Ribadu And His Generals

RIBADU AND HIS GENERALS

By Emeka Obasi

National Security Adviser ( NSA ) Nuhu Ribadu needs to begin 2024 with a private dinner with the Service Chiefs devoid of work environment. It should be a no holds barred party, spiced with choice wines, anecdotes and sidetalks.

The Nigeria Army and Nigerian Air Force are partners in progress, there is no disputing that. However, it is not everything that happens in the Oza room ( apologies to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari ) that the entire world gets to know. Some secrets are kept, to maintain peace.

Beyond the facade, there is a natural rivalry between the two forces. The soldiers are dotting elder brothers having started in the Nineteenth Century as Glover Hausa. The airmen are much younger, established in 1964, thanks to Defence minister, Muhammadu Ribadu. Between them, we have the Nigerian Navy.

The fight against terrorism will be won with full cooperation of the Armed Forces. When they are involved in peace operations outside the country, there is harmony. As ECOMOG in Liberia, success was achieved. It also worked for good in Sierra Leone.

The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ( UAV ), also known as Drones, by the Nigeria Army should be discussed in full at this dinner, inspired by the NSA. Let Army Chief, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja and his Air Force colleague, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, open up.

I noticed a disconnect after the error bombing in Tudun Biri. The Air Force washed their hands off the matter through spokesman, Edward Gabkwet. My take was that Defence Spokesman, Tukur Gusau, should have issued the statement detailing what transpired. Gabkwet has since been elevated to Air Vice Marshal, from his former rank of Air Commodore.

Army Image Maker, Onyema Nwachukwu, is also wearing a new rank. He is now a Two – Star General. The Navy moved their man, Adedotun Ayo – Vaughan, to the rank of Rear Admiral. It is good news that those who handle Public Relations in the Armed Forces are at par.

It will also be nice for the Service Chiefs to direct their men to speak with one voice during operations, through the office of the Chief of Defence Staff ( CDS ) Gen. Chris Musa. This should be discussed at the dinner and communicated.

Following the Tudun Biri incident, an Air Force Veteran sent a note to me after reading my opinion. This retired Air Vice Marshal was a fighter pilot who served with the United Nations Peace Keeping Forces. He was also part of ECOMOG.

He wrote : “If both the Nigeria Army and the Nigerian Air Force are to operate UAVs, what then determines Areas of Responsibility? One should expect the Army to operate within its troops battle area or battle space for self defence.”

The Veteran however insisted that there was nothing wrong with the Army using drones. ” I am not against that really but flying and bombing deep into enemy territory is purely Air Force job. All is not well with synergy and adherence to doctrine in the Armed Forces.”

The NSA and CDS must use these words of wisdom to get the best out of the military. It is heartening that the three Service Chiefs are friends and Course mates. Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla and Abubakar were together at the Nigerian Military School, Zaria. They met Lagbaja later as officer cadets.

Musa, of the Nigerian Defence Academy ( NDA) Regular Course ( RC ) 38, is senior to the trio who belong to RC 39. This makes it easy for Ribadu because they all know themselves. It is not exactly so in the US where Army cadets are trained at West Point, the Navy uses Annapolis while Air Force cadets go to Colorado Springs.

Even in the United Kingdom, the Army makes use of Sandhurst, the Navy trains at Dartmouth. Until the Sani Abacha years, Service Chiefs had different training backgrounds as officer cadets, from Sandhurst to Dartmouth to Dehra Dun.

General Johnson Aguiyi – Ironsi did not have an alternative when the Germans abandoned the Nigerian Air Force after the January 1966 coup. He looked inwards and used the Army to replace them. That was how Lt. Col. George Kurubo, became the first indigenous Air Chief.

In choosing Kurubo, Ironsi considered background. He was the most senior surviving Sandhurst trained officer, following the death of his course mate, Yakubu Pam and seniors, Zakari Maimalari, Kur Mohammed and Abogo Largema.

Kurubo was at Sandhurst from September 1954 and was commissioned in 1955. Ironsi chose Gowon, Kurubo’s junior as Army Chief. Kurubo joined the Army as officer Number 13. Gowon is officer N/20. In between them were Victor Banjo, N/16 and his course mate, David Ejoor, N/17.

Ironsi, an Umuahia man, could also have loved Kurubo’s Government College, Umuahia attachment and profile. Both men served as ADC, at different times, to the Governor General. Ironsi was Equerry to Queen Elizabeth when she visited Nigeria in 1956. Kurubo was Equerry to the Queen’s sister, Princess Alexandra, when she came in 1960.

Air Force officers have bragging rights. The only Nigerian officer that fought the Second World War, was Flt. Lieutenant Emmanuel Adeniyi Thomas. There was also Robert Ngbaraonye, a Pilot Navigator and Bomber Crew, from Umuahia. Nigerian soldiers were other ranks.

Ribadu should not remind our Service Chiefs of how the Mamman Vatsa coup caused Ibrahim Babangida to disarm the Air Force. Henceforth there should be trust and unity of purpose. Those who want to pour libation are free. Please let them pop champagne. NNL.