BY Evelyn Usman, Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo

LAGOS—GOVERNOR Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, yesterday, called on Nigeria Armed Forces to refrain from all forms of operations capable of undermining the country’s democracy.

This came as Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt-Gen Kenneth Minimah, warned soldiers and officers of the Nigerian Army in Lagos against flouting laws of the state, urging them to desist from plying the Bus Rapid Transit,  BRT, lanes assigned to government-owned public transport only.

The governor spoke at the State House, Marina when he received General Minimah, who led a team of senior military officers on a courtesy visit.
Fashola, at the public meeting with the COAS before a closed-door meeting later, lamented the proliferation of bad eggs in the military as well as other public institutions in the country.

While acknowledging the strategic roles of the military in the building of developed democracies in the Europe and America, Fashola urged the military to make positive input in building the country’s democracy.
According to him, “it is important to reinforce the role the military across the world has played in democracy. Students of military history will know many democracies across the world even in Europe have military institutions.”

Fashola, using United States of America as an example, said: “former US President George Washington and another US President Franklin Roosevelt among others served the military before they became presidents. While society moved on, as we have done, the military owes an obligation to do everything possible to sustain democracy and refrain from anything that undermines it, whether in the mind of the people or as a matter of fact.

“In essence, the military must become like Caesar’s wife, avoid suspicion in conduct and in deeds. I know as I said on Monday while inaugurating the tribunal of inquiry into the circumstances that played out when the life of that young soldier was snuffed out on our road. But this institution has done very well for Nigeria, as a body.

Like every institution, there are bad eggs within the institution. They are in the minority, and we must continue to do everything possible to show them up for who they are.”
Fashola, expressed support for the COAS and hoped his tenure “will deliver improved national security for the country. It will raise the level of professionalism above what you met.”

Speaking at the meeting six months after he assumed office, Minimah explained that exigencies of operations delayed his visit, saying “I decided to commence my familiarisation tour from the 81 Mechanised Division, which covers Lagos and Ogun states.”

General Minimah maintained that the June 4 destruction of BRT buses along Ikorodu road, after a soldier was crushed, was not the handiwork of soldiers but that of hoodlums who hijacked the situation.
Meanwhile, Miminah warned soldiers and officers of the Nigerian Army in Lagos against plying the Bus Rapid Transit,  BRT, lane.

Minimah, who gave the warning while addressing soldiers of the 81 division , during his maiden familiarization tour of Army formations in Lagos, also, described as normal cases of desertion by soldiers during war, pointing out that it was not peculiar to the Nigerian Army.

Though he condemned the action, describing it as proof that the deserters were only forced to join the Nigerian Army because of unemployment, he reiterated  that the Army was winning the war against terrorism.

According to him, “Cases of deserters in the North-East is no big news. Yes, desertion is normal and it is part of war. It is only when you are put in the battle front that you know who the real soldiers are. The one that is not a soldier will just drop his riffle and run and the next place he finds himself is in the village.

“Desertion is part of war and as long as there is war, there will continue to be deserters but those who have volunteered to serve their nation will fall and still fight and that is why we celebrate our fallen heroes. We organise decent burials for all the fallen heroes killed in action, as we see it as their rights and it is our responsibility to do so for those who died in the service of the nation.”

Urging the personnel to respect the rule of law, Minimah said: “Respect the laws of Lagos. Lagos State has laws that are made by legislators, you must respect those laws. I am also talking about the BRT lanes. Try and ensure that you don’t use the BRT lanes. The essence of BRT lanes is to encourage the use of public transportation by car owners so as to reduce traffic on our roads.

Also try not to allow hoodlums to hijack anything that happens to soldiers, like the last time it happened when a soldier was mistakenly killed by a BRT bus. Hoodlums came and took over, burnt government buses and they tried to suggest it was soldiers. It is not soldiers. Try as much as possible to ensure you are not linked with such things.

“In Lagos, you have good people, bad people and the criminals. I will advise that you stay close to the good people, stay away from the bad people and chase away the criminals. As a disciplined institution, we have an image to protect. I will admonish you to be of good conduct whether in uniform or not. Conduct yourselves very well and do not be involved in any questionable movement.”

Part of the visit, he explained, was to familiarize with the operational readiness of the 81 division under the command of Major-General Tamunomieibi Dibi.