NIGERIAN MILITARY:MY HEROES OF 2014

I dreamt of being a soldier as a kid .It wasn't just because of the uniform or well polished shoes,it was because of the pride I saw on the faces of those wearing them.You just had to feel the only problem they had to contend with was making heaven because they seemed to have achieved everything they set out to just by donning that uniform.Even the long retired ones seemed to have an aura of invincibility around them.They cut the picture of people who would happily die for their country.Sometimes you felt our national anthem was made to be recited by  these great men and women alone.One of my mother's most memorable childhood moment was me asking her at age 4 what school I needed to attend to become Head of State when I grew up.I adored the military.
The Nigerian Military played big brother to West African nations and prided itself on being the best in Africa.Things have changed for worse over time.Patriotism is no longer fashionable but one thing that hasn't changed is that a soldier will always be at the war front when required to do so.Refusal or cowardice is severely punished.Things have been so fashioned from time immemorial across the world and only the difference is the time such punitive measures were adopted in various Martial Laws.
The Boko Haram Insurgency currently ravaging Northern Nigeria especially the eastern part,has turned our heroes into a laughing stock.From stories of them dashing into another country to hide and terming it a 'tactical manoeuvre' to ones of them engaging in selective patrols; where the insurgents are less likely to attack.These men don't seem anything like the late Gen.Benjamin Adekunle and a host of others whose civil war exploits are archived in our heads thanks to our parents and you can't blame them.You shouldn't.Asides the fact that this is a type of war we haven't fought before,most people forget we are third world.We wouldn't be if we could just make it go away.Even if you invest a trillion dollars in this war, you just can't re-train the military and all relevant agencies overnight.We don't have drones and satellite feeds to work with.Its not easy being a Nigerian Soldier in the thick of it and I salute their courage and commend their efforts.
Naturally,people tend to focus more on actual attacks than foiled ones which is quite sad but a thorough review of their performance viz-a-viz what they have had to work with will convince a lot of people that they haven't done too badly.They have recaptured towns declared 'Caliphates' by the delusional extremists and have contained them to a commendable extent.Realistically speaking,no one expects them and their law enforcement agent brothers to be at every Car park,mosque,church or school in the right numbers with the right equipment at all times though ideally they should and I sincerely hope we get there soon.
People who criticized the military for only trying non-commissioned officers for disobedience,AWOL or Cowardice have been silenced by the recent move to try 15 top officials including a Brigadier General.It is sad that they have had to contend with another war and that is the impression the public has been made to have of them.A lot of people in criticizing them,hardly take out time to separate them from the government.If funds allocated to them aren't properly utilized or have been misappropriated then the government should bear the brunt of our anger not the military.As a matter of fact,the government is responsible for any victory or loss these men secure.
Like I said earlier,all we need do is compare what they have to work with, the many obstacles hindering them and their performance to reach a healthy conclusion.
A lot of these ill-equipped men doing battle for us would kill to wake up to their loved ones every morning.Some haven't done that for more than a year now.Some were drafted into war zones upon return from missions abroad.Some have watched their friends and colleagues die yet they continue to defend us-our territorial integrity,our properties and most importantly our lives and those of our loved ones.These are my heroes for 2014; each and everyone soldier out there.My prayers will always be with them.