Insurgency: ‘Nigerian Army Is Equal To The Task’

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Kalshingi H Jedidah

nigerian-army1A retired military officer based in Gombe, Lieutenant Colonel Umar Gwani has stated that, Nigerian army is equal  to the task in ending Boko haram menace that has been troubling the northeast part of the country if well equipped, according to him, Nigeria has one of the best military in the world with records of outstanding performance everywhere they go, particularly in peace keeping and other military duties worldwide.

“We have one of the best military in the world. That you can tell anybody. There is no where Nigerian Army has served that they have not been commended, nowhere. They are equal to the task and they will finish Boko Haram. My advice now is for the troops to be supplied with enough ammunition because without that, the weapons would just be like logs of wood to the boys in the field,” he stated. Adding that, Nigerian military has made a mark in subduing insurgency in Africa and some other parts of the world and that Boko Haram would soon be a thing of the past.

He also described the recent appointment of new service chiefs by President Mohanmmadu Buhari as a positive step towards ending the Boko Haram menace also saying that, appointment of the new service chiefs did not come as a surprise to many Nigerians because their predecessors were only working on borrowed time.

According to him, emergence of president Buhari as Nigeria’s President dealt a major blow on the insurgents, even before he assumed office. “After Buhari was declared winner of the presidential election in March, the Boko Haram attacks subsided, it mellowed down naturally because the major message during his campaign was to end the insurgency, so on hearing that he won the election, Boko Haram knew their end was near,” he said.

He added that, appointment of Major General Buratai as the new Chief of Army Staff, was a deserved appointment; as he assured that the new Army Chief would succeed.

He said, “General Buratai is a veteran; he has been engaged in commanding troops even on international peacekeeping. He is used to the role assigned to him so it will just be a continuation of his duties. In fact he is now even in a better position to advice the President, it is a deserved appointment, and the changeover is going to be very smooth for the Army Chief because there is nothing new,” Gwani added.

While commending President Buhari for his earlier decision of relocating the military command and control centre to Maiduguri, Borno state, he said the decision was professional and would yield the required results.

When asked to comment on whether civilians can help the military in tackling insurgency, Gwani said: “Of course, they have a very big role to play. They should always give useful advice to the security agents by giving reports on the Boko Haram members and other suspicious persons. It will help tackle the issue. These people live among the public and only the public can expose them.”

The retired military officer urged parents to always keep close watch on their children, to avoid being misled by their selfish persons.

 

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