Buoyed by an innate desire to serve his country at its most critical time, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen, Tukur Yusufu Buratai, has sprung pleasant surprises to most Nigerians and indeed the world in his leadership of the Nigerian Army as he unfolds a new agenda for the soldiers. Since the general took over the reins of power as the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, the popularity rating of the Army has kept soaring to high heavens, and virtually at every instance, Nigerians have had cause to assess the Army since President Muhammadu Buhari became President of Nigeria. It is now on the lips of every Nigerian and indeed Africans that Gen. Buratai is walking the talk, as a result of the multi-dimensional reforms he introduced and implemented in the service, which have been the redeeming grace as emphasis is on professionalism, discipline, transparency, accountability and subservience to democratic ethos, norms and patriotism.
He embarked on moral and psychological cleansing of the personnel by refreshing their memories on professional ethics through courses and seminars, and Nigeria today parades a level -headed, disciplined and morally upright breed of soldiers. General Buratai is the soldier’s general, some call him the soldier’s soldier, and others call him the gentleman soldier. But one thing that is endearing to all about him is the gentle smile, calmness he beams every time he appears in public and the mien of confidence and competence he exudes. Within the few days of his appointment in July 2015 as COAS, he joined his men in the trenches, and travelled within the different formations and divisions to boost their morale at the fore-front of the battle against terrorism. He dined with the soldiers at the battlefield and on some occasions broke his Ramadan fast in the trenches with the solders, and in a matter of few months with the right strategy, the insurgents were decimated, degraded and routed, and territories were recovered from them. He placed loyalty to the state above his personal interest and he truly treated his troops as his blood all in a bid to give them a sense of oneness and togetherness towards the common goal.
In spite of the daunting challenges, he reformed, refocused and repositioned the Nigerian Army for effective combat readiness in tandem with best global practice, and that is why Nigerian Army today is rated the best in Africa. The COAS’ ingenuity resulted in the creation of a motorcycle brigade that was able to deploy rapidly to combat the fighters wherever they are carrying out the attacks, and this led to Nigerians to start believing in the Nigerian army again with several commendations from in and outside the country.
Buratai, is quietly repositioning the Army into the strongest and most formidable force in Africa by his gradual actualization of his blue-print and road-map of making the Army professionally responsive to Nigerians in the discharge of its constitutional roles and assignments. However, today’s crowning heights of this accomplished infantry general started in 1983 when he was commissioned into the Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army, after an exhaustive training at the prestigious Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, as a member of the 29th Regular Combat Course. Over the years, Buratai had carved a niche for himself as a no-nonsense soldier, combatant, administrator, commander and an academic genius in military circles. Therefore, when Buratai laces his boots and steps out on the battlefield, he inspires courage and bravery in his foot soldiers. When they reclaimed Nigerian territories captured by Boko Haram terrorists, he re-defined the essence of existence for many communities and thousands of their inhabitants. He is the harbinger of the message of hope and freedom when he visits Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) at different camps. The Nigerian Army courageously determined and gallantly led the counter-insurgency that has ended terrorism in the North East and Nigeria today. Militancy in the Niger Delta became a torn in the flesh of the people, manifesting in vandalism and bombing of pipelines or facilities by aggrieved groups in the region, which made the national revenue to drop drastically, had been reversed through the timely intervention and handling of ‘Operation Delta Safe’ and ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’ by the Nigerian Army and guided by a philosophy of the highest military strategy.
Nevertheless the armed bandits terrorizing some parts of Southern Kaduna were also meticulously dealt with earlier this year with the launch of ‘Operation Harbin Kunama 1 and 2. Apart from establishing a military battalion in the area to enhance security, the troops camped and built a strategic command to reduce the menace to the minimum. The general also deserves commendation for the quick response to tackling cattle rustling menace in the North
The Army has intermittently embarked on medical treatments of ailing Nigerians in war -torn communities and the IDPs. A lot of sick Nigerians have benefited enormously from the free medical services and distribution of drugs, all funded by the Army which cut across all the regions that have been affected by herdsmen and Boko Haram’s mayhem.
As a result of the proactive leadership of the Army, a lot of changes have taken place; the war on insurgency is fast becoming a thing of the past, while captured or kidnapped people are being re-united with their people. A lot of Chibok School girls have also been released to their families, while roads and infrastructure facilities, including electricity, have been built by the Army as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Omoba Kenneth Aigbegbele is the Executive Secretary, Citizens Watch Nigeria (CWN).