The Chief of Defence Civil-Military Relations at the Defence Headquarters, Rear Admiral Olusanya Bankole, has urged Nigerians not to be scared of men in uniforms.
Speaking during an interview on Friday, Bankole said, “People should not feel scared when they see people in uniform; the men in uniform are meant to protect you. That sensitization, even from the depot in Zaria, from the NDA to the NDC, is there.
“The military career is a noble career; the military career is to help the society; apart from protecting the territorial integrity of the society, we are protecting humans,” he said.
He said that with the trajectory that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has set now, the military will earn its respect from the populace.
He, however, stated that the Defence Headquarters has stated that the incident involving some soldiers at the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company a few weeks ago is under review, vowing to sanction anyone found culpable.
Bankole acknowledged that there are underlying issues that caused the incident, adding that the behaviour seen in the video does not, in any way, represent the attitude of the military.
“What happened at Ikeja DisCo is being viewed seriously at the Defence Headquarters and headquarters of the Nigerian Air Force. Whatever sanctions need to be meted out will be.
“But there is no tolerance for that kind; the underlying issues between the Air Force and the IKEDC are being tackled,” the Rear Admiral said.
He said the military has stepped up its sensitisation programmes, informing the people that the military is there to protect them always.
While reiterating the need for a good relationship between the military and the civilians, he said the military needs intelligence from the people to carry out its functions.
The PUNCH
