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SERVICE CHIEFS: Criticism, Applaud Trail Tinubu’s Appointments

Published

3 years ago

June 21, 2023

Mixed reactions, Tuesday, greeted President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of new service chiefs, which took the nation’s security firmament by surprise.

Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olabode George said the appointments were reasonable but not perfect.

However, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep Benjamin Kalu and Former Chief of Staff to the Imo State Governor and President Ugwumba Leadership Center for Africa, Uche Nwosu, commended Tinubu for reflecting Nigeria’s diversity in his appointments.

Tinubu on Monday retired Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Amao; Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, and Comptroller of Customs, Col Hameed Ali, retd among others.

New service chiefs

He appointed new service chiefs as follows:

* Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser
*Maj. Gen. C.G Musa, Chief of Defence Staff
*Maj. T. A Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff
* Rear Admiral E. A Ogalla, Chief of Naval Staff
*AVM H.B Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff
*DIG Kayode Egbetokun, Acting Inspector-General of Police
* Maj. Gen. EPA Undiandeye, Chief of Defense Intelligence

* Adeniyi Bashir Adewale, Ag. Comptroller General of Customs.
Other top appointments include:

*Col. Adebisi Onasanya, Brigade of Guards Commander
* Lt. Col. Moshood Abiodun Yusuf, 7 Guards Battalion, Asokoro, Abuja
* Lt. Col. Auwalu Baba Inuwa, 177 Guards Battalion, Keffi, Nasarawa State
* Lt. Col. Mohammed J. Abdulkarim, 102 Guards Battalion, Suleja, Niger
* Lt. Col. Olumide A. Akingbesote, 176 Guards Battalion, Gwagwalada, Abuja
Similarly, the President approved the appointments of other military officers in the Presidential Villa as follows:
*Maj. Isa Farouk Audu, (N/14695) Commanding Officer State House Artillery
*Capt. Kazeem Olalekan Sunmonu (N/16183), Second-in-Command, State House Artillery
*Maj. Kamaru Koyejo Hamzat (N/14656), Commanding Officer, State House Military Intelligence
* Maj. TS Adeola (N/12860), Commanding Officer, State House Armament
*Lt. A. Aminu (N/18578) Second-in- Command, State House Armament.
Also, President Tinubu approved the appointments of two additional special advisers, and two senior assistants. They are:
* Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser, Policy Coordination
* Hannatu Musa Musawa, Special Adviser, Culture and Entertainment Economy
* Senator Abdullahi Abubakar Gumel, Senior Special Assistant, National Assembly Matters (Senate)
* Mr. Olarewaju Kunle Ibrahim, Senior Special Assistant, National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives)

Kalu hails Tinubu over Chief of Naval Staff appointment

Speaking on the issue, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Benjamin Kalu hailed President Tinubu over the appointment of Rear Admiral Ikechukwu Ogalla as Chief of Naval Staff.

Kalu noted that the appointment touched on the diversity of the country, stressing that the President is determined to lead an inclusive government and promote national cohesion.

The deputy speaker also expressed gratitude to the president for his proactiveness in appointing capable hands to many key areas of the new administration so far.

While commending Tinubu for finding Ogalla, an Enugu indigene worthy of the esteemed position, Kalu who is also from the South-East expressed his confidence in the competence and capacity of the new naval helmsman to deliver.

Kalu further urged the South-East to support the current administration as the interests of the zone were well secured by the president.

So far reasonable, not perfect—Bode George

On his part, Chief Olabode George said that it is too early to evaluate President Tinubu’s administration.

Speaking on Channels Televisions ‘Politics Today, George insisted that the President needs a lot of good advisers, introspection noting that “Tinubu’s methodology so far is ‘reasonable but not perfect.’

He said: “The major difference between Bola and me is his methodology. His managerial style is not like mine. I have a background in the military. You don’t carry your men to war without adequately doing serious planning and intelligence gathering.

“So it is too early in the day. It is not a 100-meter dash race. He is to manage the people and the resources of this country for the betterment of the Nigerian people. In other words, his start is reasonable but not perfect.

“At least it is better than what we knew before when he was in Lagos. … I have worked for Gen. Babangida, Baba Obasanjo, and Jonathan, among others. It is not an easy job; the only thing is that you pray for whoever is there.

“It is not a matter of totalitarianism or you know it all syndrome. You need a lot of good advisers, you need a lot of introspection, and now he’s doing some balancing; it may not be perfect, but it is reasonable.”

Asked if the federal character principle was reflected in the security chief’s appointment, he said: “It is still reasonable. The founding fathers of the PDP divided Nigeria into six geo-political zones; it was not in our constitution.

“What got me a little bit worried was that the Secretary to the Government announced the appointment of smaller units. That should be done by the naval council or the military council.”

Nwosu commends Tinubu, says appointment nationalistic

However, Uche Nwosu, hailed President Tinubu’s appointments, saying that the president has the nation at heart and was committed to addressing the nation’s challenges.

Nwosu, in a statement, said Tinubu has demonstrated nationalism through his dedication to signing bills into law, ranging from the student loan bill, electricity distribution bill and of recent, the appointment of service chiefs.

The statement read: “The recent reshuffling of service chiefs by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is commendable. Since assuming office, President Tinubu has demonstrated by the Bills he signed into law, and by the appointments and pronouncements he made that his administration is one where the leader understands the peculiar challenges facing the country.

“Mr President in his drive for holistic national repositioning delved into the education sector where the recent education loan scheme act would provide Nigerians with opportunities to pursue their academic goals, regardless of their social or economic background.

“Recall the electricity distribution bill that President Tinubu also signed into law, thereby bringing to an end, the belated controversy on electricity distribution that has slowed the wheel of the nation’s march towards industrialization.

“The latest hallmark of the administration is the appointment of service chiefs to ensure the security of lives and properties, and to defend and enforce Nigeria’s sovereignty.

“By selecting fine and well decorated officers from all regions of the country to man our security outfits, Mr President has demonstrated his deep understanding of the country, its people, as well as showing his unflinching commitment to one Nation bound in love and unity, where tribe, tongue and religion does not matter.

“I, therefore, urge the new service chiefs to deliver on their mandate, and restore our country to its former glory where lives are sacred, and investment, economic opportunities and political stability flourish.”

VANGUARD

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‘Pioneer Of Cable TV News’: Key Facts About CNN Founder, Ted Turner

Published

5 days ago

May 9, 2026

Editor

Ted Turner, the media businessman who founded CNN died at the age of 87. He died peacefully on Wednesday, surrounded by family, according to Turner Enterprises.

Contents

Launched 24-hour news television

Built a media network

Expanded through sports

Recognition and influence

Philanthropy and global causes

Environmental efforts

Health and later years

Early career path

Leadership and legacy

Personal life

Exit from business

Family

Below are key facts about his life and impact:

Launched 24-hour news television

Turner founded CNN on June 1, 1980, introducing the first 24-hour news channel and changing how audiences follow global events.

Built a media network

He moved from billboards into broadcasting, turning an Atlanta TV station into a national superstation in 1976. His business later grew to include CNN International, TNT, Turner Classic Movies and Cartoon Network.

Expanded through sports

Turner invested in sports broadcasting and owned teams including the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks, using television to reach wider audiences.

Recognition and influence

In 1991, he was named Time magazine’s Man of the Year for his role in shaping modern news coverage.

Philanthropy and global causes

He founded the United Nations Foundation and supported campaigns against nuclear weapons. In 1997, he pledged $1 billion to the United Nations.

Turner supported conservation work, including reintroducing bison in the United States, and backed environmental education through the “Captain Planet” cartoon.

Health and later years

In 2018, Turner revealed he had Lewy body dementia. He also recovered from a mild case of pneumonia in early 2025.

Early career path

He took over his father’s billboard company at 24 after his father’s death and later expanded into radio and television, despite limited experience in journalism.

“I worked until 7 o’clock, and when I got home the news was over,” he once said. “So I missed television news completely. And I figured there were lots of people like me.”

Leadership and legacy

“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement,” Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said in a statement. “He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN. Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognize him and his impact on our lives and the world.”

Personal life

Turner married actress Jane Fonda in 1991, and they later divorced after 10 years, though they remained close.

“I would never love anyone like I love him,” she said. “But I just couldn’t keep moving in his world, along the surface for the rest of my life. I knew that I would get to the end of my life and regret not doing the things that I also needed to do for me.”

Exit from business

He sold his company to Time Warner in 1996 and later stepped away following its merger with AOL.

Reflecting on his life, Turner once said: “I lost Jane. I lost my job here. I lost my fortune, most of it. Got a billion or two left. You can get by on that if you economize.”

Family

He is survived by his five children, 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Headline

Iran’s Nationwide Internet Shutdown Hits 70 Days

Published

5 days ago

May 9, 2026

Editor

NetBlocks, a monitoring group, has disclosed that an internet shutdown enforced by the Iranian regime has entered its 70th day, severing key access from swathes of the population under the shadow of war.

NetBlocks reported on Friday that the blackout has now surpassed 1,656 hours, marking more than two months since US-Israeli strikes pounded Tehran and escalated across the Middle East.

“Digital connectivity is vital in times of crisis,” NetBlocks said in a post on X. “Limiting service harms those most in need – people with disabilities, students, small businesses and the general public.”

According to CNN, Iran imposed a separate internet shutdown on the country’s 92 million people earlier this year, when it launched the most lethal crackdown on anti-government protesters since the Islamic Republic’s founding 47 years ago.

CNN further reports that the latest blackout has cut off another potential lifeline for Iranian residents faced with high unemployment and economic pressure exacerbated by the US-Israeli campaign.

(CNN)

Headline

Gas Prices In US Edge Down After Two Weeks Of Increases

Published

5 days ago

May 9, 2026

Editor

The cost of a gallon of regular gas in the United States (US) has edged down a little more than a penny to $4.55.

According to AAA’s readings, this marks the first decline in the average gas price after 15 straight days of increases.

The decline is minuscule compared to the large increases in gas prices over the last two weeks.

According to CNN, gasoline costs rose an average of nearly 4 cents a day during that period and had several daily increases of between 7 and 9 cents.

Also Read: Trump insists US-Iran ceasefire intact despite recent exchange of fire

CNN also reports that based on past gas spikes, it will likely take weeks for gas prices to get down below $4 a gallon.

The report, however, states that a previous two-week stretch of gas price declines only shaved 14 cents off the average price, taking the average price to $4.02, before the recent 15-day run of increases.

According to CNN, it could take months for the average price to fall below $3 per gallon, as it did before the war in Iran.

CNN further reports that only one state – Oklahoma – now has an average price of less than $4 a gallon, and its average stands at $3.98. California has the highest average price at $6.16.

(CNN)