Army Day Celebration: Commander calls for unity in Nigeria
The Commander 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Ken Chigbu, has called for peace and unity across all the ethnic and religious groups in Nigeria.
Chigbu made the call on Monday at a public speaking engagement in commemoration of the Nigerian Army Day Celebration held at Community Secondary School Aka Offot, Uyo.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the celebration is; “Sound Administration as a Panacea for Effective Military Operations.”
The commander said the unity and interest of Nigeria was beyond the interest of any group, stressing that every group should make deliberate efforts in ensuring that the country remained an indivisible whole.
He noted that cooperation among the people would help to tackle some security threats.
He added that the essence of the Army Day Celebration was to look beyond the Nigerian Civil war and embrace the need to address problems peacefully rather than resorting to arms.
“The celebration started July 6, 1978 and since then, it had been an annual event.
“It is high time we looked beyond the Nigeria civil war and embrace the mechanism put in place by the Federal Government of Nigeria to ensure that we remain one and indivisible nation, call Nigeria.
“If you take one stick of broom, you cannot sweep anything but if you take a collection of the sticks of brooms and have a bunch of broom, you can sweep the dirt in the room; the message is that Nigeria is beyond the aspiration of any religious or ethnic group.
“We must try to remain one. This is what all the presidents and even the present president is harping on. We are fighting that, as a nation we remain one,” Chigbu said.
The commander urged the students to take their studies seriously, adding that the Nigerian army had many career opportunities that could accommodate their aspirations.
“In the military, we don’t entertain failure, therefore, you have to work hard, it is a voluntary army and you will not be forced to join, rather we are marketing ourselves to you, whatever career aspiration you have, we have it in the Nigeria army.
“We have teachers, nurses, doctors, psychologists, business administrators etc, the only arm we don’t have is the marine engineers but we have the amphibian wing that can take care of that.
“Shun cultism and other social vices that will jeopardize your future,” he added.
NAN/PIAK
