TEXT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESS BY THE ALL PROGRESSIVES YOUTH FORUM (APYF) ON THE APPOINTMENT OF THE NEW SERVICE CHIEFS BY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI, GCFR IN ABUJA ON 27TH JANUARY, 2021.
 
PROTOCOL
Gentlemen of the press, we thank you most sincerely for honouring our invitation to this press conference.
 
2. We have called you today as members of the All Progressives Youth Forum (APYF), a foremost youth wing of the APC to share our excitement with the news of the appointment of the new service chiefs by the Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.
 
3. We are delighted with this news. We have always believed that renewed invigoration was needed for the leadership of the armed forces. This, in no way diminishes or waters down the massive successes our military have achieved, especially recently, under the outgoing retired service chiefs.
 
4. The significant successes recorded by the immediate past service chiefs in the last days of their tenures were very encouraging and signified that these gallant officers had the capacity to deal decisively with the terrorists, bandits and criminals. It is fulfilling that these retiring service chiefs bowed out with their head highs. They set foundations that are reference points in the war against terrorism.
 
5. No doubt, Nigerians all over the world, with the recent news of the victories being recorded most especially against the dreaded Boko Haram, are proud and grateful to the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin; ex-Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai; former Chiefs of Naval and Air Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; and Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar for their services. We wish them a peaceful retirement and the long life to witness a completely secured Nigeria that will serve as legacy for their long years of sacrifices.
 
6. The All Progressives Youth Forum would also like to congratulate the newly appointed Service Chiefs and wish them a  successful tenure. It is our prayers that they would be able to sustain and even  build on the recent successes achieved by their predecessors. We have looked at their resumes, and we can say that they are stellar and deserving of the roles they are going to be playing. They are experienced in the battlefield terrain, and we are sure that these Service Chiefs will deal the final blow that ends terrorism in Nigeria. Nigerians expect victory, and nothing less.
 
7. We call on all Nigerians to exercise patience with the newly appointed security chiefs, and to offer them our full support in the firm belief that the President must have taken into consideration their long years of experience in arriving at the decision to saddle them with the responsibilities of prosecuting our nation’s security policies during one of the most challenging times in our history.

8. Our prayers are with the newly appointed service chiefs and, indeed, with all gallant officers who have continued to work day and night in a bid to ensure we all live peacefully in a well secured country. May your efforts and those of all our fallen heroes never be in vain, and may Nigeria, during our lifetime, live up to its promise of a peaceful and prosperous nation.
 
9. Thank you.
 
Abu Andrew Abu
For: All Progressives Youth Forum, APYF