Exclusive: Major Shakeup In Nigerian Air Force As Climb For ‘Juicy’ Positions Pulls Military Apart

Push for appointments into ‘juicy’ positions in the three Services of the Armed Forces of Nigeria has thrown the Military into near disorder, OnyxNews Nigeria quotes The Nation reports.

The new Service Chiefs recently confirmed by the Senate are under intense pressure from powerful groups in the Military bent on deciding the appointments to ensure their loyalists are carried along.

Although this has not been formally confirmed, a highly placed military source confided in The Nation the delay in announcing new appointments by the Service Chiefs was to avoid any mistakes that may pitch them against the powerful blocs in and outside the military.

The source said: “As we speak, there is intense lobbying going on and this will determine who gets what. Juicy appointments are often influenced from outside.

“Politicians and government officials also determine how the appointments are shared. This has been the practice, it didn’t start now.

“But we hope that these new Service Chiefs will resist the cabal and make their appointments by merit and not by religious or ethnic sentiments”.

In the mean time, the Nigerian Air Force has announced the appointment of new Branch Chiefs, Air Officers Commanding (AOCs), Commandants of Tri-Service Institutions and other functionaries, including a new Spokesperson.

A statement by the Director of Public Relations & Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Ibikunle Daramola, stated that the appointment is part of efforts to strengthen the operational effectiveness of NAF.

According to the statement: “As part of routine exercise aimed at re-invigorating operational effectiveness and enhancing service delivery, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has appointed new Branch Chiefs, Air Officers Commanding (AOCs), Commandants of Tri-Service Institutions and other functionaries, including a new Public Relations Officer.

“The newly appointed Branch Chiefs are Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Dahiru Sanda, who is now the Chief of Defence Policy and Plans (CDPP), Defence Headquarters (DHQ), AVM Remigus Ekeh, erstwhile Chief of Standards and Evaluation Headquarters NAF (HQ NAF), who is now appointed Chief of Policy and Plans (COPP), HQ NAF, former AOC Mobility Command (MC), Yenagoa, AVM Ibukun Ojeyemi, is now appointed as the Chief of Air Intelligence (CAI), HQ NAF, while AVM Mahmud Madi has been appointed as the Air Secretary, HQ NAF”.

It also stated: “Also affected by the new appointments are AVM Mahmoud Ahmed, who is now the Chief of Defence Transformation and Innovation (CDTI), DHQ, AVM Cletus Udeagulu is now the Chief of Communication Information Systems (CCIS), HQ NAF while AVM Isah Muhammad is appointed Chief of Administration, (COA), HQ NAF. AVM Pam Chollom has been appointed as the Chief of Logistics (CLOG), HQ NAF, while the former AOC, Air Training Command (ATC), Kaduna, AVM Musa Mukhtar has been moved to HQ NAF as the Chief of Aircraft Engineering (CAcE).

“The immediate past AOC, Tactical Air Command (TAC), Makurdi, AVM Olusegun Philip is now Chief of Standards and Evaluation (COSE), HQ NAF.

“In the same vein, the erstwhile COPP, HQ NAF, AVM Mohammed Idris has been appointed Commandant, Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi, the former Director of Plans, HQ NAF, AVM Ebenezer Alade, has been appointed Commandant, Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, AVM Musibau Olatunji, erstwhile CAcE, now appointed as the Commandant Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna, while AVM Ibrahim Ali now takes over as the Commandant Air Force War College (AFWC), Makurdi.

“AVM Idi Lubo, former Director of Policy, has been appointed AOC TAC, Makurdi. AVM Jackson Yusuf is now the AOC ATC, Kaduna, AVM Aliyu Bello is now the AOC MC, Yenagoa while AVM Sunday Makinde, former College Secretary, National Defence College (NDC), is now the AOC, Logistics Command (LC), Ikeja. AVM Frank Oparah is appointed as the AOC Ground Training Command, Enugu while AVM Peter Uzezi is now the Director General, Defence Research and Development Bureau, DHQ.

“Former Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), AVM Ibikunle Dramola has been appointed as the Director of Plans, HQ NAF. AVM Garba Abubakar is appointed as the new Group Managing Director, NAF Holding Company, AVM Emmanuel Wonah as the Coordinator Project Implementation Monitoring Team, HQ NAF while former Commandant, AFCSC, AVM Abubakar Liman, is now the Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence, Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

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“AVM Mfon Ekpoh has been redeployed to the Nigerian Defence Academy as Deputy Commandant while AVM Emmanuel Chukwu has been appointed as the College Secretary, NDC. Furthermore, AVM Abraham Adole is appointed as the Deputy Theatre Commander, Operation LAFIYA DOLE (OPLD) while Air Commodore (Air Cdre) Nnamdi Ananaba, takes over as the Air Component Commander OPLD.

“Also, Air Cdre Dauda Prayero has been appointed as the new Chairman Air Expo and International Liaison Secretariat while Air Cdre Olabode Babalola takes over as the Chief of Medical Services (CMS), HQ NAF. Air Cdre Edward Gabkwet has been appointed as the new NAF Spokesperson. The newly appointed and redeployed senior officers are expected to take over their new offices not later than Thursday, 11 March 2021”.

The Nation