Appointment of new service chiefs: 12 Army, Airforce generals to be retired soon

[MrVan]

By KINGSLEY OMONOBI, Abuja

Following the appointment of a new Chief of Defence Staff in the person of Vice Admiral Ola Saad Ibrahim, retention of Lt. General Onyeabor Azubuike Ihejirika as Chief of Army Staff, new Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba and Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh,  Saturday Vanguard can report authoritatively that about 12 Major Generals and their equivalent in the Nigerian Airforce will soon proceed on retirement.

For the Nigerian Navy, the gale of retirement will tarry awhile as most of the officers who are Rear Admirals in rank still have between six months and one year, to attain either the mandatory period of 35 years in service or go as a result of age on rank status as contained in the terms and conditions of service of the armed forces.

Vanguard gathered that among the officers that will be affected by the retirement are Principal Staff Officers both at the Defence and Services headquarters, Commandants of Tri-Service Institutions and Air Officers' Commanding (AOC's).

Already, Vanguard was told that most of the senior officers who had been aware of what would become of their fate when the President makes the appointment of new service chiefs, have started arranging their bags and baggages and that there is no feeling of animosity among them because the terms and condition of service (TACOS) had prepared them for it.

It was gathered that for the Nigerian Navy which is spared the agony of having to retire its officers, at least for now, there will be mass re-organization and postings of senior officers, as some would be moving to the Defence headquarters while those who will fit into the vision and mission of the new CNS would be brought into the management team.

Meanwhile, Vanguard can report that the appointment of Rear Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba who hails from Ibusa in Oshimili- North Local Government Area of Delta State has elements of fate and the hand of God.

The senior officer, a Course 22 regular intake of the NDA who was trained in the United States, UK Royal and Indian navies and is a Navigation and Direction Specialist, was never reckoned with as the next CNS as he has almost been wished away from those that make things happen.

Rather, other senior officers had been warming up especially as they calculated that Ezeoba who had not been a Flag Officer Commanding any of the Naval Commands cannot stand a chance against the many that had been FOC's in the recent past.

Vanguard Nigeria

[KingFemzee]

Shuffle and reshuffle and yet the security situation keeps getting worse by the day.