Nigerian Army -The Chief of Army Staff, (COAS) Lt. Gen Azubuike Ihejirika yesterday disclosed that the Nigerian Army had commenced massive recruitment of soldiers to cushion the effect of ongoing security challenges in the country.
Speaking at the opening of a five-day seminar organised by the Army Department of Civil- Military Affairs held at 2 Division, Odogbo, Ibadan, the COAS said, “I have already commenced the recruitment of 9,000 soldiers in our various training institutions.’’
Nigerian Army Recruits 9,000 Soldiers To Tackle Insecurity
The seminar is entitled" Consolidating Civil Society Organisations-Military Relations for Improved National Security.’’
Represented by Major General John Ewansiha, the COAS said that the overall objective of the seminar was to foster a better working relationship with civil society organizations (CSOs) towards winning hearts and minds.
According to him, the Army has intensified its effort towards retraining its personnel to meet up with the security challenges facing the nation.
"Indeed the Nigerian Army is currently occupied with domestic challenges in several parts of the country, especially in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states,’’ he said,
In an address of welcome, the Chief of Civil-Military Affairs, Major -General Bola Koleoso, said that the army considers the theme as part of the quest to resolve the crisis the nation is currently faced with.
‘’As we all know, the Civil Society Organizations stand for the defence of human rights everywhere as well as in crisis situations. The military aims at defeating insurgents as well as protecting law abiding citizens,’’ he said.
According to him, the Nigerian Army and Civil Society Organizations require to know each other better and learn to work together in harmony for the achievement of common objectives.
The state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, who was the guess of honour, said there was the need for constant engagement and discussion between the civil and military public.
"The modus operandi of the military is force; obedience to order and immediacy of that obedience; the modus operandi of the civil public is persuasion and constant engagement, which takes time," he said.
According to him, the task of such relationship should be how to bring the two public organs together to pursue the same agenda for the democratic vision of the nation.
"The Nigerian civil public cannot afford to stand aloof from the military. Since independence, the military has fought wars towards the sustenance of Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In the process, it has lost thousands of its men who are martyrs of the peace and nationhood we enjoy today.
"We cannot but support the Nigerian military in its quest to protect the nation and her territorial borders,’’ he said.
Source: Leadership Nigeria