A group, Coalition of CSOs on Good Governance in Nigeria, has said that “some paid agents of unpatriotic politicians” are plotting to drag the Nigerian army’s reputation into politics.

Army troops 

It said however said it is raising the alarm against the plot which it described as being aimed at heating up the polity and “causing untold distractions in the ongoing war against the Boko Haram terrorists in North East Nigeria.”

The group accused the “elements of planning to tarnish the hard-earned image and reputation of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai .”

It said there is an “alleged plan to thwart the progress that have been made in fighting terrorism and return Nigeria to the days when road in major cities have to be sealed off with concrete boulders.”

The National Convener of the group, Evangelist Gabriel Donko, in a statement obtained on Tuesday, allege that one “Dr. Idris Ahmed and his paymasters called for an outright sack of the Chief of Army Staff and some frontline commanders in the Theatre of War,” maintaining that such calls “smacks of mischief abetted by pecuniary gains.”

According to the statement,

The statement noted that “the smear campaign is not only futile, it is of poor taste and laced with ulterior motives because of the personalities of the characters involved.”

“Thankfully, nothing on record suggests that the ill-advised clamour would be treated higher than the nonsense that it is.

“These characters are indeed men of low moral standing in the society, whose stock in trade revolves around propaganda, blackmail, and extortion. We had it on good authority that the demands for the sack of the COAS was the direct outcome of a refusal to pay” the alleged party money in 10 digits as was being demanded.

“… we strongly suggest that they earnestly seek out new food sources as the Boko Haram channel is one that has now been guaranteed to run dry in the coming months owning to the superlative manner in which the Nigerian Army under General Buratai has dealt the terrorists repeated devastating blows.

“And for the purpose of clarity, the Nigeria Army under the leadership of Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai has catapulted professionalism to the point where its institutional ethos and mission has seen significant improvement in the last three years.

“Discerning Nigerians and indeed any right thinking person on earth will at some point pitch media reports against the reality on ground, save for the few bad eggs whose activities cannot be excused from being influenced by subversive interests, the unbiased observer will find an Army that has been improved in hardware and welfare for its personnel.

On the issue of massive corruption, the group said “it is more of an act of ignorance and mischief because the anti-corruption war introduced within the army has seen all officers declaring their assets and also the introduction of a transparent procurement process.

“It is most unfortunate that those who handed him the brief to malign General Buratai omitted to inform him that the corruption tag was one that never stuck on the General because the corruption they allege against him could only have been conjured by a fevered imagination. The Army as an institution has also evolved to embrace best practices in its process.”

The group said it “not only frowns at such attempts to paint the Nigeria Army in bad light, but that also wishes to alert the various security agencies of the activities of the politicians with ulterior motives.”

The group accused the politicians of “manifest sabotage, impersonation, sponsored mutiny.

“We at this moment call on well-meaning Nigerians to continue to extend their support to the Nigeria Military towards winning the war against Boko Haram Insurgents and entrenching an era of peace and tranquillity for sustainable development.

“Finally, we categorically state that the Nigeria Military is not involved in politics and has never been, and as such political merchants and contractors should be guided accordingly.”