Recruitment, promotion irregularities rock Army
By Agaju Madugba and Joy Baba
The Nigerian Army (NA) may have abandoned its cherished application of professional ethics in the conduct of its affairs as investigations reveal high level ethnic bias, favouritism and corrupt tendencies in promotion of officers and admission into the various Army training schools across the country.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, who was appointed into that coveted seat in 2010, does not seem to help matters following his alleged repeated flouting of certain decisions of the NA Council.
The council recently approved the retirement of 11 major-generals but the COAS retired 12, along with 26 brigadier generals instead of the approved 25 and 13 colonels instead of 12.
Also in 2010, reports show that the Ordinance Corps presented four brigadiers for consideration for promotion to the rank of major general and Army Headquarters, contrary to the defined rules, picked the most junior, Brigadier Ugwu of NDA Course 25, ahead of Brigadier Kachallah of NDA Course 22, Brigadier Oginni of NDA Course 23 and Brigadier Martins of NDA Course 24.
The situation was not different in the Armoured Corps where in the appointment of a Corps Commander, ethnic considerations might have played a dominant role with the appointment of Brigadier Nwogbo (NDA Course 25) as Corps Commander, against Brigadier Oshinowo (NDA Course 24).
“Ihejirika is prosecuting an unwholesome programme designed to put officers from his ethnic zone in the Army ahead of the other areas,” a source within the NA council alleged, a seemingly logical insinuation, considering similar developments there.
According to the source, “it appears that the Chief of Army Staff is on a specific mission, most probably, sponsored by some sinister dark forces bent on destroying the Army and setting the country on the path of serious conflagration.
“From all indications, Gen. Ihejirika is deliberately and recklessly pursuing a plan to destroy the career of senior non-Igbo officers while at the same time embarking on a massive recruitment of soldiers of Igbo stock in order to eclipse all other ethnic groups in the Nigerian Army”.
As if to justify the allegation, the Supply and Transport Corps in 2011 recommended four brigadiers for promotion out of which Brigadier Agha Okoro (NDA Course 28) was selected, ahead of his senior colleagues, Brigadier Baidon (NDA Course 25), Brigadier Magaji (NDA Course 26) and Brigadier Nienger (NDA Course 26).
Some of the alleged lopsided positions approved by the COAS also include those of Brigadier Okoro as Sector Commander at UNAMSIL ( Liberia), Brigadier Duru, Director of Logistics at the Nigerian Defence College (NDC), Brigadier Chioba, defacto officer in charge at the Army Headquarters (AHQ) Policy and Plans, Brigadier Egwuagwu, Director at AHQ in charge of recruitment, positioning and promotion of all soldiers, Brigadier Ebenebe, Director of Operations at AHQ, Brigadier Okoh, Acting Chief of Logistics at AHQ, among others.
The source explained further that, “in course 30 of the NDA, four officers were presented but none was promoted and Gen. Ihejirika preferred a junior officer from course 26, the idea again being that for every promotion he must insert an Igbo”.
The alleged “Igbonization” programme, from investigations, also indicates that recruitment into the Nigerian Army Depot, Zaria, has tended to follow a certain trend under Ihejirika, from Abia state.
Abia with a population of only 2.8 million has so far had the largest share of recruits, 450, far above Kano with a population of 9.3 million and Lagos with a population of just over nine million and Kaduna with a population of about seven million. These states have 259, 255 and 382 recruits respectively.
Although 377 persons were recruited from Ebonyi with a population of 2.2 million, Oyo state with a population of 5.6 million had only 282; Katsina with a population of 5.8 million had only 248; and 271 recruits from Plateau state which has a population of 3.2 million.
And on a zonal basis, the South-east, with estimated population of 16.3 million, has the largest number of 1925 recruits, the north-west with a population of 35.8 million has 1949 recruits; the South-west with a population of 27.6 million, has only 1561 recruits.
The source warned that, “a disgruntled officer corps is a recipe for disaster because the Army will lack unity, cohesion and purpose. It will be pre-occupied with fighting itself, as the terrible experiences of 1966 -67”.
When contacted, immediate past Director of Army Public Relations, Major Gen. Mobolaji Koleoso, said “no comments from me please. I have not heard about such allegations in the Nigerian Armed Forces of which the NA is an integral part.
“I am not covering anything up, mind you, but I believe the Nigerian Army under the current leadership is beyond such allegations”.
What is the intension of this reporter? The editorial board of this news agancy should review and qc whatever their reporters are making. This type of publication is very unhealthy to the unity of the Nation because information about the NA should be veted. The irony is that the COAS does not recruit suldiers or promote people. This type of report can cause a big problem in the Army/Nigeria, and then the reporter will go underground.
Peoples Daily, Ride on with your report. Eventually, when Nigeria explodes, you must have contributed tremendously in the misinformation that led to it. Let me educate you. Have checked the statistics of NA personnel per region in totality to really substantiate your claim? You deliberately left out facts that would have given you accurate conclusion. Perhaps the disgruntled officer who approached you, fooled you. The Course 30 you mentioned that was bypassed contained ibo officers. Promotion to the rank of Brig Gen and above is based on professional competence and geopolitical spread. Therefore, if you check the ratio of each geopolitical zone to brig gen and Mag Gen, you will see some element of balance. Now, Brig Gen Martins was not promoted because already another officer from his state/region who was better than him got their slot. It does not matter whether Martins is from Ordinance. If you promote him, his state will have more generals than other. Do you get the logic? By the way, the promotion of generals tilt more to competence and vibrancy and not on seniority. If you have checked with the AHQ Dept of Military Secretary, you would have being educated properly. As you pointed out Gen Ugwu, there are hausa, Yoruba and other generals promoted above their less competent but senior colleagues. What I am trying to tell you is that the same way you are grumbling for Martins and Magaji, so other ethnic juggernauts(including ibo ones) are grumbling that their brother were not promoted. Please do not make things difficult for the good and equitable transformation that is going on in the Nigerian Army. Help Nigeria. Most people would take your story as the truth. Mr Koleoso did not comment because Nigerian Army find it amusing when reporters make infantile assertions without verification. Nigerian Army is not Customs or Immigration. This is the most professional army in Africa. Do not help fools to destroy this. If Nigerian Army crumbles, you will not see anywhere space to practice your journalism. So report responsibily.
Thank you. You’ve said it all. Ignoranmous reporting what they know nothing about. Serious minded people will only laugh at this lame attempt to sow bad blood in our very professional Army. For all who needs to know, read my lips; Nigerian Army as it is today is more professionally run than ever before.
this story is too anecdotal and one-sided. did the writer confront the coas or someone in a position to speak for him with these figures for his/her reaction? what is the source of those figures? assuming that these figures check out as correct, what military policy is it in violation of? did some zones not show enough interest to fill their allotted quota?; did you investigate this? this story flunks the basic rule of investigative journalism for leaving all of these and more unanswered questions. it might actually be defamatory and actionable in a litigious society.
Ihejirika is a very useless senior oficer. he has shown the entire nation that an igbo man shouldnt be given power in this country. he’s trying to tear Nigeria apart and God would not give it to him.
it seem 1966 is about to repeat itself. GEJ should take note of this dangerous dimension before the situation consumes him
Why did the officers in charge of the various corp of the Nigeria Army in the first place presented officers of various courses instead of either one or at best, four of same course so that they can contest orally or otherwise.
Whatever is the reason behind this publication, the Presidency should not treat the report with levity. It deserves to be properly investigated to determine how factual it is. It portends a grave danger for this country if actually it is true. On the other way round, the publisher should be made to face the music if the story is found to be fictitious.
FUNNY INDEED. THE HAUSA/ FULANI HELD SWAY IN THE MILLITARY ALL THESE YEARS. THEY RECRUITED, PROMOTED, DEPLOYED AND FIRED AT WILL. NOBODY UTTERED A WORD. WHAT COMES ROUND GOES ROUND.
U are a fool
Hausa and fulani propaganda. Look at their population figures, entire Igbo 16.3 million, just north-west 35 million plus and south west 27 million is absolute bullshit. They want to talk of Gen. Ihejirika, the only igbo after ironsi to reach a major general was ike nwachukwu then and the only from whole southern nigeria, the rest were hausa and minority fulanis yet the world didn’t tear down!
This is a critical case the two chambers should not leave the matter go.A proper investigation should be carried out and made public in other to avert the danger inttened by the reporter. I know the Army is a well displine society and can not condon such practices
Let Nigeria continue with conflict without crisis lest it will lead to distruction of lives and properties.
Cheers! It’s appropriate time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy. What if the Secret to Success is Failure http://www.xjj-394.com/thread-16621-1-1.html
Well in every enterprise there are bound to be losers and winners; promotion and appointment inclusive. For this issue to become a subject of discuss certainly attracts some consideration. What is reportedly happening in the NN, could be an eye-opener to what the other services are enduring with pains. The President should as a matter of urgency constitute a panel to investigate these and other allegations in the Armed forces to establish the veracity or otherwise of these claims. The Military is one institution that should be devoid of bitterness among its personnel.
Well in every enterprise there are bound to be losers and winners; promotion and appointment inclusive. For this issue to become a subject of discuss certainly attracts some consideration. What is reportedly happening in the Nigerian Army, could be an eye-opener to what the other services are enduring with pains. The President should as a matter of urgency constitute a panel to investigate these and other allegations in the Armed forces to establish the veracity or otherwise of these claims. The Military is one institution that should be devoid of bitterness among its personnel.
The truth is that you have to pass exams to be promoted and it seems that northerners are a bit slow in education so passing the examination has become the biggest problem they have. Education was not prioritized during the military rule which afforded the north to employ a lot of uneducated or half illiterates as offices of the Nigerian Army but since OBJ things have changed, you now have to pull your weight and there the problem lay with the north. The answer is to go to school.
Cub journalists,foolish reporter, u hav decided to plant the seed of discord in the Nigerian most professional body. ur ploy will not work . journalists are respected for objectivity but u hav prooved to be a bad egg. trouble maker verify ur facts bfor u earn the wrath of Nigerian army.always enviouse of the igbos. uchu gba kwa gi. ewu awusa.
The Nig army are prepering for 2015. That is what we are waiting for now. What happened in Lib. wil repeat itself here in Nig.
Iheajirek this life is short please be fair and just to all please don’t bring tribalism into the Army.God Bless NIGERIA