Shettima, Irabor, others unveil Ndace’s books in honour of Buratai

Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, together with the Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd), and other eminent Nigerians launched three books authored by Mall. Jibrin Baba Ndace, a veteran defence correspondent.

The books are, “Walking the War Front with Lt. Gen. TY Buratai,” “Duty Call Under Buratai’s Command” and “The Lonely Grave and Other Poems”.

The trilogy’s presentation and launching event took place at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Saturday, May 13, 2023.

The books which highlight the war against Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgency in the North-east were written specifically to aid in the visualisation of the horrors terrorists have visited on citizens and how the Nigerian Army and other security agencies, Civilian JTF confronted them under the leadership of the 20th Chief of Army Staff, Lt.- Gen Tukur Yusufu Buratai.

Shettima, represented by Sen. Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, congratulated Ndace, the celebrant-author, for joining the league of writers, who have chosen to document the story of Nigeria’s counter-insurgency war, from a witness perspective.

He described Ndace’s trilogy as not only mere biographies but outstanding intellectual works.

The VP-elect observed that readers of Ndace’s newly-published books would find in them factual narratives of how the Nigerian military and its troops have been at the forefront of protecting the country’s sovereignty, from the Boko Haram and Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, fighters, most especially.

Magashi, on his part, noted that the media, in particular, has a responsibility as warranted by the principle of developmental journalism not to incite hate and inflame passion, but to inform, educate and mobilize support for the armed forces.

The Defence Minister said, “I therefore, congratulate Gen. Buratai for his exceptional and patriotic service to our fatherland, and wish the author greater milestone in his career and new-found role as a contributor to military history”.

The Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Gen. Leo Irabor, in a goodwill message, explained that the leadership of Gen. Buratai joined troops to fight insurgents from the frontline, so as to encourage and lift the morale of the latter.

“One thing is, Gen. Buratai is a man who listens to his surbodinates and he has great influence on the men and officers of the armed forces, and posterity will judge him most kindly,” said the CDS.

Buratai, while speaking, appreciated the author for documenting the historical period he served as Nigeria’s 20th Army Chief.

He, however, recognized the efforts of his successor, late Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, and a past Chief of Policy and Plans at the Army Headquarters, Lt. Gen. Lamidi Adeosun (rtd), among other senior military officers, who assisted him prosecute the counter-insurgency war.

Earlier, Alh. Mohammed Idris Malagi, the Chairman and CEO of Blueprint Newspapers, in his welcome address, described Ndace as a mentee that has continued to make him proud.

He said, “He has continued to be steadfast, dependable, loyal, and patriotic to the Nigerian cause. Ndace, indeed, has earned a sterling reputation as one of the best defence correspondents Nigeria ever had”.

Speaking on why he embarked on the project which took him five years of hard work, Ndace, the immediate-past Chief Press Secretary, CPS, to Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger state, noted that he was encouraged by the need to document that phase of the war against insurgency in which he was a witness.

“These books were inspired by many veterans who fought on and off the war field. Soldiers who sacrificed their lives to serve our great nation, the courage they exhibited and the aftermath of their gruesome experiences.

“Amongst many soldiers and servicemen, Lt. Gen. TY Buratai occupies a large part of the storytelling.

“Lt. Gen TY Buratai is a retired Nigerian army General, former Chief of Army Staff, who was appointed in 2015 and retired in January 2021,” the award-winning embedded journalist said.