We were unfairly treated,' sacked officers condemn military authority
But some of the affected officers said they were sacked for being close to some military chiefs during the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
The director, Army Public Relations, Col Sani Kukasheka Usman,
on Friday, June 10, announced the compulsory retirement of 38 army
officers, saying the affected officers were retired "based on service
exigencies and in line with the Armed Forces Act, CAP A20 laws of the
Federation of Nigeria 2004."
He said their
retirement was connected to the role defence contracts which is being
investigated by a Presidential committee and the 2015 general elections.
But some of the affected officers said they were sacked for being close to some military chiefs during the Goodluck Jonathan administration including the embattled former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
“Obviously,
the new military establishment came with the mindset of doing away with
any officer who worked closely with the former leadership of the
service,” one of the affected officers, did not want to be named told Daily Trust.
“That’s
why we were portrayed as villains in the eye of the press and the world
at large, and surreptitiously removed from the system. This is rather
unfortunate. We are not saying we are all saints; however, I feel we are
not that bad. Of course, we are all humans who are bound to make
infractions here and there. But, honestly speaking, the way and manner
we were humiliated out of the army calls for reflection on how things
are done in this part of the world, considering our contributions to
the survival of this country in the last few years."
According
to a document obtained by the newspaper on Sunday, June 19, the
officers were compulsorily retired based on provisions of chapter 9,
section 09.02 (a) of the Conditions of Service of the Army, which states
that, “An officer may, at any time, be removed from the service, be
called upon to retire or resign his commission on disciplinary ground.”
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