TMG Express Dissaproval Over Retirement Of Top Military Personnel By Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has been criticised by the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) Thursday over the recent mass retirement of top military personnel.

The group led by Chairman, Comrade Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi and Publicity Secretary, Chief Eddy Ezurike described the retirements as cutting the nose to spite the face.

In a statement, it said it said it was annoying that the President retired about 30 senior military officers just to accommodate the newest appointments of Service Chiefs.

“We are not ignorant of the fact that as the Commander in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the President has the power to make appointments especially as demanded by the escalating and unending security crisis in the country. However, TMG’s concern lies in the appropriateness of cutting the nose to spite the face, especially in a situation where military expertise and competence are very crucial to the continued relevance of the Nigerian military not only in Nigeria but at the regional and global levels,” he said.

“We are apprehensive that an exercise of that magnitude may have robbed the country of the necessary services and expertise of these highly experienced officers whom the country has invested so much on,” it said.
It urged the president to be meticulous and guided by wise counsel, professionalism, ethical rules and best practices in his choice of appointing public officials generally.