Photos: President Jonathan Decorating the New Service Chiefs

President Goodluck Jonathan has told the newly appointed
Chief of Defence Staff and other Service Chiefs that the
war against terror must be won by his administration.
The President spoke on Wednesday after he decorated the
military chiefs with their new ranks in Aso Rock
Presidential Villa.

Their appointment into the various positions had earlier
been confirmed by the Senate.

Those decorated with the new ranks include the Chief of
Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh who was
decorated with the new rank of Air Chief Marshal, the
Chief of Army Staff, Maj. General Keneth Minimah, who
was decorated with the rank of a Lieutenant General and
Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin, the Chief of Naval Staff now
promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral. Also, Air Vice
Marshal Adesola Amosu is now an Air Marshal.

The wives of the military chiefs and Vice President
Namadi Sambo helped in the decoration of the military
chiefs which was witnessed by members of the Federal
Executive Council and top government officials.
Speaking after the decoration, the President said he is torn
between congratulating the CDS and the other Service
Chiefs because of the circumstances of the country at the
moment.

The President said Nigerians are tired of hearing long
speeches. Making allusions to the Boko Haram insurgency
that has. grounded socio-economic activities in Borno
State and other parts of North East Nigeria, the President
told the new military commanders that "none of us can
sleep until Nigerians in Borno State can sleep well. That is
why I said today is not a moment for making statements.

"We have been having frank talks from time to time, but
definitely Nigerians will tell you what they expect from us.
We must not fail this country. But I believe this team will
work together to be assisted by other intelligence services
and the war against terror must be won by this administration."

The President who added that he is sure that the new
military chiefs are the best for Nigeria because of his
experience of working with some of them, urge the new
appointees not to disappoint Nigerians.

While responding of behalf of his colleagues, Air Chief
Badeh thanked the President for giving him and his
colleagues the honour of being the first set of Nigerian
military chiefs to be confirmed by the National Assembly.
He therefore on behalf of his colleagues pledged allegiance
to the President and the Nigerian people.

Badeh added that the military is poised more than ever
before to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria and
asked for more assistance to increase the capability of the
Nigeria Armed Forces in terms of funding and provision of
equipment.

The Air Chief who noted that the security challenges
facing Nigeria include the Boko Haram insurgency,
kidnapping and oil theft, asked Nigerians to be prepared to
make sacrifices for the funding of the military "because
when a nation's military is at war, the nation itself is at
war."

He added that security challenges in the North East are
surmontable, but Nigerians must be prepared to make
sacrifices.

He also pledged that the military will do everything
possible to ensure normalcy returns to the North East part
of the country ahead of the 2015 general elections.
This, he said was to ensure that elections hold in North
East in the 2015 general elections.

The COD said the military will continue to work to
maintain the territorial integrity of the country.