Why We Decorate Newly Promoted Major-General In Maiduguri- COAS
Lt. General Tukur Buratai
I am highly delighted to be with you today on this very important event of the investiture ceremony of the brigadier generals newly promoted to the enviable and cherished rank of Major General in the Nigerian Army (NA). The choice of this venue, Command Guest House, Maiduguri for the investiture is predicated on the need to boost the morale of troops in the Theatre and also to celebrate your elevation with the law abiding people of the North East, who enjoy normalcy today as a result of the fruit of your service.
Nigeria will always remain our constituency and we all must be 100 per cent committed to maintaining its territorial integrity.
The large number of you that have merited to be promoted to this enviable rank of Major General indicates the significant attainment of my vision of having a Professionally Responsive Nigerian Army in the Discharge of its Constitutional Roles.
It is often said that promotion is a privilege and comes from God but again, without hard work, anyone’s ambition to be promoted would be difficult to achieve, if not impossible. It is on this premise that I commend all the newly promoted senior officers for their hard work, loyalty and dedication to duty. I will, however, enjoin you not to relent in your efforts but rather to see this elevation as a call to higher responsibilities, re-dedication and loyalty to the Service and to the nation.
For the past two and half years, a lot of achievements have been recorded so far in the areas of training, fight against insurgency here in the North East, containment of militancy, welfare and infrastructural development since my assumption of the Office as Chief of Army Staff. It is often said that, to whom much is given, much is equally expected. Therefore, on this auspicious occasion, I command you to see yourselves as key players that will drive my vision of taking the NA to the level of having an army that will be the envy and pride of other nations. For those that were not promoted, I urge them not to be discouraged but to see it as a challenge to work harder.
As we are all aware, insurgency is a difficult war that requires all hands to be on deck for it to be effectively tackled and finally destroyed. The NA has played her role satisfactorily. We have won the ground war and the BHTs substantially degraded.
We have secured Nigeria’s territorial integrity and equally maintained her sovereignty. We have carried out our tasks proudly and professionally. What is remaining now is for other stake holders – the political class and intelligence community – to take up the salient aspects of this war to the remaining ill-fated insurgents.
The NPF must be fully on the ground in all the states in the North East. Civil administration must be fully re-established in all the LGAs. The civil authorities must fight the ideological, social and propaganda wars. The issues of indoctrination and propaganda by the terrorists must be stopped. These are the surest way to finally defeat the insurgents.
As you are decorated today, the next mantle of leadership of the NA will fall on your shoulders. You are, therefore, expected to show commitment to be more dedicated and focused in the discharged of your responsibilities. You must put at the back of your minds the challenges of the counter-insurgency in the North East.
In fact, the reason for bringing this decoration to the North East and indeed to Bornu State is to underscore the importance of our counter-insurgency operations in the security architecture of our country. Therefore, the final defeat of the remnants of the BHTs and the stabilization efforts in conjunction with other security agencies must be uppermost in your minds.
Finally, let me use this opportunity to appreciate the Army Council and particularly Mr President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, for graciously approving your promotions and for his generous support and guidance to the NA. His support is invaluable to our successes in the North East and indeed across the country.
We remain resolute in ridding the country of insurgency and militancy. On this note, I wish to once more congratulate the newly promoted major generals and their families, friends and well-wishers who are here to rejoice with us.
Lt. General Tukur Buratai, Chief of Army Staff made this remarks at Investiture of Newly Promoted Major General at Command Guest House Command, Maiduguri
