Jonathan sacks GOC's, Brigade of Guard Commanders …U.S Monitors Security Situation in Nigeria
In what appears to be a confirmation of Pointblanknews.com exclusive report about security concerns in Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan today approved the removal of the General Officers Commanding ( GOC's), all the Nigeria Army divisions and the Brigade of Guard Commander with immediate effect.
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This is coming on the heels of reports obtained in New York that the United States has started monitoring the security situation in Nigeria ahead of the 2011 general elections.
President Jonathan had few weeks ago sacked all the service chiefs, the Director -General of the State Security Services(SSS), and the Inspector General of Police,( IGP).
Pointblanknews.com had exclusively reported secret moves capable of jeopardizing the Nigeria's democracy by some fifth columnists, few hours after President Goodluck declared his interest in contesting the 2011 Presidential election.
Highly placed sources, had told Pointblanknews.com, “they would also take advantage of the fact that the new Army chief, General Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika is yet to 'settle' down, coupled with the fact that some key officers are still loyal to the sacked Army Chief, Gen Abdulrahman Dambazzau.”
But in a move aimed at checkmating such plans, coupled with latest unfavorable security reports obtained while the President was attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York, President Jonathan dealt the masterstroke.
The sacked GOC's include: Major General KA Role, 1st Division , headquartered in Kaduna in the north-west, Major General Lawrence Ngubane, 2nd Division (HQ Ibadan in the South-West, includes 32 Artillery Brigade at Abeokuta ), Major General Saleh Maina, 3rd Armored Division (HQ Rukuba Cantonment, Jos in the North-East, and including 21 Armored Brigade Maiduguri , 23 Brigade Yola , and 33 Artillery Brigades. Major General Eugene Nwanjuma 81st Division (Amphibious) HQ in Lagos, which includes the 9th Brigade, based at the Ikeja compound in Lagos.
Also sacked is Major General MD Isah, 82nd Division (Airborne and Amphibious) HQ in Enugu in the South-East, which includes the 2 Brigade at Port Harcourt, 13 Brigade at Calabar and the 34 Artillery Brigade at Obinze / Owerri . The Composite Division at Enugu was formed in 1964 as 4th Infantry Division, in 1975 became Lagos Garrison Organization; in 1981 became 4th Composite Division; became a Composite Division in May 2002.
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Meanwhile, Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton met with President Goodluck Jonathan behind closed doors for almost 40 minutes in New York. Although details of the meeting was not made known to reporters , a source who accompanied Mrs. Clinton to the closed door meeting told pointblanknews.com that the discussions centered on the 2011 elections in Nigeria.
The source who would not want to be named confirmed that issues bothering on Nigeria's internal security was also part of the discussion.
“The Secretary of State had a very important discussion with the President of Nigeria and you know elections in that country is near and the United States is interested in Nigeria's security mostly because of the very important role it plays in Africa,” the source told Pointblanknews.com.
The source added, “U.S is monitoring events in Nigeria as the elections approaches and information already received are not too healthy.”
Presidential spokesman, Ima Niboro who confirmed the sacking of the GOC's said the decision was in line with the desire of the President to properly reposition the Army.
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