Through a statement released by the Presidency today, President Goodluck Jonathan replaced all Army Cheifs. Air Marshal Alex Badeh replaces Admiral Ola Sa'ad Ibrahim as Chief of Defence staff. Major-General Kenneth Tobiah Jacob Minimah replaces Lieutenant-General Azubike Ihejirika as Chief of Army Staff. Other changes include the appointment of Rear Admiral Usman O. Jibrin as the new Chief of Naval Staff and Air Vice Marshal Adesola Nunayon Amosu has become the Chief of Air Staff, a position previously held by newly promoted Badeh.
Read the tea leafs through this action and 2015 comes sharply into focus. Is this a pre emptive move or an addendum to GEJ's reply letter to OBJ? ... you decide.
On the legal tip, last year, the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Bello declared the appointment of the former Sevice Cheifs null and void becuse it did not comply with the provisions of sections 18 (1) and (2) of the Armed Forces Act. Section 18(1) provides:
(1) The President, may, after consultation with the Chief of Defence Staff and subject to confirmation by the National Assembly, appoint such officers (in this Act referred to as "the Service Chiefs") as he thinks fit, in whom the command of the Army, Navy and Air Force, as the case may be, and their Reserves shall be vested.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out with the new appoitments.
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