Army pledges neutrality ahead of 2019 general elections

The Commanding Officer 14Brigade, Goodluck Jonathan’s Barrack Ohafia, Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State, Brigadier General Abdul K. Ibrahim has promised the neutrality of its personnel in February 16 and March 2 general elections respectively.

Ibrahim stated this while playing host to officials of the Abia State Chapter of Nigeria Red Cross who paid him a courtesy visit at the Sector 2 Step-up Headquarters of Exercise Egwueke III located at Nsulu Games Village, Umunna Nsulu in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of the state.

 According to the 14Brigade Commander, the brigade would provide security to all the candidates of various political parties to ensure their safety and hope that the politicians would play politics with the spirit of sportsmanship.

“Elections are just around the corner. 14 Brigade of the Nigerian Army will be neutral. We will just provide security duties and we hope that everybody will play according to the rules of the game.

“We have received several instructions from the army headquarters on the need to be neutral and then of course, agencies like yours, we will partner with you so that our country will be better for it.”

We are the members of the Nigeria Red Cross Society Abia State branch. We are here to introduce Red Cross movement to and to also to explain the way we can synergize with you in rendering service to Abians.”

Earlier in his speech, the branch chairman of Red Cross Society, Abia State Chief Emeka Ubani who came in the company of the branch Secretary, Pastor Ebere Okite, Mr. Victor Okoafor, branch training officer and Miss Nwoha Charity Ekeoma said that the purpose of their visit was to seek ways of partnering and training soldiers in the state on First Aid.

“…it is has been a long desire because wherever the military is found, we are there and by implication and by our establishment, we are the next to the soldiers. We are your closest, most reliable friends and the closest confidant that you can trust.

“By our principles, we are independent and neutral. We don’t discriminate and that is why we are always with you.

“We have come to establish that relationship and to show that we are here for you. You can always rely and call on us. It is unfortunate that the junior officers amongst you don’t seem to understand our relationship with them.

“Elections are coming up, so many things are coming up and you are here (for Egwueke III), so that is why we have come to tell you that we are brothers. We want to work with you and establish that relationship for proper understanding.

“We have competent internationally trained first aiders who can come into your various camps and train the soldiers to add to what they know and yet to know that would better their lives in the military and in your various families.”

The secretary of Red Cross, Pastor Ebere Okite speaking on preparedness of Red Cross towards ensuring that they handle emergency cases across the state during and after the 2019 elections said “Election is the current thing and we know that in Nigeria, although that we don’t preempt it, as Red Cross, we prepare for emergencies before they occur.

“That is why we are effective. From what we have seen, if there is anything like violence, we won’t be surprised and so, we have started preparing emergency first aid team for this particular election.

“We want to make sure that our emergency team is on ground so that on the day of the elections, we will be in various units across the state. Our duty is to come into action whenever there is wound or disaster. We will even stay after the elections because we know that there could be post election violence. We will continue to stay some day in areas where there are expectations of violence to take care of any emergency.

“We have come to make ourselves known to you so that you will know that we are there. When you see us, you will see us as friends who don’t take sides. We are independent, neutral and universal, these three things gives us the opportunity to be at our best. Anytime that you are ready, we will send our personnel who will come to train your men on internal and domestic first aid.”