New Nigerian army chief pledges discipline in ranks
28 Aug 2008 15:03:59 GMT Source: Reuters
By Randy Fabi ABUJA, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Nigeria's new army commander promised on Thursday to restore discipline in the ranks and work to improve relations between soldiers and civilians in a country which endured three decades of military rule. Major-General Abdulrahman Dambazau, appointed last week as part of President Umaru Yar'Adua's first major military shake-up since taking office, said the army faced "enormous challenges" in improving the security of Africa's most populous country. "There is a manifest decline of discipline, regimentation, commitment, welfare, command and control ... throughout the Nigerian army," the 54-year-old general said in his first public comments since his formal appointment. The main domestic focus for the Nigerian army is the Niger Delta, the heart of the country's mainstay oil industry, where militants who say they are fighting for a greater share of the resources are engaged in a campaign of violent sabotage. Nigeria is the world's eighth biggest exporter of crude oil but a sizeable proportion of its output is stolen by thieves who either drill into pipelines or hijack barges. The militants have repeatedly accused soldiers of taking part in the lucrative trade, while several senior officers were court marshalled earlier this year on suspicion of selling arms to the rebels. "Several forms of attitudinal problems have manifested in units and elsewhere throughout the Nigerian army. Over time, some officers and soldiers have become accustomed to illegal duties," Dambazau said after command handover ceremony. "Commanders will be held accountable for any misdemeanour by men under (their) command," he said. Yar'Adua, who took office more than a year ago, has come under increasing pressure to improve security in the delta but there has been little tangible progress. Dambazau, formerly an army commander in the southwestern city of Ibadan, did not specifically address the delta situation in his speech but acknowledged many shortcomings in the army. Under military rule, which ended in 1999, soldiers were considered above the law by most civilians, regularly harassing members of the public for minor disputes like traffic offences. As a result, many Nigerians still distrust the security forces, including the armed police officers who demand bribes at traffic checkpoints around the country. "It is imperative that we continue to give special attention to civil-military relations with particular emphasis on civilian control of the military," Dambazau said. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/ ) (Editing by Nick Tattersall and Robert Hart)
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