A coalition of peace-building nonprofit organizations, led by Global Peace and Life Rescue Initiative,(GOPRI), a Nigerian-based organization, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for rising above sentiments and godfatherism to appoint the current set of service chiefs.
President Tinubu had on June 19, 2023, announced appointments of new service chiefs. They include Major General Chris Musa, Chief of Defence Staff, Major Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, Chief of Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshal H.B Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff. The senior military officers have since been all elevated to the most senior rank of their respective services.
Reacting to the appointments during an assessment visit to some worst-hit communities in Zango Kataf, Kaura and Jema local government areas of Kaduna State, GOPRI expressed the belief that the service chiefs were appointed after a careful and extensive profiling of their track records of achievements, instead of regional and ethnic sentiments.
In the statement signed by its Executive Director, Amb. Melvin Ejeh who doubled as President of the coalition and the Secretary, Rev. Father Joseph Mainasara, GOPRI expressed gratitude to the president for what it described as “returning our Armed Forces to a place of pride.”
According to the coalition, the president’s action “will spur other officers to work hard rather than depending on god-fathers.
The group particularly noted that those who know General Musa and Gen. Lagbaja, know that the president made the best choice among equals in their appointments, adding that “very soon, Nigerians will forget the issues of insecurity.”
“We wish to immensely thank President Bola Tinubu for his appointment of General Chris Musa and other service chiefs, who we believe were appointed after a careful and extensive profiling of their track records of achievements, instead of regional and ethnic sentiments.
“We thank the president immensely for this singular act of returning our Armed Forces to a place of pride.
“This will spur other officers to work hard rather than depending on god-fathers,” the statement read.
“We are not here to speak for the service chiefs but for emphasis, those who know General Musa and General Lagbaja know that the President made the best choice among equals in their appointments and very soon, Nigerians will forget the issues of insecurity,” the group said.
The group expressed sympathy with the communities over recent mindless attacks carried out on them by bandits and other notorious elements.
The coalition told the residents of the affected communities: “We know you have been suffering for several years in these communities due to mindless attacks by bandits and enemies of peace. However, we are confident that you and another part of Nigeria will soon sleep with your two eyes closed, not because one of your sons is now appointed as a security chief, but because he is a thorough bread and committed professional, who has been brutal to criminals and enemies of state in all his career. We are sure by the grace of God he and his team will do everything possible to secure Nigeria as a whole.”
“We are here today basically in continuation of our humanitarian visit across Southern Kaduna communities to assess the level impacts of the crisis to enable us to commence relocation of affected displaced persons to their ancestral homes. Our mission also involves getting accurate data of all victims during the last attacks in the area to enable us to support their food needs and other basic supplies as well.
“We shall also commence the immediate rehabilitation of some of the houses destroyed during the attack so that returnees can have a befitting place to rest their heads
“We shall commence an immediate trauma healing program, and empowerment of some women and youths whose sources of livelihood were taken away or destroyed by the mindless and senseless attacks,” it assured.
The group led the communities to thank its partners for their humanitarian work in not only the attacked communities in Kaduna State but also other crisis-ridden communities across Nigeria.
Noting that the “Government has a lot in its hands”, it said it was, therefore, not patriotic to leave every problem in the hands of the government to solve.
It, therefore, appealed to well-meaning Nigerians and groups to come to the aid of Southern Kaduna and other displaced communities in Nigeria as according to it, government alone cannot solve all the problems.
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