Service Chiefs Deserve Commendation, Not Destructive Criticisms, Coalition Tells Nigerians

A coalition of civil society organisations under the umbrella of the Campaign Against Injustice (CAI) has urged President Bola Tinubu to disregard calls for the removal of service chiefs, warning that persistent destructive criticisms could dampen the morale of troops at the frontlines.

In a statement signed by its convener, Abbey Jolaosho, on Thursday, the group said it was “unconscionable” to heap blame on the service chiefs alone whenever things go wrong, without critically assessing the broader circumstances affecting national security.

The reaction came on the heels of demands by the Northern Ethnic National Forum, led by Dominic Alancha, for the immediate removal of the service chiefs.

According to CAI, Nigerians should instead show support for the military, given their sacrifices to defend the country.

“Nigerians should encourage the Nigerian Army for the services they have rendered and continue to render. A lot of them have paid the supreme sacrifice to ensure that the territorial integrity of Nigeria is not in jeopardy,” the statement read.

The coalition stressed that terrorism is a global phenomenon and not unique to Nigeria. It argued that the military continues to face serious challenges, including inadequate equipment and poor remuneration, while also pointing to the failure of governors and local government officials to deliver good governance at their levels.

“Apart from the fact that terrorism is a worldwide phenomenon, the military have suffered a lot of setbacks in terms of equipment, remuneration and other factors that should be addressed by governors and local government officials. Good governance would discourage those taking arms against the country because of frustration and hardships,” CAI said.

The group praised the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, for what it described as his inspiring leadership.

“We have noticed the zeal with which the Chief of Army Staff has conducted himself in recent times in terms of Nigeria’s Army motivation and welfare. This is highly commendable,” it added.

CAI also lauded President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, especially the increase in soldiers’ daily operational allowance from ₦1,500.

“The Nigerian Army has done well if the number of operations they’re involved in across Nigeria is put into consideration,” the group noted.

The coalition, however, urged Nigerians to redirect their scrutiny towards state governors and council chairmen who, it said, now receive “more than triple allocation” from the federal government but have failed to deliver on grassroots development.

“People’s scrutiny should be directed towards the governors and council officials who now have more than triple allocation to make life easy for the people and also the military, instead of transferring their anger and aggression to the service chiefs who are doing all that is humanly possible to get rid of the insurgency ravaging Nigeria,” CAI maintained.

The group further emphasised that the kinetic approach accounts for only 25 per cent of counter-insurgency measures, while the remaining 75 per cent rests on non-kinetic strategies such as good governance.

It warned that unhealthy criticisms of the military had already led to cases of desertion and reduced interest among potential recruits.

“It is because of these unhealthy criticisms that you now have a lot of deserters and others not willing to join the Nigerian Army,” the statement added.