The
former Corps Commander, Infantry Corps, Jaji, Major General Mohammed D.
Isah, has been retired.
Isah’s retirement, according to top
military sources, might not be unconnected with the 2015 agenda of the present
administration.
He was recently removed as Commander
of the Corps over the twin bomb blasts that occurred in a church within the
cantonment.
He was retired with other 10
major-generals, 25 brigadier generals and 12 colonels.
A list obtained exclusively by Blueprint shows that the affected major generals
include Akinyemi, Okunbor, Obi, Amao, JO Shoboiki, Idoko, Chong, SY
Bello, OO Oshinowo, MA Nasamu and JAO Ochoga.
In the brigadier generals cadre
were Amao, ES Ibokette, MB Alli, MD Yusuf, AT Usman, PT Boroh,
LO Adeoye, A Robinson, ST Baidom, NA Imam, MK
Yake, S Bello, LB Yusuf, DB Shaljaba, SM Magaji, and JO
Osuji.
The rest are Aderibigbe, G
Lawal, BF Ayeni, OA Osenwota, Akintola, JA Adejoh,
Dadangarba, Nyadar and A Samaila. Also retired were Colonels Gwandu, MJ
Onoja, BI Nwozor, MA Lasisi, MA Gbadebo, HS Aliyu, S Ado, JB
Oluwayose, Sambo Diri, B Abdulmalik, SA Nudamajo and OK Alaga.
While the retirement of Oshinowo, who
is currently the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division, Enugu and
Ochoga takes effect from January 2013, all other major-generals are
expected to leave in February same year.
Even though this is a routine
exercise within the military, defence sources told Blueprint that the retirement of Isah, the
former Commander, Infantry Corps Headquarters, and the Special Adviser to the
National Security Adviser on Counter Terrorism, Major General Sarkin Yaki Bello,
is of concern to stakeholders in the sector.
The source stated: “You know,
both senior officers were penciled down to take over from present Chief
of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Azubuike Ihejirika. Today , they are
among the best officers in Nigerian Army. It is all elimination series towards
2015. These two senior officers, if they remain in the army, they
constitute a stumbling block to the agenda of President Jonathan of
having his kinsman, Major General KTJ Minimah, GOC 81 Division, Lagos, to
head the army.”
Our correspondent gathered that
Isah’s request for extension was not responded to by the military
authority before the list came out.
“The senior officer asked for
extension. But there was no response from the army headquarters. And then
a letter of retirement was presented to him, which he refused to sign. It is
very suspicious, that he is being retired alongside other major generals that
were due for retirement since last year.
“For instance, Major General Okunbor,
who is the Commandant of TRADOC, Minna, was due for retirement since 2011, but
the military authority did not retire him until now. So it is clear, the real
target in this retirement is MD Isah and SY Bello.
“Next year, other qualified officers
from the north, who are also likely to take over from Ihejirika will also be
asked to leave service. All these officers are junior to the COAS. The culture
of wastage is not good for Nigeria. If you look through all those retired, it
is not on the basis of any offence, only geopolitical considerations. They have
all done their national defence courses,” added the source.
Blueprint had reported exclusively how
political permutation and control of top military hierarchy towards 2015
delayed the appointment of service chiefs, before the appointment of the
current ones.
President
Goodluck Jonathan left Iherijika as Chief of Army Staff and looked to
the Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force for ethnic and geopolitical
balance, in order to avoid any qualified senior officer from the north
taking over as COAS. Two of those officers, whose names featured prominently on
the list of likely candidates for COAS, were SY Bello and MD Isah.
Blueprint had also exclusively
reported the politics of the Jaji bombing and how military authority ignored
warnings by the retiring ex-commander of the Infantry Corps.
Source:
Blueprint
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