This retired navy officer appeared on Channelstv this morning. He made some very weighty pronouncements, which if true are very unfortunate and disturbing but if not true, are disturbing and dangerous and very disappointing for one who has worn the military uniform.
But then we all, our views and opinions are often shaped by our experiences our biases our background.
I was so alarmed by the Navy Commodore’s comments I decided to check his background in order to understand even if not excuse his weighty allegations on tv this morning. And this is what I found :
1. He was commissioned into the NN through the Onura entry Course 4.
2. He had served as Deputy Defense Adviser in Paris France (not Defense Adviser as he said on tv). Serving as DA or DDA is a privileged appointment which only about 3% of officers enjoy in their career. In that wise Cdre Olawunmi could be counted as one of few privileged officers in the NN at a certain time during the time of Adekeye (his kinsman?)!as CNS and who made him DA.
3. He later obtained a PhD.
4. He was presented for promotion 3 consecutive times during the tenure of immediate past CNS Ibas and was rejected on each occasion despite at least on one occasion having topped the list and being the only PhD holder.
5. Many NN officers I spoke with believe that NN under Ibas was unfair to him to have denied him promotion which many believed he deserved.
6. Consequently he was retired around 2015/2016 by same Ibas having exhausted his 3 chances for promotion to rank of Rear Admiral.
7. Before leaving service Cdre Olawunmi never hid his disenchantment with the NN and in CNS Ibas for denying him promotion he felt he deserved .
8. Even though it was CNS Ibas that denied Cdre Olawunmi his promotion, it is possible that Cdre Olawunmi holds PMB as CinC vicariously liable .
9. In sum Cdre Olawunmi saw both the good and the bad of military service.
CNS Adekeye made him Deputy Defense Adviser France and he also had foreign stints in Angola and Niger (according to what he said on Channelstv) not all officers get such opportunities.
On the bad side he was denied promotion by CNS Ibas despite his accomplishments.
But obviously it is not CNS Ibas who is to blame for not being promoted but President Muhammadu Buhari. After all the buck stops at the president’s table.
Postcript:
Retired Cdre Olawunmi allowed his disgruntlement with the NN to boil over. He may have been treated shabbily by the NN under CNS Ibas but certainly he is not the only person to have suffered such.
At one time during Adekeye his kinsman he was a favored officer. But it is unfortunate that as a retired senior military officer Cdre Adewunmi reduced all Nigeria’s security problems from insurgency to banditry to kidnapping, to a conspiracy theory of a plan to islamize Nigeria , introduce Sharia and talibanize the country.
When people make shocking comments check their background you may understand where they are coming from.
I’d always say one thing about serving in the military: it reduces one’s biases and bigotry even if it doesn’t cure you of it completely you’d come out more balanced more tolerant of others.
I regret to note in the case of Cdre Olawunmi military experience has failed to expand his horizon. He went in narrow and came out narrow. There are some like him who do not benefit from the military experience.
Look out for any officer whose ADC Orderly, PA and all personal staff are either from his ethnic stock or from his religion….that’s how we know them in the military…,,an incurable bigot.”
Sadeeq Shehu
