…Says no excuses for insecurity
Former Minister of Defence, General Theophilus Ɗanjuma (rtd), has asked Service Chiefs to end banditry and stop senseless killings across the country and return the country to the path of peace.
Ɗanjuma said there was “no excuses” for the lingering insecurity ravaging the country.
The former Army chief spoke at a book launch, titled: “Big Boots: Lessons from my military service”, by Major-General Solomon Udounwa (rtd) in Abuja yesterday.
Ɗanjuma, who was the chairman of occasion extolled the virtues of the author and his commitment to excellence in his military career.
He said, “Number one problem today, security. We must end the pandemic, stop the killings that are going on in our country as soon as possible. Those of you who are still serving; no excuses. Absolutely no!”
Responding, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa said the military is positioned and working tirelessly to restore peace across the country.
General Musa added that the armed forces will continue to uphold the values of service, integrity and honour that define the extreme military tradition.
He said, “Let me at least also mention to our distinguished chairman that the Armed Forces of Nigeria is positioned, is willing, dedicated and committed in ensuring that we restore peace and security in our own dear country.
“We shall not be deterred. There are going to be challenges, yes, but that’s why we’re here. I want to assure you that we have learned a lot from your record; very, very distinguished senior officers that have modeled us all through the years. We cannot afford to fail and we will not fail”.
The author, Maj.-Gen. Udounwa (rtd) said he was motivated by the desire to document his experiences for the younger generation of military officers. “So if you don’t document your experiences, that could be lost and then those coming behind you might not be able to learn from all the exposure and all the training that you had while in service”, he stated.
He explained that the title of the book: “Big Boots”, was informed by the size of his feet and boots in the military.
“I faced bullies in primary school. But the day I decided to unleash my big feet on one of the bullies, it ended that reign of terror. And then, when I joined the military, because my feet are very big, I was also given ‘big boots,’ which went with me everywhere I served, and which I used in trampling on terrorists and every other threat to our national security,” Maj.-Gen. Udounwa said.
