Civil societies pen open letter to army, commend conduct during polls

The Nigerian Army, under the leadership of Lt. Gen. Turkur Yusuf Buratai, has once again received a pat on the back for restoring peace and security in the formerly restive Niger Delta region from satanic forces of militancy and the nation at large.

Some Rivers State-based civil society groups, known as Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) gave the commendation in an open letter to the army chief on Friday.

The CSOs said the open appreciation of Buratai’s leadership became imperative following the successful conduct of the 2019 general elections.

“We least expected that Nigeria would come out of it unhurt as it is today. But with the intervention of the Army under your leadership, we have seen a near-zero electoral violence and killings during and after the last general elections,” part of the letter signed by Comrade Tamuno George (Esq), Convener, Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) read.

The letter reads in full.

The Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) domiciled in Rivers State have chosen this propitious time to specially thank you and your troops all over Nigeria. We know, you are spending sleepless nights and also, working sedulously every day for us to have peace and security in our respective domains.

We are elated at the manner you have restored peace and security in the formerly restive Niger Delta region from satanic forces of militancy which tormented all and sundry. It’s obvious to us that you’re indeed, a very “senior spirit,” on security, whose status is acclaimed globally.

When President Muhammadu Buhari appointed you as Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and also, the ombudsman of counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria, we were among those who doubted your competence to repress the threatening and assorted insecurity challenges of our dear country, Nigeria.

But years down the aisle of securing Nigeria, this “Peoples General,” a sobriquet we have specially adopted in the Niger Delta in recognition of your uncommon gift and talents as Mr. Fixer of Nigeria’s security challenges, has made us proud. We had no option than to publicly eulogize your excellent works in securing our country. We again, unanimously, chorus a loud thank you.

We have seen your rewarding and reflective shadows on insecurity in the Northeast, where you sometimes personally lace your boots and hop into the trenches with your troops to battle Boko Haram terrorism. These CSOs have seen and felt the impact of your struggles with insurgents and have freed our country from their evil chains. In the Northwest, you have battled armed bandits and cattle rustlers to a standstill.

In the Southeast, like you did in the South-South, our people have greater peace and security because you left nothing to chance or happenstance in handling violent secessionist agitations and barefaced armed criminality.

Nigerians in the North Central region are also paying glowing tributes to your leadership dexterity because the Army under your command has quelled crises of various dimensions, which would have ordinarily turned the region into a warzone.

We passionately acknowledge that these confounding feats have been achieved because you are able to reorganize, restructure, re-orientate and reposition the Nigerian Army as a patriotic and responsible arm of Nigeria’s Armed Forces.

We endearingly commend President Buhari for extending the needed support and free hand to you for the elevation of the Nigerian Army to grandiose heights in a manner, we least, expected. Again, let us reiterate our thanks to Mr. President for his support to you for the milestones.

And it has convinced us clearly that with you on the saddle as COAS and counter-insurgency leader, no enemy force can defeat Nigeria. None can deprive the citizenry of their liberty to security, peace and unity.

These CSOs are particularly bolstered into this open appreciation of your leadership of the Army because the 2019 general elections were scary for us and other electorates in Rivers state, Niger Delta region and the entire country. We least expected that Nigeria would come out of it unhurt as it is today. But with the intervention of the Army under your leadership, we have seen a near-zero electoral violence and killings during and after the last general elections.

Anywhere our members encountered your troops, we noticed a reformed and disciplined Army, which monitored elections throughout the country without issues raised even by the stiffest opposition parties against their professional conduct whilst on election duty. We saw the Army’s translucent apolitical stand as always sermonized by your leadership.