Buratai Bemoans Negative
Buratai Bemoans Negative Reportage as Army Marks ‘Combat
week’
As the Nigerian Army (NA) continues to work hard and collaborate
with other security agencies towards ensuring national peace and
security of citizens, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General
Tukur Yusuf Buratai has solicited the understanding of all, while
passionately calling on the media to desist from negative and
inaccurate reportage, which are capable of inciting people and
breaching the country’s fragile socio-cultural harmony.
Buratai, who is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), spoke during a
press briefing on the ‘Conduct of Nigerian Army Day Celebration
(NADCEL) and Combat Support Arms Training (COSAT) Week.’
Buratai, however appreciated the vital role of the media as
formidable partners in promoting peace and national development,
saying “hence, NA will continue to partner with our indefatigable
Nigerian media in this respect.”
“The NA is continuously making progress towards ensuring the
development of this great country. We therefore solicit the
cooperation and goodwill of all well-meaning Nigerians to ensure
peace, security, and safety of lives and properties. On this note,
let me express my sincere gratitude to the media for their
cooperation in reporting NA activities. I urge you to give
NADCEL/COAST 2019 the desired wide coverage and publicity. I wish
to also use this opportunity to call on all Nigerians to show
interest and love to their own army as we strive to perform our
constitutional responsibilities,” he noted.
The COAS, disclosed that the ‘Nigerian Army Day Celebration’
offers NA the platform to reflect on its performance and celebrate
its achievements, as well as highlight military operations as key
instruments of national power, unity, integration and
development.
He said that COSAT is an important training activity which
provides a platform for the combat support arms to reappraise their
performance in providing combat support to NA operations.
“Accordingly, NADCEL and COSAT will be held jointly this year
tagged as NADCEL/COSAT 2019. This year’s celebration is
deliberately designed to focus on NA’s commitment as a
professionally responsive force in the discharge of its
constitutional roles. The combination of the two events is a
novelty which effectively supports NA’s drive towards building of a
professionally responsive force. This influenced the choice of our
theme for this year’s celebration, which is Professionally
Responsive Soldering: A Panacea for Successful Military
Operations”. The combined event is scheduled for 28 June – 6 July
2019 in Lagos, 81 Division’s Area of Responsibility,” Buratai
added.
The Army’s number one officer, said this year’s event is a deft
move directed towards enhancing the Army’s training with particular
emphasis on the combat supports arms for enhanced
capacity-building.
His words: “This is coming at a time we are actively involved in
multifarious operations across the country in which the thorough
knowledge of procedures, application of firepower, resource
management and actionable intelligence are most invaluable for our
success. Meanwhile, this media briefing signals the commencement of
this year’s event. It will be followed by sanitation exercises,
interdenominational church services, Jumu’at service, medical
outreaches in all units and formations, and series of lectures to
be delivered by erudite scholars. Other activities lined up for the
week-long celebration include commissioning of projects in NA
barracks around Lagos, a parade march past, and NADCEL/COSAT
dinner”.
Meanwhile in a statement issued by the spokesperson of the
Nigerian Army, Colonel Sagir Musa, the Nigerian Army Day
Celebration (NADCEL) and Combat Support Arms Training Week will
hold from Friday 28th June to Saturday 6th July 2019 in Lagos State
with the theme “Professionally Responsive Soldiering: A Panacea for
successful Military Operations’’.
The statement said: “Activities to mark the event will kick off
on 28th June 2019 with a press conference by the Chief of Army
Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai at the
Headquarters, Theatre Command, Command and Control Centre in
Maiduguri, Borno State. Other activities lined up for the
celebration include environmental sanitation exercise to be
conducted on Saturday 29th June 2019 in some designated areas
within 81 Division Area of Responsibility as well as in all units
and formations across Nigeria.
“Accordingly, interdenominational Church Service at St Charles
Lwanga Catholic Church, Ikeja Cantonment and all units and
formations Catholic and Protestant Churches in all Nigerian Army
Barracks on 30th June 2019 and Juma’at Service on Friday 5th July
2019 in all the Mosques across the Nigerian Army formations and
units.
“Similarly, there will be an interesting novelty football match
between the COAS team and Actors Guild of Nigeria team on Thursday
4th July 2019. While free medical outreaches in some selected
communities in 81 Division Area of Responsibility and other
Nigerian Army formations and units will be conducted on 3 July
2019.
“The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,
President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, will be the Special Guest of
Honour during the grand finale slated for Saturday 6th July 2019
which will feature parade/march past in Ikeja Military Cantonment,
COAS Commendation Award Ceremony, Exhibition of Infantry Light
Armoured Vehicles and dance display by various selected Nigerian
cultural troupes, among other activities.”
By PRNigeria