Ahead of the 2007 general elections, the Chief of Army Staff, (COAS) Lt. General Andrew Azazi, has reminded army personnel that they have a responsibility to ensure the internal security of the country during the polls so that nothing untoward happens to the corporate existence of the country.
Speaking while declaring open a one-day workshop organized by the Nigerian Army to sensitize commanders of units/formations in the 19 Northern states on the code of conduct for troops during the 2007 elections,
Azazi also warned his officers and men not to dabble into partisan politics during or in the run-up to the polls but to concern themselves with their professional duties.
The COAS noted that the spate of violence recorded during past elections in the country had made it imperative for the nation�s Armed Forces to be adequately prepared to prevent such ugly occurrences from threatening the continued corporate existence of the country.
�In retrospect, electioneering periods in Nigeria have always been tense. There are historical antecedents that provide empirical evidence. Often, the services of the Armed Forces have been required to assist the civil authority in restoring peace and order during elections in Nigeria.
�Our ability to render such assistance, professionally, is determined by the level of training conducted and plans put in place, prior to the call out. We should be determined as a veritable arm of government to assist in smooth transition.
�I need not remind you that it is your responsibility as commanders to ensure that your troops are given requisite and mission-oriented training.
The purpose of this workshop therefore is to stimulate and provide you with the necessary information and ideas on what
you should expect from every stakeholder in the forthcoming elections in form of pamphlets.
�Furthermore, I want to underscore that the workshop
will among other things impress on the need for political activities to be restricted outside the walls of the barracks. I hope this workshop will ultimately improve upon our current standards in assisting the civil authority in restoring law and order, with emphasis on the forthcoming 2007 general
elections,� Azazi said.
The General Officer Commanding the One Division, Kaduna, Major General Lawrence Jokotola in an earlier remarks stated that it was essential that all unit/formation commanders were given the opportunity to kit themselves with relevant guidelines that would enhance their duty.
�It is therefore very essential that a forum such as this be put in place to sensitize all officers, soldiers and by extension their families on all aspects of the entire processes with emphasis on their level of involvement at every stage,� Jokotola said.
He expressed optimism that at the end of the deliberations, a comprehensive document that would serve as a supplementary guide for members of the Nigerian Army would be developed by the participants.