Posted by By MOLLY KILETE, Abuja on
Unknown to many, the perceived frictions between General Andrew Owoye Azazi and Lieutenant-General Luka Nyeh Yusuf, until recently the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) respectively, may have stirred up the hurricane that swept them out of office last week.
Unknown to many, the perceived frictions between General Andrew Owoye Azazi and Lieutenant-General Luka Nyeh Yusuf, until recently the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) respectively, may have stirred up the hurricane that swept them out of office last week.
And, typical of the one-bad-apple situation, the presidential furry also swept away the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye, in a major shake-up in the military, the first since President Umaru Yar'Adua assumed office as Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Appointment of Service Chiefs is somewhat political, and the prerogative of the president. He can equally fire them at his whim.
Although no official reasons have yet been given for the sacking of the officers, military sources attempted last week to piece together the jig-saw puzzle, what could be the possible cause.
A dependable source believes that numerous negative security reports on both Lieutenant-General Yusuf and Vice Admiral Adekeye since they assumed office as COAS and CNS respectively as well as the constant disagreement between Gen. Azazi and Gen Yusuf may have been responsible for the clean sweep.
It was a well-known fact in the military circle that the relationship between the former CDS and COAS was reminiscent of cat and dog.
In fact, the former COAS, sources further revealed, had on several occasions rudely opposed and attacked the decision and contributions of the former CDS during the meetings of Service Chiefs.
After several attempts to get the officers to work in harmony failed, Yar'Adua, it was learnt, became uncomfortable with the situation.
For instance, attempts by the Minister of Defence, Yayale Ahmed, to settle the two Generals, proved abortive as Gen. Yusuf allegedly vowed not to change his mind about Azazi, and went as far as instructing his loyalist to do the same, amounting to indiscipline, which is not tolerated in the military.
Another military source said Gen. Yusuf loathed the idea of attending the same function with Azazi, nor would he send a representative to any that he (Azazi) was hosting. 'It was that bad,' the source said, adding, 'and you don't expect the President to keep silent.'
Coupled with the speculation of a whiff of coup in the air, it was a foregone conclusion that the officers had to go for good.
The friction between the two Generals, according to military sources, is the off-shoot of the 'seed' allegedly planted by General Martin Luther Agwai, a one time CDS, and currently the force commander at the United Nations Mission in Dafur (UNAMID). Azazi, who was believed to be an Agwai loyalist, which paved the way for him to become the COAS, and later CDS, was believed to have fallen out of favour with his mentor, after he discovered that Agwai, had traded away the Chief of Army Staff Guest House in Lagos in a 'sweet-heart' deal, recovered the house from the buyer after several peace attempts to recover the house from Agwai proved abortive. Thereafter, one thing led to another, and the 'godfather and the godson' went for each other's jugular.
JUSTIFIED
Nonetheless, military sources say the removal of the Service Chiefs by President Yar'Adua was the best thing to happen to the system especially in the army, which can best be described as pillar of democracy.
According to the source, 'when that pillar is beginning to have serious cracks, the obvious is bound to happen, a collapse.'
Thus, they believe that with the various camps springing up from every corner in the army, and a situation where insubordination has become the order of the day, when soldiers are beginning to boo at their senior officers and taking to the street to protest their unpaid peacekeeping allowance, and when petition-writing has suddenly become a pastime in the army, the purging of both the CDS and COAS from office was not just necessary, but expedient.
ADEKEYE'S ALLEGED SINS
For Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye, incessant petition against him, as well as his inability to carry officers and ratings of the Nigerian Navy along, was said to be his greatest undoing. Adekeye, according to Sunday Sun sources, had several allegations leveled against him by serving Navy personnel, who have at various times written petitions, most of which were accompanied by documentary evidence.
Said to be vindictive, Adekeye was alleged to have on several occasions retired senior Naval officers, whom he perceived as ‘threats'. This allegation could not, however, be confirmed as at press time weekend.
Coupled with a myriad of unsubstantiated allegations against Adekeye, military sources said that his removal from office as CNS came as a big relief, as most personnel jubilated over his fall.
After sending the officers packing, the Presidency named the former Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Paul Dike, the new CDS.
Other new Service Chiefs include Major-General Abdulrahaman Danbazau, (COAS), Rear Admiral Isaiah Ibrahim (CNS) and Air Vice Marshall Oluseyi Petinrin as CAS.
The Federal Government, Sunday Sun learnt, might have taken the decisive step of retiring the senior officers to avert an embarrassing situation.
Coming on the heels of a call by opposition parties for an interim government, Yar'Adua's action sent wrong signals to the effect that it might have been to forestall a probable mutiny within the security circle, which was capable of destabilizing the nation.
The Nigeria United for Democracy (NUD), at a press conference last week, had called for an interim government in place of the Yar'Adua's administration.
In reaction, the ruling party, PDP, accused the opposition of fomenting trouble unduly.
Therefore, it was not strange for insinuations of a probable coup d'etat to be made. The change of guard at the top military hierarchy simply lent fillip to the suspicion.
Yet, informed pundits doubted that line of thought, as the military had always reiterated its commitment to defending the country's nascent democracy.
Sunday Sun learnt that the Service Chiefs themselves might have sensed that the changes would come. But what they did not know was the fact that it would come so sudden, as they had lined up various programmes for the year.
BAD OMEN
For the officers though, what could have been the first sign of imminent sack came last Monday. Then, General Azazi had been summoned to Aso Rock Villa for what sources said was questioning over matters bordering on tenure of office of service chiefs in the Armed Forces.
As news of Azazi's visit to Aso Rock spread within the military circle, there was instant apprehension that an end to his military career was imminent not only for him but his colleagues as well.