Prince Adewole Adebayo, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has said that Nigeria needs to rebuild its military institutions to effectively protect democracy, lives, and property in the country.
Adebayo spoke on Tuesday during a public presentation of a book entitled ‘Nine Lives: The Bello-Fadile Memoirs’, authored by Babatunde Bello-Fadile, a retired colonel of the Nigerian Army, held at the Sehu Yar‘adua Centre, Abuja, Monday.
He said the problem of insecurity across Nigeria today can be traced to institutional deficiencies and indiscipline among those saddled with the responsibilities of steering the wheel of state.
The former presidential candidate who recommended the book to history students announced the immediate purchase of one thousand copies to be distributed nationwide to military schools, formations, and institutions of higher learning.
He said that in addition to rebuilding the military institutions, Nigeria needs to reconstruct its civil service, Justice System, and industrial sector.
We must encourage the rebuilding of four institutions, which need to be rebuilt immediately. We need to rebuild our military. We need to rebuild our civil service.
We need to reconstruct our justice system and our industrial sector.
In an era where modern challenges are timeless in the face, we need to build these institutions and to build them, you need to find your way to extract who will say, I dedicate my entire life to one of these four institutions like Retired Colonel Fadile,” he stated.
Adebayo maintained that most of the country‘s historical achievements, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, can directly or indirectly be traced to the military, adding, “So that military is possible.
Some of the best brains in the country were officers, well-trained as both military personnel and other professional life like Retired Colonel Bello Fadile, who is wearing two caps.
Today in Nigeria, there are hard questions about national identity and unity.
The military is the one keeping these two. So we must know that we cannot do without the military as a country.”
The event, which had Adebayo as the book presenter, was chaired by the former Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakar Retired, General Martin Luther Agwai Rtd., General Alkali Kashim Rtd, Former Senate President David Mark, former Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba SAN, Chief Kanu Agabi SAN, OCJ Okocha SAN, Ahmed Raji SAN, Former INEC Chairman, Professor Maurice Iwu and Colonel Sambo Dasuki among other dignitaries in attendance.
