FOLLOWING the change of service chiefs announced by President Bola Tinubu on Friday, indications have emerged that there is going to be shake-up in the military structure and some Generals will have to be retired from the three services.
The president announced the appointment of the former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, as the new Chief of Defence Staff while Major General Waidi Shaibu was made the Chief of Army Staff. Also, Air Vice Marshal S.K Aneke is the new Chief of Air Staff and Rear Admiral Idi. Abbas is the new Chief of Naval Staff.
They replaced General Christopher Musa (Chief of Defence Staff), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla (Chief of Naval Staff) and Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar (Chief of Air Staff).
Lieutenant General Oluyede, who will be promoted to the rank of four-star General, is a member of the 39 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy while Major General Shaibu, who will be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, is a member of the 40 Regular Course.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Aneke, who will be promoted to the rank of Air Marshal, a three-star General, is also a member of the 40 Regular Course, while Rear Admiral Abass, who will be promoted to the rank of Admiral, is a member of the 4o Regular Course.
According to the tradition in the military, which does not allow senior officers to get orders from their juniors and with the appointment of the new service chiefs, it is imminent that many senior officers in the rank of Major General, Air Vice Marshal and Rear Admiral, will have to leave the service.
According to impeccable sources in the military, those that will be affected in the Army include directors at the Army Headquarters who are Regular Course 39 officers and who are senior to the new Chief of Army Staff, General Officers Commanding various Divisions, Commanders of various commands, among others.
However, the source disclosed that some of them may be redeployed to the Defence Headquarters to serve directly and get orders only from the new Chief of Defence Staff who will be the overall head of the military.
It was also gathered that many directors at the Nigerian Airforce Headquarters, air officers commanding and commanders of air fleets who are coursemates of the removed Chief of Air Staff, will have to leave the service as they cannot get order from the new Chief of Air Staff, who is their junior.
The same applies to the Nigerian Navy Headquarters as all the Rear Admirals, who belong to the Regular Course 40 and who are mates of the removed Chief of Naval Staff, will have to go. They include Flag Officers Commanding, Directors of Naval Operations at the Navy Headquarters, and commanders of various fleets.
It was further gathered that over 50 very senior officers may be affected across the three services by the exercise.
A senior officer, who spoke on the development on condition of anonymity, confirmed said the retirement of officers senior to the new appointees is a military tradition that must be complied with.
He said he has put in over 35 years in service and that he will be retiring once the new service chiefs pick those who will replace them in their former positions.
