He, however, said that he would be the first person to commend and give them support if they curtail security lapses in the country.
A former Minister of Aviation and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Femi Fani-Kayode, says he does not expect any brilliant performance from the new service chiefs appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Fani-Kayode also said military men are supposed to be men of dignity but that the former service service chiefs proved otherwise by leaving their respective offices without honour through shedding of innocent blood in the country.
The former minister asserted this during an interview on City Talks with Reuben Abati monitored by SaharaReporters on Saturday.
He insisted that the ex-security chiefs, Lt Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin (retd), Chief of Defence Staff; Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd), Chief of Army Staff; Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (retd), Chief of Air Staff, and Vice Rear Admiral Ibok Ibas (retd), Chief of Naval Staff, did not only perform below expectation in tackling insecurity while in office, civilians were killed by the military under their commands.
In light of this, he said the appointment of Maj. Gen Lucky Irabor (Chief of Defence Staff), Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru (Chief of Army Staff), Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo (Chief of Naval Staff) and Air-Vice Marshal Ishiaka Oladayo Amao (Chief of Air Staff) as the new service chiefs cannot make any difference.
He, however, said that he would be the first person to commend and give them support if they curtail security lapses in the country.
He said, “But, I don’t expect any change from them. Let’s watch and see if the military will not kill civilians. If they work fighting this terrorism and all other security challenges to a stand still, I will be the first to commend them.
“If the military will fight the terrosrists in our midst, if they fight the Fulani herdsmen and fight everybody that seems to destablise the peace of our country and defends the innocent, defenceless Nigerians, that’s all we want and pray that happens. And of course, they will have my support.
“Soldiers are meant to be men of honour. They are meant to protect the people and the innocent souls from the enemies of the nation. But did these former service chiefs prove this? And with this rejig in the military, that the president did, don’t expect so many things to be different.
“I’m happy about the Chibok girls. I’m happy about the fact that some of the people that involved in the killings in Orlu have been arrested by the police. I don’t know how true that is, but if that is the case, I am happy to hear that."
The former minister also said that during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, the terrorism-ravaged Borno State was not this bad, saying the strongholds of Boko Haram were strengthened during Buhari’s tenure.
“One of the problems we have in Nigeria is that we disrupt facts, we know facts but we work against them. No local government in Borno State was under the control of Boko Haram during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
"The only place their presence was felt was Sambisa forest. Buhari’s government was laying claim to what was not but cannot account for the lives lost at Lekki. There must be accountability from the presidency, there must be accountability from the Nigerian army, and there must be accountability from the Governor of Lagos State.”