One of the first major actions to be taken by
President-elect Muhammadu Buhari on
assumption of office is a massive shake-up of
the military, TheCable understands.
There will be a “mass retirement” of senior
officers who are believed to have corruptly
enriched themselves or “who abandoned
professionalism for politics”, sources in the
know of the plan told TheCable.
Already, a small group has been set up quietly
to work out the modalities for the shake-up and
scout possible replacements for those to be
weeded out.
Most likely to be affected are officers who
allegedly mismanaged funds meant for military
operations, those who colluded with crude oil
thieves and those who engaged in political
activities in breach of their professional duties.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in his
congratulatory letter to Buhari after the March
28 election, had urged the president-elect to
reform the military, saying “so much harm [had
been] done to many national institutions
including the military, which proudly nurtured
you and me”.
Obasanjo, on assuming office in 1999, retired
all officers who had held political appointments
— an action thought to have helped prevent a
possible coup after several military
interventions in the nation’s history.
Buhari is a retired major-general who had
commanded all the divisions in the Nigerian
army before becoming head of state in 1983
after a coup. He was retired in August 1985
following his ouster his chief of army staff,
Ibrahim Babangida, now a retired general.
An insider in Buhari’s circle told TheCable: “The
military has been politicised and bastardised in
the last few years. Corruption has reached
unprecedented levels with the oil theft in the
Niger Delta and haphazard anti-terror war.
“Nobody can say sincerely that the leadership
of the military has lived up to expectations. We
need a professional military. We cannot be
relying on neighbouring countries to be bailing
us out of our internal issues. Buhari will
transform the military to an institution of pride
for all Nigerians again.”
TheCable could not ascertain the extent of the
planned purge, apart from the expected change
of service chiefs and division commanders.
But the primary aim of the planned changes,
the source added, is to rid the military of
“greedy and unprofessional officers”.
The military has come under scrutiny in recent
years over its seeming failure to curb terror and
oil theft as well as corruption in the top
hierarchy.
In the north-east operations against Boko
Haram, there were reports that monies meant
for the allowances of troops were being
diverted to private pockets.
Instead of the monthly allowance of N30,000,
the troops were reportedly getting N15,000 with
no satisfactory official explanation on what
happened to the balance.
The troops were also allegedly being given only
three sachets of “pure water” per day in the
desert heat and lacked sleeping kits.
Their food supplies for the day were allegedly
brought at once in the morning, a situation that
saw them eating cold lunch and sour dinner.
Many troops were also battle-weary and
suffering psychological trauma but did not get
the necessary support from the authorities,
leading to several cases of mutiny which
resulted in death sentences for soldiers found
guilty of refusing to fight.
At some stage last year, troops fired shots at
the commander of the 7th division in Maiduguri,
Borno state, Ahmed Mohammed, a major
general, who narrowly escaped death in the
hands of the frustrated soldiers.
He was immediately transferred from the
division, which was created by President
Goodluck Jonathan specifically to fight Boko
Haram insurgents.
These deficiencies, compounded by the
perceived superior firepower of the Boko Haram
militants, were largely held responsible for the
prolonged war against terror which only came
to live when the February 14 presidential
election was postponed by six weeks.
Also, Daily Trust newspaper reported last year
that the army top brass had shared part of a
land meant for barracks in the Asokoro District
of Abuja, a further evidence of the rot in the
military.
It said the 439 beneficiaries of the landgrab
included spouses, relations, friends, associates
and companies owned by senior army officials.
Kenneth Minimah, a lieutenant general and
chief of army staff, and his predecessor
Azubuike Ihejirika, a retired general, were
allocated 2035.41sqm and 3909.35sqm of land
respectively, the newspaper reported.
Those who got allocations along with their
wives included two former chiefs of defence
staff, Oluseyi Petinrin, a retired air chief
marshal, and Ibrahim Ola Sa’ad, a retired
admiral.
Former chief of air staff, Mohammed Dikko
Umar, a retired air marshal, also got his share,
while Ihejirika’s wife, Gift, got Plot 4882 which
is 2385.59sqm.
One other beneficiary named “Oke Ihejirika”
was given 1,583.59sqm, in addition to three
more ‘Ihejirikas’ who were listed as Goodok Oil
and Gas’s directors: Ihejirika Okechukwu,
Ihejirika Chika and Ihejirika Goodluck. The
company got 7476.95sqm of land.
Daily Trust came under attack from soldiers
after its report, with soldiers seizing copies of
the newspaper and detaining its distribution
vans.
Military authorities defended the
action, maintaining then that the operation was
based on a tip-off that terrorists wanted to use
newspaper vehicles to transport explosive
materials.


www.thecable.ng/exclusive-buhari-shake-military

It should be done ASAP

This is a very good news

What else can I say. Dis is d kind of leadership we need. Am solidly behind you. SAI BUHARI

Buhari my mentor,iyanya my role model

Ok...not by mouth but by action...

veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery Goooooooooooooood

highly needed.
jonathan the failure!
allowed corruption,
sad that soldiers in war cant eat adequately.and you expect them to die for us.

Well Nigeria should purge itself of corrupt military officers and this should include top police officers but while doing this,it should not be a vendetta and the usual mentality,where northerners and their yoruba co-conspirators uses every opportunity to weed out top Igbo and south-south officers,with the believe that certain top military positions should be well guided for their people.
The days ahead will be interesting because every step taken by GMB will surely be scrutinized.

Imagine how this so called militarys have taking all thing to their hand""becoming weaker link to everything..the life of this great nation not longer their piority rather they aim for their selfish needs..time shall tell

Most definitely.