— Orders them to smash new armed groups in North Central, North West
— Says security threats constantly evolving
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
ABUJA –PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu on Thursday told the new Service Chiefs that what is expected of them is results and not flimsy excuses, as the country is in a hurry to celebrate peace.
The President therefore ordered them to smash in the head the new armed groups he described as new snakes in troublesome areas of North-Central, North-West, and some parts of the South.
“We must not allow these new threats to fester. We must be decisive and proactive. Let us smash the new snakes right in the head, ” he said.
President Tinubu stated this at the decoration of the new Service Chiefs at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said that the government has restored peace to many areas previously under siege, rescued countless kidnapped citizens, and significantly diminished the capacity of the terror groups, but also noted that the issue of security challenges remains. “Security threats are constantly evolving, constantly mutating.”
President Tinubu congratulated them on their appointment and subsequent confirmation by the Senate.
“As your Commander-in-Chief, I am entrusting you with a tremendous responsibility—one that you must approach with the highest standards of commitment and dedication,” he said.
On the significance of the decoration, the President said: “Today’s ceremony is beyond the symbolism of decoration. It marks the beginning of our renewed effort to ensure the peace and security of all Nigerians. Each of you has been carefully selected for this critical task.
“Security is an essential element without which everything else is rendered meaningless. There cannot be sufficient development if this fundamental aspect of human need is unmet. Our people and our nation must remain secure to enjoy the benefits of governance.
“The government’s foremost duty is to protect the citizens. Over the years, our military has remained steadfast in defending our nation’s territorial integrity, with many soldiers paying the ultimate price for their service. In dark times, when terrorists and armed marauders held significant portions of our land, our gallant armed forces rose to the challenge and reclaimed those occupied territories.
“We have restored peace to many areas previously under siege, rescued countless kidnapped citizens, and significantly diminished the capacity of the terror groups.
“To General Shuaib (Chief of Army Staff), I understand you were injured, you have recuperated. I saw so many stories, clips online of Operation Hadin-Kai. All of you, working together as a team, have made the country proud.
“I thank our armed forces for their patriotism, diligence, and dedication to their duty. As your Commander-in-Chief, I sincerely appreciate your sacrifices, as I have repeatedly acknowledged and will continue to do so.”
He said, despite the achievements so far recorded, insecurity still persists.
“However, challenges remain. Security threats are constantly evolving, constantly mutating. Of grave concern to our administration is the recent emergence of new armed groups in the troublesome areas of North-Central, North-West, and parts of the South. We must not allow these new threats to fester. We must be decisive and proactive. Let us smash the new snakes right in the head.”
He further said: “I charge you, as the heads of our nation’s armed forces, to carry out your duties with patriotic zeal. Nigerians expect results, not excuses. We are in a hurry to celebrate peace.
“I charge you also to be innovative, pre-emptive, and courageous. Let’s stay ahead of those who seek to threaten our peace, freedom and stability. Let us deploy technology where necessary. We cannot allow the crisis that began in 2009 to persist any longer. It is time to defeat the enemies.
“I advise you to work together to exchange your information effectively and follow up proactively, work with other security agencies and defeat this enemy once and for all. We need to clean them up, clear them out. I promise to provide all the support you need to get the job done.”
When asked to react to the charge by the President, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede said: “We’re going to do our very best with the support of Mr President, the government and the good people of Nigeria, because for everybody, I believe security should be our business.
“And without the support of Nigerians, we hardly achieve anything. So I want to enjoin Nigerians of all ethnicities to please support us, and at the end of the day, I believe we make Nigeria safer. That’s our promise to you.”
President Tinubu at the ceremony decorated the new Service Chiefs with their new ranks.
The new Service Chiefs were screened and confirmed by the National Assembly.
Recall that President Tinubu had on Friday last week appointed new Service Chiefs with the former Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede as the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS. He replaced Gen. Christopher Musa.
Major General Wahidi Shaibu was appointed Chief of Army Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sunday Kevin Aneke became Chief of Air Staff, and Rear Admiral Idi Abbas took over as Chief of Naval Staff. Major-General Emmanuel A. P. Undiendeye retained his position as Chief of Defence Intelligence.
The new CDS Lt. Gen. Oluyede was decorated with the new rank of General, the new Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Major Gen. Shaibu also decorated with the rank of Lt. General, the Chief of Naval Staff, CNS, Rear Admiral Abbas was decorated as Vice Admiral, while the Chief of Air Staff, CAS, Air Vice Marshal Aneke, was decorated with the rank of Air Marshall.
The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Undiendeye, who was retained by the President, was elevated to the rank of Lt. General.
Wives of the new Service Chiefs were by the side of their husbands to assist in the decoration.
Present at the Council Chamber to witness the brief ceremony are the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, the Deputy President of Senate, Jubril Barau, the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGT, Senator George Akume, the National Security Adviser, NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila among others.
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