Shekarau Insists Service Chiefs Illegally Retained by Buhari
Former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari is retaining security service chiefs beyond their statutory retirement period in contravention of the extant Laws in Nigeria.
The service chiefs include: the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar..
Shekarau, a serving senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has been outspoken lately as he featured on a television program as well as in a BBC interview where he lamented the spate of reckless killings going on in the Northeastern part of the country.
He supported the notion that the service chiefs are already mentally and physically exhausted, and need to be relieved.
“It is against the law… The scheme of service in Nigeria provides that anyone who has worked for 35 years or has reached 60 years of age, must be retired. Even if it is just a day you add to that, you have crossed the boundary.
“The president has no power to go against this clear provision. He lacks the powers to reduce or add to any civil servants years of service.”
The senator said three sets of people are to be blamed for the overstay of the service chiefs. The president is one, the military is the second and the service chiefs themselves are the third. The three don’t appear to accord any respect to our laws. Otherwise they would have left as soon as they hit the stipulated 35 years in service or 60 years of age.
He said the president may have forgotten and has not been reminded about the provision, or he may not even be aware of it.
As bizzare as the suggestion that the president may not be aware of the provision may sound, Shekarau said he would not want to believe that Buhari was being autocratic about the issue.
“But if he knew about the provision and has not forgotten about its subsistence, but only decided to overlook it, then he is certainly being autocratic”, Shekarau said.
Share your thoughts on the story Shekarau Insists Service Chiefs Illegally Retained by Buhari with Nigeria Sketch in the comments section below.
