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Army Appoints, Posts New GOCs, Others
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, in a bid to rejig and reinvigorate the army, has approved the postings and appointments of senior officers of the Nigerian Army. Those affected in the reshufflement as released, include General Officers Commanding and other senior officers.
A statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, noted that those redeployed in the current posting are Major General GA Umelo from Defence Simulation Centre to Defence Headquarters ( Defence Research and Development Bureau) and appointed Director General, Major General V Ebhaleme is to remain in Defence Space Administration and appointed Director Support Services, Major General GB Audu from Defence Administration to Nigerian Army Resource Centre and appointed Senior Research Fellow. Others are; Major General SE Udounwa from Army War College Nigeria to the newly established Army Headquarters Department of Special Services and Programmes and appointed Chief of Special Services/ Programmes (Army), Major General MT Durowaiye from Army Headquarters Department of Policy and Plans to Army Headquarters Department of Administration (Army) and appointed Director Veteran Affairs Directorate, Major General AE Attu from Army Headquarters Department of Policy and Plans to Defence Training and Operations and appointed Director Peace Keeping Operations, Major General UT Musa from Department of Administration (Army) to Headquarters 81 Division and appointed General Officer Commanding, Major General CU Onwunle from Directorate of Automated Data Processing to Defence Headquarters (Department of Communications) and appointed Director of Communications, Major General OO Oluyede from Army Headquarters Department of Policy and Plans to Headquarters 6 Division and appointed General Officer Commanding, Major General LT Omoniyi from Army Headquarters Department of Civil-Military Affairs to Army Headquarters Department of Operations and appointed Director Campaign Planning, Major General OJ Akpor from Nigerian Defence Academy to Defence Headquarters (Directorate of Defence Information) and appointed Director Defence Information, Major General AA Eyitayo from 7 Division to Defence Headquarters and appointed Director Campaign Planning, Major General LA Fejokwu from 81 Division to Defence Headquarters Department of Standard and Evaluation and appointed Director Standard and Evaluation, while Major General JAL Jimoh is redeployed from Nigerian Army School of Artillery to Headquarters Training and Doctrine Command and appointed Chief of Training.
Additionally, Major General HT Wesley moves from Office of the Chief of Army Staff to Headquarters Defence Intelligence Agency and appointed Director Administration, Major General JO Ochai from Army Headquarters Department of Operations to Nigerian Army Armour School and appointed Commandant, Major General SG Mohammed from 6 Division to Army Headquarters Department of Policy and Plans as Deputy Chief of Policy and Plans amongst others.
Other senior officers affected in the reorganization include; Brigadier General AS Maikano from Nigerian Army Welfare Insurance Scheme to 82 Division and appointed Commander Division Finance and Accounts, Brigadier General LA Lebo from Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery to Army Headquarters Department of Army Training and appointed Acting Deputy Chief of Training (Linkages/Integration), Brigadier General MO Ihanuwaze from Defence Headquarters to Nigerian Army Budget and appointed Director of Budget and Accounts, Brigadier General O Adegbe from Headquarters Training and Doctrine Command Nigerian Army to Army Headquarters Department of Civil-Military Affairs and appointed Director Psychological Operations,
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya has charged all the newly appointed senior officers to justify the confidence reposed in them and redouble their commitment to duty in their new appointments. He added that newly appointed senior officers must ensure value addition in their respective commands and appointments.
The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (NWC) has suspended the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade; National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu; Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha; and National Organizing Secretary, Umaru Bature for one month.
The suspension comes on the heels of the judgement of the Federal High Court On Friday, which stopped the party’s planned national convention.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba, told journalists in Abuja on Saturday, that the decision followed an emergency meeting of the national working committee, which was held in Abuja.
President Donald Trump of the United States on Friday designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), in response to allegations of widespread persecution and genocide against Christians.
Writing on his Truth Social account, Trump stated that Christianity faces a serious threat in Nigeria.
The US leader also added Nigeria to a State Department watch list.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote.
According to the US president, he was placing Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer and most populous nation, on a “Countries of Particular Concern” list of nations the US deems to have engaged in religious freedom violations.
According to the State Department’s website, the list includes China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, and Pakistan, among others.
Trump said he had asked US Representatives Riley Moore and Tom Cole, as well as the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, to look into the matter and report back to him.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has removed Hon. Abubakar Gummi from the House of Representatives after he left the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress.
The lawmaker represented the Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency in Zamfara State.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu delivered the ruling, holding that Gummi’s defection breached the Constitution.
The court said the seat does not belong to any politician but to the political party that sponsored the election.
According to the judgment, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, is barred from recognising Gummi “as a member representing Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency.”
The judge also instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission to “conduct a fresh election” for the vacant seat within 30 days.
The case was instituted by the PDP and its Zamfara chairman, who insisted that Gummi’s move to the APC had no legal justification. They argued that there was no division in the PDP to support his defection, as required by Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution.
Gummi, through his counsel, claimed he left the PDP due to internal crises which he said made it “impossible” to serve his constituents effectively. The judge, however, dismissed his arguments and granted all the reliefs requested by the plaintiffs.
Justice Egwuatu, in a firm comment, warned politicians against what he described as reckless party hopping.
“Political prostitution must not be rewarded,” he declared, adding that lawmakers must not transfer votes won on one party’s platform to another party.
The court also ordered Gummi to refund all salaries and allowances received from October 30, 2024, until the date of judgment. He is also barred from earning any further benefits as a member of the House.
Additionally, the judge imposed a N500,000 cost against the defendants in favour of the PDP.
