The Military lacked motivation – Badeh

Badeh who served in the military for about 38 years, gave this information in a valedictory ceremony held in his honour in Abuja, the federal Capital Territory on Wednesday 30th July 2015.

He went ahead and criticized a group of people who worked against the military in his tenure as the Chief of defence staff, despite the battering of his home by the dreaded book haram sect.

He said:

“Notwithstanding the modest successes we recorded in the fight against terror, I must say that the task of coordinating the military and other security agencies in the fight against insurgents is perhaps the most complex and challenging assignment I have had in over 38 years in service.

For the first time, I was head of a military that lacked the relevant equipment and motivation to fight an enemy that was invisible and embedded in the local populace.

“Added to this was the exploitation of a serious national security issue by a section of the press and the political class to gain political mileage.

“Furthermore, the activities of fifth columnists in the military and other sensitive military information, leaked to the terrorists, combined to make the fight against the insurgents particularly difficult.

“The activities of these unpatriotic members of the military not only blunted the effectiveness of the fight, but also led to the needless deaths of numerous officers and men who unwittingly fell into ambushes prepared by terrorists who had advance warnings of the approach of such troops.

“The decision by certain countries to deny us weapons to prosecute the war also added to the challenges we faced.”

He also applauded the military for its successes during his tenure, despite their enormous challenges and also appreciated the level he received as well from Nigerians.

“I am glad to note that a lot was achieved during our time in the fight against terror. The achievements recorded are largely due to the commitment, patriotism, and the fighting spirit of the gallant officers of men and women in uniform who saw the fight against terror as a task that must be accomplished, no matter the odds and in spite of the campaign of calumny against the military by a section of the media with their foreign collaborators.”

“Our true friends who stood by us in our time of need and provided us the weapons we are now using to conduct the operations will always have a special place in our hearts.

“I must also mention the support and co-operation we have continued to enjoy from our neighbouring countries, which have enabled us to present a united front against a common enemy.”

“The great support we have continued to receive and the determination of our patriotic troops to defeat this enemy of our nation have helped us to remain focused, but to also embark on other projects for the armed forces.”

He also criticized nations who depend solely on other greater nations in their fight against terrorism, that in most cases the depending nation ends up not achieving its objective.

“It is important for the government to decide the kind of military force it needs, by carrying out a comprehensive review of the nation’s military structure to determine the size, capability and equipment holding required to effectively defend the nation and provide needed security.”

The former Chief of defence staff also regrets the challenge posed upon the federal government in rebuilding areas destroyed by the Boko Haram sect in the north east, saying it would have been averted had the military been well funded.

He was not satisfied with the way the Nigerian military was ran, that it was a bit short compared to the current international standard, which was a weakness on their part, that the military was in a terrible state.

Badeh is actually the second person lamenting on the state of the Nigerian military, the Borno State governor had earlier complained.