The Nigerian Armed Forces has said it is not plotting any take over of government, especially as it pledged its unalloyed loyalty to the President and Commander-in-Chief and will provide of all necessary support for the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria.
The military says that the apprehension raised by Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremmadu should be disregarded by Nigerians as the “Nigerian military has come of age and is in tune with best international military practices of complete and total subordination to democratic governance.”
A statement from the director of Defence Information, Brigadier-General John Agim, said the statement by the Deputy Senate President might appear cautionary and sincere in the atmosphere of discourse, “it is, however, derogatory to the army used in the expression and, by extension, to the armed forces of Nigeria.
“The statement in the true sense has the capacity to denigrate the Nigerian military in every ramification, including its loyalty to the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and the confidence of the general public to defend Nigeria’s democracy.
“In the light of this, the Defence Headquarters wishes to state clearly that the Nigerian military has come of age and is in tune with best international military practices of complete and total subordination to democratic governance.”
“In this regard, it is worthy to remind the general public about some key measures, among others, that guaranteed the present sustainable status of politically unambitious members of the Armed Forces:
“Shortly after the transition from a military to a democratically-elected government in 1999, officers of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, who were quasi-political, were honourably eased out of service. This was done to avoid indoctrination of other officers in the military in order to enable the democratic government commence a re-professionalisation process of the Armed Forces. The process commenced in collaboration with international organisations such as the United States Armed Forces and the British Military. By 2009, from the basic military training institutions through units and formation reorientation programmes to top management workshops and seminars for the military, it became clear that the Armed Forces of Nigeria has been re-professionalised to be totally subordinate to political leadership and democracy in the country.
“In addition, the Nigerian military began to take the lead at ensuring that the West African sub-region is stable democratically through military diplomacy and physical action, where it is highly desirable and supported by ECOWAS. The case of the Gambia last year is still fresh in our memories, where democracy was enforced by an ECOWAS military coalition led by the Armed Forces of Nigeria, under the focused and able leadership of Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General A.G. Olonisakin (NAM).
“Furthermore, the present crop of personnel in the Armed Forces of Nigeria, right from the Service Chiefs to the men, are made up of the balance of re-professionalised officers and fresh intakes from 1999, who do not nurse political ambitions. They are fully committed to their oaths of allegiance to serve their fatherland, Nigeria, with total submission to our democratic government.”
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