President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed new service chiefs, long after rising clamour calling for the sack of existing ones.
They new appointees are Major-General Leo Irabor, Chief of Defence Staff; Major-General I. Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral A.Z Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff; and Air-Vice Marshal I.O Amao, Chief of Air Staff.
A presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said the appointment followed the acceptance of immediate resignation of the former service chiefs, and their retirement from service.
Adesina took to Twitter to announce the new appointments.
Adesina said those involved were the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.
He said President Buhari thanked the outgoing service chiefs for what he called their “overwhelming achievements in our efforts at bringing enduring peace to our dear country” and wished them well in their future endeavours.
The President equally congratulated the new service chiefs, and urged them to be loyal and dedicated in the discharge of their responsibilities.
It would be recalled that various stakeholders in the country had called for the sack of service chiefs before the President finally took the decision.
