The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, will, next week, issue a statement on allegations of lopsided promotions and retirements in the army, as being reported in sections of the media.
The army chief who has already registered his disappointment with the allegations wants to take advantage of the first quarter of the Chief of Army Staff Conference to try and lay the issue to rest.
A section of the media raised the alarm, accusing the Army Chief of giving his kinsmen juicy appointments and violating the Army Council‘s directives since his emergence as the Chief of Army Staff, although the army authorities had faulted the allegation.
The new Director, Army Public Relations Department, Brigadier-General Ibrahim Attahiru, made the disclosure while taking over from Major-General Bolaji Koleosho, who himself later resumed work as the Chief of the Civil-Military Affairs.
Attahiru, who acknowledged media reports, said “my answer for now is that the Chief of the Army Staff would address members of the press on February 11 and this issue would properly be addressed.”
At the handing-over ceremony, Major-General Koleosho acknowledged the support, understanding that characterised the relationship between the media and the army while his tenure lasted and urged the media professionals to extend the same gesture to his successor.
The new army spokesman appealed to the media to crosscheck their facts from his office on any story that had to do with the army before going to the press and promised to operate an open door policy.
Until the new appointment, Attahiru was the Assistant Director at the Plans Department at the Defence Headquarters.