Why I Fired Service Chiefs

President Goodluck Jonathan has finally opened up on why he sacked his service chiefs recently, saying it was because of the unnecessary rivalry among the security agencies in the country.

This, he said, led to security lapses which contributed to the successful attacks carried out on five helicopters by the Boko Haram insurgents.

Speaking when he commissioned the Air Force Comprehensive School in Yola, Adamawa State, Jonathan warned the newly appointed service chiefs against embarking on unnecessary competition among themselves.

“I urge you to cooperate. Sometimes we hear some kind of mutual and individual competition among service chiefs and security personnel. But this time around, we will not tolerate any unnecessary competition that will bring retrogression to this countrya,” he stated.

Urging the military top brass to work together and complement each other in the interest of the nation, the President, however, said that he had over the years noted that the new chief of defence staff had been a good manager of resources.

He said, “We will work with them to make sure that we overcome these challenges. One of the reasons that made me to uplift the present chief of defence staff from the chief of air staff is that I noted very carefully in terms of managing resources, he tried. And I believe that with him now taking charge as the chief of defence staff, working with other men that have been properly briefed about how they conduct their work, the Nigerian Armed Forces will be a different this time.

Earlier, the new Chief if Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, noted that the Boko Haram insurgency was surmountable as he urged security agencies to remain focused.

He pledged his loyalty to defend the nation in line with the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria.

He said the Air Force Comprehensive School project, which was the brainchild of the Air Force was built on five hectares of land within a period of seven months through direct labour.

Governor Murtala Nyako, who was among the dignitaries that received the President at the airport, noted that the insecurity situation in the state had not allowed proper and befitting reception to be organised for the President.