Last Monday, June 19, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed new service chiefs to replace those that served under his predecessor, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.
The eight appointees include Rear Admiral Emmanuel A. Ogalla from Igbo-Eze North Local Council of Enugu State, who was appointed as Chief of Naval Staff. At first, his appointment had elicited reactions as many could not immediately ascertain whether he hails from the South East. It was later confirmed that he hails from Umuopu Community in Enugu-Ezike, an indication that Tinubu was keen to reflect geo-political spread in the appointment of service chiefs.
Ordinarily, the development should be received with welcoming applause in the region, especially going by the experience of the last administration that did not consider any Igbo person capable to be appointed as a service chief, and into the security council, as well as, the fact that appointment into the topmost echelon of the Navy was coming to the South East region for the second time in the history of the country.
Former Rear Admiral Allison Madueke from Enugu State had also served in that capacity during the military era between 1993 and 1994.
However, since the appointment, what seems like a mixed grill has trailed it in the region. The mixed grill is not because Ogalla is not loved by his people, nor are the people of the region averse to inclusion, but because they still believe that the system has not treated the region fairly.
While there are people who feel that reflecting the geo-political spread in the appointment was a sure way to address some issues in the country, others insist that it was a matter of right and not a special favour done to the people of the region to have appointed one of its own into the security council. They insist that the zone deserves a better deal while pointing to the imbalance in other appointments made so far.
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has remained silent since the appointment was made. Many had expected that by now, the group should have either commended or disapproved of it, going by the fact that it had criticised the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, for not appointing an Igbo son into the security council in the eight years that he presided over the country hence Tinubu’s decision to change the perception is worth commending.
The silence of the organisation may not be unconnected with the ongoing election matter at the presidential election tribunal involving Peter Obi and Tinubu. Ohanaeze Ndigbo believes that Obi won the election and may be legitimising the Tinubu administration by reacting to the appointment. Hence, it would prefer not to comment on the activities of the current government until the tribunal matter is sorted out.
Indeed, for eight years, while personnel from other regions of the country served in the security council, Igbos did not. Buhari ensured that no such opportunity was given to the South East even when his position negated the Federal Character principle, which he swore to uphold.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo had on several occasions, while the administration lasted, drawn his attention to it, describing his stance as “hatred and marginalisation against Igbo,” and attributing the increased agitation by separatist groups in the area to deliberate attempts to make them irrelevant in the scheme of things. However, the protests changed nothing.
A cursory look at appointments of service chiefs in the country indicates that the South East region has not been fairly treated. In fact, from 1960 until the present time, not more than seven persons from the zone have served in the security council of the country, with a greater number coming from the military.
Sources indicated that aside from the military coup of 1966 that brought in Gen. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi to serve as General Officer Commanding (GOC) for six months, and as such presided over the security council, the other time was during the Alhaji Shehu Shagari administration when Dr. Alex Ekwueme served as Vice President (1979 – 1983).
Navy Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (rtd) also served in the Supreme Military Council as Chief of General Staff under the Babangida administration between 1975 and 1977. The other time that the South East region was appointed to the security council was during the Goodluck Jonathan administration. He had appointed Ogbonna Onovo, from Enugu State as the Inspector General of Police. Onovo who served for about one year between July 2009 and September 2010 became the first Igbo man to serve in that capacity since the establishment of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
Jonathan had also appointed Lieutenant General Azubuike Ihejirika (rtd) from Abia State as the Chief of Army Staff. It was also the first time someone from the South East was occupying such a position since 1966. Ihejirika, however, served for four years between 2010 and 2014. From 2014 until the appointment made by President Tinubu last Monday, no Igbo had been appointed to the Security Council. Such offices as Security Adviser; Defence Chief; Air Chief; Customs, and Immigration Comptollers, among others, have never been occupied by the Igbo.
This is probably what the president set out to correct last Monday when he announced the appointment of Ogalla as one of the service chiefs. Although many have expressed happiness that the president attempted to satisfy the geo-political spread in the appointments, there are strong indications that it would not address the yearnings of the people of the region.
The Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, who though shared in the sentiments about poor representation of Igbo in top decision-making organs, and the desire of Tinubu to carry every part of the nation along, however, added that democracy is a big elephant with many parts.
Okechukwu stressed that the growth of democracy throughout history has been incremental. He stated that democracy is not revolutionary but evolutionary and therefore that the South East may be the greatest beneficiary of the Tinubu-led administration.
He added: “In my calculation, South West benefitted more from ex-president Buhari’s regime than the North West, and South South was not the greatest beneficiary of ex-president Jonathan’s regime. I stand to be corrected.
“Secondly, and of importance as well, was that when the South East produced Senate President, Ministers of Power, Transport, Finance, Chief of Army Staff et al; neither the Second Niger Bridge was constructed nor Enugu-Onitsha, Enugu-Port Harcourt expressways were rehabilitated.
“We must note that appointments to flamboyant high political offices are considered here as very important because we run prebendal or food-is-ready politics. Otherwise, they are not as substantial dividends of democracy as critical physical and social infrastructures.”
Okechukwu continued: “Please, I am not opposed to the South East getting juicy appointments, far from that; what I know as a historical fact is that if it is good in any geo-political zone of our dear country, it will be good to Ndigbo. Nobody can kill the beetle; we live in every nook and cranny of our dear country and invest therein.
“The request one makes from President Tinubu is urgent demand on physical and social infrastructure; for example the provision of electricity, standardisation of Eastern Corridor Standard Gauge Rail line, rehabilitation of roads, and implementation of agricultural Green Imperative Project. These are the key indices for lifting millions out of poverty.”
The National Leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Uchenna Madu, who commended the move to recognise the tripod that established the country, however, insisted that it would not stop agitation by the people of the region.
His words: “We see it as a good development; appointing a South East person into the security council is a welcome development. But it will not stop the agitation for Biafra. At the same time when you look at the composition, it is still one-sided. We are not against that. It is a foundational error. Nigeria doesn’t understand what national unity is. There is nothing like Nigerian interest, but ethnic interest.
“When Buhari was there it was only the Fulani that occupied the major positions. Now Tinubu is there, but we are not blaming him because that is what he met on the ground. We are not surprised. Let him go ahead. We know it is still going to be sectional at the end of the day.
“So, appointing a man from South East into the security council is a good development, but it is not a call for celebration. We cannot celebrate it because it can never stop our agitation for Biafra.
“We also use this medium to remind our brother appointed into the security council that he should focus on national interest because we the Igbo if we have the opportunity to be at the helm of affairs of the country, we shall promote national interest as it has been in our economic life, social life, and religious life. We have continued to focus on our national interest first before our regional interest.
Ndigbo have exhibited national interest and we appeal to him to continue to promote national interest with his office as Chief of Naval Staff. Let him not play ethnic interest. That is what we want because we believe in Nigeria.”
The former National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Chuks Ibegbu, noted that the appointment does not satisfy the yearnings of the region, stressing that the zone had not been accorded its rightful place in the scheme of things in the country.
“It is the prerogative of the president to make his appointments to reflect every part of the country. The appointment of a naval chief from the South East is not the issue and cannot proffer a solution. It is a right because we are a very strong component of Nigeria. He has not done any favour for us. He did what is required of him but I can tell you that it goes beyond what he has done
“The security architecture has been devoid of a major component of this country for several years. So, we have expected more from him. It is not something to go about rejoicing because we deserve more than that. The security architecture is still highly skewed against the South East. The person appointed from the South East has the highest qualification when compared to the other security chiefs. He merited it.
“The truth is that we are missing in action. We are not in the executive arm; we are not in the judicial arm and even in the legislative arm, we cannot say we are there. So nobody should start clapping. The appointments are still highly skewed and not fairly distributed. The country was built on a tripod and the Igbo is a major component that should be given more than it is getting at the moment. So, we don’t think he has done us any favour,” he added
A Civil Rights Activist, Jerry Ogu, however, stated that he was delighted that the president had taken the bold initiative to address issues plaguing the country, stressing that the appointment of security chiefs from various segments would douse tension.
He stated that one major issue that stoked agitation by the South East during the Buhari administration was the refusal to appoint South East to the security council.
“If Tinubu has removed that barrier, it means he is poised to do more if given the opportunity. It also goes to show that we need each other to deepen the progress and development of this country. If we say no to those things breeding discord, we are likely to achieve more as a nation.”
[Guardian]