The Advocacy for Advancement of Peace and Harmony in Africa Initiative (ADAPHAI) has commended the President, Muhammadu Buhari, on the nomination of ex-service chiefs as non-career ambassadors-designate.

In a statement delivered by its national coordinator, Comrade Sulaimon Suberu, the group noted that, President Buhari, by the appointments, has once again proven to the world that he is a sensitive leader with enviable trait of rewarding hard-work for the purpose of enhancing good performance and productivity.

His words:

“Without mincing words, engaging the ex-service chiefs with further sensitive responsibilities after retirement has dual positive impacts on the ongoing fight against insurgency. While it will naturally boost the morale of those soldiers and officers at the front-line, and increase their confidence in the system to be more committed, it will also afford Nigeria the golden opportunities of tapping the wealth of knowledge of these ex-service chiefs in tactical diplomacy and global security architecture.

Also, serving as non-career ambassadors after meritorious service to curtail a large scale insurgency with overwhelming success will bring about dynamism to Nigeria’s foreign policy, especially in the area of pattern of involvement in security issues within the comity of nations.

More importantly, it is a common knowledge that one of the greatest bane of victory against the current war to nip terrorism in the bud is the cumbersome process of accessing necessary weapons from producing countries abroad. The expertise of these ex-service chiefs in intricacies of armament will help Nigeria to facilitate negotiation and importation of such military hardware.

As an organization saddled with the mandate to propagate peace in Africa as well as the obligation of monitoring and accessing interventions on peace building, we have consistently asserted that there is empirical evidence of high level of professionalism and commitment displayed by the out-gone service chiefs, with a clear-cut achievements from 2015 till this moment.

That these noble men have patriotically and effectively coordinated the war against ideological struggle by Boko Haram and ISIS bloc of West Africa is under evaluation, the spread of the insurgency have been obviously restrained and greatly curtailed, unlike between 2010 and 2015, when insurgents were so emboldened to the extent of attacking the Force headquarters and the UN building located in the heart of FCT.

Sincerely, President Buhari deserves huge accolades from Nigerians for recognizing act of patriotism and good performance; he must also be commended for making Nigeria’s foreign policy more dynamic and stronger by this appointment, for the purpose of sustaining Nigeria’s status as big brother in Africa within the comity of nations.

It is however instructive to warn the fifth columnists to desist from their campaign of calumny against our heroes, who have selflessly served this nation without blemish and willing to do more for the country in other areas of needs and National challenges.

It is equally important to enjoin members of the Senate as the bastion of democracy not to be distracted by ongoing campaign of calumny embarked upon by enemies of Nigeria and do the needful by giving accelerated endorsement to the nomination of the ex-service chiefs for them to commence their assignment in earnest.

We want to specially appreciate and congratulate the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai (Rtd) for attaining this enviable feat and legacies left behind in the Army towards the ongoing fight against insurgency.

In addition to this, Buratahi, as a Chief of Army Staff unprecedentedly combined combative orientation with humanity and developmental inclination.

His interventions in infrastructure across Nigeria, irrespective of region or religion is extremely laudable, he would be remembered as the best COAS in terms of capacity building, training and retraining, medical welfare and promotion of qualitative education for the younger generation.

African elite, especially those with military exposure continued to shower encomiums on him for the establishment of Nigeria Army University, which is arguably the best on the continent.

One can safely say without any fear of contradiction that the former COAS initiated the new birth of vibrant and sophisticated military elite through this creativity; obviously, he has written his name in gold in the sand of time.”