Nigeria President Charges Service Chiefs to Crush Boko Haram Insurgents
President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday decorated the service chiefs with their new ranks and directed them to strive to end the Boko Haram The service chiefs and their new ranks are Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh; Chief of Army Staff, insurgency in the North-east. Lieutenant-General Kenneth Tobia Minimah; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Nunayon Amosu. Their decoration and president’s directive came just as former Head of State, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, expressed concern about accusations of rape and extortion levelled against troops deployed to fight Boko Haram terrorists. Jonathan, at the decoration of the service chiefs stressed the urgency of bringing the anti-terror war to a quick end, adding:
None of us will sleep till Nigerians in Borno State can sleep.”
“Whenever I am decorating military officers I commend their wives because it is not easy to be barrack-based and then rise to this height. But (as for) the service chiefs, I don’t know whether I will congratulate you or I will sympathise with you because of the circumstances of the moment.
“That reminds me, when I was in secondary school, I read one article written by the late Dr. Tai Solarin, and there is one clause he said ‘I wish you what I wish myself every year. May we have enough of time this year’. So, I think I will wish you what I wish myself every year and may we have enough time this period. Because none of us will sleep till Nigerians in Borno State can sleep.
“That is why I say today is not a moment for major statements. We will be having very fine talks from time to time, but definitely Nigerians will tell you what they expect from us; we must not fail this country and I believe this team will work together to be assisted by other intelligence services because the war against terror must be won in this country,” Jonathan said.
He congratulated the service chiefs and their wives, noting that he had worked with some of them in one way or the other, and convinced that the right team to salvage the country at this time was selected.
He urged the service chiefs not to disappoint Nigerians. Responding on behalf of others, Badeh thanked Jonathan for their appointment and promised that they would discharge their duties effectively.
He said the sending of their names to the National Assembly for confirmation, was a clear demonstration of Jonathan’s respect and adherence to the constitution. According to him, the service chiefs will work harmoniously in the fight against terrorism, kidnapping and oil illegal bunkering in the country.
Badeh added that the military would continue to work hard in defending the nation’s territorial integrity, as well as ensuring security and peace in the country.
“Security challenges are inimical to development because security means development and without development there can also not be security. When a nation’s military is at war, the whole nation is at war, therefore every Nigerian must sacrifice,” the CDS said. As part of renewed efforts to tackle Boko Haram insurgency, the Nigerian Army has come up with measures to boost its contingency.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Obi Umahi, made this disclosure yesterday, at the inauguration of the 65 Battalion Alfa and Bravo Company Offices, sponsored by Lieutenant General TY Danjuma (rtd). The battalion is under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Haruna Dasuki.
AllAfrica