By:
Oga Brown
(C) 2017
@Hillspride, Maitamakuchi, Abuja, Nigeria.
At 17 my "uncle" and neighbour told me am too small to become a cadet of the Nigerian Defence Academy. The General told me out. I insisted i need a Letter of Attestation from him as my Uncle but he re-directed it to a Lieutenant Colonel instead. l know then that i was literally "Denied" becoming a Commissioned Officer. I know the difference when a General signs and when a "smaller" officer signs. Particularly when the General is a "Principal Staff Officer" of the NDA. Because he told me I was too small to be a Soldier, I dared the recruiting officers to try me for size at the Ground Training Group where I was recruited into the services of the Nigerian Air Force at 18!
I worked with the Directorate of Public Relations and Information from my first day on resumption at the Tactical Air Command and as the youngest reporter in the service, I became an immediate attraction and covered most assignment relating to the Air Officer Commanding. This means am in touch with both local, national and international tattling. General Malu was ECOMOG Commander and his scheduled visit to TAC is causing jitters at the Quarter Guard and trepidation at both the Command HQ and the then Base Services Organisation (BSO), now BSG. We all know that his first stop to inspect the guard of honour will be at the QG and his mood will be determined from thence hence. The question is who is going to be the quarter guard sergeant to deliver a good and beautiful parade! That was when the RSM remembered me.
I was in the office working on a story of the general's coming when a message came that I should report to the QG. By now they have been rehearsing for almost a week yet the AOC was not satisfied! So I was sent for to take over the command with immediate effect! To those who recommended me, they know I can do it but will I? Even after training I was still heady! But the pummelling has reduced my ego to pulp except that I was more thick than my mate! Ask them they know me!
The AOC came that evening to supervise our rehearsal and he nodded his head that the parade was militarily impeccable! But how will an Air Craft Man (ACM), equivalent to a "mere" Private present Parade to a General! This can't happen! What is the next best option? Make this tiny looking diminutive 18 year soldier wear a field rank of sergeant! And that was what the Oga patapata did! By my reckon, I never one day in the course of my assignment heard that any one has been given a Field Rank talkless of using same for and through the period leading to the d-day!
The day came and the whole Command were waiting to see how General Malu will react to this arrangement. He was a no nonsense man and known to speak his mind. What he doesn't like I am warned he takes immediate action! I was frightened to believe that if the parade go awry, I may loose my next rank, if not my job! There was no kind of fear I was not threatened with... Facing General Malu.
For me facing crowd or anybody is second nature. I know about Audience Analysis. Unknown to them I was too ready to face Malu eyeball to eyeball, face to face and roll out the command. I know this command too well. I was among the pioneers that set up cadet in Army Day Secondary School, Ogoja, I was a general in Sardauna Memorial College, Kaduna Cadet and commands parade from my wee teens when i had my yellow soldiers in Angwa-Shanu, a founder of Junior "Man'O'War in Christ the King Primary School, Okpoma, Army Children School, New Cantonment "A" while "TheBull" was in Primary six "A" and I was the class captain as well as the football number one and captain at time. I formed the "Eleshin Squad" in Yemetu Aladorin, Ibadan to and through the ground training group of the Training Command in Kaduna. I have enough experience to command any parade.. Infact if I should tell any one why the military was an attraction, it is because of the parade. So to me, there was no fright, just fun...
Face to Face with General Malu I remember vividly what I said, and as he goes to his source, I want to put this on record for his memory's sake:
General Victor Malu's visit to my military formation, made me the Youngest Field Sergeant in the Nigerian Air Force as at then. I have been gone now fourteen going on fifteen but the tradition remains thesame. I have exchange guns for microphones. Am due for another kind of message that will not require me to add "Force". I don't like that word. I know you too don't like it, even Malu! So I am giving you this parade in honour of your goodsoul my "General"!
"Parade, parade Attention!
General Salute, present arms!
"Sir!
I, NAF....11111 oblique 2222. "Sergeant Oga Brown... Tactical Air Command, Nigerian Air Force, Makurdi, .....On parade, parade ready for your inspection Sir!...
May I have your permission to march out the QG Sir?....
Sentry Man Standfast, remainder into the guard r
Ask any one who is not called to arms what it takes to look into a general's eye. Now go and ask those who know General Malu, the erstwhile ECOMOG Commander, former Chief of Army Staff and you will agree that only few like us can look General Malu in the Face and tell him what I told him...
Today I salute the courage of Malu to do his assignment to the letter, I salute his confidence to make life threatening speech and get away with it? Whatever happens I love the General I saw Face to Face. Maybe if he were my uncle at the NDA I probably would have remained in the service. Like three of my current generals in the services of my fatherland!
Work In Peace General Victor Samuel Leo Malu...
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