The Defence Headquarters, DHQ, has on Monday, reacted to a call for a Military coup, by the National Chairman of the National Democratic Party, NDP, Chidi Chukwuanyi,
Chukwuanyi had in an interview on Sunday, July 26, said: “Nigeria needs a Rawlings now.
“The state of corruption in the country calls for the replication of the Ghanaian experience, under former President, Jerry Rawlings, in Nigeria.”
Rawlings, now 73, is a former Ghanaian Military Leader and subsequent Politician, who ruled the country from 1981 to 2001, and also for a brief period in 1979.
He led a Military junta until 1992, and then served 2 terms as the democratically elected President of the West African country.
Rawlings initially came to power in Ghana as a Flight Lieutenant of the Ghana Air Force, following a coup d’état in 1979.
Prior to that, he led an unsuccessful coup attempt against the ruling Military government, on 15th May, 1979, just 5 weeks before the scheduled democratic elections were due to take place.
After initially handing power over to a Civilian government, he took back control of the country on 31st December, 1981, as the Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council.
In 1992, Rawlings resigned from the Military, founded the National Democratic Congress, and became the first President of the 4th Republic.
The DHQ in a statement by the Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major-General John Enenche, on Monday, stated that the comments are inciting and instigative.
He said: “What Chidi Chukwuanyi is calling for, is a combination of unpopular acts of insurrection and mutiny, which cannot be taken for granted by the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”
He further said: “I am directed by the High Command of the Nigerian Military, to let the general public know and remind Personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, that all Officers and men of the Nigerian Military, swore to an oath of allegiance, to be totally loyal to the civil authority of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and protect the Constitution.
“This translates to unalloyed loyalty to the President, Commander-in-Chief, and full subordination to the civil authorities of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I am further directed to state clearly and unequivocally, that the Nigerian Military is a Force that is in consonance with all global best practices, and cannot be misguided by any individual or group.
“And for the avoidance of doubt, the Armed Forces of Nigeria is totally loyal to the President, Commander-in-Chief, and fully subordinated to the civil authorities of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
