The immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai (retd), yesterday said countering insurgents’ activities in the country was totally new to the Nigerian Army. He said it took the military little time before it devised a means of combating the new threats.
Buratai, who stated this in his valedictory speech during the pulling out parade by the Nigerian Army in Abuja, also insisted that he left the Nigerian Army better than he met it.
According to him, the Nigerian Army under his watch had achieved tremendous feats in the fight against insurgency and other security threats in the country, maintaining that he ensured adequate training of personnel and enhancement of warfare capabilities of the army, as well as prioritisation of personnel’s welfare.
He urged politicians to always leave military out of politics, adding that the country needed politicians who are statesmen to support the military in addressing the prevailing security challenges.
Bad naval officers still conniving with criminals – Ibas
The immediate past Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral I. E. Ibas, on Friday, told his successor, Rear Admiral A. Z. Gambo, that there were still many officers of the Nigerian Navy conniving with illegal bunkers, sea pirates, oil thieves and other maritime criminals to undermine the existence of the country.
Ibas, who stated this at Navy headquarters in Abuja when handing over to his successor, described the officers’ actions as ‘sad and regrettable,’ saying negligence of the officers at their duty posts was aggravating challenges in the maritime sector.
While urging the concerned officers to make a turnaround promptly, he said he was still hopeful that they would ponder on his pleas and pursue a fulfilled and successful career.
Ibas, in his valedictory speech, maintained that his administration as the naval boss, despite all the odds, had suppressed criminalities in the maritime sector.
Captured territories regained under me – Olonisakin
The immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin (retd), on Friday, said the defence headquarters had made some modest achievements aimed at improving operational capacity, logistics and welfare needs of officers and men.
He also noted that the armed forces reclaimed all the territories occupied by the Boko Haram sect under his watch.
Olonisakin, who spoke at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja while handing over the mantle of leadership to his successor, Major-General Leo Irabor, said in terms of organisation, some directorates of the headquarters were upgraded to departments to make them more impactful.
According to him, the department included the former Directorate of Civil-Military Affairs, which had been upgraded to a department to scale up the non-kinetic operation.
