Army promotes 533 officers in 2008
Reaffirms move against external aggression
From Madu Onuorah (Abuja) and Abiodun Fagbemi (Ilorin)

A TOTAL of 533 officers of the Nigerian Army were promoted in the 2008 exercise, which ended this week with the ratification of the promotion by the Army Council.





The Army Council, comprising the Minister of Defence, Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence as Secretary, also ratified the retirement of five major generals who have reached the mandatory retirement age according to the terms and conditions of service.

Out of the 533 officers, 12 of them were promoted from brigadier generals to major generals, 62 colonels were promoted to brigadier generals, 127 lieutenant colonels were promoted colonels, 174 majors were promoted lieutenant colonels while 158 captains were promoted majors.

Among the officers promoted are Major Generals are E.D. Aliegboba, B.M. Monguno, E.E. Bassey, A.K. Amao, A.M. Jubril, B.S. Usara, B.C. Azurunwa, S.Y. Bello, S.U. Abdulkadir, B.B. Aindigh, C.E. Airhiavbere and A.U. Dambaba.

Among officers promoted to the new rank of brigadier general include Chris Olukolade, L. Odunwa, A. Robinson, A.S. Mustapha and E.O. Ekpeyong.

Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Emeka Onwuamaegbu, said in a statement released in Abuja that the promotions were "in line with the recommendations of the various promotion and career review boards and ratification by the Army Council."

Onwuamaegbu added that the criteria for the promotions included vacancies, merit, deployability, number of promotion attempts, age ceiling on the rank and personal application.

He, however, added that arrangements are on to organise a befitting pull-out parade for the five major generals who would proceed on voluntary retirement.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army yesterday reaffirmed its readiness to dutifully discharge one of its constitutional duties by being in constant readiness to ward off any external aggression.

According to the Commander, Nigerian Armoured Corps Headquarters, Bauchi, Maj. Gen. Saleh Maina, during an inspection tour of 22 Armoured Brigade, Ilorin, the weapons at the nation's armoury and military personnel could withstand any external invasion.

"Nigerian Army has enough manpower and personnel to confront any external attack. This can be seen in the area of peace support missions we had embarked upon and the ones we are presently embarking upon. Already, we have a request to participate in Somalia peacekeeping mission," he said.

Maina, who was a Brigade Commander in Ilorin between 2005 and 2006, said that Nigeria had the fourth largest troops in peace operations around some warring countries in the world, following after such nations as Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

Speaking on the various steps taken by the military to prevent a recurrence of the bomb explosion in Ikeja few years ago, the Army officer said the military had instituted an ammunition inspection unit that had promptly classified the nation's ammunition.

The classification, he added, would enable the concerned officers of the unit to identify the arms meant for destruction and upgrade with a view to preventing another round of

explosion anywhere in the country.

Underlining the imperative of discipline among the officers and men of the Nigerian Army, Maina said only the observance of the virtue could engender a virile nation. Besides, he reminded the soldiers of the existence of two separate laws that guide their daily conduct.

For him, any soldier who committed an offence outside the barracks would be handed over to the police for prosecution, adding that the democratic system of government was not a respecter of persons.

Besides, he urged the soldiers to shun rumour-mongering, urging them, instead to clarify clumsy policy issues from their commander, as the era of military arrogance was over.

The Brig. Commander of the barrack, Brig. Gen. Olayinka Osinowo, took Maina round some of the units of the Brigade.

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/dec/25/18.html