Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has accused the National Assembly of double standard for confirming former service chiefs as non-career ambassadors.
The governor spoke on Wednesday when the Senate Committee on Niger Delta paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Port Harcourt.
He wondered why the same lawmakers, who called for the sack of the former service chiefs following their handling of security, confirmed their nomination due to party sentiments and bias.
Wike urged the legislators to always carry out their duties bearing in mind that their service is not to their parties but to Nigerians.
He said: “Let me use this opportunity to express the dismay of most Nigerians to the Senate. Convey this to the Senate. We must be courageous in whatever we are doing. Everything must not be party affairs. You (Senators) sat and discussed that they should dismiss the service chiefs. You said they’re not performing.
“Now the same people who were not performing, you have confirmed them as ambassadors. What kind of country are we?
“In anything we do, we must remember that there is tomorrow; our conscience is key. It’s not because I want to be a loyalist to a party. No. There are things you cannot reconcile at all.”
The Senate had on Tuesday confirmed the nomination of the immediate past service chiefs as non-career ambassadors, despite criticisms in some quarters.
Those confirmed include former Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; the former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai; and the former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas.
Others are former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, and the former Chief of Defence Intelligence, Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Usman.