The President defined the persistent attacks as "unexpected".
"We are being overwhelmed in some incidents. We will surely get over it. We will work with you [the military] to see what we can provide to make sure that you are in position to defend our nation," he said.
"We will work with you to ensure you are in position to protect lives, you are in position to protect properties of Nigerians, you are in position to make sure that the
environment is peaceful, and that Nigerians can move freely from one part of the country to the other without being afraid that somebody would point the trigger at them."
Following the Bama attack, the President summoned the
Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police for an
emergency meeting on the issue.
To the new Generals, he said, "On behalf of your country and men and women, I congratulate all of you. It is not easy to wear two stars.
That is almost the terminal position in the armed forces.
Any other one is by the grace of God.
"And to be so elevated as two star generals; we know that
you must have passed through storms, you must have endured several winters, both rainy season, dry season to get there. You wives must have also been well picked to survive this period. But we thank God that today you are being so decorated.
"But it is a very, very challenging moment. It is a very
challenging period in this country and we expect as the
saying goes that those to whom more is given much is
expected. For those of you who are decorated as full two
star generals, we expect that you bring your experience to
bear.
"We must work together as a team to make sure that the
armed forces are able to protect lives and property of
Nigerians. If we don't do that, then of course the reputation
of the country will continue to go down.
"A number of issues are being raised in the media which
you know much more than I do, which are so much of a
challenge on the armed forces and other security agencies
of this country. All of us collectively must stand up to our
responsibility and go the extra mile; we need to add the
extra to see that as a nation we overcome these challenges."
"I am quite impressed with what is going on in the services.
I am seeing creativity and innovation in the three arms.
From the army, I have seen a lot of initiative, creativity,
innovation, in terms of their own equipment that before this
time were all reconfigured or maintained abroad; which you
are doing yourself.
"The same thing with the Navy, and Airforce. Not too long
ago, in Kaduna, we were quite impressed with the
unmanned aerial vehicle that we saw. We saw the people
who did it, very young people from the Nigerian Air Force.
This shows initiative, this shows creativity.
"We also saw the wind tunnel. We were told that they were
imported into the country in 1984. My assumption was that
the Shagari government imported them into the country.
But only recently, they were able to couple it for use.
"So you have seen that for quite some time, probably, we at
the leadership level of this country have not been doing
things the way we suppose to do. I believe that the number
of things that the Arned Forces supposed to have gotten
over these periods, they don't have."
Among the 46 Major Generals and equivalent decorated are
Major General Adeniyi Oyebade, Brigade Commander, 19
Brigade Ikeja, Rear Admiral Ahmadu, Commander Central
Pay office, Lagos , Air Vice Marshal Victor Udoh, Major
General Sanusi Muazu, Major General Leton Wiwa, Arear
Admiral Joseph Okojie and Air Vice Marshal Nahogo
Nzokala.
Via: Vanguard
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