A former minister of aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, yesterday, said the military high command cannot intimidate him from saying the truth about the worsening security in the country.
Fani-Kayode, who was also one-time minister of culture and tourism, said the military cannot impose a culture of silence on Nigerians, even when it is evident that the military heads had performed woefully in waging war against insecurity.
The ex-minister stated this in a statement he personally released in Abuja yesterday in response to the military’s press statement titled: “Re: Unsubstantiated Allegations Against The Armed Forces Of Nigeria By Mr Femi Fani-Kayode In A Viral Video In Circulation,” which was made available to newsmen on Saturday.
But in his statement titled: “My Response To The Defence Headquarters,” Fani-Kayode described the military’s response to his remark as laughable.
“I read the response from the Defence Headquarters of Nigeria (dated 9. 7. 2022) to my video about the insecurity in the country and the attack on Kuje prison and I was utterly amused.
“Given the gravity and seriousness of the deteriorating security situation in our country, I did not know whether to laugh or cry when I read through it.
“I would advise strongly that the military High Command and Defence Headquarters spends it’s time facing up to and fighting the terrorists that have turned our nation into a functional killing field and horrendous bloodbath and abattoir over the last few years and attempt to carry out their constitutional role of protecting us from enemies within and without rather than trying to engage me in a press war or cow me into silence,” he said.
He said if the military commanders know his antecedents as they claim, they will appreciate the fact that attempting to threaten or intimidate him into not pointing out and exposing their abysmal failures can never work.
“For the record I have nothing but respect and admiration for the ordinary rank and file and junior and middle rank officers of our Armed Forces who have sacrificed so much, including their lives, and who continue to do so even without the necessary backing and support that they need and deserve from the present Military High Command.
“Many of them have fought hard and died on the front line of battle in the most gallant way despite the difficult circumstances they have found themselves in and the uninspiring and poor logistical and moral support they have been offered by their senior colleagues.
“Worse still thousands of our civilians have been kidnapped, butchered and subjected to the most horrendous acts of evil and violence by the numerous terrorist organisations that have invaded and plagued our land.
“All these, yet we are supposed to sit by idly and clap for our military field and operational commanders when things are clearly going wrong?
“Call it ‘rabble rousing’ if you like (as they did in their press statement) but the overwhelming majority of Nigerians are appalled and disgusted with the degree to which our security situation has degenerated and are demanding that the Military High Command either goes or does far better. Their glaring and embarrassing failures are as repugnant to them as it is to me,” he said.
According to him, Nigerians are also utterly disgusted at the disdain and contempt with which they carry out their duties and their utter insensitivity to the plight of their own soldiers and the concerns of our people.
“They speak of my so-called ‘ignorance’ but is there anything more ignorant than attempting to compel a civilian not to criticise the leadership of the Armed Forces of his country where and when they have failed woefully in their duties and obligations?
“We criticised, risked all, suffered to no end and fought military rule for seven long years when their predecessors in office and very senior colleagues annulled the June 12th election and held power from 1993 till 1999 but now that they have left office and we are in a civilian dispensation they believe we dare not or cannot legitimately criticise them when they get it wrong?
“Such delusion and self-serving, self-seeking and vain fantasies beggar belief,” he said.
