Jonathan to Service Chiefs: You can’t sleep until Boko Haram is wiped out

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday decorated the Service Chiefs with their new ranks, saying by accepting the appointments, they have murdered sleep and should sleep no more until when Borno State indigenes can sleep.
The President said going by the situation in the country regarding security challenges, he would rather sympathise with the Service Chiefs than congratulate them on their appointments.
He therefore, charged them to go to work immediately to stem the renewed spate of insurgency in the North Eastern part of the country, insisting terrorism must stop.
The Boko Haram sect had been on the rampage in the last few years in the North, especially the North East.
The new service chiefs and their new ranks are the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh; the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Kenneth Tobia Minimah; the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin; and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Nunayon Amosu
President Jonathan said: “None of us will sleep till the Nigerians in Borno State can sleep.
“Whenever I am decorating military officers, I commend their wives because it is not easy to be barrack-based and for you to rise to this height.
“But the service chiefs I don’t know whether I will congratulate you or I will sympathise with you because of the circumstances of the moment.
“So I think I will wish you what I wish myself every year and may we have enough time this period because none of us will sleep until Nigerians in Borno State can sleep.”
Jonathan urged them not to disappoint Nigerians.
He added: “That is why I say today is not a moment for major statements.
“We will be having very frank talks from time to time, but definitely Nigerians will tell you what they expect from us.
“We must not fail this country and I believe this team will work together to be assisted by other intelligence services because the war against terror must be won in this country.”
Badeh, who spoke on behalf of others, assured the President they will live up to expectations.
He pledged the Armed Forces’ continued loyalty to Jonathan and elected government officials as well as respect for the constitution.
On terrorism, Badeh said the Service Chiefs would work collectively to tackle insurgency so that peace and tranquility could return to the hot spots in earnest.
According to the CDS: “Security challenges are inimical to development because security means development and without security there can also not be development.
“When a nation’s military is at war, the whole nation is at war.
“Therefore, every Nigerian must sacrifice.”
Until his appointment as CDS on January 16, Badeh, who was born in 1957 in Adamawa State, was the 18th Chief of Air Staff.
Minimah the new Chief of Army Staff was born in Rivers State in 1959; Jibrin, the new Chief of Naval Staff, was also born in 1959 in Kogi State, while Amosu, the new Chief of Air Staff, was born in Lagos in 1958.