The Nigerian Army has warned that the days when Soldiers in uniforms do and undo things the way and manner they want are gone.
The assertion was made by Maj: Gen Nosakhare Ugboh, Chief of Civil Military Affairs, Nigerian Army Headquarters, during a one-day human rights lecture and sensitisation workshop for Soldiers in 33 Artillery Brigade, Bauchi.
Nosakhare Ubgoh, who also noted that some young soldiers may have joined the army with the intent to victimise some civilians, said the workshop would further enlighten them to understand their place and conduct themselves professionally in the larger society.
He said, “For some of you who are old soldiers, there was a time when a soldier being in uniform was an open license to do and undo, those days are gone, and you can only look back to them with nostalgia.”
He added, “For the younger soldiers, some of you may have joined the army for the sole purpose of having the power to lure it over citizens, not in uniform.”
According to him, “Whatever may have been your idea about what it means to be a soldier, this workshop would help you to better understand your proper place and conduct in relation to the larger society”.
According to him, the workshop was one of the programmes and activities of the Chief of Army Staff in his resolve to transform the Nigerian Army into a well-trained, equipped and highly motivated force towards achieving its constitutional responsibilities within a joint environment.
He added that the proper conduct of the Nigerian soldiers within the larger society keys into the Chief of Army Staff’s command philosophy especially when the Nigerian Army has troops deployed across all states of the country to curtail various security challenges.
Ubgoh said in this situation, the interaction between soldiers and civilians has become inevitable hence the need for troops to conduct themselves professionally as soldiers.
In his welcome address, the Brigade Commander, Nigerian Army, 33 Artillery, Bauchi, Brig:-Gen Emmanuel Egbe, said that the workshop would serve as a reminder to all the participants of the roles they play as military men in the larger society.
He said it would also put them through the importance of keeping ethical standards in their conduct to recognise the significance and the responsibilities they carry in their profession of being soldiers.
Egbe further urged the participants to listen attentively, participate actively in the workshop and ask questions to clear their doubts.
The theme of the workshop is: The Proper Conduct of the Nigerian Soldiers within the larger society.
