The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, says the military high command under his watch is fully prepared for any act of violence in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa States for the governorship elections.
Musa, who stated this on Tuesday at Defence Headquarters, Abuja, while playing host to the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, stressed that the military was well-prepared for the off-cycle elections in the three states, saying efforts have been put in place to ensure there was no violence before, during and after the exercise.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Saturday, November 11, 2023 for the elections in the three states.
Speaking during the visit, Musa told the gathering that the military would stop at nothing to ensure the polls in the three states are devoid of violence.
“We are also prepared for the coming elections in the three states of Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa states. I want to ensure that the elections go on democratically, without any fear or intimidation.
“We don’t want any violence. I want to appeal to all stakeholders that it does nobody any good if anybody is killed because we have to go and vote. So it is important that we all put hands on deck.
“We will make sure that the elections are free and they are peaceful so that the results can also bring out what people want,” the defence chief stated.
The CDS also disclosed that the federal government had allocated special funds for the treatment of soldiers wounded at the various theatres of operations across the federation, adding that the development would boost the morale of troops on the frontline.
He added, “President, we want to say thank you for the improved funding for the armed forces. We know the situation on the ground that the armed forces are doing the best they can, but we are limited due to the dearth of funding.
“Also, there are special funds for medical care. What we realise is the morale of our troops. They see how the injured are treated. If they’re not treated well, they will never want to be committed. But we are happy to see how they are doing and we are happy that more have been promised and more will be done.”
