13th July, 2015
Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Service Chiefs and National Security Adviser, NSA, to replace former Service Chiefs who were sacked earlier today.
Acccording to a statement by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), the following are the newly appointed Service Chiefs: Major-General Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin – Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General T.Y. Buratai – Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas – Chief of Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar – Chief of Air Staff.
Others appointed today are: Air Vice Marshal Monday Riku Morgan – Chief of Defence Intelligence and Major-General Babagana Monguno (retd.) – National Security Adviser.
The new Chief of Defence Staff, Maj.-Gen. Olonishakin (N/6901) hails from Ekiti State. Until his appointment as Chief of Defence Staff today, he was the Head of the Nigerian Army Training and Doctrine Command in Minna, Niger State.
The new Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Buratai hails from Borno State. Until his new appointment today, he was the Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force which has its headquarters in Ndjamena.
Maj-Gen. Buratai has 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.
The new Chief of Defence Intelligence, Air Vice Marshal Morgan hails from Benue State. He was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force as a Pilot Officer in June, 1982. His previous appointments include Air Officer Commanding, NAF Logistics Command.
The new Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibas (NN/0746) hails from Cross River State. He 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.
The new Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal 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 today as Chief of Air Staff, he was the Chief of Administration, NAF Headquarters.
The new National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Monguno (rtd.) was a member of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 21st Regular Course. Before his retirement from the Army, he held several command and staff appointments including: Commander, Guards Brigade, Deputy Commandant, National Defence College, Chief of Defence Intelligence, Chief of Defence Logistics and Commander, Training and Doctrine Command.
The new Service Chiefs will hold their appointments in an acting capacity until confirmed by the Senate.
President Buhari thanked the outgoing Service Chiefs and National Security Adviser for their services to the nation and wishes them well in their future endeavours.
Buhari sacked his army, navy, air force and defence chiefs earlier Monday, a widely anticipated move as the former general has made crushing Islamist militant group Boko Haram his top priority.
Since his inauguration in May, Buhari has moved Nigeria’s defence command centre to Maiduguri, the birthplace of the jihadi sect, and is setting up the headquarters for a multi-national joint taskforce in Chad’s capital N’Djamena.
In June, Amnesty International accused Nigeria’s military of systemic human rights abuses and the deaths of 8,000 prisoners and called for an investigation into many top military officials including the army and air force chiefs.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan was heavily criticised for his inability to deal with the six-year insurgency in the northeast of Africa’s biggest oil producer which has killed thousands and displaced 1.5 million people.
Army morale hit an all time low under Jonathan and it was not until the start of 2015 that the militants were finally pushed out of most areas with the help of foreign mercenaries, troops from neighbouring countries and new equipment.
But Nigerians saw Jonathan’s victories as too little to late.
The outgoing officials are: Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Alex Badeh; the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Kenneth Minimah; the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Adesola Amosu.