Former Nigeria military President Ibrahim Babangida has said that his toughest encounter in the army was trekking from Enugu to Umuahia where he sustained injury during the Nigeria civil war.
Babangida made this known at an interactive session with newsmen to mark his 75th birthday in Minna on Tuesday.
“Movement from Enugu to Umuahia was very tough and challenging because you need to be physically fit to be able to undertake that kind of journey on foot.
“We had to go through the jungles and the hills. I think it was my toughest encounter in the army because that was where I got wounded in April 1969,’’ he said.
He said that he joined the army for the purpose of being in the force to protect the country. According to him, being in the military means that you must subject yourself to a constituted authority to execute all the tasks assigned to you by government. He said that the constitutional role and international treaties made it possible for military personnel to serve anywhere in the world.
The former military president said that the military job was more challenging than being the president of a country. He explained that as an army officer you would lead men to danger because your life and their lives depend on you as the commander.
“If they have faith in you they follow you. If you have faith in them you go along with them. “So, it is more challenging than being a president,’’ he said.
Babangida further said that being a president or Head of State, you have to seek people’s advice, interact and discourse with them to get solution based on the prevailing circumstances.
“Being a military officer you are the only one leading your troops hoping on you. If you lead them wrongly you will kill many of them. “So, I consider the military more challenging than the political job,’’ he said. VANGUARD.
