...The implication of this hard stance, THISDAY learnt, is that any fresh proclamation of emergency rule following the last expiration on November 20 by President Goodluck Jonathan will still meet a brick wall if such request is sent afresh to the Senate.

The source further disclosed that the briefing by the service chiefs opened their eyes to the reason the anti-terror war had not been effective. According to him, they got to know that the morale of soldiers was currently at its lowest ebb, adding that the soldiers were not combat-ready neither were they psychologically prepared to fight.

He further explained that as a result of the lack of commitment on the part of Nigerian soldiers, they are not ready to confront the terrorists head on, regretting that instead, Nigerian soldiers go into hiding in the face of anti-terror war.

"The morale of the soldiers is low. They are not combat ready. They are not psychologically ready. Soldiers are running away from battle. There is no agreement among them. There is no commitment. We don't have military any longer," he lamented.

Asked if the problem did not stem from perceived poor welfare package for the soldiers despite the huge budgetary allocations for the prosecution of the war every year, the source disagreed, explaining rather that running a military apparatus is an expensive venture anywhere in the world.

Therefore, he argued that the problem had nothing to do with insufficient funds for the war neither did it border on corruption or embezzlement of the security funds.

Rather, he said the soldiers were not ready to lay down their lives possibly because they feel it is not worth it laying down their lives for the nation which does not seem to appreciate sacrifice of that magnitude.

Furthermore, he attributed low morale among Nigerian soldiers to lack of value for their individual lives by both the government and military authorities, noting that the soldiers must have seen the shoddy manner the corpses of their fallen colleagues were treated including being buried at mass graves on the battle front without allowing their families access to the corpses.

He contrasted the treatment of Nigerian soldiers with that of their counterparts in the United States whom he said were always given colourful state burial in a way that anyone would desire to serve his country in military capacity in view of the enviable burial rites usually accorded fallen soldiers.

According to him, when soldiers' corpses are brought home from the battle front in the United States, they are received by the president, governors and senior military officials in the presence of their family members.

He also added that unlike the case in Nigeria, corpses of American soldiers brought from the battle fronts are usually within the range of three or four or at most 10 in extreme cases and are received amid paraphernalia of glory in the land.

"When that is done, who will see that and not wish to be a soldier when you realise how honourable it is to die fighting for your country? The family will also feel proud to see such high profile dignitaries gracing their loved one's burial. But in our own case, soldiers are buried in shallow mass grave," he said.

He insisted that it would be difficult for the senators to approve any fresh proclamation of emergency rule should the president opt to make any fresh request for it, noting that most senators are of the belief that the rule has failed to produce the desired result, especially as the rage of terror attacks have continued unabated.

The argument has also been made that the president, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has constitutional powers to deploy the military troops to wherever he wants without necessarily depending on the permit for an emergency rule...

FG need to treat the solders well.And increse their salary.the money our senator is collecting is too much.

they can start by taking pay cuts..that will put everyone else under pressure till then they are a bunch of noise makers

thegoodone2:
FG need to treat the solders well.And increse their salary.the money our senator is collecting is too much.

Does the senators know the salary difference between the officers who hide under ac and other ranks who go to that battle front? Every sensible soldier that love his family will not unnecessarily risk his life cos nobody is interested in ur family after u ar gone except to sleep around with ur wife