In a move to give recently retired service chiefs a soft landing, President Muhammadu Buhari has sent heir names to the Senate for confirmation as non-career ambassadors.
The affected ex-service chiefs include, Gen Abayomi G. Olonisakin (Rtd), Lt Gen Tukur Y. Buratai (Rtd), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd), and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed S. Usman (Rtd).
The retired service chiefs have recently come under a salvo of allegations of extrajudicial actions and mismanagement of funds meant for the fight against terrorism, a situation where some groups and agencies have called for their probe and prosecution.
A confirmation of the ex-service chiefs as ambassadors will automatically clad them with diplomatic immunity which will effectively shield them from every probe and prosecution.
The president’s Special adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, who revealed the nomination from the State House said the President addressed a letter to the Senate President Ahmad Lawan urging him to expedite action on the confirmation of the nominees.
Part of Adesina’s statement read: “President Muhammadu Buhari has forwarded the names of the immediate past Service Chiefs to the Senate as non-career Ambassadors-Designate.
“In a letter to Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, President of the Senate, the President said: “In accordance with section 171 (1), (2) (c) & sub-section (4) of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, I have the honour to forward for confirmation by the Senate, the under-listed five (5) names of nominees as Non-Career Ambassadors-Designate.”
“The nominees are: Gen Abayomi G. Olonisakin (Rtd ), Lt Gen Tukur Y. Buratai (Rtd), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd), and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed S. Usman (Rtd).
“The President urged the Senate to give expeditious consideration to the nominations”.