The Global Peace and Life Rescue Initiative (GOPRI), a civil society group with vested interest in peace building in Nigeria, has commended the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, for effectively leading the policy and operational initiative in the counterterrorism warfare.
The group, in a statement Tuesday, signed by its Executive Director, Amb. Melvin Ejeh, also hailed the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Farouq Yahaya, for living up to expectations of Nigerians within the few months of his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari, but regretted that in spite of the tremendous achievements being recorded by the Nigerian Military, saboteurs were busy instigating the public with the view of painting negative pictures about the Nigerian Military, especially the Army.
GOPRI’s statement came ahead of its launch of a support project, tagged: “Troop Support Initiative”, vowing to support the military with initiative aimed at not only boosting its morale in the counterterrorism war but also change public perception about it.
The group noted that Lt. General Farouq Yahaya, within few months of being on the saddle as Chief of Army Staff, has recorded commendable successes in the fight against terrorism, banditry and other forms of criminality across the country
Ejeh described GOPR as “a registered indigenous Non-Governmental Organisation, with focus on peace-building, de-radicalization and community resilience architecture in North Central, North East, South East communities in particular and Nigeria at large.”
The statement reads: “Since inception, GOPRI with over 22 members of staff and over 5000 volunteers across the country and the Sahel, has according to its mandate, continued to promote lasting peace through advocacy, medical outreaches and capacity building workshops as well as economic empowerment touching over 36,060 (thirty-six thousand and sixty) persons.
“As a civil society group with vested interest in peace building in Nigeria, we wish to commend the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Farouq Yahaya, over the achievements recorded by the Army, the military and other security agencies against terrorism, banditry and criminality in the country so far.
“GOPRI, in line with the revolutionary vision of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya, which is building a professional Nigerian army ready to accomplish assigned missions within a joint environment in defence of Nigeria, wishes to inform you of our support initiative, tagged, Troops Support Initiative.
“This programme is the first phase of a civil society initiative to attract unbiased supports for the Nigeria Army and our military who are working tirelessly and sacrificially in the defence of our dear nation. This initiative becomes not only imperative but also expedient because of continuous, deliberate malicious, cyber, physical and emotional coordinated attacks on our Army.”
He added: “However, factors such as misguided social media reports, activities of desperate politicians’ inadequate media coverage, to ethnic, religious, political sentiment, some international media conspiracies have contributed immensely in giving the Army an unfair outlook. This is despite the unquantifiable sacrifice of our gallant officers and soldiers in the discharge of their sworn duties of protecting the nation’s territorial integrity.
“Owing to the negative public perceptions about the Nigerian Army which has been orchestrated by false narratives in some quarters, we are today, launching a programme tagged: “Troops Support Initiative” to project the service in good light, with a view to changing the long-held negative perception about the Nigeria Army.
“It has become worrisome to us that some international organisations and local news media agencies have deliberately targeted the Army in their blackmails aimed at setting the Nigerian public in particular and the outside world in general against the Nigerian Army despite their successes and sacrifices for the unity of the country.
“We are, therefore, calling on all Nigerians, home and in the Diaspora, to come together irrespective of their political, religious and ethnic differences to support our Army and other security agencies in the fight against crimes and insurgents in the interest of national unity. This is most important given that we have not just one country but also one Army. The proposed initiative will deepen civil-military relationship and foster a positive and more balanced public perception of the Army.
“Some Nigerians have constituted themselves as the mouthpieces of the criminals, insurgents and bandits, hence the urgent need for this self-sponsored efforts through troop support programme to tell the untold story of our Army with a view to galvanizing well-meaning Nigerians to support our Army. We do not have another Army and country.
“These deliberate attempts by these adversaries and their agents to discredit the Nigerian military in the fight against insurgency, terrorism and criminality in the country should and must be resisted. We urge the Nigerian Army not to be deterred in its ongoing efforts to rid the country of terrorism and other forms of criminal acts in the country. It is high time the negative perceptions about the Nigerian Army and its troops were stopped in view of the giant strides of the Nigerian Army in the direction of peace.”
