THE DAWN OF NEW ERA IN 7 DIVISION: AS GENERAL WAIDI SHAIBU HANDS OVER COMMAND TO MAJOR GENERAL ABUBAKAR
Following the recent posting and deployments of senior officers and officers across formations and units of the Nigerian Army, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division and Commander Sector 1 Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), Major General Waidi Shaibu has in a grand style handed over the realms of affairs of the Division to his successor at the Division’s Headquarters in Maimalari Military Cantonment, Maiduguri Borno state.
Major General Shaibu who is proceeding to Defence Space Agency in Abuja having served for a period of 14 months as the 11th GOC 7 Div handed over the command to Major General Abdulsalami Abubakar who was hitherto the Commander Sector 3 OPHK and Multinational Joint Task Force, Monguno.
The week-long handing and taking over process commenced with series of activities in line with military traditions to ensure smooth transition from one command to another. It was first a tour to formations and units under command which include 21 Special Armoured Brigade Bama, 24, 26 and 28 Task Force Brigades in, Dikwa, Gwoza and Chibok respectively with an aim to acquaint the incoming GOC with the operational situation of formations under command. During the tour to these formations, the outgoing and incoming GOCs were received and briefed by the various Brigade Commanders on the general operational activities and situation within their respective Areas of Responsibilities (AOR). The duo also used the opportunity to visit the traditional rulers in some of the troops locations, where encomia were rained on the Nigerian Army for restoring relative peace in their various communities.
After the series of briefs at those locations, General Shaibu while addressing officers and men of 7 Division at 212 Battalion parade ground during his farewell speech to troops of the Division within and around Maiduguri, expressed his profound gratitude and appreciation to the Chief Of Army Staff, Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya for finding him worthy to have served as the 11th GOC. He also appreciated the Theatre Commander for his constant guidance and his field commanders, officers and soldiers for their selfless service, commitment, steadfastness towards the fight against insurgency as well as their unalloyed loyalty and support to him which informed the remarkable successes recorded during his tenure. He thereafter urged troops of the command to extend similar cooperation, support and loyalty to the incoming GOC. In a similar vein, the incoming GOC, Maj Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar in his maiden address expressed happiness and gratitude to the Army authority especially the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya for finding him worthy of the appointment as the 12th GOC 7 Division. He thereafter promised to build on the legacies of his predecessor and take the division to a greater height.
The traditional handing and taking over ceremony was concluded by decoration of the new GOC with the Division's insignia, handing over of the instruments of command, signing of the handing and taking over notes, lowering of old command flags which signifies end of an era and hoisting of new command flags which also signifies the commencement of another era before his departure.
The occasion was witnessed by the spouses of the outgoing and the incoming General Officer Commanding 7 Division Nigerian Army and Commander Sector 1 Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, Chief of Staff 7 Division, Formations and Units Commanders, Principal Staff Officers from Headquarters 7 Division and Formations under command amongst others.
