Abraham Amah, a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain and the Senior Special Adviser to the Abia State government on Labour and Industrial matters, has taken a swipe at the Nigerian military over its roles in the just concluded 2019 general election in the country.
He asserted that the military had failed to safeguard and protect the citizenry from internal attacks occasioned by the activities of the dreaded Boko Haram terrorist in the northeastern part of Nigeria.
The PDP chieftain, who made the assertion in an interview with our correspondent today, Tuesday morning, in Umuahia, the Abia state capital, also slammed Lt. General Tukur Buratai-led Nigerian army for allegedly being used to carry out electoral malpractices by disgruntled politicians during the just concluded presidential election.
His words,”Our military should be ashamed of themselves. The unfortunate thing about it, is that when our military go outside this country to perform any assignment, they always do well. Many of them have received medals for our military officers in foreign missions, both that of African Union and United Nations.
“We have seen sterling performances of the Nigeria military, the same thing with that of Nigeria police. But, when they come back home for reason best known to them, a military that has not been able to contain with Boko Haram. Even after the presidential election, more than one thousand Nigerians have lost their lives through the actions of Boko Haram, through different kinds of militancy in the northeast and even in Zamfara and also part of the north central, the Benue.
“And you will see, this same military which should be able to appropriate their force to areas where they have this oppositions, but unfortunately, the Nigeria military has chosen to withdraw them and sent them to civilian areas. The other day, I saw a video of a show of shame, how over five thousand military officers were sent to the home of Asari Dokubo, an armless social critic. Even after searching, they were not even able to come out with any incriminating objects.
“It shows high degree of cowardice. Do you know what it takes for the military to deploy three or five thousand officers for an operation? Do you know how many vehicles that are involved for such an operation? Do you know how many liters of fuel that will be bought to carry out such operation? And do you know other logistics put in place for such an operation? And we have the military.
“Just four days ago, the President of Niger Republic dismissed the army chief, because, less than thirty Nigerians were killed by Boko Haram, but we are in a country where thousands keep dying and our security chiefs are comfortable. So, like what we have seen in Kano State for the last few days, for instance, if Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state can win his election or Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state can win his election without a single soul lost, Why must Governor Ganduje win his election with the blood of those people on the floor?.
” It is unfortunate, and the Nigeria military whether they like it or not, they have the power to kill as many as they want to kill, including me, if God permits them. They have a responsibility to apologize to Nigerians for the show of shame involving them in the just concluded 2019 elections “.
