Let’s also make stories about soldiers doing good go viral

I read in just one paper, not Daily Trust, that soldiers of a unit in Lagos had participated in community service, helping clear rubbish and making a number of roads better for use. They also helped with general sanitation, edged on by their superior officer. In a few photos I saw online, you could see […]

I read in just one paper, not Daily Trust, that soldiers of a unit in Lagos had participated in community service, helping clear rubbish and making a number of roads better for use. They also helped with general sanitation, edged on by their superior officer. In a few photos I saw online, you could see the young men, dressed in camouflage uniforms and their trousers rolled up, working with shovels and diggers to help the surrounding community. That sight warmed my heart, adding to the respect I already have for this section of our society.

But to my dismay, the pictures and the story didn’t go viral: Instead, it was buried under the latest Biafra inanity or the reigning political scandal. What a shame on us, Nigerians! These people have given their lives in service to our nation, and to protect us, but we cannot even recognise it when they are going yet another extra mile for us! A quick look at the photo would show them happily carrying out the task, without hesitation. The least we can do is to make it go viral, story, photos and all.

Now were it to be a photo or video of a soldier brutalising a civilian, Nigerians will erupt in a furore, condemning the entire Nigerian Army, forgetting that it is the handiwork of a single individual (or group, in the case of an errant duo or trio). The professional institution that the Nigerian Army is today will certainly not condone misbehaviour. In the instance that errant soldiers are caught, the punishment meted out is always sufficient, and if it is a criminal case, the personnel are handed over to the relevant authorities for justice to take its course.

In short, what I’m saying, is that let’s all endeavour to praise and commend our soldiers when they do good, and not to simply condemn them when one or a few do bad. And my call is not an empty one, going by what the exemplary military personnel did to their surrounding community in Lagos last week. If that is not a flat-out clear demonstration of patriotism, then I cannot imagine what else would be. If I wore a hat, I would doff it for them.

Do you know of a soldier who has helped you or a relative of yours, beyond his call of duty? Do you know of a unit which provides free healthcare and services to host communities, or even settle disputes and create an atmosphere of peace and calm where trouble has threatened? Then please go on Facebook, Twitter and anywhere else to thank them, and ask others to join in gratitude. I always tell people that our armed forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) are the last fort of our national unity, and they always stick to each other in brotherhood no matter what. Let us learn that from them, and while doing so appreciate their efforts and sacrifice for us, and Nigeria as a whole.

Usman-Bello wrote in from Ungwan Rimi, Kaduna.