By Victor Akaa,Abuja.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS),Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai has said, the Nigerian Army has no monopoly of knowledge hence there is a need to constructively criticise the Army to help them take an informed decision to deliver on the professional mandate of the army within the arm bits of the law.
Even as he called on Nigerians to support all the agencies of government whom are determined in making sure Nigeria is safe and secured.
Gen. Buratai made the call when a delegation from Oil and Solid Mineral Producing Area Landlords’ Association of Nigeria (OMPALAN), made a courtesy call on him in Abuja.
The Army boss, represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Nigerian army, Lt . Gen. Lamidi Adeosun, also recognised the important of the OMPALAN, described the visit as unprecedented due to the caliber of eminent and well experienced Nigerians who had devoted their time in the service to humanity.
Buratai also called for a better collaboration between the Army and the organisation. He further commended the organisation for appointing the COAS as the ‘protector of environment’,expressed delight that the honour was in recognition of the rare and sustained sacrifice by the NA leader in defending the territorial integrity of the country as well as securing the lives of all citizens devoured of ethnicity and religion.
Earlier in his speech,the President and chairman Board of Trustee of the of Oil and Solid Mineral Producing Area Landlords’ Association of Nigeria (OMPALAN), Bishop Udoh Azogu called on the mineral producing communities across the nation to build an effective synergy with the NA to help tackle the security challenges.
Bishop Azogu who stressed the need for politicians to enhance the welfare of the NA’s officers and men for a better and optimum performance, called on Nigerians never to toy with the lives of the patriotic soldiers who had served the country diligently.
“We are pleading with politicians to enhance the welfare of the military commensurately in reciprocating the great sacrifice made by the military community to salvage the nation from the mortal claws of terrorism and insurgency.
“We cannot afford to toy with the precious lives of gallant and patriotic soldiers who spend their lives with great vigour under hostile environment ”. Azogu stressed.
Azogu also enumerated the vision for the organisation’s visit to include “the growing desire of mineral producing communities across Nigeria to build effective synergy with the army in order to add more impetus to your formation’s constitutional responsibility of securing the Country’s territorial integrity from external aggression”.
The OMPALAN is recognised by the Federal Government, a Non Governmental Organisation made up of eminent Nigerians and other stakeholders in the oil, gas and solid mineral industry committed to deepening good governance through synergy with government agencies and institutions.
There main focus is to build enduring capacity in local communities to make them more productive and competitive in the management of human, material, intellectual and spiritual resources underpinning a safe environment.
