By Eze Eluchie

 The President and Commander in Chief of Nigeria’s Armed Forces and the new Minister of Defence should caution the military personnel from making comments on matters far above their mandate and scope.

The recent Press Releases signed by and comments made by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar and the Acting Director, Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, threatening to unleash the military on persons engaged in peaceful demonstrations over agitations for self-actualization in the South-East and South-South is uncouth, unprofessional, quasi-criminal and most unbecoming of trained soldiers whose pay and upkeep depends on public funds.

Are the comments by the top brass of our military indicative of an already planned operation to commit heinous crimes against an identified people in their legitimate quest for self-determination and self-actualization? Are these comments a furtherance of General Muhammadu Buhari’s avowed position to treat unequally those areas that gave him ‘5% votes’ during the last presidential elections? 

The issue gets more worrisome when it is realized that those making these threats against peaceful protesters hail from regions far removed from the protesters. These comments coming at a time when our military has been bogged down by intractable terror attacks by Boko Haram in our Northeastern region leaves much room to be desired.

Dialogue and peaceful arbitration remains the answer. Such threats to ‘crush’ peaceful demonstrations have no place in our current efforts at democratic governance.

General Muhammadu Buhari, the world is watching with keen interests….