Those Criticizing Nigeria’s Military Are Reckless – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has described leaders and other critics who have taken it as a duty to rope the military into the country’s politics and electioneering activities as being reckless. He noted that he feels bad anytime he listens to people making insulting remarks about the armed forces, adding that the military must be appreciated by all Nigerians and insulated from politics.

The president stated this when he received a cheque of N1 million from one Mr Dotun Oyetunde in support of the nation’s armed forces at a meeting of the Security Council presided over by him.

Leadership newspaper reports:

Speaking before the council went into a closed-door session, Jonathan noted that countries that Nigeria fashioned its democracy after did not behave in that manner.

He said, “We must continue to commend men of the Nigerian armed forces. A nation must honour men of its armed forces. All the nations that we emulate and build our democracy after do not insult their military.

“They must be appreciated and insulated from politics. I feel bad when leaders rope military into our day-to-day political activities. That is reckless. These men stay in the rain while we are under roofs; they stay awake for us to sleep well.”

The president added, however, that he was not unmindful of the support the military was currently receiving from Nigerians and commended youth groups that had been holding demonstrations in support of the troops.

Asking Nigerians to take a leaf from those who had been making donations in cash and kind to the troops, he said such assistance could be channelled through the chief of defence staff (CDS), National Security Adviser (NSA) or the minister of defence.

On his part, Oyetunde, the donor, who said he and his wife were touched by the plight of troops in the hands of members of the Boko Haram sect, expressed surprise that everybody seemed to be criticizing the military.

The chief of defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, said the military had received various donations such as drugs and food items, among others.

He said when he received Oyetunde’s offer, he discussed with the national security adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), who suggested that the donor be brought to personally present the cheque to the president during the meeting.