Service chiefs not deserving of nationwide awards, CSO tells Buhari | The Guardian Nigeria Information

The Coalition of Civil Society on Integrity in Nigeria, on Wednesday, criticised the conferment of nationwide awards on some Service Chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari, saying the motion devalues and lowers the esteem, integrity, and status of the honours.

Buhari, on Tuesday, on the Worldwide Convention Centre (ICC) in Abuja, conferred nationwide honours awards on a complete of 449 distinguished Nigerians, and a few overseas nationals.

The group in a press release by its Nationwide Coordinator, Dr Mohammed Dandume and Gabriel kolawale Nationwide Secretary, the group expressed worries over the rising spate of insecurity throughout the nation which, it famous, was occasioned by the failure of the army excessive command to deploy new concepts and views.

Amongst these bestowed with the nationwide honours awards, had been the Chief of Defence Employees (CDS), Normal Fortunate Irabor, the Chief of Military Employees (COAS), Lt-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, the Chief of Naval Employees and the Chief of Air Employees.

Irabor, Yahaya, and others had been conferred with the award of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), the third highest after the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR), which is unique to President’s/Heads of State, and the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).

Whereas recognising the significance of nationwide honours, and the necessity to respect people for his or her distinguished providers to the nation, the coalition famous that it was an abuse of discretion and privilege to have thought-about, and consequently bestowed such a prestigious award on the present CDS,and Service Chiefs.

He stated: “As a coalition, we hasten to sentence, in sturdy phrases, the conferment of an honours award on Service Chiefs, as this growth suggests reward for failure to deliver the rising insecurity within the nation to a halt.

“We dare say that the current launch of the remaining twenty three (23) Abuja/Kaduna practice passengers kidnapped by suspected bandits/terrorists, couldn’t be a veritable floor for the honours award.

“Our argument is based on the very fact,that the choice course of for the awards pre-dated the necessary ceremony, which held in Abuja on Tuesday, barely every week after the discharge of the abductees from their captives”.

They stated the motion defeats, to a really massive extent, the intent and goal of the honours award, which is to recognise contributions of personalities to the course of nation constructing and growth.

Consequently, the group has known as on worldwide neighborhood to mount stress on President Buhari to, within the spirit of nationwide curiosity, withdraw the award from the 2 service chiefs.

Based on the assertion: “We’re by this assertion, urging the worldwide neighborhood, particularly the USA (US), United Kingdom (UK), the United Nations’ (UN), to advise President Buhari on the pressing and compelling must withdraw the award of CFR bestowed on the Service Chiefs.

“We’re shocked how folks, who must be sacked for failing the nation and her folks, are being bestowed with a nationwide award. We insist that failure to withdraw such a prestigious award to the Service Chiefs, within the face of rising insecurity, will give validity to ineptitude, incapacity, and outright failure.

“Certainly, now we have no quarrel with the honours award, and the very fact that it’s the prerogative of the President to confer similar on distinguished Nigerians, however we keep that the Service Chiefs should not deserving of such privilege.

“It’s our thought-about view – and we’re sure that the majority Nigerians will agree with us – that quite than do the army heads the honours, our gallant troops, who danger their lives, amidst insufficient’ tools, would have been so adorned.

“It’s, nonetheless, not too late within the day for Mr. President to assessment the choice, with a view to withdrawing the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on males which have demonstrated over time, that they’ve reached their wits’ finish.

“Something in any other case will quantity to utter devaluation of the nationwide honours, in addition to a vote of no confidence within the technique of nomination,and consideration respectively.

“We name on different well-meaning teams, and people to affix on this clarion name for the withdrawal of the CFR Award bestowed on the Service Chiefs, to reclaim the status that accompanies similar.

“Bestowing awards on service chiefs is an insult on the sensibilities of Nigerians, particularly deceased households of these consumed by the unabating insecurity, and victims too.

“For the umpteenth time, subsequently, we name for the speedy substitute of the Service Chiefs with dedicated senior officers, who perceive the dynamics of contemporary warfare, and the deployment of know-how.

“We, nonetheless, congratulate different award recipients, a lot of whom had been deserving of the honours, in opposition to the backdrop of their contributions to the expansion and sustainability of the Nigerian State.”