Military Says It Does Not Have Buhari’s Credentials

The Nigeria Army has said the All Progressive Congress, APC, Presidential

Candidate, General Mohammadu Buhari enlisted into the Nigeria Army without
the originals, Certified true copies or photocopies of his West African
School Certificate, WASC.

It said at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday that it had a letter
from the Principal of Buhari’s secondary school, dated 1961, recommending
him for enlistment into the military school.

At the Press Conference address by Brigadier-General Olajide Laleye, the
Army said, “Nevertheless, the entry made on the NA Form 199A at the point
of documentation after commission as an officer indicated that the former
Head of State obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1961
with credits in relevant subjects: English Language, Geography, History,
Health Science, Hausa and a pass in English Literature. Neither the
original copy, Certified True Copy (CTC) nor statement of result of Major
General M Buhari’s WASC result is in his personal file.”

Below is Excerpts from the Press Conference:

Gentlemen of the Press, I am pleased to welcome everyone back from the
Christmas and the 2015 New Year festivities. On behalf of the Chief of
Army Staff, officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army, I wish you all a
happy and more fulfilling 2015. Since our last media briefing on 31
December, 2014, some issues relating to the Nigerian Army have occurred
and this briefing is holding specifically to address them.

I will begin with the Major General Muhammadu Buhari certificate
controversy. Gentlemen, let me state clearly that the Nigerian Army holds
the retired senior officer in very high esteem and respect and would not
be a party to any controversy surrounding his eligibility for any
political office. Suffice to state that Major General Buhari rose steadily
to the enviable rank of Major General before becoming the Head of State of
our dear country in December 1983. The media hype on retired Major General
Muhammadu Buhari’s credentials as well as the numerous requests made by
individuals and corporate bodies to the Nigerian Army on this issue have
necessitated that we provide the facts as contained in the retired senior
officer’s service record. Records available indicate that Major General M
Buhari applied to join the military as a Form Six student of the
Provincial Secondary School, Katsina on 18 Oct 61. His application was
duly endorsed by the Principal of the school, who also wrote a report on
him and recommended him to be suitable for military commission. It is a
practice in the NA that before candidates are shortlisted for
commissioning into the officers’ cadre of the Service, the Selection Board
verifies the original copies of credentials that are presented. However,
there is no available record to show that this process was followed in the
1960s. Nevertheless, the entry made on the NA Form 199A at the point of
documentation after commission as an officer indicated that the former
Head of State obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1961
with credits in relevant subjects: English Language, Geography, History,
Health Science, Hausa and a pass in English Literature. Neither the
original copy, Certified True Copy (CTC) nor statement of result of Major
General M Buhari’s WASC result is in his personal file.

I hope this explanation will put to rest the raging controversy
surrounding the secondary school credentials of Major General Mohammed
Buhari as it affects the Nigerian Army.

I will also seize this opportunity to make some observations on the recent
CNN report titled ‘The Battle Against Boko Haram’, which was aired a few
days ago. I believe we all hold the CNN in high esteem. However, CNN’s
report on issues concerning kitting, equipment, medical treatment and
corruption in the Nigerian Army is perhaps the best example of a media
house’s show of bias, ignorance, poor journalism, unprofessionalism and
handiwork of a sponsored documentary. Let me start with kitting. It would
interest you to know that there is no Army in the world where personnel do
not purchase additional uniforms and kits to augment those officially
issued to them. Accordingly, the Nigerian Army without fail issues
uniforms and kits to its personnel periodically. Like other armies, the NA
has over the years, established ordnance shops in all its barracks and
cantonments where uniforms and kits are sold at subsidized prices to its
personnel from allowances already provided in their pay slips. Similarly,
you will agree with me that the NA has a very functional health care
delivery system in the country. There is no barrack or cantonment that
does not have at least one Medical Inspection Room, Medical Reception
Station or Medical Hospital. The NA fully subscribes to the National
Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and this is functional in all its health
facilities. Specifically, personnel in the North East have the best
medical treatment in that the various health facilities in all the
barracks and cantonments are well equipped. Notwithstanding this,
personnel with extensive injuries are evacuated to the 44 Nigerian Army
Reference Hospital Kaduna (44 NARHK), while others are promptly flown
abroad for medical treatment. Therefore, issue of a soldier of the NA
paying for treatment and drugs covered by the NHIS is absurd. The Nigerian
Army’s undoubted operational gains in the North East of recent, have
rubbished the claim of Boko Haram out-gunning the NA. The CNN would do
well to beam its searchlight on the atrocities of Boko Haram terrorists
against innocent and defenseless Nigerians rather than the NA. Equally,
the NA in the past had requested severally that any evidence of corruption
in the NA should be reported to the appropriate authority. Till date, no
such evidence has been forwarded but rather all we see and hear are
sweeping statement of the purported corruption in the NA. In the case of
Nick Robertson, his leading questions and introduction of the word
‘corruption’ to the unknown person purported to be a soldier of the NA was
most unprofessional and merely justifies a paid exercise. The CNN in the
past have interviewed authorised personnel of other countries’ armies and
not unauthorized hooded criminals to speak to the media. The CNN knows
very well how to contact the relevant offices to clarify issues concerning
the NA but chooses rather to conduct a clandestine interview in a kiosk
with a faceless person and a masked individual who obviously know nothing
about the NA.

Finally, the Nigerian Army wishes to state that it will remain focused on
its mission to rid Nigeria of terrorism and insurgency. To that end, it
has commenced the implementation of the extensive operational,
administrative and logistical decisions reached during 2014 COAS Annual
Conference. In no distant future, law abiding Nigerians will begin to see
very positive results in terms of security, particularly in the North East
and our dear nation generally. Before I depart, I once again seize this
opportunity to reiterate the NA’s unalloyed loyalty and subordination to
civil authority as presided over by His Excellency, President and
Commander – in – Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR. The Nigerian Army also wishes to
emphasize its adherence to the principles and respect of human rights in
the discharge of its constitutional duties. It further calls on everyone
to remain vigilant and report any suspected breach of the peace to
security agencies.
Thank you and God Bless.