Abuja — PRESIDENT Umaru Yar'Adua appointed, yesterday, a new Chief of Defence Staff and new Service Chiefs for the Army, Navy and the Air Force, after dropping the incumbents.

The new Chief of Defence Staff is Air Marshall Paul Dike, who until now was the Chief of Air Staff. He replaces General Andrew Aziza who is retiring from the service.

Other appointees are Major-General A.B. Dambazau, Chief of Army Staff, who takes over from Lieutenant-General Luka Yusuf. Yusuf is also retiring. Until his new appointment, Maj.-Gen. Dambazau was the General Officer Commanding the Two Division of the Army in Ibadan,

Rear Admiral Isaiah Iko Ibrahim, new Chief of Naval Staff, is taking over from Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye. Rear Admiral Ibrahim was the Flag Officer Commanding the Naval Training Command, Lagos.

President Yar'Adua who left Abuja yesterday for Saudi Arabia for the lesser hajj also approved the appointment of Air Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin as Chief of Air Staff. Until his appointment, Air Marshal Petinrin was the Air Officer Commanding the Nigerian Air Force Training Command, Kaduna .

All the appointments are with immediate effect.

President Yar'Adua's chief spokesman, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, said the President and the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, had met with the outgoing Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs to thank them for their services to the nation.

Following the changes, the Defence Retreat scheduled to begin in Kaduna today has been postponed until further notice.

The Minister of Defence, Alhaji Ahmed, regrets any inconvenience the postponement might cause all those invited to the retreat, especially former Heads of State and royal fathers.