Service Chiefs: Exclusion Of Southeast Disappointing — Ohanaeze

Ohanaeze Ndigbo on Thursday expressed displeasure with the exclusion of Southeast in the recent appointment of Service Chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as disappointing.

The apex Igbo socio-cultural group while praising the President on the new appointments wondered why “southeast is still not represented”

President Buhari on Tuesday announced the appointment of Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor as Chief of Defence Staff; Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru as Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Awwal Gambo as Chief of Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Amao as Chief of Air Staff.

Ohanaeze President-General Prof. George Obiozor, in a statement said the Service chiefs’ appointments would go a long way to “reassure Nigerians that the President is determined to contain and control the nation’s security problems with fresh ideas and strategies.”

He added, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN): “We particularly thank the President for the appointment of Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, a tested General and a gentleman.

“However, Mr President, one way of ensuring compliance with the Federal character provision of the Constitution is to observe the distribution of important and vital offices of the Federal Government in accordance with the zonal structure.

“Mr. President, particularly in the area of the security architecture of the country, the Southeast zone which was conspicuously absent in your first term has now again not been included so far in your recent appointment of service chiefs.

“Ohanaeze hopes and believes that the President in continuation of appointments in this sector will consider the Southeast.

“We wish President Buhari a successful second term with peace and security for the country and prosperity for the people of Nigeria.”