By Olukayode Michael, Maiduguri
The
Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai on Sunday asked soldiers in
combatant with Boko Haram in the Northeast to redouble their efforts, win the
war and go back to reunite with their families in the barracks.
The COAS made the call at the interdenominational service jointly held by
the Headquarters of Counter-insurgency operation in the Northeast (Operation
Lafiya Dole) and 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri to mark the
Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) 2019.
He said: “I urge you all officers and soldiers of Operation Lafiya Dole to
remain focus and redouble your efforts in the war against terrorism and
insurgency”
Buratai, who was represented by the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole,
Maj. Gen. Benson Akinroluyo, said: “The NADCEL is an annual event which
calminate on July 6 every year. It is an occasion used as a platform for the
Nigerian Army to reflect on our performance and celebrate our achievements, as
well as highlight our operations as key instruments for national power, unity,
integration and development.”
He added that: “The Nigerian Army has been leveraging on the event to
showcase our commitment as a professionally responsive force. In the other hand
the Combat Support and Arrns Training (COSAT) is an important training activity
which provides a platform for combat support arms to reappraise their
performance in providing combat support to the Nigerian Army operations.”
He said the NADCEL and COSAT 2019 will be held jointly this year and is
designed to focus on the Nigerian Army’s commitment as a professionally,
responsive force in the discharge of it’s constitutional role.
Buratai said: “It will be recalled that the NADCEL 2018 afforded the
participants and guest the opportunity to be embedded in the real time military
operations code named Operation Last Hold. The benefits we derived from the
exercise were quite enormous as it enable us to test virtually all aspects of
our logistics and operational activities, as a fighting force.”
He said: “In the period of insecurity and insurgency, security is a
collective responsibility and as soldiers, clerics and parents what shall we
do? Clerics and parents should pray for us, while as soldiers we should
rededicate ourselves and have the courage to fight.”
He urged the troops of the Operation Lafiya Dole to redouble their efforts and
be courageous in the fight against insurgency, as victory is certainly theirs,
noting that “God is always with them. So finish this war and go back to your
barracks.”
In his sermon, Reverend Haruna Godiva said ” what shall we do as
congress,tax collector and as soldiers, we should know that what we do on
earth, is what we see in heaven. If we are not doubting heaven, we should also
not doubt about hell.”
He told them that: “When soldiers asked John the Baptist what shall we do
as a soldier, he replied them that you should not intimidate, you should not
accused people falsely and be contented with what you have, your salaries
and alawances. If we do these surely victory is ours.”
He therefore urged soldiers not to.intimidate, accused people falsely or
take what does not belong to them, like collecting bribe and extorting
motorists on the highways.