The Presidency has given military service chiefs the power to recommend those of the ranks of Major-Generals and their equivalents in the Airforce and Navy a one-year extension in their service years.
This is due to the fact that a large number of Major Generals are due for retirement next year based on the terms and conditions of the armed forces that stipulate 35 years in service of 56 years of age for Major Generals.
However, the President can act on his prerogative as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to grant those requesting a one-year extension their request, based on the recommendations of the service chiefs.
President Goodluck Jonathan had on July 6, directed the service chiefs to find ways to retain some of the senior officers who have excelled in the performance of their duties.
This followed the innovation of some generals who produced locally made Armoured Personal Carriers (APC) and refurbished a number of APCs that had been abandoned for years.
As a result of this development, some generals are requesting for one-year extension of service to enable them complete some projects they started.
Recently, 10 generals were retired having put in 35 years in service or having attained 56 years of age stipulated for officers in that category.
Also, in order to fill the vacuum left by the retiring generals, the Army Headquarters effected a mass shake-up in the service. As part of routine posting of senior officers in the Nigerian Army, the Army Headquarters released the posting and appointment of its senior officers on Thursday.
The affected senior officers are Major General S. U. Abdul-Kadir; Commander Training and Doctrine Command, Major General P. J. Isang; Chief of Training and Operations, Defence Headquarters, Major General F. M. Airende; Commander, Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Major General H. I. O. Ayoola; Chief of Research and Development, Defence Headquarters, Major General J. A. H. Ewansiha, among others.
Others are Chief of Standards and Evaluations, Army Headquarters, Major General D. D. Enetie; Commander Special Task Force (Operations Safe Heaven), Major General O. T. Ethan; General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Major General H. A. Saliu; Corps Commander Artillery, Major General A.O. Adekanye; Coordinator Nigerian Army Special Vehicle Plans, Major General T. I. Dibi.
Also affected are Brigadier-General M. L. Raji, Acting Director Peacekeeping Operations Defence Headquarters; Brigadier General B. Y. Bukar, Acting Director of Transformation Defence Headquarters; Brigadier General A. O. Odidi, Acting Commandant Nigerian Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and Brigadier General R. O. Bamigboye; Deputy Director of Operations DefenceHeadquarters among others.
A statement by Director, Army Public Relations, Ibrahim Attahiru, a Brigadier General also, noted that in line with the Armed Forces harmonized Terms and Condition of Service Officers, the Army Council recently accepted the voluntary retirement of the following senior officers: Major General L. P. Ngubane, Major General N. C. Maduegbunam, Major General B. M. Monguno, Major General O. A. C. Ariahu, Major General A. K. Kwaskebe, Major General C. O. Ugwu, Brigadier General E. D. Amah, Brigadier General M. M. Dan-Ali and Brigadier General M. A. Hassan, among others.