Army can’t take over in Nigeria again -IBB

FORMER military president, General Ibrahim
Babangida, on Tuesday, said that Nigeria's
democracy no longer faced the danger of being
truncated by the military.
Babangida was the guest speaker at the graduation
ceremony of Course 20 and 20th anniversary of the
National Defence College, Abuja.
According to him, the training senior military officers
had received at the college and what he termed
"enlightened self-interest" would not allow military
incursion into the current democratic experience in
the country.
The former president further said that more senior
military officers were now committed to democracy,
a development which, according to him, would
facilitate national development and put an end to
coup d'etat in the country.
Babangida, who spoke on the topic: "The creation of
National Defence College: 20 Years After," charged
political leaders in the country to give more
patronage to the college and recognise it as the
leading institution providing solutions to security and
defence issues.
According to him, "the college needs to be
patronised by the relevant arms of government, as
obtainable in other parts of the world. Defence
colleges and universities are held in high esteem by
the governments which own them.
"In this respect, the National Assembly should be
interacting more closely with the NDC, so as to use
its services in their work on defence and security. The
college should also move out and be a service
provider in its area of competence to Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the
African (AU) and other institutions in Africa and
beyond.
"It is not acceptable that other similar institutions
should come into our country and region to offer
technical services when NDC is here. As a centre of
excellence, the college should be doing a lot of work
for ECOWAS and not its counterpart institutions from
outside.
"At the very least, we expect that any institution
coming in here to run courses or research should
partner with the NDC to do it."
Affirming that the college has contributed to national
development, by impacting the core values and
ethics that suppport democratic rule, Babangida said
"I can say without equivocation that our democracy
faces no danger from the military.
"This is because long before Nigeria returned to
democratic rule, military officers who passed through
this college were prepared for life of service under
civilian leadership and control."
Babangida, who stuck to his prepared speech, even
during the interview session with journalists,
credited the college for building consensus among
the senior officer cadre that had sustained
democracy and was helping in the transformation of
the military.
The lecture, which was held at the General Sani
Abacha Hall of the college, was attended by the
Minister of State for Defence, Chief (Mrs) Olusola
Obada; Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal
Oluseyi Petinrin; service chiefs comprising
Lieutenant-General Azubuike Ihejirika (Army) and Air
Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar (Airforce) and other
top serving and retired officers.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Obada said that
insecurity, all over the world, was gradually
becoming the norm, adding that there was the need
for security agents to live up to their responsibilities.
Earlier in his welcome address, the commandant of
the college, Rear Admiral Thomas Lokoson, reiterated
the commitment of the college towards developing
and training strategic leaders that would live up to
the security challenges of the 21st century.