As the pall of uncertainty hangs over the military on the much-awaited reshufflement of the service chiefs, President Goodluck Jonathan may have settled for Major General? Lawrence Ugubane as the new Chief of Army Staff.
Since this month began, informed military sources have suggested that the Commander-In-Chief may overhaul the service chiefs who have been in those offices for two years.
LEADERSHIP checks shows that three names have been shortlisted by President Jonathan as the successor of the incumbent, General Azubike Ihejirika and they are Major General Lawrence Ugubane, Major General J A Okunbor and Major General Mohammed D Abubakar.? However of the trio, the President was said to have preferred Ugubane for undisclosed reasons.
Major General Lawrence Ngubane, was formerly the GOC? 2 Division, Ibadan, before he was named? the chief of training and Operations, Army Headquarters. He takes over from Major General Moses Obi who is force commander on United Nations Mission in Sudan.
Brigadier General MD Abubakar is the General Officer Commanding 2 division, Ibadan. He takes over from Major General Ngubane. Major General JA Okunbo formerly of Defence headquarters is now Deputy Commandant, Armed Forces Resettlement Centre.
?On 9 September, 2010, President Goodluck Jonathan sacked all the service chiefs he inherited from his predecessor in office, late Umar Yar’ Adua, but retained Air Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin. He was the Chief of Air Staff and replaces Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike as the Chief of Defence Staff.
Major General A.O. Ihejirika was named the new Chief of Army Staff. He replaced Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazzau. In the sweeping changes of the nation’s security apparatus. Rear Admiral O.S. Ibrahim became the new Chief of Naval Staff while the Chief of Air Staff has been Air Vice Marshal, M.D. Umar. The Inspector General of Police, Ogbonna Onovo was also removed and was replaced by Hafiz Ringim.
President Jonathan also appointed a new Director-General of the State Security Service, SSS, Mr. Ita Ekpenyong. Of the lot only Ringim was dropped due to the bombing of the force headquarters and the escape of one Kabiru Sokoto, the alleged mastermind of the bombing of a Roman Catholic Church, Suleja.
It is widely believed that one of the serving service chiefs would be retained to serve as the Chief of Defence Staff since Petinrin is due for retirement. The tradition is to maintain continuity.
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