The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has said Nigeria needs to rebuild its military institutions to effectively protect democracy, lives and property.
Adebayo spoke at a public presentation of a book, titled: Nine Lives: The Bello-Fadile Memoirs, authored by a retired Colonel of the Nigerian Army, Babatunde Bello-Fadile, at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre on Monday in Abuja.
The SDP stalwart noted that the problem of insecurity across the country could be traced to institutional deficiencies and indiscipline among those saddled with the responsibilities of steering the wheel of state.
The former presidential candidate, who recommended the book for students of history, announced the immediate purchase of 1,000 copies that would be distributed to military schools, formations and institutions of higher learning across the country.
He said aside rebuilding the military institutions, Nigeria also needs to rebuild its civil service, justice system and the industrial sector.
“We must encourage the rebuilding of four institutions, and four of them need to be rebuilt immediately.
“We need to rebuild our military. We need to rebuild our civil service. We need to rebuild our justice system and we need to rebuild our industrial sector.
“In an era where modern challenges are timeless, we need to build these institutions. And to build them, you need to find your way to extract who will say, ‘I dedicate my entire life to one of these four institutions,’ like retired Colonel Bello-Fadile,” Adebayo said.
The SDP stalwart maintained that most of the historical achievements the country recorded could directly or indirectly be traced to the military, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
He said: “Some of the best brains in the country were officers, well-trained as military personnel and other professionals, like retired Colonel Bello-Fadile, who is wearing two caps.
“Today in Nigeria, there are hard questions of national identity and national unity. The military is the one keeping these two. So, it is important we know that we cannot do without the military.”
Adebayo was the book presenter at the event while a former Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, was the chairman.
Other dignitaries at the event included former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Martin Luther Agwai; General Alkali Kashim; former Senate President David Mark; former Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN); former Attorney General opf the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN); former Rivers State Commissioner for Justice, O. C. J. Okocha (SAN), a former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) across five states, Ahmed Raji (SAN); former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Maurice Iwu, and former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
