Military Says It Does Not Have Buhari's Credentials

The Nigeria Army has said the All Progressive Congress, APC, Presidential

Candidate, General Mohammadu Buhari enlisted into the Nigeria Army without

the originals, Certified true copies or photocopies of his West African

School Certificate, WASC.
It said at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday that it had a letter

from the Principal of Buhari's secondary school, dated 1961, recommending

him for enlistment into the military school.
At the Press Conference address by Brigadier-General Olajide Laleye, the

Army said, “Nevertheless, the entry made on the NA Form 199A at the point

of documentation after commission as an officer indicated that the former

Head of State obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1961

with credits in relevant subjects: English Language, Geography, History,

Health Science, Hausa and a pass in English Literature. Neither the

original copy, Certified True Copy (CTC) nor statement of result of Major

General M Buhari's WASC result is in his personal file.”

Below is Excerpts from the Press Conference:
Gentlemen of the Press, I am pleased to welcome everyone back from the

Christmas and the 2015 New Year festivities. On behalf of the Chief of

Army Staff, officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army, I wish you all a

happy and more fulfilling 2015. Since our last media briefing on 31

December, 2014, some issues relating to the Nigerian Army have occurred

and this briefing is holding specifically to address them.

I will begin with the Major General Muhammadu Buhari certificate

controversy. Gentlemen, let me state clearly that the Nigerian Army holds

the retired senior officer in very high esteem and respect and would not

be a party to any controversy surrounding his eligibility for any

political office. Suffice to state that Major General Buhari rose steadily

to the enviable rank of Major General before becoming the Head of State of

our dear country in December 1983. The media hype on retired Major General

Muhammadu Buhari's credentials as well as the numerous requests made by

individuals and corporate bodies to the Nigerian Army on this issue have

necessitated that we provide the facts as contained in the retired senior

officer's service record. Records available indicate that Major General M

Buhari applied to join the military as a Form Six student of the

Provincial Secondary School, Katsina on 18 Oct 61. His application was

duly endorsed by the Principal of the school, who also wrote a report on

him and recommended him to be suitable for military commission. It is a

practice in the NA that before candidates are shortlisted for

commissioning into the officers' cadre of the Service, the Selection Board

verifies the original copies of credentials that are presented. However,

there is no available record to show that this process was followed in the

1960s. Nevertheless, the entry made on the NA Form 199A at the point of

documentation after commission as an officer indicated that the former

Head of State obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1961

with credits in relevant subjects: English Language, Geography, History,

Health Science, Hausa and a pass in English Literature. Neither the

original copy, Certified True Copy (CTC) nor statement of result of Major

General M Buhari's WASC result is in his personal file.

I hope this explanation will put to rest the raging controversy

surrounding the secondary school credentials of Major General Mohammed

Buhari as it affects the Nigerian Army.
I will also seize this opportunity to make some observations on the recent

CNN report titled 'The Battle Against Boko Haram', which was aired a few

days ago. I believe we all hold the CNN in high esteem. However, CNN's

report on issues concerning kitting, equipment, medical treatment and

corruption in the Nigerian Army is perhaps the best example of a media

house's show of bias, ignorance, poor journalism, unprofessionalism and

handiwork of a sponsored documentary. Let me start with kitting. It would

interest you to know that there is no Army in the world where personnel do

not purchase additional uniforms and kits to augment those officially

issued to them. Accordingly, the Nigerian Army without fail issues

uniforms and kits to its personnel periodically. Like other armies, the NA

has over the years, established ordnance shops in all its barracks and

cantonments where uniforms and kits are sold at subsidized prices to its

personnel from allowances already provided in their pay slips. Similarly,

you will agree with me that the NA has a very functional health care

delivery system in the country. There is no barrack or cantonment that

does not have at least one Medical Inspection Room, Medical Reception

Station or Medical Hospital. The NA fully subscribes to the National

Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and this is functional in all its health

facilities. Specifically, personnel in the North East have the best

medical treatment in that the various health facilities in all the

barracks and cantonments are well equipped. Notwithstanding this,

personnel with extensive injuries are evacuated to the 44 Nigerian Army

Reference Hospital Kaduna (44 NARHK), while others are promptly flown

abroad for medical treatment. Therefore, issue of a soldier of the NA

paying for treatment and drugs covered by the NHIS is absurd. The Nigerian

Army's undoubted operational gains in the North East of recent, have

rubbished the claim of Boko Haram out-gunning the NA. The CNN would do

well to beam its searchlight on the atrocities of Boko Haram terrorists

against innocent and defenseless Nigerians rather than the NA. Equally,

the NA in the past had requested severally that any evidence of corruption

in the NA should be reported to the appropriate authority. Till date, no

such evidence has been forwarded but rather all we see and hear are

sweeping statement of the purported corruption in the NA. In the case of

Nick Robertson, his leading questions and introduction of the word

'corruption' to the unknown person purported to be a soldier of the NA was

most unprofessional and merely justifies a paid exercise. The CNN in the

past have interviewed authorised personnel of other countries' armies and

not unauthorized hooded criminals to speak to the media. The CNN knows

very well how to contact the relevant offices to clarify issues concerning

the NA but chooses rather to conduct a clandestine interview in a kiosk

with a faceless person and a masked individual who obviously know nothing

about the NA.
Finally, the Nigerian Army wishes to state that it will remain focused on

its mission to rid Nigeria of terrorism and insurgency. To that end, it

has commenced the implementation of the extensive operational,

administrative and logistical decisions reached during 2014 COAS Annual

Conference. In no distant future, law abiding Nigerians will begin to see

very positive results in terms of security, particularly in the North East

and our dear nation generally. Before I depart, I once again seize this

opportunity to reiterate the NA's unalloyed loyalty and subordination to

civil authority as presided over by His Excellency, President and

Commander – in – Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of

Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR. The Nigerian Army also wishes to

emphasize its adherence to the principles and respect of human rights in

the discharge of its constitutional duties. It further calls on everyone

to remain vigilant and report any suspected breach of the peace to

security agencies.
Thank you and God Bless.
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