President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday got another critical endorsement from
\n71 retired military generals, who expressed their readiness to work
\ntirelessly toward his re-election in the February 16 general elections.<\/p>\n
The position of the generals led by Buba Marwa, a retired brigadier
\ngeneral, was made known when they paid a courtesy call on Mr Buhari at the
\nState House, Abuja.<\/p>\n
Mr Buhari retired as a major general.<\/p>\n
Mr Marwa, who was military governor of Borno, and later military
\nadministrator of Lagos State, said the retired top officers thought it
\nright to visit the president, \u201cto say that you have represented your
\nconstituency very well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou announced a simple three-point agenda upon assumption of office
\nnamely security; fighting corruption, and the economy. You have kept your
\nwords as an officer and a gentleman.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Marwa added: \u201cWe the retired armed forces officers, representing 99.9%
\nof our colleagues say that we are proud of you; proud to be associated
\nwith your administration; and proud to witness this era of Nigeria rising
\nagain under your able leadership.
\n\u201cWe support you fully and totally in the presidential elections next week
\nand will do whatever we can within the law to contribute to your emergence
\nas the victor in the election in order to take Nigeria to the next
\nlevel.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
The most senior of the retired officers, Jubrila Ayinla, a retired vice
\nadmiral and former Chief of Naval Staff, said future generations would
\nacquit Mr Buhari as the \u201cmost creditable\u201d personality of his time.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cOn behalf of the generals here today, I congratulate you on the
\ntremendous work done by this administration, and wish to state
\nunequivocally that we are proud of you and fully behind you in the
\npresidential elections next week.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe pledge our full support and continued loyalty.\u201d<\/p>\n
Responding, Mr Buhari thanked the retired generals for their support and
\nreiterated that he would continue to do his best in serving the nation.<\/p>\n
He revealed that he contested elections four times and ended up in Supreme
\nCourt three times, before he finally won the election in 2015.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cGod has made this country great. We have human and material
\nresources, and may God continue to give us the right leaders.
\n\u201cMy objective is very clear, and I will continue to do my best.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
The president recalled what he said in his days as military head of state
\nthat.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have no other country but Nigeria. We will stay here and salvage it
\ntogether.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Buhari noted that even if one was blessed enough to send children for
\ntraining abroad, \u201cafter such training, they will still have to come back
\nhere.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must, therefore, give our best for our country. The patriotism imbued
\nin us by the military will ever remain relevant. Let\u2019s do our best for
\nthis country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Buhari, who described Nigeria as \u201ca fabulous country\u201d, said if it were
\nnot so, \u201cthe country could not have survived the damage done to it
\nmaterially and morally in the past.<\/p>\n
He, therefore, glorified God that after 30 months civil war, with over two
\nmillion lives lost, \u201cwe are still one country.\u201d<\/p>\n
He prayed that Nigeria would not lack people who could exploit its human
\nand material resources, adding that, \u201cthe higher you go in Nigeria, the
\nhotter it becomes, and not the other way round. But I can\u2019t complain.
\n\u201cI tried so hard to be here three times, ending up at the Supreme Court.
\nSo, I can\u2019t complain over anything I am going through now.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
He described the military as \u201can institution that gives amazing
\nopportunities to know the country, its different peoples and cultures, and
\nI am very grateful that you have claimed me back as one of your own.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was governor of North-East, which is now six states, Minister of
\nPetroleum for over three years, Head of State; I was arrested and
\ndetained, but did not lose my rank, because nothing was found against
\nme.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
The delegation of the retired military generals was made of one Vice
\nAdmiral, two Lt.-Generals, 15 Majors General and two Rear Admirals.<\/p>\n
Others included eight Air Vice-Marshals, 12 Brigadier Generals, three
\nCommodores, nine Air Commodores, and 17 former military
\ngovernors\/administrators.<\/p>\n
(NAN)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday got another critical endorsement from 71 retired military generals, who expressed their readiness to work tirelessly toward his re-election in the February 16 general elections.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":62212,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-64426","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n