The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Shake-up

  • Shake-up in Nigerian Army

    The Nigerian Army yesterday announced a major shake-up among its senior officers with the redeployment of Command and Staff Officers as well as General Officers Commanding (GOCs).

    The Theatre Commander  of Operation Lafiya Dole and  Force Commander of Multinational Joint Task Force were also affected by the development.

    According to a statement signed by the Army Director of Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Texas Chukwu, the posting   “was aimed at inject new hands to further actualize the vision of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai.”

    The statement reads: “The Nigerian Army has announced a major redeployment of senior officers in Command, Staff and other appointments.

    “The posting affected Principal Staff Officers both at the Defence and Army Headquarters as well as General Officers Commanding (GOCs). The Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole and Force Commander, Multinational Joint Task Force are also affected by the posting.

    “The posting, which also re-organized Operation Lafiya Dole, was aimed at injecting new hands to further actualize the vision of the Chief of Army Staff COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai.

    “Those affected in the redeployment include Maj. Gen. A.M. Dikko who will take over as Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Brig. Gen. A.O. Abdullahi as Acting Commander Sector 2, Operation Lafiya Dole, and Brig. Gen. U.U. Bassey as Acting Commander Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole.

    “Others are Maj. Gen. C.O. Ude posted as Force Commander, Multinational Joint Task Force Ndjamena, Maj. Gen. J. Sarham as General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Maj. Gen. E.B. Kabuk, General Officer Commanding 82 Division, Maj. Gen. M.S. Yusuf, General Officer Commanding 81 Division and Maj. Gen. B.A. Akinroluyo as General Officer Commanding 3 Division.

    “Among the Principal Staff Officers affected are Maj. Gen. L.E.O. Irabor posted as Chief of Defence Training and Operations in the Defence Headquarters, while Maj. Gen. L.O. Adeosun takes over as Chief of Training and Operations at the Army Headquarters.

    “Others are Maj. Gen. H.O. Otiki, as Commander Infantry Corps and Maj. Gen. C.U. Agulanna as Chief of Accounts and Budget Nigerian Army. Maj Gen J.E. Jakko is posted to Defence Headquarters as Chief of Defence Finance and Budget, Maj. Gen. A.B. Abubakar, Maj. Gen. A. Mohammed and Maj Gen L.K.J. Ogunewe, among others, will be proceeding to the Nigerian Army Resource Centre on course. All postings and appointments take effect from August 1, 2018.”

  • Defence spokesman, 398 other senior army officers redeployed in military shake-up

    Defence spokesman, 398 other senior army officers redeployed in military shake-up

    A major shake-up in the military has seen the redeployment of the Director of Defence Information, Defence Headquarters, Maj-Gen. John Enenche, and 398 other senior army officers.

    A statement from the Director of Public Relations, Nigerian Army, Brig-Gen. Sani Usman, said the postings and redeployments of the affected officers represented the 2017 Fourth Quarter Postings.

    Gen. Usman said the postings were with effect from January 2, 2018.

    The statement reads: “The Nigerian Army has today, Friday 29th December 2017, released the 2017 Fourth Quarter Postings and Appointments of its Officers.

    “It will be recalled that recently, some senior officers were promoted to the ranks of Brigadier-General and Major-General, while some have also left service on completion of mandatory years of service in the Army.

    “The posting is also aimed at injecting new hands to further actualise the vision of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. T. Y. Buratai, which is ‘to have a professionally responsive Nigerian Army in the discharge of its constitutional roles.’

    “Accordingly, the posting and redeployment has affected some Principal Staff Officers at Defence and Army Headquarters, Corps Commanders, General Officers Commanding  (GOC), Commandants of Training Institutions and Directors, amongst others.

    “In all, the postings and appointments affected 399 officers.

    “Those affected include Major General R.O. Yusuf, Commander Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), who is now the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army); Major General A.A. Salihu, Chief of Defence Communications, will now take over as Commander, TRADOC; Major General L.O. Adeosun, also from Defence Headquarters, has been appointed Commander, Infantry Corps; Major General C.M. Abraham has been moved from 2 Division to Defence Intelligence Agency as Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence while Major General O.F. Azinta replaces him as General Officer Commanding 2 Division.

    ” Major General U.S. Yakubu is now to take over as Commandant of Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre; Major General F.O. Agugo is now Commander, Command Army Records; Major General J.S. Malu is now the Corps Commander, Nigerian Army Engineers and Major General J.G.K. Myam, the Director of Operations is now the Commander, Army Headquarters Garrison, Abuja.

    “Others affected include, Commander Guards Brigade, Major General M.S. Yusuf, who is now General Officer Commanding 6 Division, replacing Major General E.O. Udoh, who is reassigned to 81 Division as GOC. In the same vein, Brigadier General U.T. Musa is now the Commander Guards Brigade. Major General I.B.J. Okeke is now Corps Commander, Nigerian Army Medical Corps, while Major General K.O. Kadiri is now Group Managing Director, Nigerian Army Welfare Holding Limited/Guarantee.

    “Similarly, Major General E.J. Enenche has been appointed Commandant Army War College Nigeria, while Brigadier General J.A. Agim is now the Acting Director Defence Information and  Brigadier General J.T.E. Chukwu is now the Commandant of Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information.

    “Brigadier General L.T. Omoniyi has been appointed as the Commander of the newly established 17 Brigade with Headquarters in Katsina; Brigadier E.T. Essien is now Commander 29 Task Force Brigade, while Brigadier General T.A. Lagbaja is coming from Headquarters 8 Division to Army Headquarters as Acting Director Operations and Brigadier General G.N. Mutkut takes over as Commander 7 Multinational Joint Task Force Brigade.

    “All the postings and appointments take effect from 2nd January 2018.”

  • Govt axes 22 FAAN top officials in shake-up

    Govt axes 22 FAAN top officials in shake-up

    Agale of sack hit the Federal Airports Authority Nigeria (FAAN) yesterday. Over 22 senior officials were relieved of their jobs.

    It was learnt that directors, general managers and deputy general managers were among those affected. 10 out of the 11 directors in the agency were swept away by the shake-up.

    There were indications that the Managing Director and the Director of Human Resources might have been spared of the sack.

    A source also hinted that many general managers that were not properly placed were demoted.

    According to sources, the sack is the first batch of major job erasure planned by government to reposition the airport authority

    The restructuring of FAAN it was learnt, is a fallout of a panel’s report headed by Head of Service, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, which recommended proper placement in the authority.

    It was gathered that the  restructuring was a fallout of a petition written to the Ministry of Aviation by aviation unions over improper placement of personnel.

  • Boko Haram: North’s governors seek implementation of suggestions

    Boko Haram: North’s governors seek implementation of suggestions

    To end Boko Haram insurgency, and ethnic killings, North’s governors yesterday advised the Federal Government to implement their recommendations.

    The governors under the aegis of Northern Governors Forum, were livid over the continuous killings in Plateau State.

    On Saturday, 29 people were killed in Barkin Ladi local government area of the state by suspected herdsmen.

    A major shake up of troops is expected in the military this week in a new approach to the Boko Haram battle.

    North’s Governors’ Forum, Niger State Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu said:

    “We (Northern Governors) agreed in our last meeting in Kaduna to deal decisively with the fast growing security challenges being posed by the activities of cattle rearers, we call on the Federal Government to consider a national policy to settle nomads and provide adequate grazing reserves and cattle routes.”

    It added: boost the morale of the military to enable them effectively fight the insurgents and other threats to security in the region, “adequate funds should be provided to Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states afflicted with the problem of insurgency in order to address attendant issues.”

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima was yesterday in Bama where the insurgents killed people last Monday to commiserate wit the bereaved families.

    The Governor announced a donation of N250,000 to each of the families that lost loved ones.

    There were strong indications yesterday that the Service Chiefs have decided to reorganise military commands and redeploy a few troops in Borno State.

    The shake-up may involve the swapping of General Officers Commanding (GOCs), officers and reposting of senior officers to the state.

    Also, the military high command has opted to freeze movement in all borders between Nigeria and the Republic of Cameroon.

    It was gathered that it was learnt that some members of Boko Haram, who were involved in Bama invasion last week, had been arrested and undergoing interrogation.

    It was gathered that the overhauling of the military structures in Borno State was one of the conclusions arrived at by Service Chiefs after on-the-spot assessment of the situation on Wednesday and Thursday.

    It was gathered that the preliminary investigation by the Service Chiefs confirmed the need to “invigorate the military mission in Borno.”

    A source said: “You should expect a shake-up of the military mission in Borno State; we are going to bring in fresh hands to realize our operation total war against the insurgents.

    “By the assessment of the Service Chiefs, there are some people who can do better in Borno; they will be redeployed to the place. It was obvious to the Service Chiefs to invigorate the mission in Borno State.

    “The reorganisation will involve swapping of positions by GOCs and top military officers. The commanders might be mostly affected with a few adjustments of troops too.

    “The shake-up will be announced early in the week because the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, has insisted on measurable results.”

    Another source said: “Yes, some suicide bombers were involved in Bama raid but they died. Some of them tried to blow up military tanks but they failed.

    “They succeeded in incapacitating some tanks but they have been fixed and the tanks have resumed normal operations.”

    The source added: “We were able to arrest some operatives of Boko Haram but not anyone that can be placed as very, very prominent.

    “But many vehicles in the convoy of the insurgents were destroyed during air raid. It is difficult to ascertain casualty figures on the part of the insurgents because they were always do everything to evacuate their bodies.

    “As I am talking to you, the patrols are on in Bama; we are still cordoning the environment.”

    A military source said: “We have chosen to restrain movement. I can actually say that we have frozen movement in all the borders between the two countries because the insurgents used to take advantage of such to enter Nigeria.

    “There is no clear cut border demarcation per se but we have enlarged the scope of patrols and we have frozen movement in spite of the fact that it will affect commerce and trade.

    “The latest joint patrols also involve officers and men of the Nigerian Customs Service and Nigerian Immigration Service.”

    Contacted, the spokesman for the Defence Headquarters, Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, confirmed tight security along Nigeria-Cameroon border.

    He said: “The security action in the area will be progressive to fortify the protection of our territory and forbid any threat to our territorial integrity.”

  • Shake-up in FCTA

    The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, has approved the redeployment of management workers.

    He said this is to ensure effective service delivery to the residents of the FCT and reposition the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

    Mohammed said the redeployment was aimed at placing officers in positions where their optimum contribution would impact positively on the performance of the FCTA.

    The first phase of staff movement involves the posting of a broadcaster, Hajiya Jamilah Tangaza, formerly a Senior Special Assistant to the Minister on Information Management Systems, to head the Abuja Geographic Information Services (AGIS).

    A statement issued by the Assistant Director and Chief Press Secretary to the FCT Minister, Muhammad Hazat Sule, said other officers affected by the redeployment were Dr. Isa Jalo, a former Director of AGIS, now Director, FCT Archives and History Bureau; while Mr. Charles Irodi Nnodim of the FCT Archives and History Bureau is to take over in the Health and Human Services Secretariat as the Director of Admin & Finance.