Vice President-Elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, the Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd), and other eminent Nigerians on Saturday launched three books authored by award winning journalist. Jibrin Baba Ndace, a veteran defence correspondent.
The books are: “Walking the War Front with Lt. Gen. TY Buratai,” “Duty Call Under Buratai’s Command” and “The Lonely Grave and Other Poems”.
The trilogy’s presentation and launching event took place at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.
The books which highlights the war against Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgency in the North-east of Nigeria, were written specifically to aid in the visualization of the horrors terrorists have visited on citizens and how the Nigerian Army and other security agencies, Civilian JTF confronted them under the leadership of the 20th Chief of Army Staff, Lt.- Gen Tukur Yusufu Buratai.
Shettima, represented by Sen. Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, congratulated Ndace, the celebrant-author, for joining the league of writers, who have chosen to document the story of Nigeria’s counter-insurgency war, from an witness perspective.
He described Ndace’s trilogy not only as ‘mere biographies, but outstanding intellectual works”.
Magashi, on his part, noted that the media, in particular, has a responsibility as warranted by the principle of developmental journalism not to incite hate and inflame passion, but to inform, educate and mobilize support for the armed forces.
The Defence Minister said: “I therefore, congratulate Gen. Buratai for his exceptional and patriotic service to our fatherland, and wish the author greater milestone in his career and new-found role as a contributor to military history”.
The Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Gen. Leo Irabor, in a goodwill message, explained that the leadership of Gen. Buratai, is joining troops to fight insurgents from the frontline, so as to encourage and lift the morale of the latter.
Buratai, while speaking, appreciated the author for documenting the historic period he served as Nigeria’s 20st Army Chief.
Earlier, Alh. Mohammed Idris Malagi, the Chairman and CEO of Blueprint Newspapers, in his welcome address, described Ndace as a mentee that has continued to make him proud.
