naptu2: Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe (Governor General and Commander in Chief) in the uniform of a Field Marshal.

[img]http://img1.nairaland.com/attachments/744879_Nnamdi20Azikiwe_jpg5774519703b76fcb1e38460b44aee3a1[/img]

Note: Zik was never in the armed forces.

Shortly after President Shagari eventually took office, he met with senior military officials.  They expressed the wish that the President retain the defence portfolio, rather than appoint a civilian defence minister.  He refused, and decided instead to appoint Mathematics Professor Iya Abubakar as civilian Defence Minister. Iya was, like Ribadu in the first republic, a Fulani from Adamawa.  For reasons that have never been clarified, however, Shagari took over the defence portfolio from Professor Iya Abubakar in October 1982, a move that the opposition interpreted as preparatory to using the military for partisan purposes.  After winning a second term, Shagari then appointed Alhaji Akanbi Oniyangi, a lawyer and businessman from Ilorin as his second Defence minister.   Shagari did not, however, appoint Ministers of State for individual services as had existed in the first republic.  He also agreed for the psychological satisfaction of the military, to wear military uniform anytime he was performing purely military state functions.  This had also been the practice of President Nnamdi Azikiwe back in the first republic.  It may have been a colonial tradition with roots in the quasi-military heritage of most British Governors General.

naptu2: This has been the practice of civilian and military heads of state of Nigeria, right from the first republic.

The head of state belongs to all Nigerians. When the head of state visits a state (state visit as opposed to working visit) he usually wears the host state's traditional attire. This is done for the psychological effect of showing affinity with the people of the state.

Similarly, the commander in chief belongs to all arms of the armed forces. When he performs his military role as commander in chief (eg, presenting colours, overseeing military exercises, reviewing parades), he could wear the uniform of any of the armed services.

For this reason, Nnamdi Azikiwe wore military uniforms (see pic above). Yakubu Gowon, an army general, wore the uniform of a navy admiral. Ibrahim Babangida, an army general, wore the uniform of a navy admiral (I think this was @ the 1987 independence day parade) and the uniform of an air force marshal (at another event). General Abubakar also wore the uniform of an admiral. Shehu Shagari and Olusegun Obasanjo (both civilian presidents) have also worn military uniforms.

The only case that I still do not understand is the case of Sir Winston Spencer Churchill. He had retired from the armed forces before going into politics. He was never commander in chief (a position reserved for the monarch), yet I've seen pictures of him in military uniform when he was prime minister during World War Two. I hope someone can explain this to me.

pitypec: get a life becos it is not done in another place dosen't mean it should be a taboo in our land different coutries different rules and also the british monarchs control d army pm is just accountants office the true rulers are the monarchs thats why it is called royal navy, royal airforce. Get a life if u look at wat every other person does it means u dont have a life.

naptu2: The Princess Royal, Princess Anne.

Note that Princess Anne never served in the armed forces and she is not even the commander in chief.

naptu2: Sir James Robertson (Governor General and Commander in Chief) & Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (Prime Minister). Oct 1st 1960



Note: Sir James was never in the armed forces.

naptu2: Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe (Governor General and Commander in Chief) in the uniform of a Field Marshal.

[img]http://img1.nairaland.com/attachments/744879_Nnamdi20Azikiwe_jpg5774519703b76fcb1e38460b44aee3a1[/img]

Note: Zik was never in the armed forces.

naptu2: .

Symphony007: sir james roberton is not wearing military uniform. He is wearing the official atire of the representative of the british monarch(governor general). Note the feathered hat. He is wearing his sash an officer of the british empire(OBE) and the medals on his chest are not military but coronation,anniversary and jubilee medals presented to him and other governor generals by queen elizabeth ii and king george vi. Show me a pic of quentin bryce, gov gen of australia or david johnson of canada wearing a military atire.

Symphony007: what is a salute? Anybody can salute. We are talking about uniform. And no u.s president who has'nt served is insensitive enough wear a uniform with decoration, men have died for because he played good politics and was elected president.

Symphony007: President abraham lincoln visited his troops during the civil war and the generals were urging him to wear military uniform before he addressed the troops. And he said.
"i am your commander in chief but i am not part of you. I represent the millions of civilian americans when i command you so how does it bode constitutionally if i dress like you? If i had serve in your distinguished ranks, i would have considered it but it's in bad taste to brandish this uniform great men have died for on me because i won an election"....enought said all. Jonathan and his defense minister better stop this banana republic mentality, generalissimo goodluck jonathan.

[size=14pt]Wearing the Canadian Forces Uniforms[/size]

As Commander-in-Chief of Canada, the governor general may, in this capacity, wear the uniform at events.

The Canadian Forces Publication (CFP) which regulates the wear of military uniforms for the Governor General is CFP 265, the Canadian Forces Dress Instructions manual.

The governor general wears a flag/general officer uniform with special flag/general sleeve braid, embellished with the governor general’s badge, and a large embroidered governor general’s badge on the shoulder straps or boards.

A number of Canadian governors general have worn the military uniform including Vincent Massey (1952-59), Georges P. Vanier (1959-1967), Roland Michener (1967-1974), Edward Schreyer (1979-1984), Jeanne Sauvé (1984-1990) Ramon Hnatyshyn (1990-1995) and Michaëlle Jean (2005-2010)

[size=14pt]Governor-General embraces military uniform[/size]

Bill Curry

Ottawa — From Thursday's Globe and Mail

Last updated Thursday, Aug. 23 2012, 12:23 PM EDT

Governor-General Michaëlle Jean and Prince Charles lay wreaths during Remembrance Day services at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Michaëlle Jean stood at the National War Memorial Wednesday in full army uniform, the first time in her four years as Governor-General that she'd worn military garb to Remembrance Day ceremonies.

It was a senior Canadian Forces official working on leave at Rideau Hall who convinced her earlier this year that donning an army uniform would be a fitting way to show respect for the men and women under her formal command, the Governor-General's office said. And now she in intends to wear one to all major military events.

Ms. Jean's sudden embrace of the Forces uniform is in keeping with other developments this week that further cement the military at the heart of Canada's identity - from new Sacrifice Medals for killed or wounded soldiers to new citizenship questions announced by the Conservative government.

"For the Governor-General, wearing the uniform is a way of paying tribute to the Canadian Forces," said Marthe Blouin, a spokesperson for Ms. Jean.

She has every right to do so as commander-in-chief of the Canadian Forces. The uniform was created for former governor-general Edward Schreyer, and on the shoulder substitutes the governor-general's office insignia for a formal military rank. The tradition had been abandoned by Ms. Jean's two predecessors, Romeo LeBlanc and Adrienne Clarkson.

Commander Hubert Genest, a spokesman for the Forces, said he was not aware of any request made to Ms. Jean regarding uniforms. However, he said he was pleased to see her in uniform for Remembrance Day.

"I think it's great," he said.

The country's eight years of fighting in Afghanistan - including the deaths of 133 soldiers, two aid workers and a diplomat - have heightened Canadians' awareness of the Forces' role. Remembrance Day in Ottawa is Canada's most solemn national gathering, but after the tears were shed and the last cannon fired, many of the military men and women surrounding the National War Memorial beamed at the massive show of public appreciation.

Chief of the Defence Staff Walter Natynczyk, after completing a tour of events tied to Remembrance Day, told The Globe and Mail he was struck by the rise in support among Canadians. He pointed to the large turnout in Toronto on Tuesday night for the True Patriot Love Foundation charity event - attended by Prime Minister Stephen Harper - to raise money for Canadian military families in need.

"This truly is the culmination of an emotional week," he said after Wednesday's ceremony. He said a new phrase is popping up to describe the generation of soldiers with experience in Afghanistan. "I heard a term from a warrant officer [at CFB Petawawa]talking about 'the new veterans.' "

General Natynczyk said Canadians now better understand the Forces' international role. "I think we've come a long way since the ice storm and the floods," he said. "People realize our functions at home, but also they're realizing that what we're doing abroad - in places like Afghanistan, or Congo or aboard HMCS Fredericton on the Horn of Africa - is we are defending Canada from 10,000 kilometres away."

Thousands of Canadians gathered in the bright sun around the cenotaph at the centre of Ottawa. The monument was first unveiled by King George VI in 1939 to commemorate Canada's response to the First World War. References to the Second World War and the Korean War weren't added until 1982, expanding the cenotaph's meaning to include all those who served Canada in times of war.

Prince Charles, George VI's grandson, was at Ms. Jean's side in Ottawa, also wearing a green Canadian Forces army uniform as lieutenant-general of all three services of the Canadian Forces.

Parker Kennedy, who was visiting Ottawa from Halifax, said the size of the crowd at the monument was spectacular. "It's great to see the turnout. It's great to see the Prince of Wales here. … I think [the Afghanistan mission] has brought a great awareness to us Canadians who didn't live through either of the great wars or the Korea War."