The Military has pledged support for democracy in Nigeria, giving assurances that the coups sweeping across neighbouring West African countries will not happen in Nigeria.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Gwarbin Musa, conveyed the military’s position in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Wednesday.
Speaking during his visit to the troops of 6 Division Nigerian Army and other military formations in the State, Musa said the military remained committed and dedicated to securing and protecting democracy in the country and would not allow anti-democratic forces.
The CDS, who was accompanied by senior military officers, inaugurated several projects including the 47 Engineering Brigade Counter Improvised Explosives Device Squadron, 29 Battalion Magazine, two streets named after him among others constructed by the Commander 6 Divison, Maj.- Gen. Jamal Abdulsalam.
Musa, who planted a tree at the Bori Camp headquarters of the division, insisted that the military would continue to protect the integrity of the country and defend her citizens.
“I am in Port Harcourt to visit the troops to see how they are doing, interact with them, commend them for a job well done and encourage them to continue to do more.
“We know we have a number of challenges within the country and Rivers State is not excluded. It is just a way to tell them that we are together and to hear directly from them.
“We want to thank the Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces, the President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for all the support he has given to the armed forces and security forces and to assure him that we are dedicated and committed to doing our job.
“We are here to protect the integrity of Nigeria. I actually came around starting from Imo State, we went to Bayelsa and now I am in Rivers State to try to encourage the troops to continue to do more and remain professional.
“I want Nigeria to be assured that the armed forces of Nigeria are here for them to protect them and to protect democracy and ensure that democracy thrives. They should have no fear. We have had a number of coups in countries around Nigeria, we have Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
“I know that is a lot of apprehension. I want to assure everyone that the Arm Forces of Nigeria is dedicated and committed to ensuring, securing, supporting and standing by democracy. We stand by democracy.
“You saw that ECOWAS was very decisive in the decision taken against the coup plotters and we want to assure Nigerians that nothing like a coup is going to take place in Nigeria. All members of the Armed Forces are pleased with democracy and we will continue to defend democracy,” he said
Musa warned criminals, oil thieves and pipeline vandals to desist from their nefarious activities, saying the President had increased the capacity of the military to deal with them.
He said the military would leverage technology to deal with the challenges to ensure peace and increased crude oil production.
“The President has equally approved some funds for us to buy enablers to assist us in fighting this menace of crude oil theft, criminality and we are going to leverage a lot on technology.
“That will give us a lot of leverage and we want to appeal to those criminals doing those things that we are coming after them but it is good and wise for them to stop.
“The military is dedicated and committed to ensuring that we restore peace. We want the crude production in Nigeria to grow so that Nigeria can enjoy the dividends of democracy,” he said.
Speaking on off-season elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states, the CDS said the military would not tolerate any form of intimidation, violence and stealing of ballot boxes, saying that such an era was gone with the new regime.