‘COAS Yahaya’s Seniors Have To Resign’ – Army General

It is the tradition in the Nigerian Army and other arms of the military that when a chief of army staff or its equivalent is appointed, all officers who are his senior would offer to resign, according to General Ganiyu Adewale (rtrd). 

Major General Farouk Yahaya was appointed as new Chief of Army Staff by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, to replace Lt General Ibrahim Attahiru who died along with 10 others in a helicopter crash near the Kaduna airport.

Maj.-Gen. Yahaya’s emergence may be the end of the military career of no fewer than 25 Major Generals who are his seniors.

Yahaya is of the Regular Course 37 officers while there are those on Regular Course 35 and Regular Course 36 among the over 150 Major Generals in the Nigerian Army.

Gen Adewale, who spoke in an interview with THE WHISTLER on Friday, said there was nothing wrong in retiring major generals who are senior to the new COAS as it is the tradition.

“Those in the rank of major general must have spent about 35 years in service, and that is the retirement age for public servant.

“So, if some major generals have to resign because they are senior to the man appointed as COAS, it’s normal. They are even expected to resign on their own without being prompted. It happened to me and I offered my resignation,” he said.

Asked to comment on arguments that retiring senior officers because of appointment of their juniors is a waste of scarce resources, Gen Adewale said while the argument is valid, there are many senior officers in the military to serve the country.

“If you think of what it costs to train a military officer from the rank of cadet to that of general, you will not retire any general because it is unquantifiable.

“They go for training almost every year locally and internationally and the country spends a lot of money in pound sterling and US dollars. I cannot tell you how much but its unquantifiable.

“But there is discipline in the military and once the President makes his appointment, those senior to him would have to resign. The army still has many generals in service and it won’t cause any disruption to the war against insecurity.” 

The new COAS is also junior to the other service chiefs including the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor on Regular Course 34 Intake; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo and Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, both being Regular Course 35 intakes.