- Udounwa, the author of the book, said he wrote to share his life stories with the younger generation, adding that his military background showed him the value of learning from experience.
- He added that younger military officers need past generations’ experiences to learn strategy and effective management.
Theophilus Danjuma, a former defence minister, emphasized the need for service chiefs to eliminate terrorism and banditry to restore peace in Nigeria.
He made this call on Tuesday in Abuja at the launch of “Big Boots: Lessons From My Military Service,” a book written by retired Major General Solomon Udounwa.
Danjuma stressed the urgency of addressing insecurity, praising Udounwa’s exemplary military record and commitment to excellence.
“The number one problem today is security, and we must end the pandemic, stop the killings that are going on in our country as soon as possible,” he said.
“Those of you who are still serving, no excuses and absolutely none.”
Danjuma commended the military leadership’s efforts to tackle insecurity and their effective management of pension schemes.
Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, reassured that the military is dedicated to restoring peace nationwide, upholding service, integrity, and honor.
“Let me also assure our distinguished chairman that the armed forces of Nigeria are prepared, willing, dedicated, and committed to ensuring we restore peace and security in our dear country,” Musa said.
“We shall not be deterred. Yes, there will be challenges, but that’s why we are here. I want to assure you that we have learned a lot from your record as very distinguished senior officers who have guided us over the years. We cannot afford to fail, and we will not fail.”
Udounwa wrote his book to share life experiences with younger generations, highlighting the value of learning from experience.
He emphasized that younger officers require past generations’ experiences to learn strategy and effective management.
“I hope they will learn that to serve in the military requires discipline, requires professionalism, requires integrity, requires character, requires courage, and so many other virtues that an officer must display while undertaking his duties,”
Udounwa said. “Then when I joined the military, because my feet are very big, I was also given Big Boots, which went with me everywhere I served, and which I used in trampling on terrorists and every other threat to our national security.”
Notable attendees included Tukur Buratai, Lucky Irabor, Faruk Yahaya, and other serving and retired top officers.