Date Published: 10/04/10

Gen. Azazi is New National Security Adviser

President Goodluck Jonathan has made Retired General Owoye, Andrew Azazi as his new National Security Adviser (NSA).

Pointblanknews.com learnt Azazi replaces former NSA, General Aliyu Gusau who resigned to run for office of the President.

Gen. Azazi, was General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Kaduna, Chief of Defence Staff under Ex President Olusegun Obasanjo, and Chief of Army Staff between 2006 and 2008.General Azazi holds a MSc in Strategic Studies from the University of
Ibadan, and has completed the Staff Intelligence and Security Course, School of Service Intelligence, Ashford, Kent, UK and Combined Strategic Intelligence Training Programme, Defence Intelligence College, Washington DC, United States. He is a graduate of the Command and Staff College Nigeria, and the National War College, Nigeria where he won the President and Commander-in-Chief's merit award for best all round performance

Azazi was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on 14 December 1974. At the end of the combined training he won the bronze medal for being first in Art subjects. He has served as a Brigade Intelligence Officer, Divisional Intelligence Officer and Colonel Coordination, Headquarters Directorate of Military Intelligence. He was assistant Defence Attaché at the Embassy of Nigeria, Washington DC, United States for three years. He served as a member of the Directing Staff of the Command and Staff College from where he was posted to Lagos Garrison Command as the Intelligence Officer and subsequently to the Directorate of Military Intelligence as Colonel Coordination. He was later posted to the Training and Doctrine Command as Colonel Research and Development and then Director of Training. On graduation from War College, he was appointed Colonel General Staff, 81 Division of the Nigerian Army and later Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence, Defence Intelligence Agency. General Azazi also served as a member of Directing Staff of the National War College Abuja, rising later to become its Principal Staff Officer Coordination. He was appointed Director of Military Intelligence in 2003.

The senior officer is an external examiner at the National War College and a Guest Lecturer on Military Operations Other Than War and Revolution in Military Affairs. General Azazi was a member of Nigeria’s Defence Policy Review Committee 2000/2001. He was appointed Chairman of the Committee of Nigerian Army in the Next Decade in May 2004. He was appointed the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division, Nigerian Army in January 2005, and subsequently appointed Chief of Army Staff (COAS) in June 2006. On August 20, 2008, Umaru Yar'adua replaced Azazi with Paul Dike as CDS and announced Azazi's retirement from military service.

Azazi, has had one of the fastest growing military careers in present day democracy in Nigeria, between May, 2006 and June, 2007 the General wore the ranks of Major General, Lieutenant General and General