Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. KTJ Minimah has confirmed the long held secret that desertion, acts of cowardice and indiscipline within the army in the ongoing fight against terrorism was one of the greatest setbacks in checkmating Boko Haram insurgency in the country.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the third quarterly conference of the COAS, via the Defence Headquarters twitter handle @DefenceInfoNG, being a highlight of the COAS admonition, Minimah said “the rising acts of indiscipline and unprofessional conduct by troops was unbecoming and charged Commanders at all levels to put a stop to it as the Nigerian Army was a professional organization.”Gen-Minimah
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| Minimah |
Principal among these is the rising acts of indiscipline and unprofessional conduct by troops. In this regard, the recent mutinous act in Maiduguri and reported destruction of public property in Lagos readily comes to mind. As a professional army, the conduct of our troops must be above board at all times”
Blaming it on the fact that most people, who joined the military in recent times, do so out of the need for employment and not passion for military service, Minimah said, “Desertion is part of warfare. We must accept that since the era of the Cartagena wars, soldiers had deserted from battle field. In our own case, we are doing recruitment now and we are also receiving presentations from across the country, from people who want their wards to be enlisted in the army”.
“But we need to have a thorough recruitment because mind you, there is high level of unemployment on ground; most people want jobs and if that job means joining the army fine. It is a source of employment.
However, when the reality of the military service comes, he drops his riffles. So desertion will continue to be there. We had desertion in ECOMOG; in the Nigerian Civil war and now it will continue to be there”.
“Also, acts of indiscipline will continue to be there but when they are caught, they are investigated and when they are found questionable they will face the Court-Martial”.
“Like I said, in a few months time, the war will be over. But I cannot give you a clear calendar date because this is war on terrorism. It cannot be determined in terms of concrete date”.
On allegations that the army was underperforming in the war on terror, he said, “The Nigerian Army is performing. I know the expectations of the Nigerian citizens but the expectation is rather too much in haste.
We need some time; we need patience and you must know we are fighting terrorism. We are not fighting a conventional war. Nigerian Army is a conventional and regular army”.
“The terrorist is someone you don’t know. It may be someone who sold food or fruit to you in the morning and by the afternoon he is the terrorist. We are having all that inter-play in the battle front in the North-East. We have to be conscious to separate the terrorist from the law abiding citizens and we also have human rights to protect”.
“We are fighting Nigerian citizens we are not fighting foreigners; so caution must be exercised. I appeal and assure that we will certainly surmount it but we also need support from the nation, from all segments of society and from the people including the media. And we need patience and time for us to do it.
We also have the equipment and the FG is introducing fresh and newer equipment to us which in a short while hopefully be there for use”. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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You insincere people have seen the fruit of your nepotism and favouritism at the expense of the security of poor Nigerian!
ReplyDeletethey complain you give them less powerful arm. boko are better armed. do you context that? is a shame realy.
ReplyDeleteYou have said it all. But you never mentioned Army role in Nigeria elections these days. Elections day in Ekiti, it was Army and not Police that lead putting fear on people minds.
ReplyDeleteIn civilized countries with professional Army, you did not give example of where the Army bastardize civilians everyday.
Police service was destroyed when thieves and rouges were taken in. Now in Nigeria Army recruitment, godfather role has put shame in the system.
The army has always been involved in elections. Are you new in Nigeria?. I don't see how the presence of a soldier intimidates a law abiding citizen in an election. People are probably complaining because their presence forestalled the plans by anyone to rig. I never heard of anyone complaining that he or she was forced to vote against his or her will.
DeleteWhen majority of the soldiers are muslems and from tthe north, wot do u expect from them? Kill their brothers? No way. Don't u knw that most of them are boko haram supportters.
Deleteyou will say it verbally as soon as possible.
DeleteThank God, soldiers are now waking up from slumber because, it seems no longer in Sombi arrangement where soldiers look like donkeys.
ReplyDeleteNonsense quoter system that has long been given to the north mostly in the arm forces is now coming back to the nation, as malam dominate military, now they can fight boko, while will they fight boko, when most of them are boko. Nigeria need be restructured, these malam are draging us backward, they dominate every where, NNPC, PPMC, oil rigs owners, custom, public offices and many others we don't know. How will Nigeria develope or fight crimes, when civikization is missing in their dictionary, Nigeria always putting a square peg in a round hole, we will never get it right until all these are corre cted. Funny enough, still this people are also shouting of maginalization.....However, things need be corrected if we must move forward.
ReplyDelete@5:03,malam will continue to dominate every where in dis coun3.either u like it or not and nija will never be divided.if u r angry go n hang ur self.Ashawo son!!!
DeleteEven if am the most professional soldier on earth, i will run away when i have inferior weapon when compared to my opponent. What will AK 47 do when opponents are carrying SMGs and AA guns?
ReplyDelete