Service chiefs’ tenure ends July 13

From Molly Kilete, Abuja

There is tension in the Armed Forces, over the expiration of the tenure of current service chiefs.
President Muhammadu Buhari appointed he Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Gabriel Olonisakin, Chief Of Army Staff(COAS), Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, Chief of Naval Staff(CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok -Ette Ibas and the Chief of Air Staff(CAS), Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar, on July, 13, 2015.
By their appointment, the service chiefs have spent the mandatory two years and should be on their way out any moment from now, except the president thinks otherwise.
Similarly, the president may consider extending their tenure in office if he so wishes.
But, in the absence of the president, there has been scheming by senior military officers on who to takes over from them.
Those eyeing the positions, it was gathered, are Major-Generals, in the army, Rear Admirals in the Navy and Air Vice Marshals in the Air Force.
Few weeks ago, the navy, retired four Rear Admirals, five Commodores, four Captains, two Commanders and three Lieutenant-Commanders.
Similarly, it was gathered that a number of officers have been forced out of service in the Nigerian Army, even when their number of years of service has not been completed.
The same scenario is playing out in the air force, where some very senior officers, who are due for retirement are still in service while those who are considered not to be in the good books of the authorities are sent on early retirement.
Daily Sun gathered that as the two years expiration of the service chiefs draws closer, some are lobbying to retain their appointments, while others in the armed forces are lobbying their way to occupy the position.