President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday urged the newly-appointed service chiefs and the National Security Adviser to help him rebuild the reputation of the Armed Forces and the nation.
It can be recalled that in an apparent bid to re-jig the nation’s security apparatus in the wave of growing insurgent attacks and suicide bombings, President Muhammadu Buhari, 45 days after assuming office, yesterday sacked all the service chiefs and appointed replacements whom he said were chosen on merit.
Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Mallam Garba Shehu, in a statement said Buhari made the call while addressing the new service chiefs shortly after their appointments were announced.
Shehu said the President also called on them to show utmost commitment to their new duties.
He quoted Buhari as saying that all the appointees were chosen based on merit.
He said, “All of you, including the National Security Adviser, were chosen on merit. Your records gave you the job.
“Save for the new Chief of Army Staff, whom I briefly met at his Command at the Multi-National Joint Task Force, in Chad, I don’t know any of you. Your records recommended you.
“Legally, you are in acting capacity until the National Assembly accepts you. It is only then that you will take the oath of office. Thereafter, we will sit down and talk in more detail.”
He assured them that their nominations would be sent to the National Assembly either on Monday or Tuesday for confirmation.
Those relieved of their jobs yesterday include Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki. Others are Chief of Army Staff, Kenneth Minimah; Chief of Naval Staff, Usman Jibrin; and Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosu.
Badeh and the former Army, Air Force and Naval chiefs were appointed by former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in January 2014, a month after he sacked the previous top brass.
That followed a daring raid against a military installation in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri, which saw aircraft destroyed and weapons seized.
“The President has relieved the service chiefs, including the heads of the Army, Air Force and Navy of their appointments,” Femi Adesina stated, adding, “President Buhari thanks the outgoing service chiefs and National Security Adviser for their services to the nation and wishes them well in their future endeavours.”
Buratai, from Borno State — the worst affected by the insurgency — has been commander of the new, strengthened regional force against Boko Haram which is due to be deployed later this month.
A new commander for the multi-national force will now be appointed, Adesina said.
Their sack long overdue
The move elicited commendations from some eminent Nigerians, who said it was long overdue, given the increasing wave of the Boko Haram insurgency.
The military command has come under heavy criticism for its poor handling of the six-year insurgency that has seen the deaths of more than 15,000 people and forced another 1.5 million to flee their homes.
Under the commanders’ watch, the militants captured swathes of territory, including towns and villages in the remote North-East in its quest to establish a hardline Islamic state.
In addition, the sacked military chiefs were unable to free more than 200 schoolgirls abducted in the North-eastern town of Chibok on April 14 last year, despite repeated promises.
Boko Haram has stepped up its attacks since Buhari became president on May 29, with a wave of raids, explosions and suicide bombings against civilians. About 600 people have been killed since May 29, 2015.
The surge in violence has sparked concern that gains made by the armies of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon against the insurgents since February this year are being eroded.
The new appointments are:
1. Maj.-Gen. Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin – Chief of Defence Staff
2. Maj.-Gen. T.Y. Buratai – Chief of Army Staff
3. Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas – Chief of Naval Staff
4. Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar – Chief of Air Staff
5. Air Vice Marshal Monday Riku Morgan – Chief of Defence Intelligence
6. Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.) – National Security Adviser
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They've never had a good reputation. Unless you are saying brutalising people is reputation.
ReplyDeleteAre there any Ibos in the armed forces or is this now a northern and Yoruba affair?
ReplyDeletewhy cant u take your time to read the profile of the newly appointed officers; instead u kept promoting tribal issues; is Ekwe Ibas a Yoruba? is he an Hausa? is Riku Morgan a Yoruba? is he an Hausa? learn to read and understand sentences before making comments; i wonder if u attended schools at all..... u need to learn to read and understand and always appreciate good things in others even if they are ur enemies... a word of advice
DeletePlease help me ask Anonymous 2:23 PM oooo...Obviously we still have ethnic goats in Nigeria. What does ethnicity have to do with issues of security. I think we should start looking beyond ethnicity whenever appointments are made in Nigeria rather competence should be the first thing to check. I don't care if they are all Igbos or Hausas, what I want is the security of lives and properties of ALL Nigerians. So far those appointed are Nigerians
DeleteAnonymous 7:07 has said it all,i think its hightime we ahould utgrew this pereception of ethicity,its doing the country more harm than good.
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