Northern elders disagree with Afenifere over call for sack of service chiefs

The leadership of the Northern Elders, Professionals and Stakeholders’ Forum [NEPSF] has faulted the recent call for the sack of service chiefs by the pan Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere.

The group had asked President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore the recent call, saying some political enemies have infiltrated their midst.

Simon Shango, national president of the group, in a communique after a stakeholders’ meeting, said the  military had been giving its best to the war against insurgency.

The communique reads in full.

There is no doubt that these soldiers died for us to live and we are optimistic, the supreme price they paid for Nigerians and our fatherland would not go in vain. As we mourn their sudden passage to eternity, we pray Almighty God to grant their gentle souls peaceful rest in His bosom, as well as comfort the nation.

Sir, we consider it another rare compelling reason for us to scribble these few lines to you. Though, you are still in mourning mood, but we are also stimulated by the prevailing tragedy which befell the nation to empathize with you.

It is completely unnecessary to repeat what is already known to you and millions of Nigerians. But for the sake of emphasis, let us remind you about some of the issues which have already come to your attention.

It belittles reasoning and sense of patriotism that ethnic bigots, enemies of Nigeria, political charlatans, particularly, the opposition elements in Nigeria to so bizarrely seek to use the deaths of our soldiers in the hands of our mortal enemies as campaign weapon to fester their political nests. It is against the precepts of morality and spirit of fraternity or commiseration for families of the slain soldiers.

We perused some of the recent outbursts, the latest emanating from Afenifere, the Pan-Yoruba socio-political group. We disappointedly discovered to our dismay that these anti-Nigerian forces may have infiltrated their ranks.

To say, we were shocked that the Afenifere enlivened the campaign for the sack of the incumbent Service Chiefs is to put it politely. But the infusion of a political tone into an otherwise mournful comments by praying God to “…give us a leadership that is more than equal to the challenges we face,” grassed the partisanship of the group on the matter.

And smarting from this mindset, Afenifere besmirched every effort made by your administration in the past three years, which has given respite to Nigerians, especially the communities in the Northeast, where the furnace of Boko Haram insurgency burned very hotly.

Indisputably, Afenifere is not blind to the commendable result-orientated selfless efforts of your Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and leader of the counter-insurgency operations, Lt.Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai in the war against insurgency.

The welfare of troops is his topmost priority. And in spite of his tight schedules reflected in the supervision of troops all over the country, Gen. Buratai regularly visits the theatre of operation in the Northeast. It has been his commitment and cardinal focus since he became leader of the counter-insurgency operations.

Nigerians with untainted hearts have seen and felt the victories of our gallant troops against Boko Haram terrorists a countless times. And the determination of the Nigerian troops to sustain the winning streak against insurgents has remained unbroken and stanch.