President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday met behind closed doors with the new service chiefs at the Presidential Villa.
The service chiefs, who were appointed on Tuesday, arrived at the villa in their old official vehicles at about 4.00p.m. The new service chiefs are – Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, Chief of Defence Staff; Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Adm. Awwal Zubairu Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff and AVM Isiaka Amao, Chief of Air Staff – may be decorated with their ranks by the president at the meeting.
The service chiefs replaced former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin; former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas and former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar
At the end of the meeting, the president’s spokesman Mr Femi Adesina said the President charged the newly appointed Service Chiefs to be patriotic, and serve the country well.
Adesina, quoted Buhari as saying: “We’re in a state of emergency. Be patriotic, serve the country well, as your loyalty is to the country.”
The president congratulated the service chiefs on heading their various services, adding:
“There’s nothing I can tell you about the service, because you are in it. I was also in it, and I will pray for you. I also assure you that whatever I can do as Commander-in-Chief will be done, so that the people will appreciate your efforts.
“You know the stage we were in 2015, you know the stage we are now, and the undertakings we made. We promised to secure the country, revive the economy, and fight corruption. None has been easy, but we have certainly made progress.”
Buhari also charged the Service Chiefs to be concerned about the morale of their officers and men, saying they should be made to feel physically and professionally secure.
He pledged that government would do its best in terms of equipment and logistics.
Fielding questions from State House correspondents after the meeting, Gen. Irabor said they would work to bring security to lives and properties.
He said, “We have just seen Mr President and we are mindful of the demands. We can only at this stage pledge our ulmost best to bring safety and security to lives and properties across the country.’’
According to the CDS, they (service chiefs) will ensure that value is added to the lives of citizens.
“On behalf of the Service Chiefs, I am assuring the nation peace and security. We believe there will be value that will be added to the security disposition of the nation,’’ he added.
On the message from the president, he stated: “The message from the president is that we, knowing the current security environment, must do everything possible to add value to the security disposition and the expectations are high and that we are quite mindful of that expectations. So, we collectively, will work to achieve that.”
The new service chiefs were appointed by the president following the resignation of their predecessors on Tuesday