Nigerian Army, makes new appointments

 

Nigerian Army has appointed some senior officers to new positions.

Brig. Gen. Sagir Musa, Director Army Public Relations, announced the designations in a statement on Saturday.

Musa said the postings approved by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, were routine exercise intended to reinvigorate the system for greater performance.

Major General FO Agugo from Headquarters, Nigerian Army Signals Corps, Apapa, Lagos moves to Defence Headquarters Department of Communications as Chief of Defence Communications; Major General M Mohammed leaves Nigerian Army Resource Center in Abuja heads to Pronto Tech Nigeria Limited as the Managing Director; Maj Gen AR Owolabi moves from Defence Headquarters Abuja (Department of Communications) to Headquarters Nigerian Army Signals Corps as Commander.

Major General A Bande retains his position as General Officer Commanding 8 Division Sokoto; Major General E Akerejola from Army Headquarters Department of Logistics to Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport, Benin as Commandant; Major General UM Mohammed remains the COAS’s Special Adviser for Nigerian Army University Biu and Vice Chairman, Nigerian Army Property Limited, Abuja.

Major General CV Eze moves from COAS’s office (Nigerian Army Special Projects) to Army Headquarters, Department of Army Logistics as Director Engineering Services; Major General OF Azinta from Defence Space Agency, Abuja to Defence Headquarters as Director Psychological Warfare; Major General AM Dauda exits National Defence College, Abuja to Army Headquarters Department of Policy and Plans as Director Policy.

Major General AL Dusu moves from Army Headquarters, Department of Policy and Plans to Nigerian Army School of Artillery, Kachia, as Commandant; Major General H Ahmed exits Headquarters, Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police to become Provost Marshal (Army); Major General TA Gagariga exits Nigerian Army School of Artillery, Kachia to Defence Space Agency, Abuja, as Deputy Chief of Defence Space Agency.

Major General JO Iwara moves from Army Headquarters Department of Standard and Evaluation to Department of Army Logistics as Director of Logistics Planning; Major General PI Eze retains his position at Headquarters, Theatre Command Operation LAFIYA DOLE Maiduguri as Theatre Logistics Component Commander; Major General OO Oluyede remains in Sector 2 Operation LAFIYA DOLE, Damaturu as Commander; Major General BR Sinjen also remains at Army Headquarters Department of Training and Operations, Abuja as Director Operations.

Major General R Abubakar will continue in Defence Headquarters as Defence Liaison Officer Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja; Major General OO Soyele moves from Defence Hedquarters, Abuja to Nigerian Army Resource Center, Abuja as Senior Research Fellow; Major General AK Ibrahim remains at Headquarters 7 Division/Sector 1 Operation LAFIYA DOLE, Maiduguri as GOC/Commander Sector 1 Operation LAFIYA DOLE; Major General SI Igbinomwanhia will stay on at Sector 3 Operation LAFIYA DOLE, Monguno as Commander.

Major General IM Jallo moves from Headquarters 63 Brigade, Asaba to Headquarters 6 Division, Port Harcourt as GOC; Brigadier General AIM Lapai moves from 302 Artillery Regiment (General Support), Onitsha to Headquarters, Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery, Kontogora as Director Field Defence; Brigadier General Kawugana leaves Warrant Officers’ Academy, Jaji to Headquarters 9 Brigade, Ikeja, Lagos as Commander; Brigadier General MO Jimoh exits Defence Headquarters to Defence Space Agency, Abuja as Deputy Director, Launch Vehicle Systems.

Brigadier General MA Bolarinwa moves from Nigerian Army School of Supply and Transport Benin to Defence Headquarters (Annex), Lagos and as Deputy Director Supply; Brigadier General SM Uba remains at 401 Special Forces’ Brigade as Commander; Brigadier General WM Dangana moves from Army War College Nigeria, Abuja to 3 Division Garrison, Jos as Commander; Brigadier General AGL Haruna to remain at 7 Division Garrison, Maiduguri as Commander.

Brigadier General AM Garba moves from Headquarters Theatre Command Operation LAFIYA DOLE, Maiduguri to Headquarters 23 Brigade, Yola as Commander; Brigade General AG Laka exits Army War College Nigeria, Abuja to Nigerian Army Operations Centre, Abuja as Coordinator; Brigadier General IA Ajose from Training and Doctrine Command, Minna to 4 Special Forces Command, Doma as Chief of Staff; Brigadier General DK Zirkushu leaves Headquarters 1 Brigade, Gusau to Headquarters 28 Task Force Brigade, Chibok as Commander.

Brigadier General M Ibrahim moves from Operation SAFE CORRIDOR, Gombe to 14 Brigade Ohafia as Commander; Brigadier General A Idris moves from Army Headquarters Department of Administration Army to Headquarters 63 Brigade, Asaba as Commander; Brigadier General RT Utsaha exits 34 Brigade Garrison, Owerri to 32 Brigade, Akure as Commander; Brigadier General MA Sadiq leaves Headquarters Operation DELTA SAFE, Yenagoa to Headquarters 4 Brigade, Benin as Commander.

Brigadier General IH Daniel moves from 304 Artillery Regiment Maiduguri to 34 Brigade Garrison Owerri and appointed Commander; Brigadier General EO Ojabo from Defence Headquarters, Abuja to 81 Division Garrison, Lagos and appointed Commander; Brigadier General SS Tilawan to remain in Headquarters 5 Brigade as Commander.

Colonel FD Babatunde leaves Headquarters 81 Division, Lagos to Headquarters Operation SAFE HAVEN Jos as Sector Commander; Colonel OJ Majebi moves from Operation SAFE HAVEN, Jos to 31 Brigade Garrison, Minna as Commander; Colonel JC Mbanefo exits Headquarters Nigerian Army Corps of Artillery to 301 Artillery Regiment (General Support) as Commander; Colonel MA Maaji moves from Depot Nigerian Army Zaria to 4 Operation DELTA SAFE as Commander.

The statement noted that all the postings take effect from January 18, 2021.

Buratai wished all the officers well in their respective appointments.

He enjoined them to take their new responsibilities seriously and discharge all duties professionally.

Republican Senator demands Trump’s immediate resignation

 

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, (Alaska) has called on President Donald Trump to resign immediately, following the riots at the Capitol on Wednesday.

Murkowski, by so doing, becomes the first Republican senator to call for the President’s resignation.

Trump is under fire for inciting his supporters to launch a deadly attack on US Capitol on Wednesday in an attempt to stop the certification of Biden’s victory.

The House has vowed to commence the process for his impeachment and this will automatically rule him out from contesting for the position again.

“I want him to resign. I want him out. He has caused enough damage,” Murkowski said in an interview with the Anchorage Daily News.

“I think he should leave. He said he’s not going to show up. He’s either been golfing or he’s been inside the Oval Office fuming and throwing every single person who has been loyal and faithful to him under the bus, starting with the vice president,” Murkowski told the paper.

President Trump has refused to accepted defeat and has insisted that the presidential election of November 3 was rigged in Democratic Party candidate, Joe Biden favour.

He has, however, been unable to provide proofs that back up his claims and has lost most of the numerous court cases he filed challenging the election result.

Trump is not above the law – Biden issues strong warning

 

US President-elect, Joe Biden, has warned President Donald Trump that he is not above the law.

Biden stated this in a tweet on Saturday night.

“Our president is not above the law.

“Justice serves the people — it doesn’t protect the powerful,” Biden wrote.

This also comes amid reports that Trump is considering pardoning himself.

Trump will be out of office on January 20, the day Biden will assume power.

It is believed Trump is discussing the issue of clemency with his aides.

Between December 22 and 24, 2020, he approved scores of pardons, including to allies convicted for criminal offences.

The President is reportedly weighing both the legal and political implication of a self-pardon.

NEWS : Buhari told to demand Nnamdi Kanu’s extradition from UK, Israel

 

The Igbo professional group, Coalition of South East Professionals Network in Nigeria and Diaspora (CSEPNND), has asked the Federal Government to demand the extradition of the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu from the United Kingdom.

The professionals in an open letter to the Federal Government urged it to immediately proceed with calls to ensure that Kanu faces the law over his involvement in alleged treasonable felony.

In the open letter dated January 8th, 2021 and addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, the group explained that its action was based on Kanu’s activities in relation to IPOB in the country.

The National President of the group, Prof. Madumere Chika alleged that the IPOB leader was hiding under the cordial relationship between Nigeria both countries to carry out activities.

Describing Kanu as a fugitive who escaped Nigeria after being granted bail following allegations of treasonable felony, the coalition suggested that Israel and the UK can repatriate him given that he is in the nation’s wanted list.

The group said Kanu, having evaded justice in the country, boasted in a viral internet live broadcast that he will never submit to the trial that was suspended because of his disappearance from the country.

The Coalition appealed to all foreign nations to direct their embassies to cooperate and assist Nigeria in tracking down Kanu and hand him over to Nigerian authorities to face the law of the land.

“We are constrained to write this open letter to the Federal Government of Nigeria through the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, to immediately write the Government of the United Kingdom, requesting the extradition of our fugitive son and founder of Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, to Nigeria to continue his trial over alleged treasonable felony,” the group said.

The group alleged that the IPOB leader was taking advantage of his sojourn abroad to cause insurrection by inciting members of the proscribed IPOB to violence.

It recalled that, in the eyes of the law, IPOB remains a terrorist organisation, as it had been so declared by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

“We call on both the UK and Israel not to be seen to be facilitating the inglorious activities of a fugitive in Nigeria.

US Speaker Pelosi joins impeachment calls, Transport Secretary resigns

 

United States House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, says she’s in support of the calls to impeach President Donald Trump.

Her comments followed the demand by Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader, for Trump’s immediate impeachment.

“I join the Senate Democratic leader in calling on the vice president to remove this president by immediately invoking the 25th amendment.

“If the VP and cabinet do not act the Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment”, Pelosi said on Thursday.

Their calls were in protest of Trump supporters’ invasion of the Capitol Building on Wednesday.

Four people have been confirmed dead; an investigation has commenced.

Also on Thursday, Transportation Secretary, Elaine Chao, announced her resignation.

Chao, wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, is the first cabinet member to quit.

In a statement, she noted that America experienced a traumatic and avoidable event.

“As I am sure is the awe with many of you, it has deeply troubled me in a way that I simply cannot set aside.

“Today, I am announcing my resignation as U.S. Secretary of Transportation, to take effect on January 11, 2021,” Chao, said.

At least three White House officials have tendered their resignation.

NEWS : NIMC, staff stage protest over poor working condition

 

 staff of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Bayelsa State chapter, have embarked on an indefinite strike over poor allowance and poor working conditions in this COVID-19 regime.

Mr. Paul Soroh, who led the angry workers in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Thursday said that while they work under pressure to enable Nigerians get their NIN for onward connection to their SIM cards, the Federal Government have failed to provide necessary tools for them to function effectively.

Explaining further, he said, “The protest that is ongoing nationwide is also as a result of the fact that they have also not been giving us Personal Protective Equipment, even though they were listed as essential workers during in the COVID-19 lockdown.

“As you know, workers on level 12 downwards are not supposed to be at work, but we came out to do this work voluntarily but because of the attitude of government, we are withdrawing our voluntary services until something is done about it.”

Meanwhile, the large crowd who besieged the office in order to carry out their registration after the Federal Government ordered telecom operators to link subscribers registered sim cards engaged the workers during the protest.

The visibly frustrated subscribers complained bitterly about the deadline given by the government, adding that they can’t afford to lose their network due to the strike.

HEALTH : Medical expert urges Nigerians to accept COVID-19 vaccine

 

The Chief Medical Director, Federal Teaching Hospital( FETHI), Ido-Ekiti, Ekiti State,

 Professor Adekunle Ajayi has advised Nigerians to accept the COVID-19 vaccine

Whenever it is available.

The health expert also cautioned Nigerians not to allow the discovery of the vaccine outshine the safety protocols.

Ajayi gave this admonition during a “Long Service Award” ceremony held for some health workers who have served for 20 years unblemished.

The CMD said the award was a call on the recipients to continue to contribute to the development of the teaching hospital.

Expressing concern over the attitudes of some Nigerians to safety procedures, Ajayi said apathy was the major challenge at the moment.

“There is apathy on the part of people to do the right thing. When you get to that point, you need to keep talking. The truth is that we moved from an era when fear was the motivating factor to one where apathy is the major challenge. That is expected for anything that is longer than expected or that will also affect the comfort of people. We are on top of the game”.

The medical expert, however, advised Nigerians to accept the vaccine as it would go a long way in combating the dreaded virus.

“As I have always said, the best form of prevention in infectious diseases is hygiene, that is an issue that we must not let down. We must continue to talk about hygiene – personal hygiene, community hygiene and basic things – use mask, wash your hands, use hand sanitisers, maintain the appropriate distance and avoid crowded areas. Take responsibility to ensure that you are not infected. When you take responsibility to protect yourself, you are indirectly protecting the several people around you.

“Health professionals have used vaccines over the years to tackle infectious diseases. This one is not going to be an exception. We are lucky that we have been able to get the vaccine even ahead of the expected time. there is the need to sensitise the populace on the benefits of taking the vaccine.

“Because no matter how well-intended a scheme is if the people do not accept it, it is going to end up as a failure. We have to sensitize the public to accept that these vaccines are meant to help them as part of measures.