LANRE AJIBOYE'S MEDLEY CORNER

Olanrewaju AjiboyeWednesday, February 25, 2015
[email protected]
Canada

ANNOUNCE THIS ARTICLE
TO YOUR FRIENDS

MILITARY PROFESSION, THE NOBLEST

advertisement

hen a child is born, the parents, the family and well wishers are joyful and joyous, and when one of us died either in old age or at prime we are sad and mournful. Both instances demonstrate how greatly we value life and live and how deeply we are dreadful of death.

Now imagine the following scenarios:

A spouse looks forward to a fixed date to tie the nuptial knot and suddenly receives a signal to report at his duty post. On getting there he joins other colleagues to board a plane for a mission to secure the lives, liberty and freedom of people he does not have any affiliation with and in the process, he gets killed. The bride becomes disillusioned, her dreams collapsed, the parents have not only lost their beloved son, but also the opportunity of giving them grand children. End of discussion you would say!

At another time, in a different clime, a military man is sent to go and fight in an avoidable war and without viable war gadgets and apparatuses and worse still, an avoidable conflict stoked by a belligerent Commander-in-Chief or a neglectful one indeed. If he refuses assignment on reasonable ground that those at the helm of affairs are prosecuting the war due to accruable benefits, he is charged with treason. Head or tail, he is a loser, he has Hobson's choice, he is in a catch-22 situation.

If a member of a supposed noble profession decides to nobble a position, a privilege or a situation, then it can be deduced as a rebellion even though condemnable. That is talking about the few members of the military who may have behaved badly due to their frustrations about the society.

In extreme love, a person can sacrifice his or her life for another to live. A mother can for a child, a husband can for a wife and vice versa, even cult like friendship can give up his life for his friend to live. In any of the stated situation, death is the greatest sacrifice that one person can choose for another person to live.

Juxtapose the above thinking with a military man whose only affiliation with many he is assigned to sacrifice his life for is that they are either from the same country or because they have the same blood flowing in their veins as human beings, then you would realize that military profession is the most selfless and most noble of all professions humanity can engage in.

How much can a man be very ungrateful by insulting, denigrating and impugning the character of an ex military man who has distinguished himself both at war campaigns and at peace restorations? Believe me, it is like courting the wrath of God.

If after a distinguished and dignifying military carrier, our retired service men feel strongly to add value to political process in a democratic setting, they should not be blackmailed and disparaged.

If we are a country and a people that value, appreciate and reward service and sacrifice, we should be doing more to the memory, to the dream and to the benevolence of our men and women both officers and juniors. Armed Forces remembrance day should be all inclusive where lessons and lectures are inculcated on our youth and leaders on the need to protect the intangibles so that we do not have to nurture the tangibles.

The intangibles are protection of freedom and liberty, equitable distribution of wealth and resources, refusal to stoke embers of hatred on the biases of religion, tribe and gender. The tangibles are the fallout of the intangibles like rebellion, terrorism, revolution and underground saboteurs that will require the services of the military.

It is a great disservice, a betrayal of selfless sacrifices to uphold the freedom of others if we in the course of power drunkenness desecrate on the very substance that makes us secure as free citizens of our beloved country.

Military men deserve honor and respect in and out of service. I doff my hat for men of uncommon valour in military service.

advertisement
IMAGES IN THE NEWS