Kudos, knocks as Buhari removes service chiefs
*PDP dismisses move as belated, demands probe of Buratai, others
*APC says new military helmsmen will consolidate on achievements made by Olonishakin, others
*Wike commends President
ROTIMI FADEYI, Doosuur Iwambe, Andrew Orolua & Tunde Opalana (Abuja) and Amaka Agbu (Port Harcourt)
Praise and condemnation have trailed the removal of the service chiefs by President Muhamnadu Buhari.
Many observers expressed misgivings about the delayed replacement of the service chiefs while others gave the administration the thumbs up for finally heeding the stringent calls of Nigerians for the military bigwigs to be relieved of their appointments and fresh blood brought on board.
The reactions followed the acceptance by Buhari on Tuesday of the official resignation of the service chiefs, and their retirement from service.
Those affected were the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.
A statement issued on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media mad Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina said Buhari thanked the outgoing service chiefs for what he called their “overwhelming achievements in our efforts at bringing enduring peace to our dear country,” wishing them well in their future endeavours.
The new service chiefs are Major-General Leo Irabor, Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General I. Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff: Rear Admiral A.Z. Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff and Air-Vice Marshal I.O. Amao, Chief of Air Staff.
The President congratulated the new service chiefs, and urged them to be loyal and dedicated in the discharge of their responsibilities.
This would be the first time that Buhari would change security chiefs since becoming President as they were appointed in July 2015 to replace those appointed under former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Buhari had been under pressure from many Nigerians calling for the sack of the service chiefs following escalating security challenges with high rate of killings, kidnappings and attacks in many parts of the country by Boko Haram Islamists.
Last year, the Senate demanded the sack of the service chiefs on three different occasions. The senators had made the demand in January. It made similar demand in July and December.
The Senate had urged Buhari to replace the service chiefs with new people in order to inject fresh ideas and solutions to tackle the security challenges.
Reacting to the development, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State commended Buhari.
In a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Paulinus Nsirim, the governor noted that although the appointments came late, the President should be commended for listening to the voice of the people.
The governor then challenged the new appointees to see their appointments as an opportunity to re-engineer the nation’s security architecture which had suffered tremendous setback in the last five years.
Wike said: “The new Service Chiefs should not politicise security by aligning with politicians,” adding that they must be apolitical and professional in the discharge of their responsibilities to the nation.
“What the country needs now is competence and professionalism that will reduce insecurity to the barest minimum,” he stated.
Governor Wike noted that Nigerians who lost confidence in the former Service Chiefs were looking up to the new appointees to make the desired change.
the governor called on all levels of government to give the Service Chiefs the needed support they would require to execute their assignments.
He continued: “This is an opportunity to serve the nation and I believe that the Service Chiefs will be focused and dedicated.”
But a former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has called on the International Criminal Court and other relevant authorities to investigate the tenure of the “sacked” service chiefs.
Fayose who described the move by Buhari as a “step in the right direction’’ said that the development is another victory for Nigerians.
In a series of tweets on his verified twitter handle on Tuesday moments after the decision was announced, Fayose, however, called for probe of the former service chiefs.
He also accused them of only serving themselves and their pockets, but rendering Nigeria insecure.
He said: “The sacked Service Chiefs only served themselves and their pockets and can at best be described as “Disservice Chiefs” under whom Nigeria became completely insecure.
“The new service chiefs should learn from their immediate predecessors and remember nothing lasts forever.
“It is my call to the ICC and other relevant authorities that the tenure of the ‘sacked’ service chiefs should be investigated, most importantly human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings under their watch and commands.”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) described the appointment of new service chiefs as rather late in the day, when much harm had already been done to national security.
The party said the belated replacement of the ‘wearied’ service chiefs, after much damage to the nation, shows Buhari as a leader who has always refused to heed wise counsel by well-meaning Nigerians but continually leads the country to dire straits.
According to the party, “such unpatriotic, self-conceited and narrow-minded approach to leadership is responsible for the escalated insecurity and avoidable loss of lives; economic recession with excruciating hardship as well as widened divisions in our land under Buhari’s watch”.
Party publicist,Kola Ologbondiyan in a statement said if the President had acted when the PDP and other well-meaning Nigerians including the two chambers of the National Assembly urged him to do so, the security situation would not have degenerated to this abysmal level.
The party cautioned Buhari to use the appointments as a turning point to learn to listen to wise counsel and not always set the nation on the path of destruction before acting.
“Nevertheless, our party expresses hope that the new service chiefs will brace up to the challenges of our nation and note that their appointment at this time, more than at any other point in our national history, demands a huge sense of commitment, responsibility and determination to secure our nation and restore peace, order and national cohesiveness in our polity.
“Our party urges the new service chiefs to take urgent steps to restore professionalism, boost the morale of our troops and ensure not to fall into the indolence, corruption, recklessness, abuse of process and partisanship that characterized the tenure of the last service chiefs.
“The new commanders must note that Nigerians are looking up to them as professionals to remove terrorists, bandits and other outlaws ravaging our nation from our landscape.
“Furthermore, the PDP demands an immediate inquest into the tenure of the last service chiefs to unravel the circumstances behind the security lapses and compromises as well as accusation of involvement in the alleged looting of funds meant for the equipping and welfare of our troops in the front.
“Our party insists that such must be the sure step towards sanitizing the security architecture as well as lifting the morale of those in the front lines risking their lives for the security of our nation”, said the party .
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) welcomed the appointment and expressed confident that the new service chiefs will consolidate on the remarkable achievements of their predecessors in keeping the country safe and peaceful.
The party called for public support for the new service chiefs as they perform their constitutional roles of protecting the country’s territorial integrity and tackle emerging security threats.
National Secretary, Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the APC, Sen. John Akpan Udoedeghe urged increased synergy among the armed forces in achieving these tasks.
He said “recent incidents in the country has triggered quite divisive rhetoric in some quarters. It is counterproductive and dangerous to national security when we put ethnic spins to issues affecting us. In tackling security threats, we should criminalise crime, not ethnicity.
“As a nation, our strength remains in our diversity and we should continue to forge unity in that diversity. We urge peaceful coexistence and mutual understanding among Nigerians, irrespective of the part of the country we chose to live and work”.
Also reacting, Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu, National Chairman, African Democratic (ADC) also described the appointments as coming too late
The ADC chairman said “the President exercised his right to appoint or remove service Chiefs, but this seems to be happening rather too late. All the same, I believe that this will help the morale of our military personnel.
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“Nigeria has superbly trained and schooled officers but politicians are causing disaffection in the system. This explains the woes in the country. I pray that the new team will be broadminded and mindful in the decisions that they make. I will like to see the vision of these officers before I make more inputs. We need as Nigerians to work together to rescue our country”.
Profile of new service chiefs
Chief of Defence Staff Irabor:
Major-General Leo Irabor is the immediate Chief of Defence, Training and Operations at Defence Headquarters. He is an alumnus of the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College, Ghana, the National Defence College, Bangladesh University of Professionals, Dhaka As the Chief of Defence, Training and Operations, he oversees the training and operations of the in the Armed Force sunder the direction of the Chief of Defence Staff.
He undertakes periodic reviews of a broad range of policies and activities relating to training and operations in the Armed Forces. In addition to his schedules, he is the Chairman of the Armed Forces of Nigeria committee on COVID -19.
The committee is working to prevent the spread of Corona virus disease in the establishment of the Armed Forces in line with Centre for Disease Control protocols.
The committee s also giving support to the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 including the deployment of medical personnel across the country to boost the available manpower in the management of the corona virus pandemic in Nigeria.
The General was formerly the Theatre. Commander of Operation Lafia Dole, North East Nigeria as well as Force Commander Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin Area. The unit focused on Counter-Terrorism/Counter Insurgency.
He hails from Agbor, Delta State.
Chief of Army Staff Attahiru:
Before the appointment of Major-General Ibrahim Attahiru as Chief of Army Staff was in charge of the 82 Division, Nigerian Army.
He was appointed to lead the offensive against Boko Haram in the North East in May 2017.
Major General Attahiru was later replaced by General Nicholas Rigers, who led a special military and police force to tackle ethnic clashes in the volatile central region
Chief of Air Staff Amao:
Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao was born on 14 Sep 65 at Enugu. He hails from Oshogbo LGA of Osun State. He attended the following academic schools: Nuhu Bamali Pry School Kaduna from 1971 – 77, Command Secondary School Kakuri Kaduna from 1977 – 82, Federal College of Freshwater and Fisheries Technology (FCFFT) New Bussa from 1994 – 96, University of Madras India from 2002 – 2003, Kaduna Polytechnic from 2005 – 2006 and National Defence University China from 2012 – 2013.
He enlisted into the Nigerian Air Force on 19 Jan 1984 as a member of 35 NDA Regular Course and was commissioned as Pilot Officer on 20 Dec 86. He started his Primary Flying Training at 301 Flying Training School (FTS) Kaduna from 1987 – 1989, did the Basic Flying Training at 303 FTS Kano from 1990 – 92 and Tactical Fighter Training at 99 Air Combat Training Group (99 ACTG) Kainji from 1993 – 99.
Thereafter, went for Instructor Pilot Course at 301 FTS Kaduna from 2004 – 2005.
The senior officer had served in following NAF Units: 99 ACTG Kainji as Trainee/Sqn Pilot from 1993 – 2004, 301 FTS Kaduna as Instructor Pilot/Sqn Pilot from 2004 – 2007, HQ NAF Abuja as Air Assistance to Chief of Air Staff from Sep 08 – May 10, Nigerian High Commission London as Deputy Defence Adviser from May 10 – Aug 12 and Ag Defence Adviser from Nov 11 – Feb 12, Defence Headquarter as Assistance Director of operation from Aug 2013 – Jan 14, 99 ACTG as Commander
from 25 Jan 14 – 20 Jan 15, 75 Strike Group (75 STG) as Commander from 20 Jan 15 – 16 Feb 16, Air Component Commander of operation ZAMAN LAFIYA / LAFIYA DOLE (North East operation) from 13 Feb 15 – 16 Feb 16, doubled as Acting Deputy Theater Commander (Air Ops) for operation LAFIYA DOLE from 4 Jan 16 – 16 Feb 16, Director of Policy (DOPOL) at HQ NAF, Abuja from 16 Feb – May 27 and Director of Operations (DOO) at HQ NAF, Abuja from 27 May – 6 Sep 16, Director of Training (DOT) at HQ NAF, Abuja from 6 Sep 16 – 22 Dec 16 and Director of Operations (DOO) at HQ NAF from 22 Dec 16 – 29 Jan 18.
He is a fighter pilot and has participated in various operations such as: Draw Down of AFISMA operation in Mali from Aug 2013 – Jan 14, operation ZAMAN LAFIYA from 20 Feb – 19 Jul 15 and operation LAFIYA DOLE (North East operations) from 19 Jul 15 – 16 Feb 16. His decorations include:
Forces Service Star (FSS), Meritorious Service Star (MSS), Distinguished Service Star (DSS), General Service Medal (GSM), River Benue Star (RBS), Passed Staff College (psc) and Fellow National Defence University (FNDU) China.
The senior officer has attended several military courses which include: Junior Division Course at Armed Forces Command Staff College (AFCSC) Jaji from Jun – Dec 1986, Senior Division Course at Defence Services Staff College India from 2002 – 2003, Defence Course at National Defence University China from 2012 – 2013, Aircraft Accident Investigation in Civil Airline at NCAT Zaria and Aircraft Accident Investigation Course at Karachi, Pakistan.
He has the following academic qualification: MSc in Defence and Strategic Studies from University of Madras, India, Master of Military Science and Strategy (MMSc) and Advance Diploma in Defence and Strategy Studies from NDU China, Post Graduate Diploma in International Relations and Diplomacy from Kaduna Polytechnic, National Diploma in Freshwater and Fisheries Technology from FCFFT New Bussa and Nigerian Defence Academy Certificate of Education.
Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo:
Until his recent appointment as the Chief of Naval Staff , he was the Director of
Procurement at the Defence Space Administration. Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo was born on 22 Apr 66 and hails from Nasarawa Local Government Area in Kano State.
He enlisted into the Nigerian Navy on 24 September 1984 as a member of Regular Course 36 and was commissioned Sub-Lieutenant on 24 September 1988.
He is an Underwater Warfare specialist with a sub-specialisation in Intelligence.
The senior officer has attended several military courses which include: Sub-Technical course and Officers Long course both at NNS QUORRA. He also attended Junior Division 48/99 andSenior Course 26 both at AFCSC Jaji. Other courses attended include the National Defence Course at the South African National Defence College
The senior officer holds a PGD in Transport Management and a Master’s degree in Transport Management (Logistics option) both from Ladoke Akintola University of
Technology. He is also a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management
