Ohanaeze Ndigbo on Friday lauded the Thursday’s launch of Operation Amotekun by the six states of South Western Nigeria.
President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Nnia Nwodo said that the launching of Operation Amotekun by South West is commendable.
He lamented the pervasive ethnic colouration of the Nigeria Armed Forces.
Nwodo who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media, Emeka Attama, regretted that the Nigeria border was thrown open to foreigners that he said included recruited Boko Haram members and the low morale support to soldiers fighting Boko Haram and the failing function of the judiciary and the media.
According to him: “The launching of Operation Amotekun by the South West is laudable. We have in Nigeria today an ethnic controlled armed force. Our Army and Air Force are commanded by officers who should have retired according to established laws. In law, they are functus officio.
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“The violation of our extant laws in this regard is simply to satisfy a desire for ethnic hegemony. To do this their more competent seniors are retired not minding the huge resources the nation invested in their training. Posting, promotion, arrest, prosecution of offenders are carried out with an ethnic mindset. Ethnic cleansing appears to influence premature retirements.
“If you are a Fulani herdsman you have a license to kill and escape arrest. Our troops fighting Boko Haram have low morale and motivation. In the South East mere travelling on the highway attracts an illegal tax to law enforcement agencies sometimes carrying POS machines to exploit cashless travellers who are forced to make transfers to private accounts. Who can resign his private security to this kind of arrangement?
“Can you run a federation where the Federating units cannot control their domestic security? If a President in violation of our immigration laws and extant treaties governing the movement of persons in our sub-region and continent orders all Africans including Boko Haram recruits to come freely into our country without screening won’t you be scared that everywhere is now a war front!
“What about the 12 million children out of school and the over 60 million unemployed youths waiting to vent their anger on all of us? What of our decapitated judiciary and moribund bar association who sit helplessly as court orders are refused by government and citizens waste in illegal imprisonment unless Americans bark!
“What about our press who would rather report stories than champion causes as it is done in other democracies? I salute the South-West governors. Nobody needs to tell any Nigerian today that your security is in your own hands!”
