…Airforce to follow same pattern
Refusing to release the authentic list of officers retired, the Nigerian Army issued another statement on Sunday saying the list in circulation was false and that only 38 officers were retired.
The Army failure to release the ‘authentic list’ confirmed Pointblanknews.com report of a deliberately padded list designed to deceive.
Eighty percent of the retired senior military officers are from the South East and South South geo-political zones of the country.
Further checks also showed that the Nigerian Airforce is set to retire some air vice marshals and air commodores following the pattern of the controversial army retirements.
A statement issued by Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said only 19 officers above the rank of Brigadier-General were sacked.
”The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to speculation and rumours regarding the number and names of the senior Army officers affected in the recent retirement exercise. This is worrisome as some individuals and media houses went to the ridiculous extent of publishing outrageous figures and names of serving officers as being retired. This is unethical and unfair.
“It is therefore necessary to inform the public to please disregard such inaccurate lists.
“We wish to state that only 38 senior officers were affected by the retirement exercise.
“For the avoidance of doubt the following is the statistics of the officers retired compulsorily; 9 Major Generals, 10 Brigadier Generals, 7 Colonels, 11 Lieutenant Colonels and a Major.
“We are quite aware that some mischievous elements are trying to whip up sentiments. This is quite unfortunate because all the affected officers were retired based on Service exigencies and in line with the Armed Forces Act, CAP A20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
“It is pertinent to remind all that the Nigerian Army is a professional institution that is based on highest standards of discipline and conduct.
“Consequently its personnel must remain professional, neutral and apolitical at all times,” the statement said.
Pointblanknews.com had reported a deliberate inclusion of fake names of military officers from the core north deliberately designed to create the impression of a purge with a national outlook other than the sectional mass sack that it is.
Further investigations revealed that the inclusion of some names of serving officers of northern origin met with a loud protest from the concerned officers.
“They wondered why their names should be part of a list of retired officers when they are not retired. They protested the inclusion of their names in such a list which they considered a dangerous game no matter the colour of the game”, a source in the picture of the whole exercise said.