Major shakeup in NAF as Lobby for ‘juicy’ positions tears military apart 

Lobby for appointments into ‘juicy’ positions in the Armed Forces has thrown the military into near disarray; The Guardian has been reliably informed.

Findings show that the lobbying cuts across the three services of the Armed Forces, Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Nigerian Army (NA) and the Nigerian Navy (NN).

The new service chiefs, who were recently confirmed by the Senate, are currently under intense pressure from powerful groups in and outside the military, bent on deciding the appointments to ensure their loyalists are carried along. Although this has not been officially confirmed, a highly placed military source explained that the delay in announcing new appointments by the service chiefs was to avoid any mistakes that could pitch them against the powerful blocs within and outside the military. “As we speak, there is intense lobbying going on and this will determine who gets what. Juicy appointments are often influenced from outside. Politicians and government officials also determine how the appointments are shared. This has been the practice; it didn’t start now. But we hope that these new service chiefs will resist the cabal and make their appointments by merit and not by religious or ethnic sentiments.”

Meanwhile, NAF has announced the appointment of new Branch Chiefs, Air Officers Commanding (AOCs), Commandants of Tri-Service Institutions and other functionaries, including a new spokesperson. A statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Ibikunle Daramola, said the appointment was part of efforts to reinvigorate the operational effectiveness of NAF.

“The newly appointed Branch Chiefs are Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Dahiru Sanda, who is now the Chief of Defence Policy and Plans (CDPP), Defence Headquarters (DHQ); AVM Remigus Ekeh, erstwhile Chief of Standards and Evaluation Headquarters NAF (HQ NAF), who is now appointed Chief of Policy and Plans (COPP), HQ NAF; former AOC Mobility Command (MC), Yenagoa, AVM Ibukun Ojeyemi, is now the Chief of Air Intelligence (CAI), HQ NAF; while AVM Mahmud Madi has been appointed as the Air Secretary, HQ NAF.
 
“Also affected are AVM Mahmoud Ahmed, who is now the Chief of Defence Transformation and Innovation (CDTI), DHQ; AVM Cletus Udeagulu, now Chief of Communication Information Systems (CCIS), HQ NAF; while AVM Isah Muhammad is appointed Chief of Administration, (COA), HQ NAF.

AVM Pam Chollom has been appointed as the Chief of Logistics (CLOG), HQ NAF, while the former AOC, Air Training Command (ATC), Kaduna, AVM Musa Mukhtar has been moved to HQ NAF as the Chief of Aircraft Engineering (CAcE). 

“The immediate past AOC, Tactical Air Command (TAC), Makurdi, AVM Olusegun Philip, is now Chief of Standards and Evaluation (COSE), HQ NAF. Erstwhile COPP, HQ NAF, AVM Mohammed Idris, has been appointed Commandant, Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi; former Director of Plans, HQ NAF, AVM Ebenezer Alade, has been appointed Commandant, Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji; AVM Musibau Olatunji, erstwhile CAcE, now appointed as the Commandant Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna; while AVM Ibrahim Ali takes over as the Commandant, Air Force War College (AFWC), Makurdi. 

“AVM Idi Lubo, former Director of Policy, has been appointed AOC TAC, Makurdi; AVM Jackson Yusuf is now the AOC ATC, Kaduna; AVM Aliyu Bello is now the AOC MC, Yenagoa; while AVM Sunday Makinde, former College Secretary, National Defence College (NDC), is now the AOC, Logistics Command (LC), Ikeja; AVM Frank Oparah is appointed as the AOC, Ground Training Command, Enugu; while AVM Peter Uzezi is now the Director General, Defence Research and Development Bureau, DHQ.

“AVM Mfon Ekpoh has been redeployed to the Nigerian Defence Academy as Deputy Commandant; AVM Emmanuel Chukwu has been appointed as the College Secretary, NDC; AVM Abraham Adole is appointed as the Deputy Theatre Commander, Operation LAFIYA DOLE (OPLD); Air Commodore Nnamdi Ananaba takes over as the Air Component Commander, OPLD. 

“Also, Air Cdre Dauda Prayero has been appointed as the new Chairman, Air Expo and International Liaison Secretariat; Air Cdre Olabode Babalola takes over as the Chief of Medical Services (CMS), HQ NAF and Air Cdre Edward Gabkwet has been appointed as the new NAF spokesperson.”

The newly appointed and redeployed senior officers are expected to take over their new offices not later than Thursday, 11 March.