Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Nigerian Army, yesterday, said the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, was hale and hearty and enjoying his leave.The reaction was contrary to a trending report that he was critically ill and evacuated to a foreign hospital, where he was currently receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
A viral publication averred that the last public appearance of the Chief of Army Staff was on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, when he inaugurated several civil-military relations projects in Okuku, Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State, his home state.
It further noted that the army chief was also conspicuously absent at the October 1 Parade at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Like the October 1 Parade, where the COAS was represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Maj Gen AB Ibrahim, he was also represented in several other events within the period under review, including the Army War College Nigeria Course 8/2024 graduation dinner and award night in Abuja on October 2, 2024, where he was the chief host.
But when contacted for clarification, the Director Army Public Relations, Maj Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, said the army chief  was on leave.
“Is he not entitled to go on leave, or you want to say that he is sick?  Take my response to the medium (online) as my official response,” he said.
Earlier, Nwachukwu, told the online news medium that Lagbaja was on leave and entitled to it after working so hard for the country.
His words: “If the Chief of Army staff travels out after working for many years, are you saying it’s wrong for him to travel out when he is on leave?
“So if you work for years and go for a few weeks vacation or something, does it mean you are sick? So because we are in uniform, we should die working?“For instance, I have worked for almost seven years, I haven’t gone on leave. I didn’t go on leave till I went to bury my mum, when I was given a week-plus to go and bury my mum.
“Because we are in uniform, we should die working? We shouldn’t have a week or two for vacation. Is it even abnormal for someone to go for (medical) check-up? Must you even be sick before going for medical checkup? Are we not supposed to evaluate ourselves?
“We need to understand some things. For the past seven years, I haven’t gone on leave. It’s a call to national duty. People need to understand the sacrifices soldiers are making. There was a point that I came to my home and my children didn’t even know me.
“I don’t think it’s out of place for myself or any other person, even if it’s a top brass in the army to travel out or in any of the services to travel out for rest or do a medical checkup or something. I don’t think there should be any fuss about that.”