President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the Nigerian military for its dexterity, prowess and level of professionalism in combating the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.
The president, who spoke on Wednesday in Gusau, Zamfara State on the occasion of the commemoration of Army Day celebration, commended the Chief of Army Staff for his foresight and initiative and for mobilizing adequate resources to ensure precision in the conduct of the exercise.
He also applauded the collaboration with sister services and other security agencies in order to degrade and decimate the miscreants and urged the security agencies to intensify and perfect current strategies, approaches, techniques and tactics towards curtailing all forms of lawlessness across the country.
The president said he was delighted to be in Gusau, Zamfara State to witness the Grand Finale of the Nigerian Army Day Celebration 2016, stressing that he was particularly glad with the choice of Gusau for the conduct of this exercise and for the wisdom of incorporating a live Field Training Exercise into the celebration to clear remnants of cattle rustlers and armed bandits terrifying innocent citizens in this general area.
“The remarkable success recorded during the conduct of the exercise has no doubt served the purpose and aptly drive the realization of the theme of the celebration which is, Optimizing the Capability of the Nigerian Army to meet Contemporary Security Challenges.”
President Buhari sympathized with the people of the area for the enormous losses they suffered as a result of the incessant activities of the insurgents and cattle rustlers whose actions, he said, have made farming, livestock management and other economic activities more difficult even in the face of the general economic challenges.
He expressed optimism that the operations of the last few days will surely lead to the restoration of economic activities of surrounding communities bedevilled for some time now by the menace of cattle rustling and banditry.
“It is quite gratifying to inspect the equipment displayed which showcased the robust capability of the Nigerian Army to ward off internal and external aggression against the nation. The Command Post Exercise also reminds me of the importance of staff work in the field during the civil war in the 60s and the Chadian Operations in the 80s.
“I am pleased at the dexterity, prowess and level of professionalism displayed by various components including the combat airborne jump by personnel of the Nigerian Army supported by the Nigerian Air Force. I am quite confident that the Nigerian Armed Forces have been amply repositioned more than ever before to resolutely confront contemporary and emerging security challenges in the country.”
The applauded the involvement of private partners in the defence sector especially in terms of provision of specialist equipment under the Public Private Partnership and urged the Armed Forces to leverage on this opportunity towards enhancing capacity.
He assured of the government’s resolve and continued support to enhance the operational efficiency of the Nigerian Armed Forces to effectively discharge their constitutional roles. “We remain committed to ensuring that you are provided with the required resources and impetus to operate professionally and efficiently.,” he said.
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