The Chief of Army Staff, General
Kenneth Tobias Minimah in an interview with Vanguard responds to issues
concerning the army’s preparations for the 2015 general elections, the recent
pounding of the Islamist Boko Haram terrorist group, the court martial of some
officers and men among others. The COAS spoke following a visit by
a delegation of statesmen led by former head of state, General Abdusalami
Abubakar who came on the aegis of the National Peace Committee.
HOW would you describe this
unprecedented visit of such revered Nigerians?
We are filled with humility that the
committee has been watching and observing what we have been doing. I think it
is a highly pleasant commendation just as it is a surprise to us, that they
want to come and thank us and commend us for what we have done. . We are
humbled that we are commended by a committee of this level; I think it is also
a reflection of the feeling of the senior citizens and a good percentage of the
elites in the country, that we did our best in the election.
People went to court saying military
should not be used to do this and that, but at the end of the day, a winner
emerged and the army was not in any way blacklisted for any acts of
impropriety. Troops had to be deployed to ensure that there is security and
there is no violence; that a good atmosphere is provided for the ordinary
citizen to come out and vote without fear for his life without fear for
intimidation, without fear of his environment and family which we did and I’m
sure everybody came out and voted well.
Democratic process
Most of us here today are products
of this same democracy, I have always believed and with my colleagues too, that
the Nigerian military is better off, under a democratic government because our
needs are more and enormously addressed than in a military government. In that
direction we believe strongly that our military would be able to sustain more
in observance of its constitutional roles in a democratic process.
Culled from Vanguard
No comments:
Post a Comment