It looks like the bond between some members of the public and the elite class of the Nigerian Army has started disintegrating and fading with the recent allegation of forceful “inoculation” exercise embarked upon by the health section of the Nigerian Army .
The story making the rounds is that the Army had embarked on a free health exercise in some states of the country, but the information was twisted to give the impression that the alleged vaccine being administered was very dangerous to human health. This twisted information was received with rapt acceptance and parents were reported to be in a frenzy as they stormed schools to withdraw their children.
The unfortunate situation happened in Abia, Anambra, Rivers, Niger and Bayelsa states. Many of the parents who gave reasons for evacuating their children from schools had no intelligent answer to offer than claiming they heard that other parents were evacuating their children from the schools.
Some said they heard that soldiers were injecting children with an unknown vaccine. The story was so rife that schools, markets and offices were temporarily emptied and forced to closed down. In some states, the prompt intervention of the governor helped to calmed the situation yet the people were not satisfied as they viewed every social activities of the Army from a different perspective.
The Army, sequel to this, instantly became a leperous institution that must be deserted like the Biblical Leper who rang bell to announce its every movement because the disease is contagious.
It is rather unfortunate that such attitude is found among Nigerians of the 20th century, especially supposedly enlightened Igbo parents. One would have thought that Nigerians should have outgrown such behavior. That the Army embarked on such humanitarian gesture should be a welcome development and a commendable exercise. Such humanitarian exercise has an international stamp of approval. Such gesture has become the window where the Army routinely express their humane gesture to the civilian populace. It should be appreciated.
It is on record that after the lraq war, the American Army moved into the communities to provide them with health care services. The same gesture was recorded in Afghanistan. Recently, the French military extended such free health gesture to the rural dwellers in Sudan and Chad. l remembered while in Haiti on a United Nation official assignment, all the military personnel including Nigerian Army on foreign mission in Haiti embarked on free medical humanitarian exercises. Back home, while on a trip to Sambisa forest, the Army despite its choked exercises still found time to extend health gesture to both the indigenes of Borno and also to the internally displaced persons( lDPs) in Chibok and Bama Local Government Areas.
Interestingly, similar free health gestures were carried out in Ebonyi, Imo, Enugu, Cross Rivers and Akwa Ibom states in the full glare of not only the political leaders but of the media and security personnel from other sister institutions. So, how come the people of these concerned states that ought to be expectant, suddenly became hatters of the Army.
In Enugu, Imo and Ebonyi which are three of the South Eastern states the same Nigerian Army health team was welcomed with pomp and pageantry as the Deputy Governor of Ebony State, Dr. Eric Kelechi Igwe, and the General Officer Commanding 82 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Adamu Baba Abubakar with other top dignitaries, watched as Lieutenant General TY Buratai, embarked on a humanitarian health restoration gesture to the people of Ebonyi and later moved to Cross Rivers. Many hypertensive elders benefited from blood pressure measurements kits and in the areas of dental care, optometry, laboratory services and free eye glasses, de-worming tablets, assorted drugs, mosquito nets and sanitiser of various categories were freely given while the children were not left out. The question is: Are they different bunch of Army that carried out those other aforementioned gestures? Are they not Nigerian Army personnel, made up of citizens of all the ethnic groups in the country. Instead of commending the Army under Lieutenant General Buratai for a wonderful thought out programme, we are assisting in demoralising them by not being appreciative. When last did we witnessed such gesture by past leaders of the same institution? Such programme was never considered, neither did they explain what happened to the budget. Today, here comes a man, who has abundant milk of human kindness and had thought it necessary to embark on such humaniterian gesture and the people are allowing evil evangelists to peddle false stories against the programme. lf the Army had closed its eyes to the health needs of the poor and their children, would all these uproar be entertained? l think those states where there were recorded stampede, should tender an open apology to the Nigerian Army for openly casting aspersion on an institution that is revered in the sub-region and the world. An Army that has been described roundly as one of the best in the world. An Army that has brought chains of glory to the country. Come to reason it, is it possible for all the lgbo in the Army including top ranking officers, to keep sealed lips and not speak out if they headed a drop of the information that the Army in which they belong was planning to exterminate their brothers and sister? l truly don’t think so. However on the other hand, one would have advised the Army to always carry the political leaders along in any of their future humanitarian programmers to avoid the twisting of noble venture into an ignoble outing.
Herdsmen ‘Terrorists’ (1)
No Nigerian leader dare call herdsmen terrorists. Neither can anyone deny the fact that they frequently unleash terror on their victims each time they clash.
It’s a known fact that herdsmen are of the Fulani lineage and stock that have their origin in Niger, Chad, Senegal and are found in the Northern parts of Nigeria, Cameroun and Ghana. Even if we find it difficult to classify them as “terrorists”, their actions depict so. That the Federal Government of Nigeria see no reason and justification to ascribe the demonic word “ Terrorist” to them, does not mean that the people of Nigeria are oblivious of their actions and antecedents does speak of who truly they are. The reason is because the list of their gruesome killings are endless. Since 2015, these herdsmen have viciously attacked virtually many local governments in the country leaving pain, tears and sorrow with blood dripping from their hands as their certificate of achievement. Herdsmen have killed more Nigerians than any diseases had ever killed.
- To be continued