The Chief of Army Staff
(COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, has said that the Operation Python Dance II
embarked upon by the Nigerian Army in the South East as well as the Operation
Crocodile Smile II in the South South and South West zones were launched to
guarantee the safety of Nigerians irrespective of tribe or religion.
He
assured that the Nigerian Army would continue to remain apolitical,
professional and responsive in the discharge of its constitutional duties while
it would continue to obey the rule of law and remain guided by the rules of
engagement.
Buratai
revealed this in a paper he presented on Friday at the executive session of the
second day of the 13th All Nigeria Editors’ Conference (ANEC) and Extraordinary
Convention of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) at Hotel Presidential, Port
Harcourt, Rivers State.
The
Chief of Army Staff, who was represented by the General Officer Commanding
(GOC) 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Maj. Gen. Enobong Udoh, said:
“The Nigerian Army belongs to the Nigerian people and it is poised to remain
the pride of the nation and the last man in its defence.
“In
order to maintain the pride, I have laid structures for effective leadership
and personnel management, because the Nigerian Army must strive to remain an
institution of authority that creates responsibilities, provide direction,
inspiration, vision and communicate same to personnel at all times.
“By
going in this direction, the Nigerian Army is poised to confront evolving
internal and external threats, in order to guarantee the sovereignty of our
dear country.
“In
so doing, we are avowed to remain firmly apolitical in order to always find
ourselves in a good stead to defend our constitution by providing the needed
security environment as a guarantee for the survival of our democracy.”
Buratai
also stated that his appointment as the Chief of Army Staff on July 13, 2015 by
President Muhammadu Buhari came at a time Boko Haram insurgents had instilled
fear in the psyche of Nigerians and most of the troops’ locations were lost to
the control of the Boko Haram terrorists.
He
noted that quite unfortunately, many officers and men of the Nigerian army lost
their lives to insurgency, leading to a general dampening of troops’ morale and
fighting spirit across the entire theatre.
The
army chief stressed that upon his appointment, he was naturally confronted with
the urgent need to take workable measures aimed at reversing the ugly trend and
begin a positive drive towards winning a decisive victory against the Boko
Haram terrorists.
He
said: “On December 22, 2016, our gallant troops decimated the insurgents and
took over Camp Zairo in Sambisa Forest from them, in what was definitely a
landmark development in the ongoing fight against insurgency in the Northeast,
as Camp Zairo, which was hitherto the command headquarters of the Boko Haram
leadership, was captured by our gallant troops.
“The
location is now a training area designated Lt. Col. Abu Ali Shooting Range. The
troops are almost through with ongoing efforts at completely flushing out
remnants of the insurgents from their hideouts in other parts of the forest.
“The
challenges of cattle rustling, herdsmen and farmers’ clashes and kidnappings in
some Northern states and the Middle Belt are being tackled through the conduct
of Operation MESA in all the states in the country.
“The
challenges of increased militancy, pipeline vandalism and kidnapping in the
Southern part of the country have been accorded appropriate attention.”
Buratai
also stated that under his watch, the performances of troops in assigned
operational tasks were being complemented by sustainable welfare programmes.
He
lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his immense support for the Nigerian Army
while reassuring him of the unflinching loyalty and commitment of the Nigerian
Army to the defence of democratic governance in Nigeria.
The
session was chaired by a former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun
Osoba. It also had in attendance a former Acting Managing Director of the Niger
Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mrs. Ibim Semenitari; President of the
Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alhaji Waheed Odusile; and the
President of NGE, Funke Egbemode, among other eminent personalities.
Papers
were also presented by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who was
represented by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public
Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, and the Surveyor-General of the
Federation, Mr. Ebisintei Awudu, among others.
#TheInferno
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