Controversy Over Service Chiefs & NSA Appointed By Buhari

In a sweeping shakeup of the nation’s security sector, President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday approved the appointment of new service chiefs and a National Security Adviser.

The appointments of the new service chiefs were contained in a statement described as part of the government’s strategies to crush the Boko Haram insurgency once and for all.

Retirements loom in the Army
The appointment of Buratai as the new Chief of Army Staff would lead to possible retirements in the Army because there is a difference of five years in hierarchy between the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, and his successor.

Apart from a few members of the Course 25 who are still in the service, there are also other officers from Courses 26, 27, 28 and 29. Buratai’s emergence may affect some of them.

Investigations revealed that about 30 major generals who are either senior in hierarchy or who belonged to the same course as Buratai may retire from the service.

It is the tradition of the Army that a senior is not left in the service to salute his subordinate.

A source, who confided in one of our correspondents, said that not all the major generals in that hierarchy would go as some of them who are junior to the Chief of Defence Staff, who is of Course 26, could be moved to the Defence Headquarters and other tri-service institutions of the Armed Forces.

However, the situation could be different in the Nigerian Navy where the new chief, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, who belonged to Course 26 and the predecessor, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, of Course 24, have only a few officers between them.

It was learnt that about five senior officers between the two were retired recently thereby giving the indication that the appointment might not culminate in retirements in the Navy.

A similar situation obtains in the Air Force as the new chief, who belonged to the Cadet Military Training, Course 5, is rated as a Course 26 member, which is the immediate junior to his predecessor, Vice Marshal Adesola Amosu, of Course 5,

A security source said on Monday that all those who belonged to the same Course as the former Air Chief would retire with him, except Air Vice Marshal Monday Morgan, who has been appointed the new Chief of Defence Intelligence.

Meet the new men of power
The new CDS, Olonishakin (N/6901) hails from Ekiti State and until his appointment, was the Head of the Nigerian Army Training and Doctrine Command in Minna, Niger State.

The new CAS, Buratai, hails from Borno State. He was, until his new appointment, the Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force, which has its headquarters in Ndjamena, Republic of Chad.

Buratai had previously served as Commander of the Nigerian Army’s 2nd Brigade in Port Harcourt, Rivers State; and Commander of the Nigerian Army School of Infantry in Jaji, Kaduna State.

The new CNS, Ibas (NN/0746), hails from Cross River State. He enlisted into the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of the 26th Regular Course in 1979 and was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant in 1983.

Ibas had previously served as the Naval Provost Marshal; Chief Staff Officer, Naval Training Command; Chief of Administration, Naval Headquarters; Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command and Chief of Logistics, Naval Headquarters. Until his appointment as the CNS, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Navy Holdings Limited.

The new Chief of Air Staff, Abubakar (NAF/1433), hails from Bauchi State. Before his new appointment, he had previously served as Chief of Standards and Evaluation, NAF Headquarters; Chief of Defence Communications and Air Officer Commanding, NAF Training Command. He was the Chief of Administration, NAF Headquarters, until his new appointment.

The new Chief of Defence Intelligence, Morgan, hails from Benue State. He was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force as a Pilot Officer in June, 1982. He once served as the Air Officer Commanding, NAF Logistics Command.

The new NSA, Monguno, was a member of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 21st Regular Course.

Before his retirement from the Army, he held several command and staff appointments including, Commander, Guards Brigade; Deputy Commandant, National Defence College; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Chief of Defence Logistics and Commander, Training and Doctrine Command.