The newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Major-General LEO Irabor, Friday took over as the 17th Defence Chief with a promise to ensure that Nigeria remains one united country.

The new CDS, who promised to offer the right leadership that would inspire the Nigerian Armed Forces, equally solicited the support of all Nigerians to tackle to enable the military tackle the current security challenges bedeviling the country.

He said he along the service chiefs “will in no time, take actions that would significantly add value to the security disposition across the country”.

While thanking the former Chief of Defence Staff General Gabriel Olonisakin and the former service chiefs for their contributions in curbing insecurity, Irabor said “we are all aware of the security landscape and should join hands to take security to all the nooks of the country.

“Gentlemen the security landscape throughout the country is well known to us. I know that a whole lot of us that are here we have been parts and parcel of the effort to ensure that in conjunction with other security agencies, we are able to make the gains that we.

“I will like to also use this opportunity to thank you for the contributions that you have made and looking forward to better contributions from everyone of you.

“The mandate is clear from Mr President and Commander in Chief. It remains unambiguous and the service chiefs are and I after the briefing, we are no doubt know the enormous challenges that lies ahead of us.

“We will in no time, take actions that will significantly add value to the security disposition across the country.

“Let me on this note also thank the CDS, and the former service chiefs for their various contributions throughout their tenure in office.

“It is by virtue of their leadership that the strides that we made were achieved. Let me at this time invite every Nigerian to please join efforts to support us and make members of the armed forces as well as other security agencies in ensuring that security return to every nook and cranny of our dear country. It is a joint responsibility and we will crave your support in ensuring that the demands are met.

“Let me once again appreciate the president for this great honor to be in this position to lead the armed forces of Nigeria.

“Officers and men of the armed forces of Nigeria, I will like to pledge right away that I will give the right leadership to ensure that you have the ambiance to make you perform your tasks”.

Earlier in his farewell address, the former Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, urged his predecessor to give his best to ensure that “Nigeria remains one peaceful, indivisible country”.

Olonisakin who took time to highlight some of the achievements of the military in the last five years, said: “I must state that while the Armed Forces of Nigeria, under my leadership, grappled with some operational and logistics challenges, the DHQ has made some modest achievements aimed at improving operational capacity, logistics and welfare needs of officers and men serving in the Defence Headquarters.

“In terms of organisation, some directorates of the DHQ were upgraded to departments to make them more impactful. Some of these are the former Directorate of Civil-Military Affairs, which have been upgraded to a Department to scale up our non-kinetic operation”.

He said: “I am confident that General Irabor will lead the Armed Forces of Nigeria to build on what we have been able to achieve in the past five and half years and take the Armed Forces of Nigeria to much greater heights.

“I urge you to continue to give your best to ensure that Nigeria remains one peaceful, indivisible country”. (Saturday Sun)

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