Spokespersons of the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force have been promoted to two star generals in a gale of promotion sweeping through the Armed Forces.
The Spokespersons promoted to the next rank of Major Generals and their equivalent in the Navy and Air Force, were Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, who will be identified next time with his Major General rank, Navy Commodore Adedotun Ayo Vaughan who will now wear the Rear Admiral rank and Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet who will now be identified as Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet.
The spokespersons who had worked tirelessly to project positive image for their services, according to security analysts and have received reward for their hard work of projecting the military positively, especially as the Armed Forces tackles security challenges within the country.
For instance, when Ex Niger Delta militant Asari Dokubo made a sweeping allegation against the Nigerian Army, General Nwachukwu said that the Nigerian Army had been vigorously engaged in the fight against illegal oil bunkering, oil theft, illegal oil refining and other sundry crimes in the region with positive results.
Nwachukwu, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, said the intervention had produced positive results.
According to the Army Spokesperson, the effort of the Military is evident in the increase in daily oil production from an abysmally dwindling output in the past.
Nwachukwu said the Nigerian Army had zero tolerance for any compromise on the part of its troops and would not condone any act of economic sabotage.
He promised that the army authority would not spare any black sheep in its fold if identified
Similarly, the Navy tackled Dokubo through its Spokesperson, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, challenging Dokubo to produce evidence and names of those behind the criminality.
Ayo-Vaughan spoke in Abuja., saying that the Nigerian military, and the navy in particular, had been at the forefront of fighting crude oil theft at all levels in the country.
He said that while crude oil being stolen from pipelines were being refined in the creeks for the local market and the local buyers, it was also being stolen by criminals from offshore at sea.
Also, the spokesman for the Nigerian Air Force was miffed by the way Nigerians attack their military, especially rejoicing with terrorists when ever there is a mishap.
Commodore Gabkwet said that the NAF which he represents willl investigate why its MI-171 helicopter crashed at Chukuba Village in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State on Tuesday.
He described a viral video in which terrorists claimed they shot down the aircraft, as a propaganda targeted at putting fear in the minds of Nigerians.
The statement read, “The attention of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has been drawn to a video circulating on social media platforms allegedly depicting the wreckage of the crashed MI-171 helicopter with bodies of victims at Chukuba Village in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
“While it is not in the character of the NAF to respond to such claims, particularly one peddled by terrorists, concerns expressed by well-meaning Nigerians on the need to address the propaganda becomes imperative.
“Like all military organizations involved in counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations, incidences of fatalities, mishaps and crashes are sometimes inevitable.
“For the NAF, the last 8 years has seen an increased level of air operations in efforts at checkmating the nefarious activities of terrorists and criminal elements in the country.
“With heightened levels of air operations, occasioned by an enhanced fleet, the likelihood of air mishaps and accidents at times become unavoidable and inevitable due to various reasons.”
This was just one instance among many, especially as the military goes through the fight against insurgents and the enemies of the country.
