By Tobias Lengnan Dapam
The Defence Headquarters has warned against acts of insurrection and mutiny in the country, saying that it cannot be taken for granted by the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The military in a statement issued yesterday by Major General, John Enenche, Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Defence Headquarters, said its attention was drawn to a newspaper publication captioned “Nigeria Needs a Rawlings Now – “by the national chairman of National Democratic Party (NDP), Chidi Chukwuanyi.
Chukwuanyi in the publication said the state of corruption in the country calls for the replication of the Ghanian experience under former President Jerry Rawlings in Nigeria.
But the military warned that such comments have no basis in the country’s military settings, as all officers and men of the Nigerian Military swore to an oath of allegiance to be totally loyal to the civil authority of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and protect the constitution.
“This translates to unalloyed loyalty to the President Commander in Chief and full subordination to the civil authorities of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“That all officers and men of the Armed Forces of Nigeria are to continue to abide by the constitutional provision, in Section 217 sub section 2 (c) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, “To suppress insurrection and act in aid of civil authorities to restore order”. Any act to the contrary is unconstitutional.
“That all officers and men of the Nigerian Military are further reminded of offences contained in Armed Forces Act CAP A 20, The laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, which include among others; Mutiny in Sections 52 and 53, which if committed are punishable.”
“I am further directed to state clearly and unequivocally that the Nigerian Military is a force that is in consonance with all global best practices and cannot be misguided by any individual or group. And for the avoidance of doubt, the Armed Forces of Nigeria is totally loyal to the President Commander in-Chief and fully subordinated to the civil authorities of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”