Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, has said Nigeria is safer now than it was five years ago.
He made the remarks on Sunday during a sit-out with soldiers Wounded In Action (WIA) who are receiving treatment at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna state.
The Army Chief, who expressed delight to be among the WIAs, said their efforts in securing the nation will never go unrewarded, commending their true spirit of patriotism and professionalism.
Buratai assured that their efforts in defending the nation will be rewarded and hailed the troops for their patriotism, professionalism and sacrifice.
He stated;
I am very happy to see you, having met some of you in the battle fields, you were determined to pay the supreme prize. This is the true spirit of a gallant soldier and a patriot. I am proud you have made the impact that some of our colleagues and Nigerians are safe and I am equally happy that we are living in peace and Nigeria is safer now than we had five years ago.
The Army Chief assured the wounded soldiers of adequate medical attention, including follow-up treatment abroad.
He added;
I understand you also need recreational facilities here. Some are also needing promotion, it has been taken note of and will be addressed accordingly. We will continue to send our officers to see how we can get you rehabilitated through skills acquisition programme so that when you recuperate, you can go back to the field.
The Chief stressed;
Let me assure you that the fight against insurgency is a collective effort and this can be achieved through our determination and teachings we have been taught and applying them on the field. Your allowances have been brought to my notice by the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital and we will see how it can be offset.
He stated;
We must develop these facilities here, those equipment we don’t have we will get, so you don’t need to get surgery elsewhere. This is one of the hospitals we have upgraded. We have done same in Yaba and elsewhere. We are also constructing Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Maiduguri and also we have one in Abakiliki.
