My Command
(PRESIDENT, OLUSEGUN OBANSANJO)
Write your abstract here. I remained at my station in kaduna until i was posted to take over what was then know as 2 Area Command. 2 Area command was by then virtually a one battalion formation. this second battailon was less than seven hundred men strong and had fewer than a hundred rifles on charge, with fewer than twenty rounds of ammunation per rifles . There was one machine gun, i mortar,no recoilles rifle and one set of clothing per soldier.The battalion had one land rover and two trucks issued to it. At the same time, the relationship between the soldiers and the civilian population was strained almost to breaking point. This was caused by the authoritarian behaviour and high- handedness of some soldiers . My first task was that of restoring mutual confidence and trust amongst the soldiers and between the soldiers and the civilians.I discovered that apart from group affinity and loyality, language was the second cause of friction, suspicion and fears among the soldiers .The action of a few of the officer did not help, but rather worsened the situation.I instructed that English, which is the nations official language would be the medium of communication through out the units. All soldiers were also ordered to sleep in their barracks and to desist from any act of molestation of civilians . Offenders were severly punished . Corporal punishment was not excluded;infact, it was very effective.I remember the story of a sergeant who, without permission, drove to Lagos in an Army Land Rover to see his "brother" without regards for, and over the heads of all his superior officers in his unit and the Area Command in Ibadan. The case was reported to me. I had the sergeant formally charge for conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline and for use of a government vehicle on an unauthorised journey.His remanded the case to me. the sergeant was marched before me; and after his charge had been read to him,he pleaded guilty. The sergeant was then severly punished in accordance with military law.That put an end to such act. Within a short time, mutual trust and discipline were restored among the soldiers and trust and understanding were generated between soldiers and civilian population.
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