Recent Promotions In The Nigerian Security Forces: Air Force, NPF And PSC Will Hear From Us TheNigerialawyer

….promotions in the Army and Navy commendable, but…

The authorities of the Nigerian Air Force, the Police Service
Commission and the Nigeria Police Force will soon hear from
the Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of
Law-INTERSOCIETY concerning gross lopsidedness in the
recent promotions in the Nigerian Air Force and the Nigeria Police
Force. We shall no longer allow a situation whereby such promotions
rapaciously breach the secularity principles and socio-cultural
pluralism of Nigeria.

Mindless and unchecked violation of the 1999 Constitution
particularly her Sections 14 (3), 217 (3) and 42 and the acceded
international treaty laws must also no longer be condoned. Since
the political and security actors and authorities in Nigeria said
and insisted that “Nigeria must remain one indivisible country”,
then “the oneness” of the country must no longer be allowed to be a
replica of George O’Neil’s ‘Animal Farm’ where ‘some animals are
more equal than others’. Otherwise Nigeria must be allowed to live
apart in peace, even if it means some nationalities living in
extreme poverty, but with dignity, peace and security.

Intersociety remains uncompromisingly
focused in campaigning for respect, protection and advancement of
the constitutional and other human rights of all Nigerians
irrespective of their places of birth, ethnic origin, religious
affiliations, social and political status or class, gender and age.
Nigeria must be structured and governed to give a sense of
belonging, nationality, equality and development to all members of
her ethnic nationalities. Otherwise, the country should be allowed
to peacefully go ‘the USSR’ way.

The above was the position
of Intersociety in a statement issued
today and signed by Chinwe Umeche, Esq., Head of Democracy &
Good Governance, Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Esq., Head of Civil
Liberties & Rule of Law, Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam, Esq.,
Head of Campaign & Publicity, Samuel Kamanyaoku (Comrade), Head
of Field Data Collection & Documentation and Emeka Umeagbalasi,
Board Chair.

By Section 14 (3) of the 1999 Constitution, ‘the composition
of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the
conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to
reflect the federal character (sectional balancing) of Nigeria and
need to promote national unity, and also to command national
loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of
persons from a few States or from a few ethnic or other sectional
groups in that Government or any of its agencies’.

By Section 217 (3) of the same Constitution, ‘the
composition of the officer corps and other ranks of the Armed
Forces of the Federation shall reflect the federal character
(sectional balancing) of Nigeria’; and by Section 42,
‘a citizen of Nigeria of a particular community shall not be
discriminated against on the basis of his or her ethnic group,
place of origin, sex, religion or political opinion or social
status or class’.

Intersociety has continuously, vigorously,
uncompromisingly and boldly led and still leading a serious
campaign against lopsided composition or sectional imbalances in
the composition of Nigeria’s security, political and justice
establishments both at national and regional levels. In her
26^th Sept 2019 field
work, Intersociety found that 18 out of
the country’s 22 top federal security and justice positions are
presently occupied by Muslims as against only four for
Christians.

Of the 18 top seats occupied by Muslims, 16 are held by Northern
Muslims and out of the 22 top seats; none is given to the Southeast
or mainland Igbo; with a general population of no fewer than 60m.
Regionally too, of 73 top security commanders manning key military
and policing formations in the Southeast and the South-south
regions involving Directors of SSS, Police AIGs and State CPs and
top military commanders, 65 are held by officers of other regions
mostly of Northern Muslim religion, while only eight are from the
two regions. The present official logo of the Nigerian Army also
despicably and condemnably bears the ‘Arabic Islamic’ symbol.

Promotions In The Army & Air Force Commendable,
But…

Of the recent promotions in the Nigerian Army involving 34 newly
promoted major generals, the Southeast or mainland Igbo was given
three, instead of five or six. It must be noted and reminded that
the sharing principle or formula for the country’s top elective and
appointive federal offices is the ‘six geopolitical regional or
zonal formula’. The three new Igbo/Southeast major generals, out of
the 34 promoted are Major Gens EC Onyemulu, CK Nwosu and OC Ajunwa.
This is not totally acceptable, though a slight departure from the
age-long status quo. The shortfall, therefore, must be corrected by
the authorities concerned.

Of the 47 newly promoted Brig Gens, Southeast or mainland Igbo
got eight, and among them are Brig Gens  AOD Okoro, NB
Ebulue, KO Ukandu, EI Okoro, KE Chigbu, SO Nwafor, CC Ogbu, Onyema
Nwachukwu and GC Nkenke (?)  This is highly commendable.
The Nigerian Army is hereby commended over this. Additionally, the
newly promoted Igbo Brig Gens must be assigned posts or duties
other than ‘tea-making’. While the Brig-Major General promotion
falls short of Sections 14 (3), 42 and 217 (3) of the Constitution,
the Col-Brig Gen promotion is fully in conformity or compliance
with the referenced Constitutional Sections.

In the area of promotions in the Nigerian Navy involving 17
newly promoted Rear Admirals, 32 Navy Commodores, 26 Navy Captains
and 65 Navy Commanders, Southeast or mainland Igbo were given three
new Rear Admirals out of the 17. They include Rear Admirals Vincent
Okeke, Perry Onwuzulike and Chukwu Okafor. Out of the 32 new Navy
Commodores, Southeast got five involving Navy Commodores Desmond
Igbo, Nnamdi Ekwom, Michael Igwe, Ikenna Ubani and Emmanuel
Anaekwe. We commend the authorities of the Nigerian Navy and gladly
note that their promotions sufficiently conform to Sections 14 (3),
42 and 217 (3) of the 1999 Constitution.

Condemning Promotions In The Nigerian Air
Force

The recent promotions that took place both in the Nigerian Air
Force and the Nigeria Police Force are noted with strong
condemnation. The promotion lopsidedness particularly in the Air
Force’s ‘Air Commodore-Air Vice Marshal’ and Police’s ‘CP-AIG’ is a
total violation of Sections 14 (3), 217 (3) and 42 of the 1999
Constitution. It particularly saddens our heart that out of the 13
newly promoted Air Vice Marshals, only one(AVM Cosmos Ozougwu) was
allocated to the Southeast or mainland Igbo. Protested, though with
slight commendation, is the fact that out of the 35 newly promoted
Air Commodores, Southeast got five, instead of six.  The
five Igbo new Air Commodores are Japheth Ekwuribe, Emeka Ashiegbu,
Chidiebere Obiabaka, Boniface Ifeobu and Azubuike Chukwuka.

Strong Condemnation Of Promotions In The Nigeria Police
Force

Totally condemned is the recent ‘jihadist and pecuniary
interest promotion’ exercise in the Nigeria Police Force
involving promotion of 14 CPs to AIGs, out of which 13 are Northern
Muslims and only one is an Edo or South-south Christian (AIG Austin
Iwero Agbonlahor). The 13 Northern Muslims are AIGs Yuhana Babas,
Dan-Mallam Mohammed, Mua’zu Zubairu Halilu, Rabiu Yusuf, Sanusi
Lima Lemu, Ahmed Illiyasu, Mohammed Uba Kura, Zaki A. Mohammed,
Gbandu Halilu Abubakar, Zama Bala Senchi, Bello A. Sadique, Lawan
Ado and Bashir Makama.

The controversial promotion exercise also saw promotion of
retiring CP Alex Okpara and AIG Adeyemi Samuel Ogunjemilisu to the
rank of Police DIG. They were ordered to proceed on pre-retirement
leave. The promotion of the two to DIG at the twilight of their
retirements is strongly condemned. It is also a creation of
unnecessary financial burden on the country’s lean public funds
whereby they will be made to earn fat pensions and gratuities as
‘retired Police DIGs’ without serving the country even a single day
as Police DIGs.

PSC, NPF & Air Force Will Hear From Us

The elevation of the 13 Northern Muslim CPs to AIG comes when no
Igbo or Southeast senior Police officers are among the country’s
serving AIGs, numbering about 26 and the country’s 12 Police Zonal
Commands headed by AIGs. The authorities of the Police Service
Commission, the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Air Force
will, therefore, hear from us in coming days.

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Police Arraign Young Editor, Campus Journalist over
Report on Presidential Adviser’s Factory

The Nigeria Police Force has arraigned the young Editor of
NewsDigest, Abuja-based online newspaper, Gidado Yushau and
award-winning Campus Journalist, Alfred Olufemi before a magistrate
court in Ilorin Metropolis.

They were arraigned over a petition from a company owned by the
just appointed Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on
Finance and Economy, Dr. Sarah Alade over an investigative report
on hemp smoking published on 19 May 2018.

The investigative report titled: “Inside Kwara factory where
Indian hemp smoking is ‘legalized,” was authored by Mr Olufemi, a
student journalist from one of the premier universities in the
country.

According to the report, Hillcrest Agro-Allied Industry, one of
the groups of companies owned by the former Deputy Governor of
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Sarah Alade tolerated the
smoking of cigarettes, as well as Indian hemp by workers within its
vicinity.

The report also stated that the industry refused to respond to
Olufemi’s inquiry on the disturbing situation after he had put
several calls and text messages to the industry’s hotlines.

Police operatives earlier arrested the platform’s professional
webmaster, Adebowale Adekoya in Lagos and Gidado Yushau in Abuja
before taking them to Ilorin for further questioning. Olufemi
Alfred voluntarily submitted himself to the police later in
Ilorin.

According to the police, their arrest was based on a petition
received from the company’s management, which debunked the claims
in the publication.

However, on Tuesday, the two defendants (Gidado and Alfred) were
charged with Criminal conspiracy and defamation against Sections 97
and 192 of the penal code.

The First Information Report (FIR) obtained by PRNigeria^[1] averred that the two
defendants “criminally conspired to tarnish the name and image of
Hillcrest Agro-Allied Industries”

Both Messrs Shuaib and Olufemi pleaded not guilty before a
Magistrate Court in Ilorin Metropolis

Following the bail application made by the defence counsel,
Barrister Usman Kola Belgore, the Chief Magistrate of the Court,
Magistrate A.O Muhammed released the defendants on grounds of
recognition and that they are innocent until proven otherwise.

The conditions of bail include two sureties each who are
relatives of the defendants with a bail bond of two hundred
thousand naira(N200,000.00)

The case was adjourned for hearing on January 13.

Earlier, Messrs Gidado Shuaib and Adekoya were detained and
subsequently released by the Kwara State Police Command after they
were thoroughly quizzed for publishing the investigative
report.

The reporter of the story, Alfred Olufemi is a university
student and an investigative journalist whose works have appeared
in major news media in Nigeria.

He is a recipient of News Editor Award of the Nigerian
Universities Merit Award (NUMA) 2018, Campus journalist of the year
2018 and Investigative Reporter of the Year at the 2019 Campus
Journalism Award. One of his award-winning investigative reports
include “Kwara communities where pregnant women abandon health
centres for herbalist,” and the report on the factory belonging to
Buhari’s Adviser, Sarah Alade

By PRNigeria^[2]