Military Chiefs Demand Loyalty from Newly Promoted 235 Senior Officers

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

Military service chiefs, yesterday, directed newly promoted senior officers to remain loyal to the constitution and the president, in the discharge of the responsibilities expected of their new ranks.

The military high command had approved the promotion of 235 senior officers to the next higher rank.

The Army Council, Tuesday, approved the promotion of senior officers to the ranks of Major General and Brigadier General respectively.

A total of 41 Brigadier Generals were promoted on merit to the enviable rank of Major General, while 76 Colonels were also elevated to the rank of Brigadier General.

Among those promoted to the rank of Major General were the Acting Director of Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Brigadier-General Bernard Onyeuko; Brigadier General CU Onwunle, Director, Directorate of Army Data Processing Lagos; Brigadier General M Danmadami, Research Fellow/Subject Expert.

Also here were Indian Sub-Continental at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre Abuja, Brigadier General OJ Akpor; Director Military Training Nigerian Defence Academy, Brigadier General UT Musa of the Department of Administration Army Headquarters Abuja, Brigadier General AA Eyitayo; Acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division/JTF NE Operation Hadin Kai, Maiduguri, Borno State.

Others were Brigadier General V Ebhaleme of Defence Space Administration Abuja, Brigadier General LT Omoniyi of Department of Civil Military Affairs Abuja and Brigadier General NU Muktar Acting Director of Procurement at the Office of the Chief of Army Staff, Army Headquarters Abuja amongst others.

Those promoted to Brigadier General include, Colonel O Adegbe, Headquarters Training and Doctrine Command Minna, Colonel AA Babalola Headquarters 3 Division, Colonel NN Orok of Defence Headquarters, Colonel MO Ibrahim Army War College Nigeria, Col BO Omopariola Commander 25 Task Force Brigade, Colonel UV Unachukwu Army War College Nigeria, Colonel OAO Ojo Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals Lagos and Col HI Dasuki of the Forward Operating Base, Ngamdu, Borno State amongst others.

“The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, congratulates all the promoted officers and their families, and urges them to redouble their effort to justify the confidence reposed in them by the Nigerian Army,” a statement by Army Spokesman, Brig Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, said.

The Air Force Council (AFC) also approved the promotion of a total of 60 senior officers comprising 29 Air Vice Marshals (AVMs) and 31 Air Commodores (Air Cdres) to the next higher ranks in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

A statement by the Air Force said the council also approved the concessional commission of an Air Warrant Officer (AWO) and 5 Master Warrant Officers (MWO) to the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

Concessional commission is usually reserved for Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCOs) at the twilight of their career years in reward for hard work and in recognition of meritorious service to the nation.

The senior officers promoted to the rank of Air Vice Marshal include Air Cdres Precious Amadi, Nnamdi Ananaba, Abubakar Abdulkadir, Anthony Ndace, Usman Abdullahi, Eneobong Effiom, Iboro Etukudo, Abubakar Abdullahi, Sunday Aneke, Nnaemeka Ilo, Adeniyi Amesinlola, Ebimobo Ebiowe, Micheal Onyebashi, Emmanuel Shobande, Sayo Olatunde, Francis Edosa, Ahmed Shinkafi, Bashiru Mamman and Halim Adebowale.

Others are Ahmed Bakari, Framah Batnah, Adeniran Ademuwagun, Lanre Oluwatoyin, Titus Dauda, Olufemi Ogunsina, Paul Masiyer, Nkem Aguiyi, Abidemi Marquis and Oluwafemi Ogunmola.

Those promoted from the rank of Group Captain to Air Commodore are Group Capts Chukwuedo Illoh, Bamidele Amuda, Samson Adelakun, Hadi Ahmed, Abiodun Oyekunle, Caleb Olayera, Idorenyin Bassey, Philip Kwasau, Mohammed Omar, Ayodele Akinbuwa, Emeng Imoke, Luqman Lawal, Shaibu Buhari and Ehimen Ejodame. Others include Mohammed Lawal, Idowu Ayo, Emmanuel Ola and Ewejide Akintunde.

Also promoted were Elisha Bindul, Dogo Gani, Edmond Oluokun, Akeem Adebomehin, George Akinyimika, Mohammed Garba, Oladimeji Almaroof, Gowon Sule, Ifeanyi Azubuike, Hamisu Usman, Adebanjo Adeosun, Sabir Adeyanju and Halima Musa, the only female officer on the list.

The SNCOs granted concessional Commission to the rank of Flight Lieutenant include Air Warrant Officer Adole Abraham, Master Warrant Officers Liman Musa, Akinwale Olayinka, Akpabio Josephine, Nwojiji Okemini and Isa-Kaita Aminu.

“The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, on behalf of officers, airmen, airwomen and civilian staff of the NAF, heartily congratulates the newly promoted senior officers and SNCOs, while urging them to see the elevation as an impetus to re-dedicate themselves towards effective and efficient service delivery, especially, in today’s era of joint force employment.

“The newly promoted senior officers will be decorated with their new ranks at a later date”, an air force statement said.

In the same vein, the Navy Board on Tuesday approved the promotion of 56 naval officers to various senior ranks in the Nigerian Navy.

A breakdown of the promotion released showed that 35 captains were elevated to commodore while 21 commodores were promoted to the rank of rear admiral.

In an earlier approval, 81 commanders were promoted to the rank of captain.

The newly promoted rear admirals were Chibuike Azike, Ismaila Zelani, Alexandar Bingel, Kennedy Ezete, Livingstone Izu, Emmanuel Ogalla, Hamza Kaoje, Saheed Akinwande, Umar Chugali, Eugenio Ferreira, Bashir Mohammed, Mike Oamen, Ayodeji Olugbode, Abdulmajid Ibrahim, Abdullahi Ahmed, John Mamman, Peter Zakaria, Abolaji Orederu, Hamza Ibrahim, Sunday Oyegade and Saburi Lawal.

“The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, on behalf of officers, ratings and civilian staff of the Nigerian Navy, rejoices with these newly promoted senior officers and their families and charges them to rededicate themselves to their responsibilities and remain loyal to the nation and President Muhammadu Buhari,” the statement stated.