…Warns Against Sensitive Media environment
President Muhammadu Buhari has said his administration will ensure that
the Nigerian Armed Forces are well equipped to enable them discharge their
responsibilities both internally and globally, while also alerting them to
the sensitive nature of today’s media environment.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by the Vice President, Prof Yemi
Osinbajo at the graduation ceremony of the Senior Course 37 of the Command
and Staff College in Jaji on Friday, President Buhari promised that “I
will like to assure you that our administration will not relent in
equipping the Armed Forces to firmly address all forms of threats that may
arise both in peace and war.”
Besides, the Vice President also visited the National Defense Academy,
NDA, in Kaduna, where he met some of the Nigerians who escaped or where
rescued from the Sambisa forest base of Boko Haram terrorists.
At the graduation ceremony in Jaji, President Buhari reminded members of
the Nigerian Armed Forces, that they have “a principal role to play in
protecting the lives and property of our citizens from all forms of
internal or external threat.
He noted that while the civil police continues to be primarily responsible
for internal security, “the scale of the current security challenges
facing our nation requires the military to play a more decisive role in
support of civil power.”
The President asserted that the Nigerian military must remain apolitical
and neutral in performing its constitutional role, stressing that the
military has made good progress in the war against terror, even though
faced with contemporary security challenges that were not envisaged some
decades ago.
Warning members of the Armed Forces to be generally mindful of “today’s
highly sensitive media environment,” the president observed that
some of the new graduates of the College would be deployed in crisis prone
areas inside or outside the country.
To them, he said “you must be conscious of your actions, given that we
live in a common global environment.” But he added that there is no doubt
that the quality of training “you have received has adequately prepared
you to confront current threats to national and global security.”
Commenting on the international composition of graduates and participants
in the course at the Command and Staff College, President Buhari said
praised other African nations that nominated candidates for the College.
He said such action, “enhances the ideals of African governance
integration for regional cooperation vital for collective security and
development of the continent.
For instance, he restated that fact that under the auspices of the Multi
National Joint Force of neighboring countries and Nigerian forces, “we are
progressively winning the fight against Boko Haram.”
Describing the College as a “prestigious institution,” he also noted that
the federal government “will also continue to ensure that this College
gets the type of support that it deserves.”
A total of 174 officers drawn from 7 African countries including Nigeria
graduated on Friday, at the ceremony attended by service chiefs, College
officials and the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
Osinbajo who stood in for the President at the Guest of Honor at the
graduation also visited a center at the NDA where those recently rescued
and escaped from Sambisa forests where being “deradicalized.”
A total number of 307 persons including women and children are based at
the center receiving instructional, medical and psychological
rehabilitation services.
Addressing them, Prof Osinbajo said “President Buhari wanted me to greet
you and to say that he thinks about you everyday and about your welfare.
And he wants to know that you are doing very well and that you are strong
and that you are well taken care of.”
He added that “I pray that all of you would be well, to work and all the
young people here will be able to go back to school. That is the message I
have for you from President Buhari. God bless you all.”