President Muhammadu Buhari
Tuesday in Kaduna unveiled Made-in-Nigeria Mine Resistant Ambush Protected
(MRAP) vehicles for Nigerian Army’s counter-terrorism and other operations
across the nation.
The vehicles named Ezugwu MRAP
were produced by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), an
indigenous firm, for the Nigerian Army.
They were launched by the
President at the opening ceremony of the 2019 Chief of Army Staff Annual
Conference.
Buhari praised the gallant
efforts of the Nigerian Armed Forces in routing terrorists and combating
insurgency in the on-going operations in the North East.
He pledged that his
administration will continue to support the military to achieve its goals in
addition to prioritising their welfare and that of their families.
On the Ezugwu MRAP, which will be
mass-produced by DICON, the President said: ‘‘I note the collaborative efforts
of the Command Engineering Depot with relevant indigenous organisations to
promote local content towards developing our military-industrial complex.
‘‘I am glad that the production
of Ezugwu Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles which I will be
unveiling today will join the infantry patrol vehicles that were earlier
produced as testimony that our efforts are yielding positive results.
‘‘Additionally, your efforts in
terms of capacity building, training and conduct of exercises are quite
commendable.
‘‘I am aware that there are
on-going field exercises such as Atilogwu, UDO 1, Exercise Akpatuma 2 and
Exercise Crocodile Smile 4, among other civil-military cooperation activities.
‘‘These are impressive efforts
geared at enhancing the operational efficiency of the army as well as
facilitating a conducive security environment for social, economic activities
to thrive.’’
President Buhari also paid
tribute to military personnel who had paid the supreme sacrifice in defending
the sovereignty of the country.
He urged the soldiers to abide by
the ethics, ethos and code of conduct of the military, while ensuring that
human rights and international humanitarian laws are promoted and respected in
the conduct of military operations.
Reaffirming his administration’s
resolve to do everything within its constitutional power to ensure the security
and safety of law-abiding citizens, President Buhari said: ‘‘This is a
commitment we have made and will continue to keep.’’
The President commended the
laudable efforts of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen Tukur Buratai, in
transforming the Nigerian Army.
‘‘He has keyed into the Federal
government Change Agenda and I particularly commend his thrust in the critical
areas such as innovative and inventive approach to produce military hardware,
infrastructural development, restructuring and reorganisations, among others,
with significant results particularly in the on-going counter-insurgency
operations and other operations across the country,’’ he said.
Later, the President inaugurated
44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna.
The hospital was upgraded to a
level 4 United Nations hospital to cater for the medical needs of the military
and civilian population in the country.
In his goodwill message, Gov.
Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna said the State was privileged to play host to several
military formations, units, schools and establishments, adding that this was beneficial
in fostering synergy between the military and civilians.
The governor specifically
commended the Nigerian Army for their roles in sustaining peace and security in
Kaduna State, enumerating their efforts at restoring peace and stability in
Southern Kaduna, in addition to decimating the capacity of cattle rustlers and
kidnappers operating in the state and its environs.
Gov El-Rufai also lauded the army
for playing a key role in confronting the menace of the outlawed ‘El-Zakzaky
movement’, which had oppressed the people of Zaria for the last 30 years, as
well as various corporate social responsibilities including medical outreaches
and infrastructure interventions in Kaduna State.
In his remarks, the Minister of
Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (Rtd) thanked the President for his
continuous support to the Nigerian Army, adding that the Federal Government
would continue to support the military ahead of the final onslaught on Boko
Haram in 2020.
‘‘The Nigerian Army has had a
hectic year with a lot of operations conducted to secure the territorial
integrity of Nigeria. There is a need for a review of activities during this
annual conference to prepare for next year’s final onslaught on Boko Haram,’’
he said.
Also speaking, Lt. Gen. Buratai
emphasised that the current transformation of the Nigerian Army to its current
status of a professional, highly-motivated, innovative and people-centric
institution commenced in 2015 when the President was sworn in for his first
term in office.
According to the army chief, the
conference themed ‘‘Application of the Cutting Edge of the Nigerian Army in
Tackling Contemporary Security Challenges’’, is aimed at evaluating efforts at
achieving the overall objective of better positioning the Nigerian Army to face
the task ahead in the year 2020 and beyond.
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