Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, has urged troops of Operation Lafiya Dole not to be discouraged and demoralized in fighting Boko Haram insurgency in Northeast.
According to him, the morale of hospitalized soldiers is high despite their sustenance of various injuries in the theatre of war.
Ndume, who represents Borno south senatorial district; disclosed this Sunday, while addressing wounded soldiers at the 7 Division Medical Services and Hospital, Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri.
“The situation we’re operating in this country is not to allow some people to sit down in their comfort and concoct stories that will affect the ongoing counter-terrorism operations.
“Such news can demoralize our troops; especially those that are out there that have access to these online news.
“I’m trying to respond to this as immediately as possible; as I’m today at this hospital in Maiduguri.”
He noted that the press was allowed to go everywhere in the hospital premises, without any hindrance to interact with wounded soldiers.
While lauding the Army’s open door policy, he said: “Everybody was allowed to every hospital ward and sections to see for themselves, including the media.
“This country belongs to all of us. We’ve a moral duty. You the press; you’ve seen and gone round the hospital and interacted with most of the wounded soldiers on their respective beds.
“You’ve also seen the morale of the hospitalized soldiers, despite not being informed of my unscheduled visit to this hospital.”
He said the hospital has improved with modern health and medical facilities in treating the wounded soldiers.
According to him, this is a very laudable effort of the army in treating and rehabilitation of injured soldiers.
He said instead of them to read online stories of counter-insurgency operations, they should concentrate on their work to defend the territorial integrity of the nation.
“This is not a national duty alone, but Godly one. God will reward you I believe with the sacrifices you’ve been making in these difficult times,” he said, assuring that the Senate Committee on Army will continue to support soldiers.
He said there is light at the end of the tunnel to end the over a decade long war with Boko Haram.
On the 100-bed capacity hospital, the Acting Commander of the hospital, Col. Ogbe Omoruyi said: “We collaborate with the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) in areas that could not cover wounded soldiers.
“Any case that is urgent and serious beyond our capacity, we refer it to UMTH,” noting that while those that require a long period of hospitalization are evacuated to the 44 Referral Hospital, Kaduna.
He added that most to the sustained injuries are of bomb blasts that affect soldiers’ hearing.
He noted that for soldiers that have serious injuries, like amputation, they are provided with postiches by the army.
Three soldiers that sustained various injuries last December in the frontline told The Guardian that they are returning to the frontlines of Tungushe, Gajiram and Gambouru to continue to fight the insurgents.
Col. Kolawale Emoshin, Privates Saidu Dahiru and Ademola Felix said they are recuperating from sustained injuries and will return in the next week or two to join other soldiers in the frontlines.
Emoshin said that despite the neck injury in the Tungushe encounter with terrorists, he is not demoralized, but to continue to fight and defend the nation’s territory against terrorists.
