Ihejirika Decorates 16 Brigadier Generals With New Ranks, Says Army’ll Fight To Keep Nigeria United

CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF, LT.-GEN. AZUBUIKE IHEJIRIKA (L), INSPECTING  PARADE OF GUARDS IN KADUNA
CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF, LT.-GEN. AZUBUIKE IHEJIRIKA (L), INSPECTING PARADE OF GUARDS IN KADUNA

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, said on Tuesday that the Nigerian Army would do all within its power, including fighting, to sustain the unity of the country.

Ihejirika said this in Abuja at the decoration of 16 newly-promoted Brigadier-Generals with their new ranks.

“There is no two ways about it (unity of the nation); whatever is said in the newspapers, whatever utterances are made, every officer of the Nigerian army must remain focussed.

“The Nigerian Army will fight till the last man to ensure the unity and territorial integrity of this country at all times”, he said.

The army chief urged the newly-promoted officers to sustain those positive attributes of hard work and dedication to duty which enabled them to attain the rank.

Earlier, Sen. George Sekibo, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army and Defence, described the army as the “last hope” in the effort to tackle insurgency and keep the nation united.

“In particular, at this period that this nation is going through this insurgency problem, our last hope is on the army.

“Try as much as possible to make sure that Nigeria remains as a united nation, Nigerians must work hard to retain our peace.

“And those elements of destabilisation and destruction, we should fight hard to completely eliminate them,’’ he said. (NAN)