Nigerian President Explains Military Shakeup

Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua says last week’s appointment of new military chiefs was a normal administrative procedure, denying speculation that some of them had become a threat to his government. Speaking through spokesman Segun Adeniyi, Yar’Adua denied that the chiefs had been ousted abruptly, saying the changes had been on schedule long before they were effected. Adeniyi also said the president met the outgoing generals and thanked them for their services. Last week, Yar'Adua named new heads for the armed forces, the Army and the Navy, replacing service chiefs appointed by his predecessor, Olusegun Obasanjo.[PE]