Service Chiefs: Buhari Afraid Of Coup, Ex-Senator Claims

A former Kano Central Senator, Rufai Hanga, says President Muhammadu Buhari is retaining the service chiefs because he is afraid of a coup.
Hanga, an ex-member of the House of Representatives, stated this in an interview with newsmen, yesterday.
The politician recalled that the National Assembly had, on different occasions, advised Buhari to remove the military heads.
Hanga decried that the topmost officers remain in service despite attaining retirement.
He said, “The Senate and the House of Representatives have made this call several times, but the president has refused to act for the reasons best known to him. Some people say he is afraid of coup.
“He once mentioned it that he didn’t want to change the service chiefs because there were very ambitious officers down the ladder. That means he is afraid of coup. The most unfortunate thing is that these service chiefs have overstayed their usefulness.
“Some of them have spent 40 years in service. The rule is that you retire after 35 years of service or upon the attainment of 60 years of age. Some of these people have spent far and above their age of retirement so much that the junior officers are being retired.”
Hanga described the situation as demoralizing and disheartening.
He, however, stressed that the sack calls by federal lawmakers were mere political statements.
Hanga wondered why they have since failed to take a decisive action to enforce their demand.