Buhari appoints Olonishakin, Buratai, Ibas, Abubakar as new Service Chiefs
New Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar (left); Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas; Chief of Defence Staff, Maj.-Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Air Vice Marshal Morgan Riku and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), after their swearing-in by President Muhammadu Buhari at State House, Abuja… yesterday. Inset: Chief of Army Staff, Major-Gen. T.Y. Buratai PHOTO: NAN
Monguno replaces Dasuki as NSA
THE 43-day waiting game for the Service Chiefs and National Security Adviser (NSA) who served under President Goodluck Jonathan ended yesterday when President Muhammadu Buhari relieved them of their appointments and appointed new ones.
While the appointments will be in acting capacity until confirmed by the Senate, the non-appointment of his own ministers and Service Chiefs had been interpreted in some quarters as signifying not-so-sure footedness by the President.
The Nigerian Army Act 2004 provides that Service Chiefs should be confirmed by the Senate. It does not say the Chief of Defence Staff should be included.
And seemingly unaware of his impending removal, the former Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah had, the same yesterday, listed as his greatest achievement the dislocating of the Boko Haram insurgents to pave way for peaceful conduct of the 2015 general elections.
Under the new dispensation as was made public by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in a statement yesterday, Major-General Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin was named the new Chief of Defence Staff, (CDS) replacing Air Chief Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh; Major-Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, Chief of Army Staff, replacing Minimah; Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff, replacing Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin.
Also named were, Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff, replacing Air Marshal Adesola Amosu; Air Vice Marshal Monday Riku Morgan, Chief of Defence Intelligence and Major-General Babagana Monguno (rtd)National Security Adviser, taking over from Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd).
Olonishakin (N/6901) hails from Ekiti State and was the Head of the Nigerian Army Training and Doctrine Command in Minna, Niger State.
Buratai, who hails from Borno State, was until his new appointment, the Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force which has its headquarters in Ndjamena.
He had previously served as Commander of the Nigerian Army’s 2nd Brigade in Port Harcourt and Commander of the Nigerian Army School of Infantry in Jaji, Kaduna State.
Ibas, (NN/0746) from Cross River State, 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. His previous appointments include: 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 Chief of Naval Staff, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Navy Holdings Limited.
Abubakar (NAF/1433) hails from Bauchi State. His previous appointments include Chief of Standards and Evaluation, NAF Headquarters; Chief of Defence Communications and Air Officer Commanding, NAF Training Command. Until his new appointment yesterday as Chief of Air Staff, he was the Chief of Administration, NAF Headquarters.
Monguno was a one-time Commander of the Brigade of Guards, before he voluntarily retired on September 23, 2013, after attaining the ceiling age of 56 years.
The statement said the new Service Chiefs will hold their appointments in an acting capacity until confirmed by the Senate.
Buhari thanked the outgoing Service Chiefs and NSA for their services to the nation and wishes them well in their future endeavours.
Meanwhile, Minimah while opening what turned out to be his last COAS Second Quarter Conference, had said the dislocation and degradation of Boko Haram was one of his achievements.
He also said the renewed insurgents’ attacks notwithstanding, the military would seek ways to adequately confront the new tactics adopted by the terrorists in recent weeks so as to prepare for the upcoming gubernatorial elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.
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14 Comments
All good things come to those who wait. We support the resident and we are certain they were all chosen because they are morally upright, committed to national unity and above all Incorruptible.
All good things come to those who wait. We support the President and we are certain they were all chosen because they are morally upright, committed to national unity and above all Incorruptible.
I am yet to know what criteria amounted to “Merit” in Buhari’s consideration.
Before any one could shift the burden of ethnicity and ethnic exclusion upon me, can Buhari, please, tell the world that all these men he appointed, measured over and above the likes of Major General Emeka Onwuamaegbu in terms of education, intellectual strength, physical strength, character and leadership qualities.
It is remarkable that Buhari’s pattern of appointment thus far justifies the Igbo fear of him. Already, we are hearing that people like Ogbonnaya Onu and Ngige promised the post of Secretary to the Federal Govt are being told right now to dash that hope “since Ike Ekweremadu has “blocked” your slot.” One then wonder, What about the ethnic groups that have got innumerable and still insist that unless “all” is given to them Nigeria will cease to be !
Nevertheless, I must rephrase for the President and his APC what the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has made a sing-song since they came to power: Nigeria is multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, you must include all in your appointments.
The penultimate last chief of army staff was from Enugu state and was an engineer in the military (not a traditional corps for COAS), the last was from south south. Now there is another from another part of the country and you are shouting the president is tribalistic. Please to every Major General emeka Onwuamaegbe that you are campaigning for, there are severally other marshals, generals and admirals that are equally good and of also better. Am happy your ‘general’ is not thinking like you are else he wouldn’t have gotten to that rank!
Great to hear this new thinking from you. Great again that we are no longer hearing “Jonathan excluded the South West.” Now, it is sin to say ‘You have excluded me.” Nigeria, One Nation, Two Moralities!
Hi, its good I let you know that Jonathan excluded the south west to all through his regime. Hope you know there where no first rate minsters (or with key ministries) that was from the south west. just to mention one point. Even the military chiefs where never from the west too. All through his years the closed was CDS who was from Kwara and another from Lagos state..
I believe in Nigeria and a good leadership whoever he might be.
What are we NOT saying now ?
okey need your response
Okey, but why don’t you ask Ike Ekweremadu to resign from his dubious selfies and pave way for Ngige or Onu. I urge you to stop this errant nonsense forthwith, as the Ndigbo cannot eat their cake and have it at the same time. Your comment clearly depict you as being hypocrite.
That a man who works in John Holt should resign for the man who works in Leventis to be promoted ? Go and treat your jaundice.
pls I guess that Gen Emeka will be rtd.
The” likes of Emeka Onwuamaegbu” are numerous in the Nigerian army.
The name of this Game is called Change. I personally is not amazed but let us see the magic they have come with.
Nigerian army is outdated, weak, disorganized and demoralized without vision, I foresee nothing different from those who served before them. The Nigerian military is even weaker than the Army that fought the civil war more than forty years ago. The military was never reformed nor modernized, and therefore totally incapable to fighting a modern welfare as the Boko Haram. All these “services chiefs this and service chiefs that” is nothing but the same old boys brigade that fought the civil war, only this time it has degenerated to pure khaki.
We will review and take appropriate action.