Northern senators meet over lopsided Army postings
Written by Taiwo Adisa- Abuja
Monday, February 4, 2013

FOLLOWING recent uproar over alleged lopsided postings in the Nigerian Army, members of the Northern Senators Forum met at the weekend, to X-ray perceived marginalisation of the North in the army.

Sources in Abuja confirmed that leaders of the forum circulated a paper, which contained a table of alleged postings in the military in recent times.

A source said the document was compiled to show the perceived favour to the Igbo tribe in the postings and the alleged breach of the Federal Character principle.

It was gathered that the forum had resolved to launch official protests in relation to the perceived lopsidedness in the postings.

According to sources in the polity, the document being circulated among the northern senators portrayed ethnic imbalance and further indicated that Igbos in the army were being made to occupy choice postings and commanding positions.

“We have resolved to launch protests against this imbalance and ensure that the right thing is done,” a source said, adding that in a federation, every arm of government and agency must be ready to play by the rules.

But a group, Information for Democracy and Development (IDD), led by its national coordinatior, Mr Joshua Yahaya, said allegations being bandied against the person of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Azubuike Ihejirika, was needless distraction aimed at plunging the military into the realm of politics.

According to the group, the allegations were being orchestrated by some disgruntled elements who, it said, “are not comfortable with the level of re-engineering in the army by General Ihejirika.” adding that the distraction was aimed to further mislead the public about the happenings in the army.

The group said it suspected that those distorting issues about happenings in the army could be fifth columnists who were opposed to peace in the land.

“They may, as well, be people who have twisted the fact to mislead members of the public and distract government in the fight against terrorism.

Allegations of nepotism against Ihejirika, coming at this time, are, indeed, diabolic and a calculated attempt to distract the army leadership from its laudable counter-terrorism campaigns, which have already started bearing fruits.

“Apart from the principles of quota and federal character, we believe that the army, being a professional body, must insist on certain minimum qualification,” the group said.

Also, a story published by 247U Reports, an online publication, defended Ihejirika against allegations of favouritism in the army postings.

The online channel, in its report on Sunday, said “it has come to our notice that there is a campaign by some unscrupulous and unpatriotic elements, whose intentions appear to be bent on destabilising the Nigerian military and nation at large.

“This campaign is being propagated in the form of a spurious article being circulated, alleging that the Ihejirika is on some sinister and clandestine operations to Igbonise the Nigerian Army.

“The COAS has been accused of selectively promoting only Igbos at the expense of others. Well, nothing can be further from the truth, and this will be demonstrated in a very clear and dispassionate analysis in rebuttal to the openly biased and ethnically tinged attempt by some disgruntled elements.

“What this hatchet job of an article has done is to selectively focus on the promotion of four officers, and then proceed to make bold claims that these promotions were ethnically motivated because the said officers were of Igbo origin, and then conjure up a justification of why their promotions were ethnically motivated by employing a lot of hyperbole and incredulous reach in drawing conclusions from far-fetched inferences.

“The elements behind this very dishonest article have done this while ignoring the holistic picture of all promotions within the different cadres of the army.

“They focused on the promotions of Brigadiers Ugwu of the Ordinance Corps, Nwaogbo of the Armored Corps, Agha Okoro of the Supply and Transport Corps and Chioba of the Corp of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers only. How can this be a complete picture when 43 Brigadiers were promoted as Major Generals in 2011 and 22 promoted in 2012?”

http://odili.net/news/source/2013/feb/4/613.html

What goes around comes around

This has been the norm since 40years or thereabout , why now complain?

Ihejirika must be doing something right i guess, if not i don't see any reason northern senators are holding meeting for this.

Na God go help us for this country! Lies seem to be all over the place the truth is hidden.

All the promotions should be posted and state of origin attached to see if this accusation would hold water. Any case I thought the army was a proffessional body where federal character would be disregarded for excellence.

Maybe this is the last straw that would eventually break this country cos when GEJ leaves or appoints another COAS from another ethnic extraction, then we would see the extent of damage this write up has caused especially if it not wholelly addressed.

As it is sef, I think the damage has already been done in the psychy of the average soldier. As per the northern senators I just tire for them

Northern senators are hypocrites. Why haven't they meet over oil block allocations? They are have just shown again how the northerners are dragging this country backwards. The Nigerian Army is a professional institution that everything is based on merit. Do we have federal character in oil block allocations?