Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has called upon President Bola Tinubu to put an end to the compulsory retirement of military generals whenever junior officers assume the role of service chiefs. Omokri expressed his concern that the country suffers significant losses after investing millions of dollars in training these officers only to relieve them of their duties later.
In his statement, Omokri criticized the current practice as a complete waste of money and human resources. He questioned the rationale behind spending substantial amounts of money to train military generals, only to retire them when their juniors are appointed as service chiefs. The inefficiency of this approach, according to Omokri, undermines the nation’s military capability and hampers its ability to combat terrorists.
Omokri reinforced his argument by citing examples from the past. He highlighted instances where senior officers served under their junior counterparts, demonstrating the meritocracy and successful collaboration within the military ranks. Omokri mentioned the case of General Domkat Bali, who served under General Babangida, and Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe, who served under Lt. Colonel Gowon. These examples, in his view, indicate that seniority should not be a determining factor in relieving officers of their responsibilities.
The repercussions of this practice, as Omokri pointed out, have weakened the Nigerian military. Terrorists and bandits, taking advantage of the military’s vulnerability, have gained strength, imposed taxes on citizens, and made life miserable for many Nigerians. Omokri expressed concern over the continuous purge of highly experienced and knowledgeable officers from the military, emphasizing that this trend must cease for the overall improvement of the armed forces.
In his appeal, Omokri stressed that President Tinubu, as the current Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, holds the power and authority to address this issue. He urged President Tinubu to utilize his office to end the practice of compulsory retirement, as it poses a threat to the military’s overall effectiveness and hampers its ability to protect the nation’s security.