Current security challenges in several parts of the country, particularly the North, are under government control and would soon become issues of the past, President Goodluck Jonathan said on Friday.
The president gave the assurance at the decoration of 55 senior military officers drawn from the Army, Navy and Air Force with the rank of two-star general.
“Let me assure all Nigerians and the international community particularly our foreign investors that our security challenges are under control,” the president, represented by Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada, said. “With our found determination and continued support and partnership terrorism and other security challenges will soon become issues of the past.”
He called on the Armed Forces to foster stronger ties and collaboration with other security agencies towards improving and sustaining national peace and security, and reminded the newly promoted officers of the expectation of the military authorities from them.
“Your promotion is in recognition of your selfless and dedicated service to our Armed Forces in particular and the nation at large,” he said.
“I urge you to live up to this high rank by remaining absolutely loyal to the service and the nation. As two-star generals, our nation expects from you greater dedication to duty, exemplary leadership and professional excellence. At this stage of your career, you must devote your ideas and talents to peace and security and social economic development of our country.”
Earlier, Chief of Defence Staff, Adm. Ola Ibrahim said the nation expects greater dedication to duty from the officers just promoted in order to ensure professional excellence, peace, security of lives and properties as well as social economic development of the country. He said the Federal Government’s transformation agenda aim at revitalizing all sector of the economic for enhanced growth and development was on course.
“And it is universally accepted that the security and development of any nation depends on the Armed Forces. It is in this context, that we have agreed that the transformation agenda cannot succeed without an atmosphere of peace in the country.”
Responding on behalf of the promoted officers, AVM PC Abel thanked the government for finding them worthy of the promotion, and assured of their dedication to duty.
In a related development, Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Alex S. Badeh called on the newly promoted air commodores under his watch to wake to the challenges ahead of them in order to justify the confidence reposed in them.
He made the call on Friday at the decoration of eight former group captains who were elevated with 32 others in November last year but were unavailable for the decoration ceremony due to the official engagements.
