Defence force commander

I cannot believe that the National Executive Council has re-appointed Brigadier Gilbert Toropo for another four years.
He is already past the defence force’s compulsory retirement age and should retire.
Many of our troops are due for retirement, including a number of colonels at Murray Barracks.
How can the defence force move them on if the commander himself is staying even though he is over the retirement age?
Re-appointing Toropo sends the wrong message to our troops and they are not happy.
They know that Toropo is past the retirement age and that there are younger colonels who are brighter, smarter and capable of fixing the terrible shortage of weapons, basic equipment and outstanding allowances that our troops have to put up with.
Frontline troops are suffering due to the lack of basic things they need to do their work well.
Toropo’s style of leadership is no longer relevant in this digital age.
The defence force depends heavily on integrity, accountability and young, vibrant leadership – no matter which part of the country you come from.

S. Tombiblo
Wabag, Enga