The Defence Headquarters have confirmed that there is no leadership vacuum in the army leadership following the absence of the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja.
In a statement released on Saturday, Onyema Nwachukwu, the Director of Army Public Relations, reassured the public that there is no leadership vacuum within the Nigerian Army during Lagbaja’s absence.
This is coming in response to public concerns about Lagbaja’s absence from recent military functions, with some speculating about potential gaps in leadership.
Addressing these concerns, Nwachukwu noted, “There have been instances where unforeseen human frailty kept service chiefs away for about three months,” adding that “Nothing can be farther from the truth” regarding insinuations of a leadership vacuum.
The army spokesperson maintained that the Nigerian Army operates under a highly structured system with established protocols for handling such circumstances.
While explaining that before embarking on his leave, Lt. Gen. Lagbaja had made necessary arrangements to ensure smooth operations, with Maj.-Gen. Abdulsalami Ibrahim, the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), temporarily acting on his behalf, Nwachukwu revealed further;
“There have even been insinuations that there is a leadership vacuum, with officers confused about what to do. Nothing can be farther from the truth. To be very clear, the Nigerian Army is a highly structured establishment with well-laid-out procedures and processes for dealing with different circumstances”.
He explained that all routine and scheduled activities within the Nigerian Army remain on course. “The appropriate departmental chiefs are fully carrying out their responsibilities in line with the COAS directives”.
Nwachukwu, also urged the public to disregard any rumors.
