The Nigerian Army has dismissed insinuation that there is a leadership vacuum in with regards to personnel posting and promotion as army Chief is on annual leave.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Maj.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, on Saturday in Abuja.
Nwachukwu said the statement was in reaction to what he described as ‘social media stories, rumours, and innuendoes’ about happenings in the Nigerian army.
He said that while some of the stories were laughable and deserve no further reference, others had bordered on pure mischief calculated to cause panic and confusion within the rank and file, as well as the general public.
“Specifically, many insinuations about personnel postings, promotions, and even training activities have been raised vis-a-vis the official leave of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS).
“There have even been insinuations that there is a leadership vacuum, with officers confused about what to do.
“Nothing can be farther from the truth.
“To be very clear, the Nigerian Army is a highly structured establishment with well-laid-out procedures and processes for dealing with different circumstances.
Before proceeding on leave, necessary protocols were put in place for the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Maj.-Gen. Abdulsalami Ibrahim, to act on behalf of the COAS, while he is away.
“This is not peculiar to the army as there have been instances where unforeseen human frailty kept service chiefs away for about three months, and their Chiefs of Policy and Plans held sway in their absence,” he said.
Nwachukwu said that the claims of leadership vacuum in the army presently was a mere speculation, adding that all routine and scheduled activities of the service were on course.
According to him, in line with its Forecast of Events for 2024, the Nigerian Army recently conducted the Captain-Major Practical Promotion Examination in Akure.
He said that the Commander Traning and Doctrine Command, Maj.-Gen. Kevin Aligbe, announced the result after due authorisation by the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), who currently answers for the Chief of Army Staff
