Some elders from the South West geo-political region of the country have commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing one of their illustrious sons in the Nigerian Military as the Chief of the Air Staff.
The elders, under the aegis of Conference of Concerned Yoruba Elders (CCYE), expressed appreciation to the president for considering the region for the second time for appointment into the security management team, saying the president’s gesture was a demonstration of his unwavering confidence in the South West region to assist his administration give Nigerians much needed security as he pledged during his campaigns.
The National Coordinator, Prof. Olusegun Ajibola and National Secretary, Dr Catherine Adisa, urged their kinsmen to reciprocate the president’s gesture by supporting his administration to succeed in bestowing an enduring legacy of good leadership for the country.
They, however, expressed reservation over what they called the continuous side-lining of their Igbo neighbours from the security management team.
According to group, the development has been of concern as it had happened for the second time, having experienced the first in 2015 when no military officer of South East extraction made it in the security team composed by the president.
They urged the president to review the appointments of security heads and accordingly accommodate the South East for justice and equity, saying all major regions of the country should be given equal representation in the security management.
While saying that no ethnic group or tribe in the country had stake in the Nigerian project than the others, the group insisted that it was time for President Buhari to right the wrong so that every part of the country could have a sense of belonging in Nigeria.
“We thank God and President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing our son, Air Vice Marshal Oladayo Amao as Chief of the Air Staff. This is the second time that the president is considering our region worthy enough for appointment into the nation’s security management. We are indeed grateful to him for this gesture.
“We, however, stand totally with Ohanaeze Ndigbo and several other Nigerians who are of the view that justice was not done to South East in the composition of the service chiefs and should be urgently and fairly reviewed in the interest of justice and equity.
“Obviously, from the mood of the country after the long-awaited sack of service chiefs, the low or poor excitement in the country is a clear indication that people were not happy with the composition of the appointment,” they said.
They, therefore urged Nigerians to speak for the South East and appeal to Mr President to review this appointment in the interest of justice that he and his party stand for.
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