We’re moving towards rebuilding destroyed villages in the North East -GOC

The Nigerian Army said it is gradually moving into the phase of rebuilding villages in the North East destroyed by Boko Haram.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division of the force, Major General Henry Edet told returning peacekeepers from Darfur Sudan that the rebuilding of the destroyed villages would commence when Boko Haram has been completely defeated.

Edet said there are three stages to the counter insurgency operations, listing these stages as; the stages of rooting out the insurgents, holding the ground and rebuilding the area.

He said the military was gradually transiting from the stages of rooting out the insurgents and holding the ground to the stage of rebuilding devastated villages.

While explaining that the Federal Government and some Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) would be involved in the rebuilding stage, General Edet told the officers and men that their expertise would be required at this stage of the war against Boko Haram.

Earlier, the GOC told the returning soldiers to key into the Change Agenda of the present government and apply the Nigerian Army core values which will help transform them into change agents.

He told the 796 officers and soldiers in his welcome address that the Federal Government was currently implementing the change agenda and that they should apply loyalty, integrity, discipline, respect for others and courage which are the core values of the force, to be able to fit into the change agenda of the government.

He commended the troops for their success in Dafur, but urged them to brace up for more tasking assignment in Nigeria, especially as some of them would be deployed to the North East to assist in quelling the Boko Haram insurgents.

The GOC told the returning peacekeepers that the operational capability of the Boko Haram insurgents have been seriously degraded to the point that they can no longer have the freedom to launch attacks on troops and villages in the North East.

He said that the Nigerian Army core values already prepare the soldiers as change agent, urging them to respect the rights of their fellow citizens.

The GOC commended the troops known as Nigerian Battalion (NIBATT) 44 comprising of 796 soldiers for not losing any member of the troops in battle.

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