Wike commends Buhari over appointment of new service chiefs

Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers on Tuesday commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing new service chiefs for the country.

The governor made this known on Tuesday in Port Harcourt in a statement by Mr Paulinus Nsirim, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications.

He noted that although the appointments came late, the president should be commended for listening to the voice of the people.

The governor urged the new appointees to see their appointments as an opportunity to re-engineer the nation’s security architecture which saw tremendous challenges in the last five years.

“The new Service Chiefs should not politicise security by aligning with politicians. What the country needs now is competence and professionalism that will reduce insecurity to the barest minimum,” he stated.

Wike also noted that Nigerians were looking up to the new appointees to make the desired change.

He called on all levels of government to give the service chiefs the needed support they would require to execute their assignments.

“This is an opportunity to serve the nation and I believe that the Service Chiefs will be focused and dedicated,” he said.

A statement on Tuesday by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), announced that Buhari accepted the immediate resignation of the service chiefs and their retirement from service.

Those involved were the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Ibok Ekwe Ibas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.

The new Service Chiefs are Maj.-Gen. Leo Irabor, Chief of Defence Staff; Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Adm. Awwal Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff; and AVM I.O. Amao, Chief of Air Staff.