PROMOTING MEDIOCRITY AND NEPOTISM

In some instances it appears that Gen Ihejiriaka is not only interested in advancing the interests of his kith and kin but is also hell bent on promoting mediocrity in the army. We can illustrate this by taking the case of NDA Course 29. This course has many outstanding officers but pre-eminent amongst these is Brigadier General Oyebade.

Brigadier Oyebade not only had a B grade in his Senior Staff Course in Pakistan, he achieved an A Grade in National Defence University in Pakistan. Brigadier Oyebade was a Directing Staff (DS), in both the Staff College, Jaji and Defence College, Abuja. However the officer was denied promotion in the just concluded exercise.

Still on NDA course 29. Brig. Odunukwe of the Corps of Signals had to be promoted at all costs during the last promotion, otherwise age would have caught up with him on the rank. He just had to be promoted. This explains why he was promoted alongside two other signal officers. Out of the three promoted, two are Igbos, the other being Brig Orji. Again for Orji, he was in a tight spot. This was his last chance, but because Ihejirika did not want his calculations to appear obvious, he inserted a Yoruba officer, Ologundudu, to smoke up people’s vision.

It should be mentioned that many Igbo officers who have an age problem were not presented with letters of retirement unlike others who have since been eased out without a chance to progress. A case in mind is that of Brig Gen U.M Danko from Bauchi who was never presented for any promotion board since he was promoted in 2008. Nefariously, the officer was blocked from being presented three times so that age will catch up with him.

In course 30 of NDA, four (4) officers were presented but none was promoted. These officers include Brigadier P.A.T Akem, S. Abubakar, Ebenebe and Okoh. The reason is that if any were to be promoted, it would have to be an Igbo officer. It would difficult to drop Akem, a Tiv officer or, Abubakar an Igbirra officer, both with very good records. General Ihejirika therefore preferred to sacrifice Ebenebe and Okoh, who in any case did not have age on their side, for officers from junior course (SS 26). The idea again being that for every promotion he must insert an Igbo. For example, he picked Duru from course 33, leaving behind Akem whose records are outstanding or Abubakar who did very well in NDC.

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Gbawe:

Absolutely. The process has to be tainted in some way to diminish its credibility - and the Otedola-style shenanigans has begun. Does it make sense to anyone that a Nollywood drama had to play out on the very day a formal presentation of the committees work was made to the President?

Nigerians need to begin think critically or we are doomed to be perpetual slaves of corruption and roguery. It is not rocket science. We keep seeing things that do not happen anywhere else in the world being the order of the day in Nigeria. Yet, we Nigerians make excuses to validate the senseless 419 antics of our leaders.