Sadeeq Shehu, a former Spokesperson for the Nigerian Air Force, has expressed concern over the potential consequences of retiring many senior officers from the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
According to reports, the Nigerian military authorities have instructed over 100 Generals, including Major Generals, Brigadiers General, and some Colonels, to proceed on retirement.
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The deadline set for their retirement is July 3, 2023.
This directive applies to the Army, Navy, and Air Force and comes in the wake of President Bola Tinubu appointing new service chiefs.
Reacting to this development during an appearance on the Arise Television program on Friday, Sadeeq criticised the process of promoting officers to the rank of Major General.
He argued that having over 300 Major Generals to choose from is not ideal for the President, as it creates difficulties in making selections and raises concerns about the fate of those forced into retirement.
Sadeeq emphasised that retiring around a hundred Major Generals could potentially undermine the stability of the Nigerian military.
Sadeeq stated, “Considering the structure of the military hierarchy, the President and Commander in Chief should have a limited number of top-quality officers to choose from. When the President has to select from over 300 Major Generals, it does not assist him in making the best choices.”
He further elaborated, “The issue does not lie with the President himself. In fact, if we analyse Section 217, which pertains to the appointment of service chiefs, the President has the authority to appoint a Colonel as a service chief if he wishes. He can select whoever he wants. The problem lies with the bloated structure of the Nigerian military. No other country can afford to retire 100 Major Generals without severely impacting their military.”