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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Liberian Armed Forces, said it has concluded plans to organize a National Memorial in honour of Nigerian soldiers who died while fighting that country’s civil war under ECOMOG.
The Chief of Staff of the Liberian Army, Major General Prince Charles Johnson 111, made this known when he visited the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor and the Chief Of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, respectively at the Defence and Army Headquarters in Abuja.
Gen Johnson, while thanking the Nigerian armed forces for restoring lasting peace and stability in Liberia, said the national memorial schedule to hold sometimes next year, is aimed at immortalizing soldiers who paid the supreme price and encourage the people of west African region to embrace peace and not war.
The Liberian army Chief, while noting that War is not the answer or the best way to resolve misunderstanding or disagreement, called on people of the region to resolve whatever crisis they have through the ballot box and democracy which he said is the best form of government.
He appealed to the Nigerian armed forces to help develop the capacity of officers and soldiers of the Liberian army especially at this time when the region was bedeviled with various kinds of insecurity, to enable it secure its region from attacks.
He also thanked the Nigerian Armed Forces, especially the Army for its tremendous supports and laying a solid foundation for the Liberian military to be where it is today after the war.
He specifically paid tribute to the late former Chief Of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Luka Yusuf, who was the first Chief of Staff of the Liberian Armed Forces, even as he noted that several Liberian officers and soldiers were trained at Nigerian Army Infantry School, Jaji, the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, Armed Forced Command and Staff College among other several military institutions in Nigeria.
He said, “I am a product of Nigerian Army training institutions. I trained at the Infantry Centre and School in Jaji. I trained at the Armed Forces Command and Staff, Centre. So I know the capacity of the Nigerian Army. Looking at the contemporary security threats we are facing in the sub region and in our neighbouring countries, we want to see how the Nigerian Army can be of assistance to Liberia in the area of capacity building for our armed forces and other areas of support”.
Welcoming the delegation to his office, the COAS, who commended the Liberian army Chief for the visit, said it is a thing of joy to see how the Liberian armed forces have evolved into a strong military after the roles played by the Nigerian Army in training its officers and soldiers.
Gen Yahaya, while noting that the Nigerian army still has some of its officers in Liberia, said the Nigerian army would do everything in its powers to support the Liberian army especially in the area of training and conduct of operations, which he noted is the bedrock of any military.
