LocalNewsSecurity Report
Presidency, Defence Ministry refute stories on replacement of Olonisakin, Ibas as Service Chiefs
Different statements by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity) and Colonel Tukur Gusau, Public Relations Officer to the Hon Minister of Defence. said categorically that the stories, in a newspaper and on online platforms, of the replacement of the two military Chiefs were fiction.
Full texts of the statements read:
It is necessary to respond to a fictive story published in today’s edition of New Telegraph Newspaper, to the effect that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the replacement of Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, as Service Chiefs.
The newspaper, rather than rush to print an unsubstantiated story, would have done better to confirm the information at its disposal, from many available military and government information channels. It then would have avoided the self-inflicted wound of publishing a one-legged story that is not completely true, and damaging its brand in the process.
Gen Olonisakin is due to retire from the Army next week, having satisfied the official number of years in service. He is yet to be replaced. But the Chief of Naval Staff has a short while more, and President Buhari could, therefore, not have approved his replacement yet.
This administration has repeatedly pledged commitment to transparency and accountability, and one of the hallmarks of that is making information available to the media. But when some sections of the media would rather speculate, than cross-check and double check information, then it borders on deliberate mischief. That, surely, is not the way to go, for national cohesion and development.
FEMI ADESINA
December 12, 2016.
The attention of the Honourable Minister of Defence Mansur Muhammad Dan-Ali was drawn to some online publications claiming that he has sent letters to the Chief of Defence Staff General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin and Chief of the Naval staff Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas directing them to hand over their offices on or before Friday, 16 December.
Please be informed that there was no such communication between the office of the Honourable Minister of Defence and the service chiefs directing any one of them to hand over his office and proceed on retirement. The appointment and replacement of service chiefs is a prerogative responsibility of the office of the President and Commander in Chief.
Please endevour to always balance your stories from the right sources to avoid mischief.
You are requested to kindly disseminate to the general public.
Colonel Tukur Gusau
Public Relations officer
to the Hon Minister of Defence.
