Presidency CONFIRMS Chief of Defense Staff, Gen. Olonishakin Will Quit Next Week

 General Gabriel Olonisakin (Chief of Defense Staff)

The Presidency has confirmed that the Chief of Defense Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin will by next week due to retire from the Army,  having satisfied the official number of years in service.

News Punch had yesterday culled a report from the New Telegraph, which suggests President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the replacement for two Service Chiefs,  Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Gabriel Olonisakin and Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas.

However, the Presidency has denied plans to replace the service chiefs, Daily Sun Newspaper reports this morning

Related Report: BREAKING: Buhari DROPS 2 Service Chiefs

The Presidency, in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President said although the CDS is due for retirement next week, “he has yet to be replaced.”

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“It is necessary to respond to a fictive story published in today’s (yesterday) edition of a national newspaper to the effect that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the replacement of Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, as service chiefs.

“The newspaper, rather than rush to print an unsubstantiated story, would have done better to confirm the information at its disposal, from many available military and government information channels.

“It then would have avoided the self-inflicted wound of publishing a one-legged story that is not completely true, and damaging its brand in the process,” Adesina said.

“Gen. Olonisakin is due to retire from the Army next week, having satisfied the official number of years in service. He has yet to be replaced.

“But the Chief of Naval Staff has a short while more, and President Buhari could, therefore, not have approved his replacement yet,’’ the statement added.

According to Adesina, President Buhari-led administration has repeatedly pledged commitment to transparency and accountability, and one of the hallmarks of that is making information available to the media.

He, however, frowned at some sections of the media who would rather speculate, than cross-check and double check information, saying, “it borders on deliberate mischief.

“That, surely, is not the way to go, for national cohesion and development.’’

Meanwhile, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, has denied that he directed two service chiefs in question to relinquish their offices and proceed on retirement on or before December 16.

A statement released by his Public Relations Officer, Col. Tukur Gusau, on Monday in Abuja said his attention was drawn to some online publications purporting that he directed the two service chiefs to hand over on that date.

The statement said: “Please be informed that there was no such communication between the office of the Honourable Minister of Defence and the service chiefs directing any one of them to hand over his office and proceed on retirement.

“The appointment and replacement of service chiefs is a prerogative responsibility of the office of the President and Commander in Chief.”

BREAKING: Buhari DROPS 2 Service Chiefs

Fresh reports according to New Telegraph suggests that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the retirement from service of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Gabriel Olonisakin, and the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas.

It was gathered from highly placed military sources according to New Telegraph that the Minister of Defence, Brig.- Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd), has since sent letters to the Service Chiefs, wherein they were directed to handover on or before Friday, December 16.

It was gathered that Olonisakin and Ibas’ disengagements were based on their attaining the official years of retirement from the military. Available records indicate that the Service Chiefs belong to the Regular Course 26 of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).

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While Olonisakin was commissioned Second Lieutenant on December 18, 1981, Ibas’ commissioning took place in 1983. One of the sources, who spoke in confidence, said the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, will take over from Olonisakin in acting capacity.

Abubakar is the most senior Service Chief after Olonisakin, who was the Head of the Nigerian Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Niger State. A former President of a Special Court-Martial, Air Vice Marshal James Gbum, is to assume the position of CAS, also in acting capacity.

“I can tell you reliably now that President Buhari has replaced the Chief of Defence State, Gen. Olonisakin, and the Naval Chief, Ibas. “Don’t forget that they are due for retirement, since they both belong to the 26 Regular Course on NDA.

“Also note that the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal S. Abubakar, will now assume the CDS position, as the next most senior of the Service Chiefs. “Already, the Minister of Defence has sent letters to the affected senior officers,” the source said.

It was not clear as at the time of filing this report who will replace Ibas. By this development, only the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant- General Tukur Buratai, retained his position.

New Telegraph learnt that President Buhari may adhere largely to the principle of seniority in his choice of substantive appointments. It will be recalled that Olonisakin and other Service Chiefs were appointed by President Buhari in July, 2015.

SOURCE: New Telegraph