On Tuesday, Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja reiterated that the military will not be used by interest groups to undermine democratic governance in Nigeria.
Speaking at the COAS Combined 2nd and 3rd Quarters Conference in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Lagbaja noted that calls for military intervention are coming from younger Nigerians who have not lived through Nigeria’s extensive military rule.
He emphasized that the Nigerian Army is committed to preserving the “new prestige” it has earned over the past 25 years and will not jeopardize democratic governance.
Lagbaja also described the recent #EndBadgovernanceInNigeria protest as a wake-up call, highlighting that food insecurity and hunger could escalate into a major crisis.
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He said, “Another pertinent issue that came up during the recent protest is the call for undemocratic intervention in governance by the Armed Forces of Nigeria. Although one can say this was coming from young Nigerians who never experienced the era of Nigeria’s extensive military rule and the concerted struggle by heroes and heroines of our current democratic dispensation to get the Nation on its current path, as the Chief of Army Staff, my simple response to the call is, ‘Thanks, but no thanks!’
“The Nigerian Army will not allow itself to be used to undemocratically sail some interests to power. As the service that received the most image bashing as a fallout of previous military interventions in Nigeria, the Nigerian Army is not poised to lose the new prestige it has painstakingly built in the past 25 years, secure and united.”
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Lagbaja stated that in light of the recent hunger protests, the Armed Forces will expand their focus beyond physical security and national defense to address food and social security issues as well.
Although the immediate situation that sparked the protest appears to have calmed, the Nigerian Army recognizes that food security was a significant factor behind the unrest. He committed to reviewing the Army’s agricultural policies to contribute to solving this issue.
Currently, Nigerian Army troops are providing security for farmers in critical agricultural areas across the North-East, North-West, and North-Central zones.
This effort aims to safeguard food production and prevent disruptions that could impact the entire country’s food supply chain.
“The Nigerian Army will, in the coming days, review its agricultural policy to better position the Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches Limited to significantly boost crop production so that the Army can release grains into the market at a highly subsidised rate in support of government efforts.
“Furthermore, the Army Headquarters is reviewing some proposals for partnerships with ministries, departments, and agencies of government and reputable private organisations on how best to collaborate to resolve food crisis in the country,” the COAS stated.
