Defence Spokesman, Major General Chris Olukolade, has emphasised that the Boko Haram insurgency is a passing phase in the history of Nigeria. He said that very soon, with the concerted efforts of the Nigerian military, the support from the Nigerian Government, more understanding from the international community and more importantly with the support of the Nigerian people, Boko Haram will be defeated.

Olukolade gave the assurance penultimate Saturday while receiving the prestigious Alfred Daniel King Foundation award as a distinguished Military Information Expert, in Atlanta Georgia, United States of America.

He dismissed certain notions that the raging war with terrorists in the North East parts of the country has overwhelmed the military as not only ridiculous but utterly baseless and conspiratorial in nature.

According to him, it is important for critics to realise that the war against the terrorists is not conventional but purely a guerilla warfare where terrorists fight sporadically and melt back into the social system.

Unfortunately, he noted, some international interests are desperate to portray Nigeria as a failed state; show the world that democratic governance is not good for Nigeria; ridicule the Nigerian armed forces and make them seem incapable of safeguarding the sovereignty of the Nigerian state.

The Defence Spokesman said: “If, with the sophistication of global coalition, money and military resources so far deployed to fighting the Islamic State (IS), western powers are yet to dislodge ISIS from Iraq and Syria, then it is imperative they should show more understanding in respect of Boko Haram war in Nigeria.”

He appealed to the international community to be more objective by showing understanding for the peculiarity of Nigeria’s current security situation.

Olukolade particularly criticised the hard stance of some western countries over perceived negative human rights record of Nigerian military, saying it is ill informed and based on wrong mindset.

He noted that the Nigerian Armed Forces have always strived to operate in line with the global professional best practices.

Urging the world to recall that Nigeria has survived a civil war, social and political unrests, and several religious upheavals in the last 100 years of its existence as a nation, Olukolade said Nigerians can only look forward with a sense of pride to the next hundred years with renewed hope, vigour and certainty that the current travails would herald even greater prospect for Nigeria and her people.

Earlier while presenting the Award of Excellence in Defence Information Dissemination, Chairperson of the Foundation and widow of A.D. King, Mrs. Naomi Ruth Barber King, had expressed her delight in honouring the Nigerian military spokesman for displaying excellence in defence leadership, information management and commitment to service, which she noted serves as a shining example that others could emulate.

She pointed out that the Foundation had watched with keen interest and followed line by line, precept by precept, General Olukolade’s articulate dissemination of information that has changed the world conversation about Nigeria as a whole.

She stated further that through professional military activities, General Olukolade has built the world’s confidence in the ability of the Nigerian nation and indeed the Nigerian Armed Forces to triumph in its overall mission/peace keeping, which put the Senior Military Officer in the bracket of change agents.

The A.D. King Foundation, a USA-based Youth Empowerment Organisation, is a non-violent conflict resolution entity formed to revolutionalise the mindset, attitude and behaviour that promote violence and war with non-violent principles, methods and direct actions.

The mission of the Foundation revolves around promoting youth empowerment development and non-violent social change strategies as a way of life throughout the world.

The Foundation was formed after Rev A.D. Williams King, a driving force behind the Civil Rights Youth Movement who also, behind the scene, organised many of the historic protests that changed America in its socio-political evolution.

•Photo shows Olukolade.

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