According to the Army, Lagbaja is on official leave, and Ibrahim has been given the go-ahead to represent the COAS in his absence.
The Nigerian Army has denied media claims that, in light of Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja’s absence as Chief of Army Staff, there is a leadership void.
File photo of the COAS, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja. @HQNigerianArmy
According to Army spokesman Onyema Nwachukwu, Lagbaja is on official leave, and the appropriate arrangements have been made for Major General Abdulsalami Ibrahim, the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), to represent the COAS in his absence.Major General Nwachukwu emphasised that the absence of Lagbaja is not having an impact on the way the service is run.
There have even been hints that officers are unsure of what to do and there is a leadership void. He stated on Saturday that “nothing could be further from the truth.”
To be perfectly clear, the Nigerian Army is a highly organised organisation with carefully thought-out policies and procedures for handling various situations. “This is not unique to the NA; there have been cases where unanticipated human frailty kept service chiefs away for about three months, and their Chiefs of Policy and Plans held sway in their absence.” Prior to going on leave, the necessary procedures were put in place for Major General Abdulsalami Bagudu Ibrahim, the Army’s Chief of Policy and Plans, to act on behalf of the COAS. Therefore, allegations that there is currently a leadership void in the NA are unfounded because all regular and planned operations of the service are proceeding as planned.
According to the army spokesman, all regular and planned activities of the service are proceeding as planned, and the relevant department heads are doing their jobs to the best of their abilities in compliance with COAS directives.He reassured the public that the Nigerian Army would continue to serve and urged them to ignore rumours.