- Flays APC Senate leadership for betraying Nigerians
By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership in the Senate of betraying Nigerians by clearing the former service chiefs for ambassadorial portfolios despite reports of crime against humanity allegedly committed under their command.
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the nomination of former Service Chiefs – General Abayomi G. Olonisakin (Rtd), Ekiti; Lt. General Tukur Y. Buratai (Rtd), Borno; Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete E. Ibas (Rtd), Cross River; and Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar (Rtd), Bauchi – as ambassadors-designate.
The confirmation followed consideration of the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Also confirmed was Air Vice Marshal Muhammad S. Usman (Rtd), Kano.
But the PDP insisted that the clearance will not stop the investigation and possible prosecution of the accused commanders by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crime against humanity, saying preliminary steps had already been taken by the ICC.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said it was horrendous that the APC leadership in the Senate could choose to betray Nigerians by rushing to clear the accused ex-service chiefs in a desperate attempt to grant them diplomatic immunity and shield them from investigation and prosecution for the atrocities committed against Nigerians under their command.
“Though it is public knowledge that the current APC Senate leadership is
a mere rubber stamp and contrivance being used to endorse atrocious
policies and suppress the will of the people, but descending to the
level of aiding and abetting crime against humanity by attempting to
confer diplomatic immunity on the accused ex-commanders is, to say the
least, despicable,” the statement read.
“It is indeed shameful that the APC leadership in the Senate could clear
the ex-service chiefs, who the National Assembly had earlier indicted
and requested for their sack over security failures and alleged
compromises.
“Such reward of failure amounts to stabbing our nation in the back.”
The opposition party told the APC leadership in the Senate that their decision has already painted the entire National Assembly in a bad light before Nigerians and the international community.
“Already, the development is pitching the Senate against the majority of
Nigerians, particularly the victims of acts of terrorism as well as
those of the reported extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests,
illegal detentions in dehumanizing camps, massacre of peaceful
protesters, torture, rape and other atrocities allegedly committed under
the ex-commanders, as detailed in the reports of credible international
bodies including the United States Department of State, Amnesty
International (AI) and Transparency International (TI).”
The PDP, however, commended its members in the Senate for reportedly rejecting the clearance of the ex-service chiefs as ambassadors and urged them not to relent in taking legislative steps to ensure their recall.