In a major shake-up of the nation’s security apparatus, President Bola Tinubu has dismissed the country’s service chiefs and appointed new officers to lead the armed forces.
The announcement was made on Friday by Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, who stated the decision was aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s national security architecture.
The new appointments are as follows:
· Chief of Defence Staff: General Olufemi Oluyede (replacing General Christopher Musa)
· Chief of Army Staff: Major-General W. Shaibu
· Chief of Air Staff: Air Vice Marshall S.K Aneke
· Chief of Naval Staff: Rear Admiral I. Abbas
The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General E.A.P Undiendeye, will retain his position.
President Tinubu expressed his “most profound appreciation” to the outgoing service chiefs for their “patriotic service, and dedicated leadership.”
He charged the new appointees to justify the confidence placed in them and to enhance the professionalism of the Armed Forces.
All new appointments take immediate effect.
This security overhaul comes weeks after the Defence Headquarters reportedly detained 16 senior officers over allegations of “indiscipline and breach of service regulations,” amid widespread speculation about coup plotting.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
