The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, retired Rear Admiral John Jonah has urged Nigerians not to blame the army for its involvement in the 2019 general elections.
Jonah said this on Saturday at Elebele in Yenogoa during the inauguration of some projects in the 16 Brigade Barracks otherwise known as “Tukur Buratai Camp” located in the community, NAN reports.
The Deputy Governor said he had investigated the army involvement in the elections and found that what they did was not different from what the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai had said.
He, therefore, appealed to Nigerians to continue to support the Nigerian army which he described as a stabilising factor, to discharge its duties.
Buratai had at different fora said the constitution empowers the army to support civil authority in addressing internal security challenges when called upon, citing Section 217 of the 1999 constitution as amended.
The army chief said this role also extend to providing security during elections.
He, however, warned those deployed for the conduct of the elections to be professional, respect human rights and remain apolitical.
Earlier, while inaugurating building projects in the barracks, Buratai who was represented by Maj.-Gen. A. A. Saliu, the Commander, Training and Doctrine Command – TRADOC, charged commanders to always impact positively on their environment.
He promised more fund to provide required infrastructure in the Brigade and army formations across the country.
Buratai also called on the citizens to cooperate with the military by providing it with useful information to enable it ensure their safety.
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