President Muhammadu Buhari has finally heeded the call of Nigerians with the sack of the nation's service chiefs. The new service chiefs are Major-
President Muhammadu Buhari has finally heeded the call of Nigerians with the sack of the nation’s service chiefs.
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 quartet replace the outgoing service chiefs; Major-General Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin as the Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General T.Y. Buratai as the Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas as the Chief of Naval Staff; and Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar as the Chief of Air Staff.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari congratulated the outgoing Service Chiefs on efforts to bring enduring peace to the country.
There has been a clamour for President Buhari to let go of his service chiefs and appoint new service chiefs who will bring in fresh ideas and tactics on ways to tackle the growing insecurity in the country.
Unfortunately, the service chiefs have all under performed in their duties as can be seen with the high incidence of banditry, terrorism and general insecurity in the country.
Many Nigerians, including members of the House of Representatives, members of the Senate, have repeatedly called for their sack, a call which the president has repeatedly ignored.
Besides, they were all over due for retirement having spent more than 35 years in military service. But the president continued to hold them back, by first extending their services in 2015 by two years and renewing their services again in 2017, which is contrary to the rules of public service which stipulates that the compulsory retirement age for all grades in the service shall be 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier.
While Olonisakin has been in service for 39 years, Buratai has been in service for 37 years. Abubakar has spent 40 years in service and Ibas has spent 37 years in service.
Their continued stay has caused a lot of disaffection, distrust, disloyalty among the rank and file of the military.
