Nigerian Navy, Air Force Redeploy Senior Officers

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Nigerian Navy, Air Force redeploy senior officers

Wednesday, 27 October 2010 00:00 From Madu Onuorah, Abuja
Nigeria Guardian

THE Nigerian Navy yesterday appointed 66 of its senior officers to man various commands, ships and establishments. The appointments affected eight rear admirals, 38 commodores and 18 captains.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) had earlier released the postings and appointments of its 75 top senior officers. They include 12 air vice marshals (army’s equivalent of major generals), 36 air commodores (equivalent of brigadier generals) and 27 group captains (equivalent of colonels).

This is the first deployment of senior officers since the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar, assumed office on September 13, 2010. And it involved all the Air Officers Commanding (AOCs) of the three Commands of the Air Force – Tactical Air Command (TAC) located in Makurdi, Benue State; Training Command (TC) located in Kaduna and the Logistics Command LC) based in Lagos.

According to a statement by Director of Naval Information, Captain Kabir Aliyu, the naval appointments “were aimed at repositioning the Nigerian Navy towards greater heights and ensuring better service delivery.”

The Rear Admirals affected in the new shake-up and their new appointments include B.A. Raji, formerly Chief of Administration, Naval Headquarters (NHQ), now Chief of Administration, Defence Headquarters (DHQ); I.B. Acholonu, formerly Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, now Chief of Training and Operations (CTOP), NHQ; A.A. Macaulay, formerly Chief of Accounts and Budget, NHQ, now Moderator, National Institute for Policy & Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru; E. Ijioma, Director of Development, DHQ, now Commandant, Nigerian Navy Engineering College Sapele; D.J Ezeoba, formerly CTOP, NHQ, now Deputy Commandant Armed Forces Command & Staff College, Jaji; U.O. Jibrin, formerly Navy Secretary, now FOC, Eastern Naval Command; K.O. Komolafe, Commander Central Pay Office, now Chief of Accounts and Budget and E.O. Ogbor, formerly Chief Staff Officer, Western Naval Command, now FOC Western Naval Command.

Other senior officers affected in the new appointments include
Commodore (Cdre) J.N. Amaino (Director of Development, DHQ), Cdre G.E. Okoi (Chief Staff Officer (CSO), Logistics Command, Oghara), Cdre J.O. Olutoyin (CSO, Western Naval Command), Cdre I.A. Ajuonu (Director of Plans, DHQ), CDre B.A. Nathus (Director of Peace Keeping Operations, NHQ), Cdre J.A. Akinwale (Chief of Administration, NHQ), Cdre O.E. Ekwe (Director of R and D, NHQ), Cdre A.O.A. Ikioda (Chief of Logistics, NHQ), Cdre. O.B. Ogunjimi (Navy Secretary, NHQ), Cdre. BM Mshelia (Commander, Central Pay Office), Cdre. J.O. Aikhomu (Director of Logistics, DHQ), Surgeon Cdre. E.E. Enechukwu (Captain Medical Centre, Obisesan Naval Medical Centre And Consultant O &G Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital Ojo), Cdre. S.I. Alade (Directing Staff, National Defence College) and Cdre P.O. Oraka (Principal Staff Officer, Coord, Nigerian Defence Academy - NDA).

Others include Cdre. M.M. Salami (Director of Operations, NHQ), Cdre. UK Ahmed (Director of Administration, NDA), Cdre. J.U. Unoarumhi (Commanding Officer - CO, NNS PATHFINDER), Cdre. S.R. Shekoni (Maritime Component Commander, Joint Task Force, Operation Restore Hope), Cdre. J.O.T. Adetomiwa (CO, Naval Unit Abuja), Cdre. C.A. Abu (Command Medical Officer, Western Naval Command and Head of Surgery, Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital), Cdre. E.E. Etifit (CO, NNS QUORRA), Cdre. J.U. Manujibeya (CO, Naval Air Station, Ojo), Cdre. D.S. Audu (CO, Nigerian Navy Finance and Logistics School, Owerrienta), Cdre. D.G. Inimgba (Director of Projects, NHQ), Cdre JKZ Ango (CO, BEECROFT and Cdre. O.U. Emele (Director of Logistics, Defence Intelligence Agency).

Among the captains redeployed were B.S. Kor (CO, NNS ARADU), SU Ahmadu (Director of Naval Accounts, NHQ), E.A. Ogbonnaya (Commandant, Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Calabar) and E.O. Sokunbi-Ebor (CO, Nigerian Navy School of Health Sciences, Offa).

According to the Director of Public Relations and Information of NAF,
Air Commodore Yusuf Anas, the redeployment also affected all the principals officers of NAF headquarters (Air Officers In-Charge), two commands of two tri-service institutions – Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) and the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC) Oshodi and the Managing Directors of two NAF companies – NAF Foundation and the Aeronautical Engineering Technical Service Limited.

Details of the redeployments in NAF show that Air Vice Marshal
Gbolahan Abdul Fatai Adekunle, formerly the Principal General Staff
Officer to the Chief of Defence Staff become the new Air Officer Operations AOO) at Headquarters, NAF. He replaces the former AOO, AVM Anene Okafor who has proceeded on retirement. AVM AS Badeh moves from Defence Headquarters to NAF Headquarters as the Air Officer Policy and Plan. AVM Ibrahim Kure moves from the position of Air Secretary to Air Officer Administration while AVM I Salihu is the new Air Officer Inspection. Air Commodore J.C. Ifemeje is the new Air Secretary.

For the commands, AVM Gabriel Odesola is the AOC, TAC; AVM E.J. Aprekuma is the new AOC TC while AVM H.A. Na-Shehu is the AOC LC. Additionally, AVM A.T. Muazu moves from HQ NAF to AFCSC Jaji as Commandant while AVM C.E. Aroriode in the new Commandant for NAFRC, Oshodi. At the same time, AVM WA Oguejiofor takes charge as Managing Director of NAF Foundation.

Air Commodore A. Mamu takes over as the Managing Director of the
Aeronautical Engineering and Technical Services Ltd while Air Commodore Akin A. Ogunnaike becomes the Director of Policy. Other Air Commodores appointed new Directors at the HQ NAF include HR Mohammed (Air Engineering), A. Masaika (Medical Services), O.A. Morgan (Evaluation) and O.A. Idowu (Safety).

Other directors at the HQ NAF in the rank of Group Captains include G. Truman (Air Intelligence), S.A. Yushau (Finance and Accounting), S.S. Adamu (Works), SJ Wuchangha (Administration) and A. Shehu-Othman (Legal Services.

The newly appointed Commanders include Air Commodores O.T. Oguntoyinbo (99 Air Combat Tactical Group), U.J. Atiku (81 Air Maritime Group) M. Magaji (88 Military Airlift), S.O. Abosede (301 Flying School), I.M. Puwa (204 Wing), J.M. Gbum (Strike Group), F.M. Makinde (333 Logistics Group) and A.J. Bolajoko (45 Nigerian Air Force Hospital).

Other appointments involving group captains include H.K. Tukur (NAF
Detachment), O.C. Oguejiofor (104 Personell Management Group) and O.A. Ogunjobi (NAF Detachment Calabar).