Punch Newspapers
Sections
Adelani Adepegba, Abuja
The immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has said he performed well as the COAS.
He also said he owed no one explanations over his appointment as a non-career ambassador.
Buratai spoke with journalists at a special gala night organised by members of the 29th Regular Course Association of the Nigerian Defence Academy in Abuja, on Saturday.
Buratai and other service chiefs reportedly resigned from office on January 26 after months of calls for their sacking following the rising insecurity in different parts of the country.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), replaced them with new officers, including Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor as Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General Ibrahim Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Awwal Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff; and Air-Vice Marshal I.O Amao, as Chief of the Air Staff.
Buratai and other Service Chiefs “voluntarily resigned” their positions on 26 January 2021, after months of calls for their sack following a spate of insecurity in different parts of the country, especially in the northeast, and the seeming failure of the security agencies to contain it.
Buhari had immediately appointed 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 as replacements.
However, the President released a list of nominees as non-career ambassadors of the country on 4 February 2021, just nine days after their resignation as Service Chiefs.
Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral A. Z Gambo (left); Chief of Defence Staff, Major-General LEO Irabor; President Muhammadu Buhari; Chief of Army Staff, Major-General, I. Attahiru and Chief of Air Staff, Air-Vice Marshal I.O Amao. Photo; TWITTER/FMICNIGERIA
A lot of Nigerians sighed with relief on Tuesday, January 26, when the Presidency announced the appointment of new service chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Those so appointed are Maj-Gen. Lucky E.O. Irabor as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS); Maj-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru as Chief of Army Staff (COAS); Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo as Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) and Air-Vice Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao as Chief of Air Staff (CAS).
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has described as unpatriotic, Nigerians calling for the International Criminal Court to p.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has described as unpatriotic, Nigerians calling for the International Criminal Court to probe the immediate-past service chiefs.
Mohammed spoke on Tuesday during a Radio Nigeria programme, Politics Nationwide.
President Muhammadu Buhari appointed four new service chiefs last week after much clamour from Nigerians that he bring in fresh hands to pilot the country’s anti-terrorism war.
The new service chiefs are Major-General Leo Irabor as Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General Ibrahim Attahiru as Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral A.Z Gambo as Chief of Naval Staff; and Air-Vice Marshal I.O Amao as Chief of Air Staff.
The immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar on Tuesday said he was leaving the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fulfilled.
Sadique made the assertion during a Fly Out parade organized for his exit by the Nigerian Air Force at NAF Base in Abuja.
Sadique who acknowledged God for his help while in service, said in the last five years, the Nigerian Air Force, has been repositioned and restructured into a highly “professional and disciplined force.”
He expressed optimism that with the 15 aircraft and eight unmanned combat aerial vehicles provided recently, NAF would be able to address the current security challenges in the country.