Dare Babalola
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede has approved a major shake-up in its top hierarchy with the redeployment and appointment of new Principal Staff Officers (PSOs), General Officers Commanding (GOCs), and senior commanders across key formations nationwide.
According to a statement by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Appolonia Anele on Sunday, Oluyede stated that the new appointments are aimed at strengthening operations and boosting efficiency within the force.
The statement reads, “The redeployment encompasses few Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) at the Army Headquarters (AHQ), two General Officers Commanding (GOCs), Corps Commanders, Commandants of training institutions, and Brigade Commanders, among other appointments critical to the Nigerian Army’s operational and administrative structure.
“Some of the senior officers appointed as Principal Staff Officers at the Army Headquarters include, Maj Gen AA Adeyinka who was posted from Nigerian Army Corp of Supply and Transport (NACST) to the Department of Army Logistics and appointed Chief of Logistics (Army), Maj Gen AA Adekeye posted from AHQ Department of Standard and Evaluation to AHQ Department of Personnel Management as Chief of Personnel Management (Army), Maj Gen TB Ugiagbe from Headquarters Nigerian Army Intelligence Corp to Army Headquarters Department of Standard and Evaluation and appointed Chief of Standard and Evaluation.
“Others are Maj Gen AA Idris from Defence Headquarters to Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps and appointed Chief of Military Intelligence (Army), Maj Gen MO Erebulu from the Department of Special Services and Programmes to Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police and appointed Provost Marshall (Army).”
Furthermore, Maj Gen EA Anaryu from Defence Space Administration was redeployed and appointed Corps Commander Supply and Transport while Maj Gen SA Akesode from Office of the National Security Adviser was moved to African Union Verification Mission in Tigray Region, Ethiopia as Head of Mission, while Maj Gen JE Osifo from Nigerian Army School of Finance and Accounts, to Nigerian Army Finance Corporation as Director General.
Senior officers appointed as General Officers Commanding (GOCs) are Major General ASM Wase from Department of Training to Headquarters 1 Division/Sector 1 Joint Task Force North West Operation FANSAN YAMMA (OPFY) as GOC 1 Division/Commander Sector 1, Maj Gen CR Nnebeife is also appointed as the General Officer Commanding 2 Division/ Sector 3 Joint Task Force OPFY.
Some of the senior officers appointed as Commandants of NA Training Institutions are, Maj Gen MO Ihanuwaze from Nigerian Army Finance Insurance Corporation to Nigerian Army Finance School and Administration and appointed Commandant, Maj Gen KO Osemwegie now the commandant Army Signal School, Maj Gen AJ Aliyu also appointed commandant Nigerian Army Ordinance School, while Maj Gen AC Adetoba was posted from the Department of Transformation and Innovation to Nigerian Army College of Logistics and Management as commandant amongst others.
Other senior officers also affected in the redeployment are Brig Gen M Jimoh from HQ Operation FANSAN YAMMA to HQ 1 Brigade as Commander, Brig Gen NE Okoloagu from Army War College Nigeria to 2 Brigade as Commander as well as Brig Gen AA Bello from Nigerian Army School of Infantry to 6 Division Garrison/Sector 3 JTF South South Operation DELTA SAFE as Commander.
“The Chief of Army Staff has charged the newly appointed senior officers to redouble their effort and commitment to duty in ensuring the sustenance of the ongoing onslaught against terrorism, insurgency and other threats to national security, as they assume their new appointments. He also reiterates his commitment to welfare of troops as paramount to operational successes,” the statement concluded.
