Following the retirement of service chiefs on Thursday by President Goodluck Jonathan, there are strong indications that many senior officers in the three services will have to go, as their juniors are now the service chiefs.
This is in consonance with the military tradition that no senior officer will serve under his junior, who is a service chief.
The retired Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Azuibike Ihejirika, who is a Course 18 of Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), still has his coursemates in service but are now to go because a Course 24 officer is now the new Chief of Army Staff.
In essence, all NDA cadets from Course 18 to Course 24 will have to retire except those who are Course 24 mates of the new Chief of Army Staff.
In view of this development, no fewer than 24 major generals and brigadier generals in the army will be retiring from service once the new Chief of Army Staff takes over.
Also, the same applies to the Navy where the former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, was course 22.
The new Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin, who is Course 24, will have to work with his course mates and those junior to them as some Course 24 members might be sent to the defence headquarters to work with the new Chief of Defence Staff, who is of Course 21.
In the Air Force, the new Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Adeola Amosu, a member of Course 25 of NDA, will have to work with his course mates, while some Courses 23 and 24 members might be sent to the defence headquarters or asked to proceed on retirement.
As it is now in the defence circle, the new Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Alex Badeh, is now the most senior officer in the country’s armed forces.
Saturday Tribune gathered that the president had last week briefed the former service chiefs of the impending changes in the hierarchy of the armed forces.
It was also gathered that most of the former service chiefs had attained the limit of 57 years of age and 35 years in service and because they were not removed, some ill-feelings had started to generate in the military.
This is because the top hierarchy of the military was heavy and would not allow the younger officers to move forward.
Saturday Tribune further gathered that because of the priority attached to security by the president, he decided to inject new blood to fashion a new method of tackling terrorism in the country.
A presidency source also informed the Saturday Tribune that regional balancing, apart from competence, informed the choice of the new service chiefs.
Source: Tribune
