A group of Yoruba youths under the aegis of Progressive Yoruba Youth Congress (PYYC) has lauded the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, for preserving and promoting a harmonious working relationship with the National Assembly.
The group gave this commendation in a statement titled “NASS, Executive Interface: Good Synergy; Pregnable Results”, copy of which was made available to newsmen in Lagos on Monday.
In a statement signed by convener of the group, Comrade Kola Salawu, PYYC extolled the renewed synergy between the executive and the parliament.
The youth group particularly cited the joint visit of the National Assembly (NASS) Committees on the Nigerian Army and the fair appraisal of the Boko Haram insurgency by both the Senate and House of Representatives.
PYYC expressed satisfaction with what it described as “visionary, purposeful, focused and result-oriented leadership of the Nigerian Army which has flawlessly aligned in conformity with Mr President’s transparency and accountability in leadership”, calling on other security agencies as well as MDAs to emulate Buratai’s leadership style and “quit unnecessary bickering with the legislature.
The Yoruba youths, however, appealed to the parliament to increase budgetary votes for the military to finally wipe off the ghost of terrorism and insurrections in the country.
“The Progressive Yoruba Youth Congress (PYYC) is persuaded by very caustic nationalistic reasons to identify and salute Mr President. It is for his consistent running of a transparent government of Nigeria, where the legislature is uninhibited in any manner, whatsoever, to engage stakeholders legitimately in order to get the country perfectly working in the#NextLevel.
“This is yawningly clear from the recent visit of the Joint Committee of the NASS to the Nigerian Army Headquarters, Abuja. This was after the national parliamentarians visited the North-East region, where Nigerian troops are busy with final stages of Clearance Operations to rout out residues of Boko Haram terrorists from their remote hideouts.
ALSO READ: Gombe govt to construct roads, provide amenities to open up rural communities
“PYYC is excited by the NASS Committees’ oversight functions visit to the Army, especially as the national legislators stretched to the frontlines and had mutual interactions with Nigerian troops face to face on the counter-insurgency operations.
“The legislators led by Senate Committee Chairman on Army, Sen. Mohammed Ali Ndume and his House of Rep’s counterpart, Abdulrazaq Namdas, expressed satisfaction with troops’ commitment to committing the Boko Haram war to a victorious end. We consider this a fair commentary on Nigeria’s success on the anti-terrorism campaigns under the Buhari Presidency.
“With this development, we are prodded to thank the leadership of the Nigerian Army, led by the resolute and unconquerable Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and emperor of the counter-insurgency operations, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai for translucently administering the Army in a style that has flung its doors open for all stakeholders to be part of the transformation of our country in tandem with the vision and intendment of President Buhari.
“The Army Chief, Sir, we want to bring to your notice that the PYYC is impressed with your visionary, purposeful, focused and result-oriented leadership of the Nigerian Army which has flawlessly aligned in conformity with Mr President’s transparency and accountability in leadership. It shows both Mr President and you have nothing to hide in the prosecution of the counter-terrorism campaigns,” the group stated.
While expressing joy about the new development, the Yoruba youth group said it was its unbending desire to see a fully regenerated and prosperous country in consonance with the authentic principles of selfless and patriotic leadership as articulated by President Buhari, as initiated from the kick of his administration years back.
It charges leaders at lesser levels and heads of government agencies to copiously emulate the Nigerian Army by ignoring unnecessary bickering with the National Assembly, declaring: “The odyssey to the#NextLevel is our collective responsibility and everyone ought to play his part outstandingly”.
The group equally charged National Assembly, especially the Committees on the Nigerian Army in both chambers to look into the pleas of the COAS, Gen. Buratai, on the possibility of excluding the Nigerian Army from the subsisting envelope budgetary system.
According to PYYC: “A review of the ceiling bar of budgetary votes for key agencies like the Army has become expedient in view of the ongoing reforms in the Nigerian Army and the resurgence of insurgency in the country, which indisputably requires additional funding to finally extinguish the ghost of terrorism and insurrections in our country.”
“PYYC is aware that the leadership of the Nigerian Army under Gen. Buratai has embarked on innovations and structural changes such as the establishment of the Nigerian Army Special Forces Command, Nigerian Army Cyber Warfare Command, Special Intelligence Command, Land Forces Simulation Centre, and Nigerian Army Aviation School among hordes of others.
“Therefore, insufficient budget allocation and the sustenance of the prevailing envelope (ceiling) budget system for the Nigerian Army has the tendency to hamper the Army’s determination and capacity to meet commitments extended to it in the performance of these added responsibilities.
“In the effect, the PYYC, therefore, implores the parliament to use its powers to canvass for more votes for security agencies especially those directly involved in Boko Haram anti-insurgency operations and other Internal Security assignments in the collective synergy to propel the nation forward in the#NextLevel. We shall be pleased of this plea is heeded,” the group contended.
and then