The Illusions of the Nigerian Army
Rtd Justice Doris Ojuwobi
In a constitutional democracy, the military are answerable to civil authority. That is what is expected of
our military, but somehow it is lost on the rank and file.BRF as governor of Lagos State, famously arrested an Army Colonel plying BRT lane.
I am surprised at the response of the Nigerian Military to the summons issued to them by the Lagos State Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Police brutality and the killings in Lekki. The military responded to the summons, saying that they are not answerable to the panel but to the Governor. The question, is who set up the panel? How illusory can they be?
What is lost on the military authorities is that the panel is quite powerful. Secondly, the military authorities seem to forget that they are part of the Executive arm of government and are in office at the pleasure of the civilian authority.
Who will tell the military that the Service Chiefs are in office at the Pleasure of the President.
Under Military rule, they may exaggerate their importance, but surely in a civilian regime, they take orders from civil authority, no more no less.
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In our society today, it is the survival of the fittest. The more powerful you think you are, the more arrogant you become. So if the powers that be are aided by the military, the military become the kingmaker and so not answerable to anyone.
ReplyDeleteVery true of indecent societies
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