Nigerian students in the United Kingdom (UK) have urged President-elect Muhammadu Buhari to restructure the armed forces and separate the military from politics, as well as ensure that a career ambassador with credible record of service is appointed Foreign Affairs Minister.

“It is disturbing that the Nigerian military have abandoned their constitutional duties: ‘To defend the territorial integrity of our great nation’ and got themselves involved in partisan politics,” the students lamented.

Citing, as an example, the role played by the Nigerian Army during Buhari’s certificate issues, they called on the president-elect to restructure and train the Nigerian armed forces to modern standard: equipped and capable of facing global terrorism challenges.

On his promise to pursue robust, dynamic foreign policy, the students urged the president-elect to appoint a career diplomat as Minister of Foreign Affairs, adding that it is only a career diplomat that can build a robust foreign policy that will restore Nigeria’s dignity. They regretted that “the nation that was known to be a credible and influential voice in Africa has suddenly become a country that even less-endowed countries deride, and her leaders not being accorded the treatment that befits them as leaders of the giant nation in Africa.”

While stressing the need for Buhari to appoint a career diplomat with credible records to the position of Foreign Affairs Minister, the students narrowed their choice on two candidates: Ambassador (Dr) Martin Ihoeghian Uhuomoibhi, one time President of the United Nations Human Rights Council/ former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja and Ambassador Ayo Oke, current Director-General, National Intelligence Agency.

The students believe that the duo – who are career diplomats – will bring their wealth of experience to bear on the job for the benefit of Nigerians at home and abroad.

They described Uhuomoibhi and Oke as complete gentlemen with proven track record of honesty and credibility.

The out-going president of Nigerian students in the United Kingdom (UK), Mr Moses Adoga, expressed the foregoing view in Manchester when his group paid a courtesy visit to the past president and patron of the union, Mr Francis Okoemu, a Manchester-based terrorism and security expert and executive director of Blackwell Security Services Limited, in his office in Salford, Manchester, UK.

Mr Adoga appealed to Mr Okoemu to use his experience in terrorism and security to help Nigeria defeat the Boko Haram Islamist sect. The students said it is regrettable that Nigerians with great experience like Mr Okoemu, have not been given the opportunity to contribute to the country’s intelligence and security sector.

In his response, Okoemu thanked the students for being part of the revolution that took place in their fatherland without gun shot.

He observed: “Although you were not there physically to cast your vote, but for the phone calls you all made to your families back home to inform them of the need to vote wisely. We the new generation of change that went to school with shoes, will kill corruption before it kills us. I appreciate your effort and phone calls will not be in vain. I can assure all present here today, that your demand will be forwarded to the president-elect in Abuja.”

•Photo shows President-elect Buhari.

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