A monarch, the Olowu of Kuta, Oba Adekunle Oyelude Makama, has applauded the exploits of Nigerian Army in recapturing Baga town in Kukawa local government area of Borno State allegedly lost to the Boko Haram insurgents.
In a statement issued by the monarch in Osogbo, the Osun State capital yesterday, he said that the Army’s impressive performance deserves both commendation and wide publicity to boost the morale of the gallant soldiers.
At an earlier press conference, Oba Makama chided Amnesty International and other civil society groups for trying to discourage the Army through what he described as campaign of calumny against the Nigerian Army.
The traditional ruler argued that such publicity would also weaken the strength of the insurgents and destabilise their camp.
Makama said: “It is not fair that our gallant soldiers are only reported when they record casualties. They are our ambassadors who by choice decide to lay down their lives for our dear country. For this reason, they should be respected with commensurate attention.
“The news coming from Baga, a major commercial centre in Borno State, is a good one, which indicates that the end of the battle is gradually in sight,” he said.
The Olowu, therefore, charged the federal government to fortify Nigerian troops with necessary equipment to prosecute and bring the war to end earlier than expected, adding that Nigerians in the Northeast deserve permanent peace.
Oba Makama also praised the Army authorities for their transparent disposition towards the verification of budgetary allocation as requested by some civil society organisations.
He noted that the Freedom of Information Act (FoI) does not compel public servants to reveal state secrets or give information, especially when it has to do with national security but applauded the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai, for his maturity.
