President Buhari said he cannot send service Chiefs packing right now because they have unfinished business despite calls from Nigerians that they must go due to the security situation that has continued to escalate in the country.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha stated this yesterday while speaking on behalf of Buhari during a book lunch in Abuja.
There have been calls from various quarters including the National Assembly calling for the sack of the service chiefs following the unabated onslaught on Nigerians by the criminal bandits and the Boko Haram insurgents in recent time.
However, speaking to newsmen yesterday in Abuja during a book lunch titled “CAN, Religion, Politics and Power in Nigeria” Authored by Engr. Samuel Salifu, the SGF taunted those who were calling for the sack of the service chiefs, saying, this is not the right time to sack the security chiefs”
The SGF explained that there are processes that need to be observed if such a step is to be taken, he urged Nigerians to be supportive of government instead if such battle must be won.
Mustapha in his statement which partly reads; “You don’t sack people like that.
There are processes and I believe that, at the opportune time, those processes will be followed. You don’t just wake up and say, sack people, it doesn’t happen like that.
We are in a very difficult time.
We need everybody to be on board.
We need synergy within the intelligence community; within the military formations that will help fight this war.
“We are in a very difficult situation and when we begin to create cracks and divisions, who will be the beneficiaries?
The adversaries are the ones that are going to exploit those deficiencies and further the cause of destabilising the nation.
The service chiefs: Chief of Army Staff; Sadique Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff, and Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff, were appointed in July 2015, for an initial period of two years shortly after President Buhari was sworn.
They were later given an additional two years in 2017, which expired in July 2019.
That appointment is yet to be renewed officially.
Considering the law of the Armed Forces of Nigeria Harmonised Terms and Condition of Service (HTACOS) revised version, section 09(08) states that “An officer appointed to the substantive appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff and the Chief of Air Staff will hold the appointment for a continuous period of two years.
The appointment could be extended for another two years from the date of expiration of the initial two-year period.”
Meanwhile, Benjamin Kalu, the spokesperson for the House of Reps yesterday insisted that the House has refused to shift their ground on the service Chiefs, saying they must go.