Nigeria Content Online

The Chief of Army
Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika, has expressed joy over the cordial
relationship between the army and members of the public.

The army chief, who
was in Ibadan yesterday to assess the level of preparedness of the 2
Mechanized Division for the forthcoming elections, visited Governor
Adebayo Alao-Akala of Oyo State. He noted that he was particularly
happy that the visit is coinciding with the time the army was being
drafted to monitor the elections to ensure that it is not marred by
violence.

He urged the people
of the state to be peaceful and law abiding during the elections,
adding that the involvement of the army was to ensure that the exercise
is conducted under peaceful atmosphere. Commenting on the level of
preparedness of the 2 Mechanised Division, which has its headquarters
in Ibadan, the army chief said all the activities in all the formations
under the division confirmed to him that the men are more than ready
for the exercise.

He pledged total
commitment of the army to democratic governance, saying the force will
do its best to make the elections free, fair, credible and
violence-free. He said his visit to the governor was to express his
gratitude for the cordial relationship between the army and the people
of the state.

Mr Alao-Akala, in his response, said he would not shirk from his
responsibility as the chief security officer of the state. Insisting
that security is everybody’s business, he thanked the army for giving
his government necessary supports since its inception. The governor
also praised the federal government for mobilizing all the security
agencies to monitor the elections.