Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has welcomed the appointment of new service chiefs, while expressing gratitude to outgoing service chiefs, particularly chiefs of army, and Air Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai and Air Marshall Abubakar Sadique with whom Borno government worked more closely in the fight against Boko Haram.
Zulum spoke briefly last night in Maiduguri, when some journalists sought his reaction to President Muhammadu Buhari announced on Tuesday afternoon, that he had accepted the resignation of his (now retired) service chiefs, and had appointed Major General L.E.O Irabor as Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru as Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo as Chief of Naval Stafff and Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao as the Chief of Air Staff.
“The outgoing service chiefs have been with us in the last six years, and during these eventful and challenging years, they immensely contributed to ongoing peace building efforts through the fight against Boko Haram.
“Our rebuilding and resettlement efforts are only possible because of the combined efforts of Lieutenant General Buratai as Chief of Army Staff, Air Marshall Sadique as Chief of Air Staff, of course, with so much contribution from other service chiefs, intelligence bodies, police, paramilitary and volunteers.
“We can’t ignore these huge contributions, but then, as we all know, everything has an appointed time, we thank all the outgoing service chiefs for their contributions and we wish them the best in future endeavours.
“As for the incoming, especially, Gen L.E.O Irabor who is Chief of Defence Staff and General Attahiru, the COAS, both of them have worked here in Borno as theatre commanders of Operation Lafiya Dole, they know all the issues and I am sure they will hit the ground running.
“The Borno State Government will accord them the same maximum support we gave their predecessors, and we will continue our own roles in supporting the military with logistics as we have been regularly doing, we will sustain our mobilisation of communities for intelligence gathering, funding operations of thousands of volunteers, praying for our troops and volunteers in front lines and supporting their families as we have been doing” Zulum said.