By Mohammad Lawal Maikudi
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been urged to look into the fate of the 36 state military administrators who served under the Gen Abdulsami Abubakar and midwifed the the democracy Nigerians are enjoying today but where retired by the Obasanjo Administration.
The appeal was made by Group Captain Haruna Ningi rtd, former Military Administrator Borno State in a statement in Kaduna, Friday.
Group Captain Ningi said the statement was meant to bring to the notice of His Excellency, President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the injustice meted out on 36 senior military officers from the Army, Navy and Air Force who served as Military Administrators from 1998 to 1999.
He said the appointment of the Military Administrators by their Commander in Chief General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the 36 senior military officers assisted him in selflessly administering the 36 states of the Federation. and successfully conducting elections and handing over power to elected civilian Government on 29 May 1999 in the shortest transition period ever in Nigerian history.
“They rendered the service selflessly and sometimes at the risk of their lives as General Abdulsalami Abubakar wrote in a letter to each of them in gratitude.
“They served in those twelve months relying only on their salaries and allowances as military officers and eventually handed over power to the candidates that won in fair credible and rancour free elections in their various states of deployment.
“Undoubtedly planting the seed of democracy that has blossomed so far for twenty three years uninterrupted is a great feat Gratitude to God Almighty for that onerous feat.”
Group Captain Ningi said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR is well acquainted and has practically suffered from his whims of dictatorship and injustice when he unilaterally denied Lagos state it’s monthly allocation as a punishment through out the first four year tenure of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the Executive Governor of Lagos State.
He also cited a similar show of sheer power and disrespect for the Rule of Law. General Obasanjo, who was then serving a prison sentence after being tried and found guilty of coup plotting was magnanimously granted presidential pardon and allowed to contest and win the presidential election by General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
“But when General Abdulsalami Abubakar handed over power to him on 29 May 1999 the first thing he did to reward the Military Administrators was to forcefully retire all of them together with General Abdulsalami Abubakar and Admiral Mike Akigbe without any recourse to Military Law which clearly dictates that a soldier accused of any offence, civil or military should be duly charged and tried or Court Marshalled and found guilty before punishing him.
“Those innocent officers who had the potential to reach the pinnacle in rank and appointment in their military career were neither charged nor tried but denied that opportunity without even being accused of any offence they were purported to have commited.
“Some of the retired officers were absolutely taken aback and were contemplating on litigation by taking President Obasanjo to court. But most of them reminded the rest of their military training discipline and indoctrination, reason for the need to show restraint and refrain from litigation and to solely resort to fervent prayers for the Almighty God to bring a time when a Nigerian president who listens to his subjects is able and willing to promptly address all glaring injustice done to Nigerians, military or civil perhaps will revisit such injustice and wipe away their tears.
“The unjustly retired former Military Administrators are not seeking or are ambitious of being reinstated in military service but they are only expectant on consolation and perhaps a once only reasonable package of appreciation in recompense.
“His Excellency General Abdulsalami Abubakar GCFR has graciously joined his colleagues, former presidents and Heads of state on whom the law has adequately provided benefits for life.
Civilian governors also via their State Houses of Assembly legislate on parting package of appreciation for their former governors however with the exception of their former Military Administrators.
“It is for this reason that on behalf of my colleagues former Military Administrators, that I humbly appeal to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a leader known for his magnanimity to approve for those military officers unlawfully retired in their prime in career a once only package of appreciation for their selfless service in resuscitation of an enduring democracy before they join their colleagues who are now deceased.
