The Catholic Arch Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Rev Father Hassan Kukah, has voiced his concern for a long term military dominance of Nigeria’s politics, which had been accentuated by the emergence of two retired Generals, Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari as the President of the country.
Kukah made this observation yesterday at the formal presentation and official launch of the biography on Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, titled: “Destiny Calling My Name”.
As a result, he advised retired military personnel, especially the imposing generals to lessen their interference in the political space of the country.
According to the clergy, the military had taken away several years of the nation’s democracy, having already two retired generals as Presidents in “the persons of Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo (was once a President) and now Muhammadu Buhari, who is the President-elect”, and urged them allow civilians to grow the country’s democracy.
He said: “We really and truly thank God that we are making progress in our democratic dispensation. Great things has happened and continue to happen to Nigeria.
“You know that the military has already taken away most of our years in this democracy, and as you have seen, they are still not yet through with us.
“After Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, how many more generals do you want to have as Presidents? Will civilians grow this democracy or will it be the duty of soldiers? He queried
He continued: “My people, we must make progress and our democracy will grow. This is not anti-military rally but please soldiers retired and serving give us civilians to rule.
“Let those soldiers who have retired enjoy the benefit of their retirement and let the soldiers who are serving remain in the military and do very well what they set out to do when they joined the military”.
Secondly, Kukah added, that he believed that most Nigerians must be very pleased that when it mattered, our military displayed a high sense of responsibility.
The Clergy commended President Goodluck Jonathan for accepting defeat during the last general elections, which he said; “Put to rest the speculation that he had put some options in place as a strategy in the event that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost the election”.
In the same vein, Kukah who was the Chairman of the occasion, had kind words for Badeh, “For assuring Nigerians of the standard of professionalism and democratic credentials of the military.
“I remember Badeh saying in the television that we are products of democracy and we will be subordinate to democratic governance. Military must stand on the side of the people and not on those who subjugated the people and giving the African countries a bad name”.
Also, Prof. Jerry Gana, commended Jonathan and Badeh; the former for “his political maturity in the last election”, which noted, “Saved the country for avoidable crisis”, and the later, for maintaining and sustaining security at the trying moments .
Gana insisted that the country would have fulfilled the doomsday prediction, had President Jonathan not accepted defeat the time he did.
For Badeh, he said; “We admire that you led the Armed Forces at such a trying moment.
“Air Chief Marshal Badeh epitomises professionalism. You have led the Nigerian Armed Forces to vanquish the terrorists. You put your passion and patriotism into action through dogged and visionary leadership in the counter-terrorism efforts”.
-Thisday
