Military urges Nigerians to overcome fear of uniformed personnel
Army
Abdullateef Fowewe
The Chief of Defence Civil-Military Relations at the Defence Headquarters, Rear Admiral Olusanya Bankole, has urged Nigerians not to be scared of men in uniforms, pointing out that they are meant to protect citizens.
Bankole emphasised on the Sunrise Daily programme on Channels Television that people should not fear when encountering individuals in uniform, as they are there to provide protection, noting that the awareness is instilled from various institutions, including the depot in Zaria, NDA, and NDC.
He said, “The military career is a noble career; the military career is to help the society; apart from protecting the territorial integrity of the society, we are protecting humans.”
He further stressed that with the trajectory that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has set now, the military will earn its respect from the populace.
He noted that the Defence Headquarters has stated that the incident involving some soldiers at the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company a few weeks ago is under review, vowing to sanction anyone found culpable.
Bankole thereby acknowledged that there are underlying issues that caused the incident, adding that the behaviour seen in the video does not, in any way, represent the attitude of the military.
“What happened at Ikeja Disco is being viewed seriously at the Defence Headquarters and headquarters of the Nigerian Air Force. Whatever sanctions need to be meted out will be.
“But there is no tolerance for that kind; the underlying issues between the Air Force and the IKDC are being tackled,” he added.
He enunciated the military has stepped up its sensitisation programmes, informing the people that the military is there to protect them always.
He reaffirmed the need for a good relationship between the military and the civilians, establishing that the military needs intelligence from the people to carry out its functions.
