Governor of Rivers, Nyesom Wike, has criticised Nigeria’s recently retired service chiefs for failing to deal decisively with the country’s insecurity because of their involvement in politics.

Mr. Wike, who spoke during a programme on Channels TV, said, “Part of the problems we had with the former service chiefs was that they were involved in politics instead of concentrating on the security of the nation. 

“They were very much involved in politics. Nobody can deny that fact. The moment you politicise security, then you are bound to have problems.” 

The former service chiefs accused of being political are Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas, and Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.

President Muhammadu Buhari replaced them in late January with Maj.-Gen. Leo Irabor, Chief of Defence Staff; Maj.-Gen. I. Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral A.Z Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff; and Air-Vice Marshal I.O Amao, Chief of Air Staff.

Regarding the new security chiefs, the Rivers governor, advised, “They must understand that the challenges are enormous and so they have a lot of work to do. They should not involve themselves in politics.”

Last November, the Defence Headquarters spokesman, John Enenche, had said fresh ideas on how to prosecute the war against terrorism in the country could not come from service chiefs but junior officers and junior commanders.

He explained, “My training is a bottom-up approach. That is the new training; ask intercontinental system. It comes from the bottom to the top. I have been a commander. That is how it works. 

“Our intercontinental staff system which is very effective and works, you don’t look down on your subordinates, you don’t look down on your junior commanders. They are the people out there on the field. You’ll get it better from a bottom-up approach.”

Meanwhile, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed dismay over President Muhammadu Buhari’s failure to deal decisively with ongoing insecurity, urging him to wake up.

He urged Mr. Buhari, “If you are the commander-in-chief and banditry is taking place in your backyard, then you have to wake up. The president changed his service chiefs after they have been there for more than five years without any perceptible improvement and some people started jubilating.”