I have seen expressions like “Hurricane Tinubu” in the description of the President’s recent appointments and removal of service chiefs and their replacement with new appointees. The City Boy, as his admirers call him, seems to have hit the ground running with a gale of sacks. The first set of sacks came almost instantly. The governor of Central Bank (now suspended), Godwin Emefiele, was sent packing the moment the new man came into Aso Rock. Next was the boss at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrahsheed Bawa, who was appointed into office in March 2021. He has been in office for barely two years. There seemed to be more to the suspension of both officers given that the secret police, which we refer to in this clime as Department of State Services DSS) took both men into custody for questioning. The erstwhile CBN boss has resorted to be accorded his fundamental rights.
Before the advent of Tinubu, the CBN had put forward some policies that were opposed by governors and people in the camp of President Tinubu, then presidential candidate. Chief of Emefiele’s seeming negative policies being the naira redesign, which came on the eve of the last general election. The President’s supporters seem to believe that the policy was an arrow to shatter their campaign strategy, which tended to rely on availability of cash. Emefiele’s naira redesign, which was technically halted by the Supreme Court, was said to have been targeted at taking the shine off Tinubu’s ascendancy. Lack of cash would hamper election strategy. The policy also inflicted hardship on the citizenry. It was inevitable that he would be shown the door, not when he was strongly in contention for the office of the President as funded by farmers whose trade was buoyed by his Anchor Borrowers scheme and other policies. The sack came as quicky as they come.
Bawa’s removal may border on the verge of protocol, given that successive Presidents seem to have deployed the agency as attack dog against political foes. There is no clarity to reasons for his suspension and replacement except that the President was acting within the limits of his power. It has been said that a Nigerian President is one of the most powerful across the globe given the enormous authority vested in that office. The President may have simply used his power to remove the EFCC boss even as there are speculations the agency may have moved against the President during the campaign. These are in the realm of speculation.
But the removal of service chiefs, Inspector-General of Police and the coming of another National Security Adviser are expected because a new Commander-in-Chief comes with his crew. Tinubu admirers have applauded him for showing a remarkable difference from his predecessor who took six months in making such appointments. His lethargy caused a constitution amendment wherein the President is now mandated to appoint his cabinet within a stipulated time. The President has announced the immediate retirement of General Lucky Irabor, who was Chief of Defence Staff; the Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya; the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Awwal Gambo; and Air Marshal Oludayo Amao, the Chief of Air Staff. The new chiefs are Major General Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff; Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, Chief of Naval Staff; and Air Vice-Marshal Hassan Abubaker, Chief of Air Staff.
There are reports that no fewer than 100 staff from the affected forces will leave the service because their juniors have been appointed into commanding heights. My findings show that the people are not under obligation to retire but their ego would not let them. They would rather go than report to their erstwhile subordinates. One way to interrogate this situation is that the appointing authorities were political rather than professional in their action. They would rather sacrifice that number of staff to meet their political needs. The careers of those who fall on the wrong side of the political barometer have been cut mid-stream. In this wise, the appointing authorities have to take the flak. Some people hold that security appointments need not go through the political route as their ministerial counterparts. They are career people whose progress ought not to pander to the political pendulum of authorities. They did not go on the campaign trail to canvass for votes for the President, neither do they belong to any party. They are enjoined to stay away from partisan politics but can retire into it at will. The loyalty of all security officers should not be in doubt. The political spread of appointments may be the reason this seeming abrupt retirements are rampant.
A newspaper report has quoted a retired general as saying that many top brass in their hierarchy, whose juniors climb into commanding heights, would rather resign or retire.
“Top officers that would leave the office would be up to 100 because it cuts across the three services…along the line some would have to be weeded out through retirement,” said the retired general.
There ought to be no reason for them to retire rather than undue ego. The top is narrow and only a few get to it. It takes humility to serve at your post. Many careers have been cut short on the altar of undue politics. Why should people retire from service on account of the political appointment of their juniors? Should those who contested the Presidency with Tinubu retire from politics? I don’t understand why military officers quit when their juniors are appointed into authority. Those who make the appointments should take care not to stifle careers on the altar of undue politics.