The troop deployment of men of the Nigerian Army to battlefronts would be reviewed and re-organised. This was announced on Tuesday by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, who, however, did not give specific details of the exercise. Speaking at the Army headquarters, Abuja where he received members of the House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Buratai said the military would remain apolitical and observe the supremacy of the political class over military institutions in the country.
He said: “Let me assure you that as one of the arms of the armed forces, we will continue to remain apolitical. We will observe the supremacy of the political class over the military institutions; that is to say political control of the military will remain. We will do our responsibilities diligently in line with the constitution.
“No doubt, the challenges of accommodation are major challenges that the Nigerian Army has and is grappling with over the years. While the dilapidation and sorry state of our barracks cannot be blamed on the present authority, both military and political authority, it has been a long-standing one.
“Issues of funding are quite fundamental. But we know that funds are inadequate because of the several competing interests of the various sectors of Nigerian economy. But we have been using funds allocated to us judiciously.
“The army needs requisite funds to carry out developmental projects and other important commitments. We have the interests of our troops at heart and we know the importance of morale to them. We want to keep their morale high and that is why we are planning to reorganise how troops are deployed to battlefronts in relation to their welfare and other issues.”
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