nation’s security architecture.
Frank said: “We had believed that Buhari, as a retired General, would leverage his experience and tactical know-how to strengthen the nation’s security architecture. But he has failed woefully.
“Under Buhari’s administration, Nigeria has witnessed the weakest and most horrendous security situation largely due to his incompetence and his penchant to elevate incompetent and inexperienced Hausa/Fulani/ Muslim junior officers to lord it over competent and experienced senior officers.
“We have seen this repeated over and over again in the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Air Force, Nigerian Navy, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), State Security Service (SSS), Nigeria Customs Service (NIS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to mention but a few.
“This, no doubt, has bred widespread distrust, discontent, disloyalty, low morale and lack of motivation among the Officer Corps of the military and other security agencies in the country.
“This untoward and dangerous adventure of Buhari as Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, has concomitantly culminated in the deterioration of military discipline and willingness of the security forces to wholeheartedly confront insurgents, bandits and other criminal elements that daily make life unbearable for the average citizen.”
