QUOTING CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF LT GEN AB DAMBAZAU ON ARMY'S POSITION.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen AB Dambazau presenting his welcome address at the occasion

"The Nigerian Army has in recent times noted with dismay some of the unnecessary, unwarranted and inflammatory comments, statements and utterances in some quarters capable of creating a sense of insecurity and dragging us back to the dark days of our nation’s history. We are equally aware of the attempt by some people to drag the Army which has remained neutral but absolutely committed to the survival of our nascent democracy into the political affairs of this Country.   We also noted that some persons who apparently do not value peace are hell-bent on creating disaffection between the military and the public, particularly with reference to the Jos crisis.  Of course, we can safely assume that such persons find it impossible to commit other atrocities whenever we deploy to keep the peace, hence their frustration. Lest we forget the military was swift and decisive in containing the Boko Haram debacle and will therefore not hesitate to equally deal decisively with any form of mayhem whenever the need arises.   However, it is imperative that trouble makers in our midst, who are a negligible few, are not allowed to promote anarchy and their personal interest at the expense of our collective national interest and public order.  This is most important especially because our experiences in peacekeeping operation have shown that at the end of it all, it is the poor, the elderly, women and children that are the victims of such crises. 

The military has made a lot of sacrifices for peace and stability in our dear nation, and will continue to maintain its neutral status, despite efforts to discourage that through campaigns of calumny recently experienced.  We have seen the extent to which ethnic and religious crises ravaged many countries the world over, and we participated in post-conflict stabilization in many of such countries, we do not pray that we reverse the position in which other countries are sent to Nigeria for peace support operations. We want to state categorically that, in the Nigerian Army our Religion is Espirit de Corp while our Tribe is the Military Profession and our training has placed us above primordial sentiments.  The barracks is not a political battlefield, and our soldiers are not tools to be used for creating disunity.   The Nigerian Army affirms its commitment to its constitutional responsibilities and will continue to contribute meaningfully to the entrenchment of democracy in Nigeria. We have said repeatedly that, the subsisting democratic environment in the Country, today gives us a lot of advantage in the pursuance of professionalism. The Nigerian Army urges all stakeholders in our national affairs to eschew violence and promote peace and tranquility in Nigeria. This advice is borne out of our experiences of the consequences visited on countries that have gone through crisis lately".