Belated reorganisation

HardballIt is unclear why President Muhammadu Buhari finally named new service chiefs this week after ignoring the loud public demand that he should do so for more than three years.The new service chiefs are: Major-General Leo Irabor, Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General I. Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral A.Z. Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff; and Air-Vice Marshal I.O. Amao, Chief of Air Staff.They replaced General Abayomi Olonisakin, former Chief of Defence Staff; Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai, former Chief of Army Staff; Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas , former Chief of Naval Staff; and Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar , former Chief of Air Staff.The old service chiefs, appointed in July 2015 by the president, had been targets of intense criticism following escalating insecurity in the country. Curiously, Buhari thanked them for their overwhelming achievements in our efforts at bringing enduring peace to our dear country. Going by public assessment, they failed in the fight against insecurity, particularly in the war on terror, which is mainly why the people demanded their removal.As Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Buhari was expected to redesign the countrys problematic security architecture to achieve the desired result, and changing the old service chiefs was considered necessary to bring about positive change. It is noteworthy that the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and the National Assembly had emphasised the need to restructure the countrys security architecture to tackle nationwide security challenges.President Buhari had appointed the service chiefs, and he could fire them. But he had been unwilling to relieve them of their positions. It was puzzling that he claimed to want to minimise insecurity but also wanted to keep service chiefs who had been unable to minimise insecurity.Importantly, according to a report published in February 2020, the tenures of the old defence and service chiefs should have expired in July 2017, based on the Armed Forces Terms and Conditions of Service. The report cited Section 8 of the public service rules which stipulates that the compulsory retirement age for all grades in the service shall be 60 years or 35 years of pensionable service, whichever is earlier.Also, the report cited Section 4 of the harmonised terms and conditions of service officers (2017) which states that military service of an officer is a period of unbroken service in the armed forces of Nigeria from the date of commission to the date of retirement from service.The report said: Each of the service chiefs has, however, spent above the stipulated service years. Olonisakin, 57, has spent 38 years in service. Buratai and Ibas, both 59, have been in service for 36 years. Abubakar, 59, has spent 40 years in service.The point is President Buhari should have removed the old service chiefs much earlier. He encouraged illegality by keeping them in office beyond their time.
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