*hails former COAS Lt Gen Buratai’s service legacies
By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
The Minister of Defence, Maj Gen Bashir Salihi Magashi, rtd, CFR has challenged media practitioners to do more in promoting the nation’s Armed Forces sacrifices in national defence.
General Magashi stated this in a message to the Public presentation and launch of three books titled, “DUTY Call under Buratai’s Command” , “Walking the War Front with Lt Gen TY Buratai” and “The Lonely Grave” authored by Jibril Baba Ndace of the Blueprint Newspapers.
The Minister of Defence who was a special guest of honour represented by his Special Adviser Technical, Major General A.T. Jibrin (rtd), commended the author for a job well accomplished.
The Defence Minister said the books are much more than the by- product of a journalistic assignment.
He extolled the sterling professionalism of the author whom he described as a patriotic citizen and resourceful journalist, worthy of emulation by his colleagues.
While acknowledging the immense contributions of the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, rtd, CFR to the stability of the nation’s polity and his giant strides in repositioning the Nigerian Army, he tasked media practitioners to raise the bar of developmental journalism.
The Vice president- Elect Senator Kashim Shettiman represented by Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Blueprint Newspapers Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi, acknowledged the intellectual prowess of the author for putting the books together in honour of Lt. General Buratai, whom they described as a gallant defender of the indivisibility of Nigeria.
The honouree, Lt Gen TY Buratai, CFR thanked the author for succinctly captured narratives in the books.
He said the successes recorded in counterterrorism operations under his watch as the Chief of Army Staff were driven by vision and valour with the support by the gallant troops and the media practitioners especially some embedded Defence Correspondents, the likes of Mohammad Abdulkadri of NTA, Ben Sheman of the Voice of Nigeria and Senator Iroegbu among others.
The book reviewers, former Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General S.K. Usman (rtd) mni and Dr Muhammad Auwal Haruna of the Faculty of Communication, Bayero University, Kano, described the books as monumental intellectual pieces that captured the very essence of scholarship, statesmanship and leadership style of a dogged infantry General, T.Y. Buratai.
High points of the ceremony that attracted representatives of the Service Chiefs, some ambassadors, traditional rulers, serving and retired Generals, was the public presentation and launch of the books as well as the fireside chat with the author.
The climax of the ceremony was the author’s appreciative remarks to the honouree, his mentors Alhaji Mohammed Malagi and Air Vice Marshall Muhammed Ndatsu Umar and colleagues.
