Are Nigerian Army Not Nigerians?

BY AMB DAN HARRY
A few decades ago when the Nigerian Army commenced operations in Nigeria it was with 18 able bodied men, today it has metamorphosed to become the largest of the services and has 67,000 personnel formation spread across the country with the constitutional responsibility to protect Nigeria’s territorial boundaries. They have also grown from strength to strength, no longer interested in the occupation of the Villa, but more interested in improving the professionalism of the Army and this has made them stand out in the world.

Dear Readers am addressing us today from the perspective of a patriot , a true Nigerian, whose elder brother died while serving Nigeria in active service as a Major and as a Nigerian with several close friends in the Nigerian Army. And from the simple fact that the Nigerian Army, Armed Forces are the most disciplined arm of the Nigerian Society.

It may interest you to know that one of the greatest blessings that God endowed Nigeria with is to have given us the finest Army any nation in the world could desire to have and am very proud of them, our Military are the envy of the world even when they go for Peace Keeping. And Nigeria has the highest number of Army in Peace Keeping Force in Africa because they are disciplined and keep to the dictates of the duty and there have never been cases of misdemeanor.

I therefore find it very out of place that those who are in position of responsibility & aware that a certain group of people have dedicated their lives to protect Nigerians, the mischief group are bent on rubbishing the corporate image of the Nigerian Army built over the years, this is totally unacceptable and should be stopped as soon as possible.

I say this with all sense of humility and responsibility that I wish to be counted as a one man army to say and make Nigerians and the world know that the Nigerian Army are “ Nigerians , disciplined fine military gentlemen with blood flowing in their veins. They have sworn to defend Nigeria and the integrity of our fatherland . I therefore stand with them in action that they are doing a nice job and performing their statutory constitutional role.

Shame on all the ex Generals, Senators and Members of the House of Representative, Politicians who have made it a duty to destroy the Nigerian Army for no just course because they are performing their duty.

I ask boldly this question, prior to the Boko Haram issues have the Nigerian Army ever been to Baga on their own to destroy Baga? The answer is no NO. If they have not cant we ask ourselves why suddenly the Army are in Baga? Desperate situations results and deserves desperate measures the military were ordered to go to Baga and reclaim that border city through which the Boko Haram people are being smuggled in and out.

If there are some Nigerians who do not have the answer then let me help out with this explanation, the Army are simply in Baga to perform their constitutional role they swore an oath to, which is to protect our territorial borders, unlike some of our politicians who swore oath and are not bold enough to up hold it.

I challenge any one that if the leaders of Baga come out and sign an undertaking that our borders through Baga will not be used with their collaboration to undermine the territorial integrity of Nigeria, then and only then will the Army be withdrawn from Baga.

Why do the leaders of Baga cry foul when they seat and do nothing to those using their place as a base? More so its in this same Nigeria a few years ago that some communities were affected by Military actions the seating President then ordered the Military and they went to Zaki Biam and other places. It was sad but we could not do any thing about it. I urge the Baga Leaders to take positive action and disallow their area from being used by people who hate Nigeria as a super power.

Again I ask boldly should the Nigerian Army loss their rights to self defense because they are wearing uniforms. Are those they are protecting supposed to take their lives as if its worthless? Again the answer is no they are human beings too with blood flowing in their vein, yes they were sent to keep peace in Baga a community in Borno on the border of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroun. The killing of one single soldier will certainly any where in the world infuriate his colleagues and there will certainly be reprisal attacks. They did not go to baga on their own they were ordered there.

Although the Multi-national Task Force comprises troops from Nigeria, Cameroun, Niger and Chad, set up to curb the rise of Islamic insurgence and terrorism in their countries the attacks and killings have focused on the Nigerian Army.

Am thrilled to know that even the Governor of the state Alh Kashim Shettima, has vowed to relocate to Baga if peace was not restored in the area.  Certainly every Governor’s prayer is to lead in a serene environment devoid of all acts of terrorism and mayhem.

More so we in Nigeria should count ourselves very lucky to have President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, a President who is simple, humble, pragmatic, thoughtful, and above all educated and has the fear of God, probably his only crime is the fact that he hails from a particular zone.

Its so sad because who among us can determine or choose where he will come from, the specific family to be born into? The Answer is none of us can determine that, this is an issue that only God our creator can determine. So why do certain group of Nigerians (mischief makers try to deliberately confuse issues between President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the action of the Military in Baga?.

Knowing the activities going on other leaders would have taken more drastic actions, and we have seen all that in the recent past in Nigeria, remember Zaki Biam etc,  but President Jonathan consulted widely before he took his decisions to declare a state of emergency in 3 states.

I therefore suggest to President Jonathan and this suggestion is designed to protect the Nigerian Army, Nigerians and Mr President from mischief makers so that the Baga situation and other related ones do not arise and it will reduce to the minimum cases of insurgences.

We should be more proactive rather than responsive and that is the establishment of a Presidential Committee on Border Protection.

This is because our borders are very porous and this explains why all forms of miscreants, evil doers, human part sellers, suicide bombers etc leisurely stroll across our borders at will. Why do we then cry, scream, shout blue murder when such miscreants exhibit their natural selves, we should have ourselves to blame.

But with tightened territorial borders via an active Presidential Committee on Border Protection it will protect the citizenry and keep us away from the nightmare that have besieged our land in the past few months.

I equally call on some of our politicians and those elected or appointed to guard their utterances as what they say may fuel or reduce the waves of the insurgence in our nation we have no other country but Nigeria, and when you have travelled wide as I have you will realize the true meaning of the saying that there is no place like home, we are truly blessed to be Nigerians.

“We must not allow any external forces to incite us against ourselves lets join hands and protect our land they have destroyed theirs and now desire to same to Nigeria lets with one voice scream out NOOOOOOOO.

I also commend the Chief of Army Staff and his men for doing a yoo man’s job and encourage them to remain focused in the discharge of their duty in  Baga and other parts of the country .

If we appreciate the enormity of the role of the Nigerian Army then we will do everything within our powers to protect them rather than kill them at will and without second thoughts.