Don’t Drag Soldiers into Politics, Civil Society Group Warns Politicians

Sunday Okobi
Coalition of Civil Societies and Media Executives for Good Governance (COCMEGG) in Nigeria has warned politicians, business moguls and mischief makers against capitalising on the present situation in the country to overheat the polity and destabilise its nascent democracy and return Nigeria to the dark days.

This warning was made during an emergency meeting convened by the National President of COCMEGG, Mr. Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele, after discussing the recent statement issued by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt Gen. Tukur Buratai, warning some mischief politicians and agent provocateurs against their unethical relationship with the army in destabilizing the polity at this time of national history.

According to him, “COCMEGG is compelled to add a voice to the clarion call to warn and caution our politicians, business moguls and mischief makers who would want to capitalise on the present situation to overheat the polity and destabilise Nigeria.

“We are therefore, constrained to wholeheartedly support the Chief of Army Staff in his patriotic call and efforts to keep Nigeria peaceful and stable and therefore, warn politicians, power seekers and political jobbers to desist from heating-up the polity unnecessarily and stop their ungodly acts of soliciting the assistance of soldiers to create disharmony and chaos thereby bringing all the achievements of the present administration to naught.”

The civil society group warned mischief makers trying to solicit and collaborate with officers and men of the Nigerian Army to desist forthwith in the interest of national unity, peace and stability and therefore “call on well-meaning Nigerians to put their eyes and ears on the ground so as to report to the military authorities and other agencies of government of any clandestine meetings so as to fish out the bad eggs and nip in the bud, these plans of self-serving politicians.”

Aigbegbele therefore “calls on these set of mischief makers to be wary of the consequences of their actions or the actions of those individuals or groups who are hell- bent on derailing the much needed peace and stability in the polity that Nigerians have since enjoyed from the beginning of this administration.

“It is therefore imperative for politicians to retrace their steps and take a holistic view of their interactions with the army that have sacrificed so much to keep this country peaceful and henceforth stop any unpatriotic approach, behaviours and mannerisms that will tantamount to destabilising our hard earned democracy for any political reasons whatsoever.”

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