The Nigerian military cannot solve the ongoing insurgency ravaging parts of the North-east alone, since “they did not start it in the first place”, the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has said.

He made this comment when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs for his screening.

The screening exercise is for a possible confirmation of his appointment as non-career ambassadors. Mr Buratai and other former service chiefs appeared one after the other before the committee.

They are the former Chief of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonisakin; former Chief of Air Staff, Ete Ibok Ibas; and former Chief of Naval Staff, Abubakar Sadique.

They were all nominated as non-career ambassadors by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The president’s media aide, Femi Adesina, had on February 4, announced that the president had forwarded the ex-service chiefs’ names to the Senate for confirmation as non-career ambassadors. This was barely a week after they resigned from service and their replacements announced.

The screening exercise comes barely two weeks after they were nominated by President Buhari.
Screening

At the screening, the former service chiefs were grilled one after the other by members of the panel.

They were asked questions ranging from their successes in their previous jobs to their diplomatic plans in the new appointment.