Group praises military for maintaining retirement policy

By Albert Akota

The Young Christians Forum of Nigeria (YCFN) has described as unfounded allegations of lopsided recruitment, postings, appointments and retirements of military personnel by the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).
A statement yesterday signed by its President Rev. Nathaniel Ochimana Vice President, Bro. Bright Sunday in Abuja claimed that some Christian officers were silently retired from the Armed Forces and replaced by Muslims by the leadership of the Armed Forces led by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonishakin was misleading.
According to the Christian group, the assertion of premature retirement of Christian officers and lopsided recruitment of northern Muslims, postings, and appointments are utterly misleading.
“So as not to leave any stone unturned, the Young Christians Forum investigated the claims with a view to ascertaining the correctness of the news making the rounds in the public domain.”
Upon completion of investigations, however, the group discovered that there was never a time in the history of the Armed Forces that promotions and retirements were based on ethnic or religious factors.
“Findings gathered from the Federal Character Commission indicates that no such infraction was recorded in the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonishakin “ Findings from the National Human Rights Commission also indicates that the commission is not in receipt of any petition on religious and ethnic discrimination in the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
“The Young Christians Forum of Nigeria also wishes to state that the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not an ethnic or religious organization and hence it should not be associated with the promotion of ethnic or religious agenda.