allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Navy - One Retirement Too Many (Page 1 of 3)

The aftermath of the annulled 1993 presidential election was particularly painful for officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces from a section of the country as they were routinely relieved of their commissioning by the late General Sani Abacha's regime because of their claimed refusal to accept the annulment.

It was in an attempt to ensure that such fate do not befall other officers in future that the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service for the Armed Forces (HTACOS) bill was signed into law last year. The law stipulates that an officer cannot be summarily and compulsory retired without a fair hearing. It is to prevent a situation where retirement will be dispensed at the whims and caprices of a single individual, no matter how highly placed.

The ill-wind and acrimony the unilateral and compulsory retirement of nine senior officers of the Nigerian Navy in February 2007, has refused to go the way. The nine officers who were sacked last year include three Rear Admirals: J.O. Kpokpogri; H.B. Boje, F.D. Akpan and S.L. Commodore Omakwu, Captain G. Ohuabunwa, Captain G.N. Alily, Captain H.A. Efendu, Commander Oforibo and Lt. Commander M. Abdullahi were notified of their retirements vide letters dated February 23, 2007. The letter signed by the Navy Secretary, Rear Admiral B.A. Raji for the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral G.T. Adekeye informed the officers that President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Olusegun Obasanjo had approved their retirement from active service, stating that the retirement takes effect from February 28, 2007. No formal reason was however given for their disengagement from the Navy.

In another letter dated February 27, 2007 and Navy also informed them that they were to proceed on terminal leave. The letter stated: "I am directed to inform you to proceed on terminal leave with effect from February 28, as against the compulsory retirement earlier conveyed. Consequently, you are to disregard the contents of earlier letter and awaits further directive."

The second letter was a result of a directive from the Presidency asking the Navy to conform to due process in the disengagement of the officers. However, THISDAY findings revealed that the second letter was timed to coincide with the heightened politicking of the last year's general elections. The Navy watchers are saying the alleged offences were made up to retire the officers without due process and utter disregard to the rule of law. They are also asking that the Nigerian Navy which had hitherto been compact was hiding something.

This position emanated from the fact that most of the officers were the arrow heads of the Navy's war against crude oil theft under the leadership of former CNS, retired Vice Admiral Samuel Afolayan's and were said to be very close to Vice Admiral Afolayan.

According to sources within the Navy, the retired officers were not only in the forefront of combating the nefarious activities of the crude oil thieves they also in the process stepped on "many powerful toes." They mentioned the case of Rear Admiral Anthony Bob-Manuel who was the First Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) who arrested the missing MT African Pride. Unfortunately, this sterling officer was arrested, court-marshalled for crude oil theft. But despite his discharge and acquittal, he was compulsorily retired in 2005.

Rear Admiral Kpokpogri, a naval pilot, who was described as one of the most outstanding officers of the Nigerian Navy was the first Nigerian Navy's officer to have blown up ten barges laden with stolen crude oil at sea on the directive of former President Obasanjo. This happened during his days as the Commanding Officer of NNS Omalokun, now NNS Delta in year 2000. He also burnt four tankers loaded with stolen crude oil at the Effurun Barracks of the Navy.

Kpokpogri, who was Nigeria's Defence Attaché to Equatorial Guinea from 1996 to 1999, also commanded the Nigerian Navy Flagship NNS Aradu, Director of Policy at the Naval Headquarters from where he was appointed as the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), of the Western Naval Command, Lagos. The Isoko-born Admiral was retired as the Deputy

Commandant, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji after 33 years. He was never queried until he became a Rear Admiral and it was Vice Admiral Adekeye that did so once as Chief of Naval Staff.

While speaking with THISDAY in his Lagos home, he said that he protested that due process was not followed in his retirement and the other eight officers. Kpokpogri revealed the most painful aspect of the whole saga was a story in a national newspaper where the Naval authorities claimed he was involved in "illegal bunkering" and support of militants' activities.

"No investigation, no query, no trial, not even a single opportunity was given to me to defend my hard-earned reputation. I feel betrayed by the same system that I have served so diligently and loyal from my youth," he said. He added: "my prayer is that due process must be followed. This will be a vivid opportunity to establish the real reason why we were compulsorily retired. Before you can retire an officer in the Nigerian Armed Forces, there are nine conditions that must be fulfilled. Out of these nine, none applied to us," the Rear Admiral who was the first officer to command the Naval Air Station in Ojo, Lagos, pointed out in a petition that he wrote to President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua last June. He added "In this regard, the letter of compulsory retirement presupposes that the officers were retired on disciplinary ground. However, none of the officers was aware of any disciplinary case against them."

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