THE MILITARY IS SURBORDINATED TO CONSTITUTIONAL, DEMOCRATIC CIVILIAN AUTHORITY – CALL YOUR MEN TO ORDER ……CSOs URGES ARMY.
A highly provocative, offensive and odious viral video by a yet to be identified soldier has taken up the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu in a gutter challenge over his ordering of the arrest his colleague alongside three other motorcyclists for driving against traffic on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. The soldier deployed crude, unprintable phrases to castigated the Governor for arresting a soldier in the presence of “bastard civilians”, asserting that the “Governor has no right to arrest a soldier, especially in front of his barracks”.
This is a rather a very serious, gross misconduct which the military must conduct promptly identify, apprehend the bohemia, anti-democratic, yet to be formerly identified soldier because laden, ominous message that overtly instigates military disobedience to democratic, constitutional democracy. It is instructive that practically all the avowals of the soldier in the viral video encourages military destabilization of the polity as he claimed that soldiers are not under the control of any State Governor but their superior officers. The soldier went further to canvass for outright anarchy and disorderliness when he stated that, “So, now your Governor has the guts arrest a soldier….. To be sincere, Lagos has been experiencing too much peace….. Let us assumed this happened in the North East where I am, is it here the chasing to arrest a soldier for taking one way?”
This outburst may reflect deeper resentment to democratic, civilian authority by the rank and file members of the armed forces. If appropriate overhaul of the orientation of the military is not undertaken, this attitude reeks of purchist value system that birthed recent military take overs in some Francophone nations in the West African sub-region.
It is instructive for both civilian and military populace to accept the fact that civilised modern societies are governed and sustained by laws. This is vital to avert social chaos, anarchy and barbarism. No single individual, group or institution is above the law. More importantly, in a constitutional, democratic society, the military is subordinate to democratic civilian authorities. Both soldiers involved in this incidence, must be creatively used by the Government and the Military to orientate our security forces on dire imperatives for concerted efforts to protect as well as preserve our nascent democratic governance.
More importantly, at this crucial period when our great nation is facing critical economic challenges, any iota of political combustion, volatile, inciting statements bordering on treasonable proclamations must be efficiently, effortlessly contained and potential threats eliminated. A stable polity is highly imperative for our national economy bounce back on its feet. All conscientious patriots should exert requisite influence on the military to call its officers to order.
Razaq Olokoba
Convener
Campaign for Dignity in Governance
