…as Gen Irabor promises peace for Nigeria
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday charged the new Service Chiefs to deploy their full abilities and resources to rescue the country from the current security challenges.
Buhari spoke at a ceremony to decorate the new Service Chiefs with their new ranks and asked them to deliver the country within the shortest possible time.
Those decorated are General Lucky Irabor, Chief of Defence Staff; Lieutenant-General Ibrahim Attahiru, as Chief of Army Staff; Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo as Chief of Naval Staff, and Air Marshal Isiaka Amao as Chief of Air Staff.
“During our four-hour security meeting, on Tuesday, I had taken the responsibility as Commander-in-Chief for you to go out into the field and secure the country,” the President said.
“You have got a few weeks to do that because, by the rainy season, we expect people to develop confidence and go back to the land so that we don’t get into trouble by being away from the field and therefore unable to produce enough food for the nation.”
He said they should see their appointment, clearance, and decoration as a vote of confidence on them.
“For those (of you) that have been confirmed by this ceremony, the decoration, in front of your spouses, is a further confidence loudly expressed on you on behalf of the nation, to respond to the insecurity the country is in, and the nation looks up to you for rapid relief.”
Buhari promised to support them as they deliver on their responsibilities.
“I have accepted responsibility for your actions in the field; it’s up to you to identify your competent officers irrespective of seniority and paper qualification and deploy them to make sure that we secure this country.
“We all look forward to you to perform and I as the Commander-in-Chief, I am backing you hundred percent, and I expect you to effectively deploy your officers and men to secure the country,” Buhari told them.
General Irabor, speaking on behalf of his colleagues, promised the President that they will live up to their responsibilities.
“Nigeria will have peace again. Based on the mandate, we will address all issues, working with all other security organisations,” he said.
“Peace and security is not just the security of the borders alone. It comes with having to build bridges across various divides. “We as members of the Armed Forces will never in any way demand peace and security of our nation in the hands of the terrorists. Rather it is we that will determine the peace and not for us to leave it in the hands of the terrorists.”
On what the steps the military planned to take, the four-star Gen responded: “I’m glad you talk about the next big step. Nigerians expect us to bring about peace and security in concert with other security agencies that we will do. We can’t live in fear. And we will ensure that whatever brings fear to Nigerians before now will be a thing of the past.”
The next step for him and his men, he said: “That is the trump card that I will not reveal to you.”
On how their strategies would differ from those of their predecessors, Irabo said, “I will rather say what we will not do. “What we will not do is to give instructions to our subordinates and not do the same. By extension, we will command the troops based on the expectations that we have of them and they will do it according to the expectations that we have of them too.”
“Strategies are not sacrosanct. Of course, there are dynamics that we need to begin to look at, what needs to be reviewed, and that is precisely what we are doing currently. And we review various strategies and of course come up with new ones to be able to meet the demands of the current realities.”
Gen Irabor admitted that President had given them marching orders to achieve results in a few weeks, adding that they will work courageously to achieving.
“No doubt, the next 100 days is not as important as today. I believe that as members of the Armed Forces working in concert with the rest of the security agencies, we will bring Mr. President’s expectations to bear in terms of our task,” he said in response to a question.
“But let me also let you know that the inevitable is that Nigerians will indeed experience peace and security across the land.”
