The Chief of Army Staff , Lt. -Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja has assured Nigerians that the military is on track to overcoming the current security challenges facing the country.
He provided this reassurance during the closing ceremony of the Chief of Army Staff Combined Second and Third Quarters Conference 2024, held on Thursday in Uyo.
For five days, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital, hosted key military personnel, including Principal Staff Officers of the Army Headquarters, Corps and Formation Commanders, Commandants of Nigerian Army Schools, and officers from various tri-service establishments.
The conference focused on reviewing the Nigerian Army’s ongoing operations, training activities, and strategic projections for the fourth quarter.
It also included a comprehensive review of counter-insurgency, anti-banditry efforts, and other critical operations nationwide.
At the closing ceremony, Lt. Gen. Lagbaja expressed confidence in the Army’s progress toward victory against insecurity, citing positive security briefings from various formations and commands.
Earlier in the conference, Lagbaja had reassured Nigerians that the Army would resist any attempts by powerful interest groups to disrupt democratic governance.
He emphasized that the Nigerian Army remains committed to upholding its integrity, built over the past 25 years of democratic rule, and is determined to avoid a return to military intervention.
The Chief of Army Staff also addressed concerns raised during the #EndbadGovernance protests held from August 1 to 10, reaffirming the Army’s commitment to a united and secure Nigeria and rejecting calls for undemocratic intervention in governance.
“Although one can say this was coming from young Nigerians who never experienced the era of Nigeria’s extensive military rule and the concerted struggle by heroes and heroines of our current democratic dispensation to get the Nation on its current path.
“As Chief of Army Staff, my simple response to the call is, ‘Thanks, but no thanks!’ The Nigerian Army will not allow itself to be used to undemocratically sail some interests to power.
“As the Service that received the most image bashing as a fallout of previous military interventions in Nigeria, the Nigerian Army is not poised to lose the new prestige it has painstakingly built in the past 25 years,” Lagbaja said.
He said that apart from combating physical insecurity such as terrorism, banditry, crude oil theft, and others, the Nigerian Army was poised to address the challenge of the food crisis which could trigger physical security issues.
To this end, Lagbaja revealed that the Nigerian Army as a way of ensuring food security, was embarking on massive food production in partnership with the government and the private sector.
“Evidently, the situation that led to the protest seems to have settled, but the Nigerian Army understands that the issue of food security will remain on the front burner of our national security policy and discussions for a while.
“As a way of strengthening its soft power approach to resolving Nigeria’s food security challenge, the Nigerian Army will, in the coming days, review its agricultural policy to better position the Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches Limited to significantly boost crop production so that the Army can release grains into the market at highly subsidized rate in support of government efforts.
“Furthermore, the Army Headquarters is reviewing some proposals for partnerships with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of government and reputable private organizations on how best to collaborate to resolve the food crisis in the country.
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