Buhari to Service Chiefs: Secure the country as he adorns them with new ranks

By Ajuma Edwina Ameh

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the newly appointed Service Chiefs to identify competent officers, irrespective of seniority and paper qualifications and work with them to secure Nigeria.

Buhari said this at the decoration of the new Service Chiefs at the State House in Abuja on Friday.

The decoration which held inside Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja followed their confirmation by the National Assembly.

“I have charged the new Service Chiefs to keep in mind that the nation is looking to them for rapid relief. They must identify competent officers irrespective of seniority and paper qualifications, and work with them to secure this country.

“As I assured at our last security meeting, I have taken responsibility as C-in-C for them to go out into the fields and every part of the country, to ensure peace and security.

“I have accepted responsibility for all actions taken in fulfillment of the mandate to secure Nigeria,” Buhari said.

The President expressed the hope that before the rainy season, the new Service Chiefs would have secured the country to enable farmers who fled their farms in different parts of the country on grounds of insecurity would have returned to their farms.

Those decorated with the new ranks are the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff; Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu, Chief of Naval Staff; and Air Marshal Ishiaka Oladayo Amoo, Chief of Air Staff.

The ceremony was witnessed by the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), the Secretary to the Government of the Federation , Mr Boss Mustapha, Defenxe Minister, retired Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi,  and the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.

Persecondnews reports that the new service chiefs were accompanied to the State House by their wives and other senior officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces.