President Bola Tinubu on Thursday decorated the newly appointed service chiefs with their new ranks at a brief ceremony in the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Those decorated include General Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff; Lieutenant General Wahidi Shaibu, Chief of Army Staff; Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, Chief of Naval Staff; Air Marshal Kelvin Aneke, Chief of Air Staff; and Lieutenant General Emmanuel Undiendeye, Chief of Defence Intelligence.

Addressing the officers, President Tinubu urged them to demonstrate patriotic zeal and deliver tangible results, stressing that Nigerians were “in a hurry to celebrate peace.”

“Of grave concern to our administration is the recent emergence of new armed groups in the North-Central, North-West, and parts of the South. We must not allow these new threats to fester,” Tinubu said.

“We must be decisive and proactive. Let us smash the new snakes right in the head. Nigerians expect results, not excuses,” he charged.

The President called for greater collaboration among the services and the deployment of technology to overcome security challenges.
“We cannot allow the crisis that began in 2009 to persist any longer,” he warned.

Speaking on behalf of the service chiefs, General Oluyede pledged loyalty to the President and commitment to defeating terrorism and criminality to secure the nation and foster economic growth.

The wives of the new service chiefs assisted in decorating their husbands.

Dignitaries at the event included Vice President Kashim Shettima; Senate President Godswill Akpabio; House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas; Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau; Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; and Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila.