Ambassadors: Why Tinubu Should Appoint Military Officers

Amid the controversy generated by the recent appointment of some Nigerians and High Commissioner, a lawmaker in the Nigerian House of Representatives, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider the appointment of retired military officers as diplomats who will represent the country abroad

According to the lawmaker , Abdussamad Dasuki, these military officers should be sent to missions abroad or countries where the country is soliciting arms and ammunition to combat banditry and terrorism.

The lawmaker spokes following the appointment of 35 Nigerians last week by President Tinubu, to represent Nigeria in its foreign missions abroad.

The magazine had reported that 10 of the nominees l, who are now awaiting Senate approval are women.

The federal government, said last week that countries like the United States, United Kingdom and France are assisting Nigeria with intelligence and military equipment to combat the insecurity in the country.

Dasuki, who made the remark in a press release he issued on Monday said such military officers must be those who have undergone extensive strategic and tactical training, participated in high-level operations and acquired invaluable battlefield experience in the course of their careers in the Armed Forces.

He said the military officers will also afford the federal government top-notch advice on what military warfare to acquire and how to use them in the warfare against insurgents and bandits.

He stressed however that the appointment of diplomats into the nation’s missions abroad is the prerogative of President Tinubu who has the Constitutional power to do so.

Dasuki: “Our retired senior military personnel have served this nation with distinction. Their firsthand understanding of modern warfare, counterterrorism strategies and defence procurement puts them in a unique position to advance our national interests abroad.

“Deploying them as envoys to strategic countries will not only strengthen negotiations for essential military hardware but also ensure that the government receives informed, experience-based strategic advice at a time when the military needs modern reconnaissance drones and armed UAVs to combat all forms of armed conflicts that have become existential threats to the country.

“Insecurity has remained the most pressing challenge confronting our nation for over two decades.

“In recent times, the situation has worsened, with unacceptable levels of killings, kidnappings, and violent attacks across many parts of the country. These extraordinary times require extraordinary strategic alignment, including in our foreign policy direction and the calibre of individuals deployed to advance it, he said”