Dismissed Soldier Begs Buhari for Reinstatement

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, National News, News Monday, August 17th, 2015

A dismissed Soldier, Emmanuel Ojo-Giwa has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and order for his reinstatement into the Nigerian Army after five years.

Ojo-Giwa, who was serving at the Ordinance Headquarters, Abati Barracks, Ojuelegba, Lagos, was dismissed from the Nigerian Army on January 28, 2010 for allegedly using the battery of a generating set in a retired General’s residence located at NO 19, Ikoyi Crescent to start his vehicle which had already broken down.

He was one of the few soldiers manning the gate of the residence of Y.M Yaduma, a retired Major General, before he was summarily dismissed from service.

He was subsequently punished by the authority of the Nigerian Army which later set up a board of inquiry to look into the matter.

Before the panel of inquiry started its sitting, Mr. Ojo-Giwa who was about to be promoted to the rank of corporal, was denied the promotion as part of the punishment for the offence he committed. He was later dismissed from the Nigerian Army.

While speaking with journalists in Lagos, Ojo- Giwa begged President Buhari to save his soul from hunger, saying he had been begging for assistance from people in other to survive.

He stressed that his wife, Mrs. Efe Giwa went to divorce him one year after the ordeal, adding” Life has not been okay for me since I was dismissed from the service. I have been going to meet my brothers and sisters to help with my daily needs; They are tired of helping me further.

“Please, help me beg President Buhari to render assistance for me to go back to me duty post. I wrote a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan but to no avail.”

Mr. Ojo- Giwa, through his lawyer, Yemi Adetoyinbo, had on April 25, 2012 approached the court to seek redress over his client’s unceremonious dismissal.

Mr. Adetoyinbo prayed the court to reinstate his client, saying his dismissal did not follow due process.

The court, after the hearing form both parties, summoned the Nigerian army under Chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Ihejerika, to appear before it over the alleged dismissal of Emmanuel Ojo- Giwa.

Justice Stella Okeke who later retired before the case was handed over to Justice Momoh Sanni said that if the army chief fails to appear before court in the next sitting , the court would proceed and listen to the lawyer’s argument and continue with case.

But, the new judge, Momoh Sanni, who sat on the case dismissed the case on the basis of ‘lack of merit’.

According to Mr. Sanni, the dismissed soldier had waited for long time before he took a legal action.