Ihejirika may emerge next Chief of Defence Staff

October 2, 2012 by Fidelis Soriwei, Abuja 

 

Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika
| credits:

INCUMBENT Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, may become Nigeria’s next Chief of Defence Staff.

If appointed, Ihejirika would be making another history  as the first Chief of Defence Staff from the South -East. He is the first from the zone to be made the Chief of Army Staff in 2010.

Investigations revealed that the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, who has put in 35 years in service, may soon vacate the position.

Besides Ihejirika, the other service chiefs are Vice-Admiral Ola Ibrahim of the Nigerian Navy and Air Marshal Diko Umar of the Air Force.

According to military sources, the new change may be announced on October 4.

Petinrin and the three service chiefs were appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan in September, 2010.

Investigation revealed that Ola, the current Chief of Naval Staff, and Ihejirika  are the two topmost contenders to the highest military position in the country.

Although, the Naval Chief is the most senior of the three service chiefs currently, military sources said Ihejirika had better chances to take over from Pentirin.

The sources were, however,  silent on the odds against the Navy Chief.

It was learnt that the President, in appointing the CDS, is usually guarded by certain factors such as seniority and an unwritten principle of rotation in the Armed Forces.

According to the source, Umar has very slim chances  apart from the fact he is the third in terms of seniority among the service chiefs.

Umar’s chances are further  said to diminish as Pentinrin and the  former CDS, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike, who handed over to him in 2010, came from the Air Force.

Before Petinrin’s appointment, the expectations were that Dike was going to hand over to a Naval officer but that did not happen.

Between 1999 and 2012, the country has had six Chiefs of  Defence Staff out of which only one is from the Navy.

While the Army has produced three CDS, the Air Force has produced two.

The former Chiefs of Defence Staff are Admiral Ibrahim Ogohi (1999-2003), Gen. Alexander Ogomudia (2003-2006), and Gen. Martin Luther Agwai, June 2006 – May 25, 2007.

Others are Gen. Owoye Azazi (May 25,2007 –Aug 20, 2008), Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike (August 20, 2008-September 8, 2010 and Petinrin, September 8, 2010 – date.

SOURCE: The Punch - Nigeria's Most Widely Read Newspaper 2 October 2012.