The Nigerian Army in conjunction with US Army African Command will today begin this year’s African Land Forces Summit with the theme “Unity Is Strength: Combating Africa’s Security Challenges”, at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
The summit will afford military leaders of African countries the opportunity to strengthen existing relationships, develop new ways of tackling security challenges on the continent and further facilitate cooperation.
The United States military through the auspices of the African Command (AFRICOM) holds annual conferences called the African Land Forces Summit (ALFS) with allied countries.
The last ALFS 2017 held in Malawi. The forum affords countries the avenue to share experiences on global terrorism and forge common approach to combating transnational threats and crimes such as small arms proliferation and terrorism.
The summit is the single largest gathering of African senior military leaders on the continent. It also afford them the opportunity to interact with the aim of strengthening existing relationships and developing new ones.
The Summit is a land mark event which the Nigerian Army will be co-hosting with US Army Africa (USARAF). It will provide the NA the forum to showcase its capabilities, project its image and military might to the largest gathering of African senior military leaders on the continent. This is in addition to providing a platform for countries to share experiences on global terrorism and other security challenges such as transnational threats and crimes.
The event is sponsored by the USARAF while the Nigerian Army (NA) co-host the event.
During the summit, all African Army Chiefs and Chiefs of other nations from Europe and the Americas including the USA will be in attendance.
Topical issues such as “Command and Control in African Operational Environment”, Collapse of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria Caliphate and Implications on African Stability and Security” among others will be discussed.
Participants are drawn from all African armies; western partners as well as representatives from the three Services, the Nigeria Police and DSS, Principal Staff Officers from AHQ, Corps Commanders and General Officers Commanding will be in attendance. Also, some professors and members of Academia, and stakeholders will attend. ‘Army never discriminates on recruitments’
The Nigerian Army has said that it has never discriminated in its recruitment process against any Nigerian or ethnic group in the country.
This clarification came against the backdrop of reports in the social media alleging that the Nigerian Army discriminates and deny some ethnic groups the rights to be recruited into the service in the ongoing nationwide recruitment exercise.
But the army spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Texas Chukwu said in a statement that such an allegation is “untrue, unfounded and unsubstantiated.”
The statement read in part: “The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to a news making the rounds in the social media alleging the Nigerian Army discrimination and denial of some ethnic groups the rights to be recruited into the Nigerian Army in the ongoing nationwide recruitment exercise.
“The Nigerian Army wishes to state categorically that the allegation is not only untrue but unfounded and unsubstantiated.
“This is the handy work of unscrupulous elements attempting to drag the good name of the Army into the mud.
“For avoidance of doubt and to put the record straight, the Nigerian Army wishes to state that every eligible Nigerians are qualified to be recruited into the Nigerian Army providing such individual meet the set down standard meant for the recruitment.
“That the Nigerian Army would ever remain apolitical in the discharge of its constitutional roles in aid of civil authority.
“Furthermore, no state of the Federation including Adamawa State that would be exempted as alleged by the mischief makers.
“All the candidates for the recruitment exercise from Demsa, Numan, Lamurde and Girei Local Government Areas are currently participating in the ongoing recruitment exercise like any other candidates.”
“The allegation that the Nigerian Army selected a particular ethnic group from the South Eastern part of the country is completely false and has no bases. It is important to note that the Nigerian Army does not support any religion or tribe.
“The Army operates as an entity no matter your tribe or religion. Therefore, there is no iota of truth in the said allegation.
“The Nigerian Army once again stated its total commitment in protecting the sovereignty of the nation as well as carrying out its constitutional roles according to the constitution.”
He, therefore, advised Nigerians to disregard such “unfounded allegations”, which he said is an “imagination” of the writer.
