President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday decorated the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Oyebe Jibrin and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, with their new ranks following the confirmation of their appointments by the National Assembly.
The president was assisted by Vice President Mohamed Namadi Sambo and the spouses of the decorated officers.
Speaking after the exercise, Jonathan urged the new service chief to take drastic action against terrorists and ensure that the people in the North eastern part of the country sleep without fear of attacks.
He said: “Whenever I am decorating military officers I commend their wives because it is not easy to be barrack based and for you to rise to this limelight. But for the service chiefs I don’t know whether I should congratulate you or I should sympathise with you because of the circumstances of the moment.
“That reminds me of when I was in secondary school, I read one article written by the late Dr. Tai Solarin and there is one clause where he said ‘I wish you what I wish myself every year. May your road be rough’. So, I think I will wish you what I wish myself every year and I say may we have enough hard time this period because none of us will sleep till the Nigerians in Borno state can sleep.
“That is why I say today is not a moment for major statements. We must not fail this country and I believe this team will work together to be assisted by other intelligence services because the war against terror must be won in this country.”
In his vote of thanks, the new Chief of Defence Staff commended the president for considering them worthy of the appointment and pledged their unalloyed support to the constitution and elected government officials at all levels.
