The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) has cautioned that the youths calling for a coup likely lack firsthand experience of military rule, warning of the dangers and challenges such a regime would bring.
On Tuesday, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, reiterated that under no circumstances would the military permit any interest groups to sabotage democratic governance in the country through its actions.
During the opening ceremony of the COAS Combined 2nd and 3rd Quarters Conference, Lagbaja made this statement in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Tuesday.
The COAS acknowledged that the call for a military takeover was from young Nigerians who never witnessed Nigeria’s prolonged rule under the military. However, he emphasized that the Nigerian Army is unwilling to sacrifice its hard-earned reputation over 25 years by disrupting democratic governance in any manner.
The COAS recognized the recent nationwide hunger protest, also known as #EndBadGovernance in Nigeria, as a revealing experience. He noted that it provided an important lesson: food insecurity and hunger could escalate into a substantial crisis in the country.
During the recent protest, he addressed a pertinent issue about the call for undemocratic intervention in governance by the Armed Forces of Nigeria. He acknowledged that this idea may have originated from young Nigerians who did not experience extensive military rule and heroic struggle towards democratic dispensation. However, as Chief of Army Staff, his response to such calls is simply “Thanks but no thanks.”
The Nigerian Army is committed to preventing the undemocratic rise of particular interests into power and will not be party to such actions. Having endured considerable reputation damage due to previous military interventions in Nigeria, they are determined not to sacrifice their newly established prestige gained over 25 years of hard work, unity, and security.
According to Lagbaja, the Armed Forces will not solely prioritize safeguarding the nation and its people from physical harm, but also consider matters of sustenance and social welfare. This decision was influenced by lessons learned during the recent hunger strike protest.
Although the circumstances that sparked the protest appeared to be resolved, he acknowledged that food insecurity was one of the contributing factors. He assured their commitment in tackling this issue by revising and enhancing their agricultural policies.
According to him, the Nigerian Army troops are presently ensuring security for farmers in crucial farming communities located in the North-East, North-West and North Central regions. This move aims at avoiding adverse effects on the country’s food supply chain that may result from discontinuing agricultural production activities therein.
In the upcoming days, there will be a review of the agricultural policy by Nigerian Army to enhance productivity in Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches Limited. This move aims at increasing crop output substantially so that grains can be made available into markets for public consumption at heavily subsidized rates as part of government’s support endeavors.
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According to the COAS, proposals for partnerships with government ministries, departments, and agencies as well as reliable private organizations are being reviewed by Army Headquarters in order to collaborate on ways to tackle the food crisis in the country.
Lagbaja observed that the Nigerian Army and its affiliated branches were receiving governmental aid on both national and sub-national levels. This was evident in their recent procurement of two BELL UH-1 Huey helicopters outfitted with cutting-edge sensors and facilities, capable of carrying out various missions like reconnaissance, logistics, surveillance as well as medical evacuation for the benefit of the Nigerian Army.
The disclosure was made that the Nigerian Army had obtained additional combat resources, including Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, rifles, and ammunition in their efforts to fortify operations and safety throughout Nigeria. The speaker acknowledged sister security agencies as well as national and sub-national governments for their shared contributions which have led to commendable progress thus far.
The Chief of Army Staff emphasized that the well-being of widows and relatives of deceased heroes was still a top priority.
Expressing delight that the conference was hosted in Akwa Ibom, Governor Umo Eno inaugurated its opening. He lauded COAS for providing a clear trajectory to Nigerian Army in effectively fulfilling its constitutional mandate and applauded their ongoing efforts towards innovation, enhancing expertise, and upholding professionalism.
Eno pledged the state government’s willingness to provide all necessary assistance for setting up the proposed Army base and other logistics within the area.
