Ex-Service Chiefs: PDP’s Criticisms Of Ambassadorial Appointment Laughable-Presidency
The Presidency dismissed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) attack over the widely praised nomination of the former heads of the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Military Intelligence to the Senate for confirmation as non-career ambassadors.
In a statement released earlier today by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu, the Presidency explained that such transition is normal in decent democratic societies, and lamented over what it called ‘laughable criricisms’ of the President and former service chiefs by the PDP, and with which newspapers and online media have been inundated with since the news of the appointments broke last week.
According to Mr. Shehu, the Presidency considers it laughable for the opposition party to assert that the appointments were given to the service chiefs to shield them from trial by the International Criminal Court (ICC), and called them “false and baseless’ claims.
TheFact noted that news of the nomination last week, of the ex-service chiefs as Ambassadors-Designate by President Muhammadu Buhari, broke in the midst of agitations from several quarters calling for their probe of circumstances behind the security lapses during their tenure.
‘How on earth can decent people run down hardworking professionals who have put in their best to defend their country? How can you run down your country and equate that with normal political dialogue and opposition?’ Shehu said.
He said that it was under the watch of ‘corrupt politicians’ of the opposition that the insurgency conquered large swathes of teritorry, and as such they aided the Insurgents.
‘Pray, if a political party, in a blind search for power can spurn the interest of the nation, embrace the language of hate campaign against the country’s military as enunciated by the terrorists, as the PDP does, what will be left for the Boko Haram to do? PDP is doing Boko Haram’s work!’, the statement read.
He further challenged the PDP to publish evidence, if any, against the military, of rights abuse in the war against terrorists instead of levelling grave accusations without proof, adding that the PDP was in no position to lecture the ICC on democratic values and human rights.
‘…we don’t think the ICC, which these childish calls are being made needs to be lectured on democratic values and human rights by the PDP. Who are they, and what is their record in office to lecture anyone? Zaki Biam and Odi where thousands of citizens were on record, the genocide operation comes to mind. Did they report themselves to the ICC?
‘PDP’s attacks on the ambassadorial nominations should be seen in the context of the opposition party’s track record as a university of liars, whose modus operandi is to propagate lies’, he further stated.
He said it was fundamental that the men, having contributed to the security and survival of Nigeria as one nation, and having been rewarded by President Buhari for thier hard work and exceptional sacrifices, should be allowed to move to the next level, so that their examples will help to inspire others if given the opportunity to serve.
