Gbadamosi Joseph

If the weapon turns against the carrier,nothing but doom is in stock. Sadly,many Nigerians are of the opinion that this is the calamity that befalls our dear Nation. Are our soldiers defending or oppressing us? Are they our shield or our enemy? Have our soldiers been of positive or negative influence to the Nation and it’s citizens? Come with me as we explore the intricacies of this dire situation.

Violence is one character trait everyone seems to agree flows through the veins of this armed men. Though some may blame it on the training and the experiences they go through in the course of their profession,nevertheless it is a germain issue that should be looked into.

Mr Omolade during an interview said “I have had a very bad experience with soldiers. They unlawfully forced my neighbour to pack out of her house. I tried to defend her but I was beaten mercilessly in the process”.  

Opemipo Isaih,an alumni of command secondary school who enrolled for a 2 year training course to get into The Nigerian Defence Academy said “It is sad. They are trained to defend and they forget this. The military are seen as gods. I was brought up in a military environment. In my 6 years in this setting I have noticed that the uniform is seen as an intoxication.

Adelowokan Precious,CEO preshy inspirations said “I believe they are doing their job to the best of my knowledge but sometimes they go to the extreme by killing innocent people.

“They are a necessary evil” says Mr Omolade

“They cheat on civilians hence the saying ‘bloody civilians’. Tell me, why do civilians pay almost twice the fee military students pay in military schools”. Mr Omolade

Irresponsibility and lack of proper understanding of roles are some of the factors a good number of Nigerians believe contributes to the negative behaviour of some soldiers.

“Soldiers should be in their barracks.They should handle more of defence” Says Mr Omolade

“There is no clear definition of roles hence the disrespect or undermining of soldiers”.Mr Omolade

“They should be on the road only if there is an emergency. We have various bodies for various responsibilities. Examples are SARS,EFCC and so forth.” Opeyemi Isaih

When asked for their opinion on the issue of people disrespecting soldiers Mr Gbadamosi, a successful business man said “The moment soldiers started planning coups their respect diminished. Their involvement in politics has reduced the respect people have for them. These guys have destroyed the economy”.

“I can’t talk for every civilian but personally I have never and will never undermine a military man”. Opeyemi Isaih

“Yes soldiers are not given the respect they deserve because they don’t have respect for themselves. If they respect themselves I am very sure people will respect them”. Adelowokan Precious

Nevertheless we would be doing our soldiers injustice if we also decide to ignore the challenges of these men.They undergo a lot of training,they get to fight wars for the country. Often times when these courageous men and women get back they have one health issue or the other. It is the responsibility of the Government to take care of this. There should be re-habilitation programmes to ensure they are still in the right frame of mind. Special attention should be paid to their welfare. They’ve sacrificed a lot. They deserve more.

This is not to say that their training justifies their actions but if all these factors are put into consideration and the Government provides for the effective welfare of her soldiers, if the soldiers are effectively put in check,if responsibilities are clearly stated, only then can we truly hope for the Nigeria of our dreams.