The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu has explained why the nation’s service chiefs are still holding their jobs despite mounting calls for their dismissal.
He spoke Monday night during an appearance on Arise TV.
There have been renewed calls for the sacking of the service chiefs after the killing of 43 farm workers in Zabarmari, Jere local government area of Borno State on Saturday.
However, the presidential aide said only the president can decide whether or not the service chiefs would be relieved of their appointments.
According to him, the president’s decision is usually predicated on his satisfaction with their performances on their duty posts.
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Shehu said, “I am not aware that the tenure of service chiefs is subjected to any law of regulation that is clearly stated. They serve at the pleasure of the president and (if) the president is satisfied with their performance, he keeps them. The buck stops at his table —with due respect to the feelings of Nigerians.
“The clamour for the sack is out of place considering that the president is not subject to the opinion of opposition political party which has clamoured for this all the time. It is entirely his own determination; he decides who he keeps as his service chiefs and for how long.”
Recall that Shehu said that the murdered farmers did not have military clearance to farm in the area.
Although many Nigerians criticised him for the comment, Shehu said he was misunderstood.
“My suggestion in the earlier news report is that the military had not certified those areas as being free of landmines and terrorists’ intrusions. Whether there are processes for getting licences or commissions, it is not for me, the military is in a better position to describe those processes,” he stated.