From Molly Kilete, Abuja
All is set for the newly-appointed Chief Of Army Staff( COAS), Maj-Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, to take over the leadership of the Nigerian Army.
Gen Attahiru was appointed alongside the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Maj-Gen Leo Irabor, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Rear Admiral Gambo and the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Vice Marshall Isiaka Amao by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday following the retirement of the previous Service Chiefs.
The retired Service Chiefs are the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lt-Gen Gabriel Olonisakin, Chief Of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok Ette-Ibas and the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar.
The handing and taking over ceremony is scheduled to hold at the Nigerian Army Headquarters Conference Room by 12:30 pm.
Already, activities lined up to organise a befitting handing and taking over has been concluded with the authorities putting finishing touches. The scenario at the army headquarters is busy with the arrival of Principal Staff Officers(PSOs), commanders, General Officers Commanding (GOCs), field commanders, commandants of army schools among other senior officers.
The ceremony which is expected not to last for more than one hour will feature the arrival of the former COAS, Lieutenant- General Tukur Buratai, who is expected to inspect a quarter guard already mounted after which he would hold a one-on-one meeting with his successor from where they would move to the conference room venue for the handing and taking over ceremony.
At the conference room, Gen Buratai is expected to make brief remarks after which he would decorate the new COAS, with the army headquarters insignia, handing over the command and vacate his seat for Gen Attahiru to sit. After taking over proper, the new COAS is expected to make an acceptance speech after which the two would be a group photograph session. With the photograph session over, the former and the new COAS would now move downstairs for another round of ceremony that would feature the Lowering and hoisting of the old and new Nigerian army flag signifying disengagement of the former COAS and assumption of office of the new COAS.