40 Generals To Retire From Nigerian Army

 There are strong indications that over 40 Generals from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, may proceed on retirement, following the appointment of new service chiefs.

This retirement, according to military tradition, once a junior office is appointed commander of a service (service chief), the senior officer is expected to resign, as it is usually believed that taking orders and saluting a once junior officer is condescending.

With Major General Irabor as Course 34 graduate; Major General Attahiru, Course 35; Air Vice Marshal Amao, Course 35; and Rear Admiral Gambo, Course 36, many of the generals, including some of their course mates, would have to go, particularly as a result of non-availability of vacancies and non-deployability.

Though the terms and conditions of service, as contained in the Armed Forces Act, makes room for officers who still have time on retirement age or number of mandatory years to serve, to remain in service, experience has shown that these officers would prefer to retire, go home and maintain their dignity.

Recall that the retention of the former service chiefs – General Gabriel Olonisakin, Course 25 intake; Lt. Gen Buratai, Course 27; Vice Admiral Ibas, Course 26; Air Marshal Abubakar, Course 27, because of the emergency insecurity situation in the country by President Muhammadu Buhari, also resulted in the retirement of many officers of Courses 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33 before the new appointments.

For the Navy for instance, Courses 34 and 35 Rear Admirals still in service are expected to go, while for the Air Force, Course 34 Air Vice Marshals still in service are expected to proceed on retirement.

 Same applies to the Army which has a Lieutenant General, Lamidi Adeosun, and Chief of Policy and Plans, who is senior in rank to the incoming COAS.

 Similarly, the Presidency has said President Buhari replaced the erstwhile service chiefs because he felt now was the time to do so and not due to pressure or calls by the public.

Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina, who stated this in a Channels TV programme late on Tuesday night, said: “The President knew the time to do it and I believe the time has come and that is why it has been done.

“I don’t think it is a matter of right or wrong; it is just a matter of doing what is best for the country at the best time. “It will not be right to say one side was right or one side was wrong because the President even in the statement we issued, also commended the outgone service chiefs for their contribution to engendering a safer country.

 “That shows that by and large, he was satisfied with their performances and he just felt it was time to rejig the system; have fresh energy, have fresh blood, have fresh ideas”.

 He dismissed insinuations that the resignation of the service chiefs was as a result of a number of security failures under their tenure or a result of the pressure mounted on the government for the sack of the service chiefs.