Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Nigeria: The Military in Democracy - AllAfrica.com

Lagos

A recent self-assurance by the Head of Army Staff, Lt. General Luka Nyeh Yusuf, that the Nigerian armed forces will protect democracy with the last blood in them, is applaudable and a major encouragement to the nation's attempts at entrenching civil rule.

Gen Yusuf's observation, that the military are more than recognized and better catered for under democracy than when they were in power, is also a fact which needed to be amplified by such as a high ranking military officer to drive place the fact that it is in the involvement of the military as an establishment to make everything in its powerfulness to guarantee that democracy lasts and thrives.

On a courtesy phone call on Lagos State governor, Mister Babatunde Fashola in his business office recently, Gen Yusuf said in the last eight old age of democracy, the military have got got fared better than under military juntas, insisting that lone recently when they made a presentation to the Alhaji Umaru Genus Musa Yar'Adua presidential term for improved social welfare bundle "the presidential term immediately approved."

Indeed, this principle for assuring of the military's full support for democracy is apprehensible but the fact stays that the topographic point of the military is in the barracks and while there, the civilian leading owes members of this very of import section of society every thing that would do them comfy and up-to-date with what obtains globally, especially in the developed states of the world.

All Nigerians are equally of import and rate the best at all modern times but the point have been made that the military and police force force force are so critical to society that their absence would take to number anarchy, and to a society that would be under the regulation of the jungle.

Although their primary function is the defense mechanism of the state against external aggressors, they have often assisted the police when the internal peace of the state was threatened, especially when they (police) appeared overwhelmed by crises. They have got also participated in peace keeping trading operations in the Occident African bomber part and beyond, for which the state owes them a depth of gratitude which can be paid through improved social welfare bundles for the personnel, overseas and domestic courses of study and up-to-date equipment for greater efficiency.

Immediate past times President Olusegun Obasanjo carried out an exercising in the early phases of his first term in business office which saw military force that had participated in administration at different degrees being eased out of service. This exercise, to a big extent, opened a window into an epoch of professionalism in the military.

Since then, preparation and retraining is said to have got taken Centre phase with equipment that were either lacking or outdated beingness provided or updated.

The social welfare of the personnel, as testified to by Gen. Yusuf, is also being given priority.

This is as it should be, because no self-respecting state trifles with its military. They are expected to be razor sharp, armed combat ready, highly motivated and disciplined, at all times, in preparedness for any contingency such as as an onslaught by external forces.

While they are being thus prepared, in order that there should be no dull minutes for these military military officers and men, some of them could be engaged in technology plant especially in the edifice of roadstead and bridges, particularly in the rural areas, they could be engaged in modern agribusiness and other productive ventures that would give them other hard cash and lend to honing their accomplishments especially in technology and allied disciplines.

Gen. Yusuf did well to point it out to the officers and work force of the armed military units that they have got a sacred duty to support democracy, if necessary with their blood, and he did even better by pointing out to them that it would pay them more than to make so. He set the card game on the tabular array and it is clear adequate for all to see.

The fact of the substance is that the military as an establishment is not cut out for governance.

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The expression that the worst democratic authorities is more than than the best military regime, have been taken as given. Only a smattering of greedy, often blood thirsty military officers and work force boom during military regulation and they check down difficult on their co-workers who effort to inquire inquiries even about social welfare or training.

Development is stunted under the military, human rights, like the constitution, is suspended while politicians are either clamped in jailhouse or chased off into exile. During military dictatorships, everybody, except the dictator and his henchmen are the "losers." Under democracy however, the majority, including the military as an institution, are the winners.

That is the manner it should be. The bulk should be the victors and the military should, like Gen Yusuf, get to see themselves as an built-in portion of that majority, and be ready, at all times, to play their critical function to guarantee that the bulk would no longer be the losers.

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