Buratai Bemoans Negative Reportage as Army Marks ‘Combat week’

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