Army Acquired Land Legally, CAS Tells Protesters – TheNigerialawyer

The Nigerian Army has said it legally acquired its landed
property in parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and
advised indigenes protesting alleged land grab to channel their
complaints to the appropriate quarters.

The Chief of Army Staff (CAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, stated
this on Tuesday in reaction to the protest by some indigenes, who
barricaded the Air Port road, alleging the army grabbed their
land.

Buratai spoke at the foundation laying ceremony for the
construction of the “Army Command Estate and Headquarters,
Directorate of Army Legal Services’’ at the Muhammadu Buhari
Cantonment at Giri on the air port road.

He said their action would not yield any result.

“This particular estate (land) was granted to the Nigerian Army
in 1979.

“However, we got the official allocation with the Right of
Occupancy (C of O) in 1997 by the Federal Capital
Administration.

“In 2011, when all land in the territory were revoked and owners
of land were directed to re-certify their land, the Nigerian Army
along with other services, Navy and Air Force, we dully applied for
the re-certification.

“We paid the dues that was meant for the re-certification and
got our acknowledgment. That is to say that we have legally and
timely certify this particular land,’’ Buratai said.

He said that all the documents of the land are with the Abuja
Geographical Information Service (AGIS) of the FCT.

“So, any move to disrupt our activities here (ongoing
construction work on the land) is going to be fruitless. We have
all the legal backing,’’ the army chief said.

Buratai advised those alleging the army grabbed their land to
channel their complaint to the appropriate quarters rather than
protesting and barricading highways.

“They — protesters — should not allow themselves to be deceived
and take the laws into their hands,’’ he said.

The construction of structures are already ongoing in the over
4,000 hectares of land to accommodate newly established
Headquarters of Army Aviation corps, Women corps, Space Command, as
well as officers and soldiers quarters.

Also located in the land is the headquarters of the Nigerian
Army’s Farms and Ranches Ltd.

A coalition of FCT indigenous associations had recently been
accusing the army of grabbing their land and protested to the
National Assembly over the issue.

They had also protested to the office of the Minister of FCT,
calling for his intervention.

They alleged that the army wanted to collect their land located
at Zuba, Iddo, Sabo and Tuga Maje, all on Airport Road.

Buratai also used the occasion to charge officers and men on the
need to make sure the country is kept safe and secured, and
continued support for the administration.

He reminded them of the strategic importance of the military in
a democratic dispensation, adding that they “must defend
democracy’’.

“We are much, much better in democracy than any other system. We
must ensure that we perform our constitutional responsibilities
with all the seriousness it deserves.

“We must all ensure that all our ongoing operations are stepped
up.

“The insecurity that we are facing in the North-east and other
parts of the country requires more initiative and requires us to
think out of the box to get the right solution,’’ he said.

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DHQ Denies Report of Premature Retirement of
Christian-Military Officers

The Defence Headquarters has noted with dismay a mischievous and
systematic campaign of calumny against the government through
spurious and unfounded allegations of lopsided recruitment,
postings, appointments and retirements of military personnel by the
Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).

Specifically, by an obscure online blog owned by one Sola Kuti
which he christened “SK Blog.” The blogger without recourse to any
effort of finding out the truth, accused the Nigerian Army of
systematic retirement of over 200 officers from particular
geo-political zone and religious group in the first quarter 2019
and secret recruitment into the services, without giving further
details. Ordinarily, one should not bother about it because it is
not true and born out of the figment of the writer’s imagination.
However, it is imperative to correct the erroneous impression being
created in the mind of some members of the public.

Therefore, it is important to reiterate that postings,
appointments and retirements in the military are routine activities
and common public knowledge. Every officer, soldier, rating, airman
or woman on commission or enlistment into the Services look forward
to an exciting, adventurous and rewarding career in the Armed
Forces and most importantly knows exactly when he or she is due to
retire. Officers, soldiers, ratings, airmen and women are not only
conscious of this but look forward to it. Personnel often retire
based on age on rank or length of Service. In the event of
approaching retirement, the affected person or persons are given
adequate notice and also prepared for life after Service through
training programmes at either the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, or
Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi. Therefore, it is
irresponsible for anyone to allege that such exercises were
targeted at a particular ethnic group or religion.

Similarly, recruitment and enlistment into the Armed Forces of
Nigeria have always been made known to the public and follows
transparent and well known procedures that are in line with best
practices. We expected the writer to make effort of finding out the
truth before misleading unsuspecting members of the public through
such publication. He should have taken advantage of the various
public affairs departments of the Services to enquire about such
issues. Although we are not mindful of the fact that such write-ups
are sponsored by some obviously unpatriotic and ignorant elements,
it is instructive to state that the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain
the cohesive and bastion of national unity and no amount of
campaign of calumny would change that. Such things are alien and
blasphemous in the military.

More also, the allegation of “unease and disquiet in the
military formation” is not only untrue, but sheer mischief.

The public is implored to please disregard such insinuations as
there are proper career plan and progression in the military,
therefore, there is such thing like premature retirement or
deliberate attempt to cleanse a particular ethnic or religious
group in any of the Services.

ONYEMA NWACHUKWU
Colonel
Acting Director Defence Information