Exclusive: Unveiling The Real Buratai, From A Close Perspective By Amb Prince Sixtus Opara

There is a popular adage that says “You can never know someone until you go closer to him” irrespective of people’s perceptions toward such persons from afar.

Today, we shall be unveiling a quintessential personality per excellent, a bridge builder, humanist, humility personified personality, a detribalized gentle man whose beautiful relationships cut across all the regions and religions devoid of tribal, religion or ethnicity sentiments, that amazing individual is, His Excellency, Amb General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, one of the longest serving former chief of Army Staff in Nigeria.

General Tukur Yusuf Buratai was appointed the Chief Of Army Staff by former President Muhammad Buhari in July 2015 and he served till 27th of January 2021, making him the longest-serving Chief Of Army Staff in the history of Nigeria, though he ought to have retired from the service on the 3rd of January 2021, but seems Buhari, having discovered such a wonderful awesome figure decided to keep him a beat much more longer than the required time before he bowed out of service on the 27th January 2021.

For us to move forward as a People in Nigeria we must emulate some of the lifestyles and qualities of persons like Amb General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, a distinguished personality who earned the respect and honour of whosoever comes across him by his carriage of humility, Simplicity, gentility and detribalized attitudinal mindset in which he exhibits in his relationship with others, such characteristics gestures of soft-spoken General Buratai, distinguished him amongst his peers and colleagues in the military, while he was the Chief of Army Staff, Federal Republic Of Nigeria, majority of the people who benefited immensely from him are not of the same origin and religion as such does not constitute part of his considerations while assigning responsibilities such as contracts and appointment in the military in as much as you are efficient and capable of handling such task, what a phenomenal individual with such a noble gesture!

Am writing this particular piece on General Buratai on a range of my close encounters with him and also from the perspective views of many whom I interviewed at the cause of compiling this article, who must have met and worked closely with him in the past.

Unlike most people who are intoxicated by power, General Buratai is never carried by his positions and fame, he remained humble and true to himself both within and outside power, and he did his very best to curb the menace of terrorism and banditry in Nigeria despite being sabotaged by his detractors and some of our politicians who enjoy chaos and violence in some certain quarters due to what they stand to gain in such circumstances and scenario.

General Buratai built infrastructures like never before while he was in the service much more than any of his predecessors in the past who held such exalted positions, as the Chief of Army Staff, he equipped the military, he empowered officers and men of the Nigerian Army, including the civilians and the media to ensure Ultimum delivering and services, General Buratai is a man of accountability and result oriented per excellent who derives great joy in results and perfections, no wonder former president Buhari found it so difficult to disengage his services making him to be the most outstanding and longest-serving Chief of Army Staff in the history of the Nigerian Military.

Nigerian-born General Tukur Yusuf Buratai is from Buratai town, Biu Local Government Area of Borno State. His father, Yusuf Buratai, was a non-commissioned officer in the Royal West African Frontier Force and World War II veteran who fought in Burma. General Buratai had his primary education at Buratai town and thereafter gained admission to Government Teachers College Potiskum, Yobe State, where he graduated with distinction.

In January 1981, Buratai attended the Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna as a member of the Burma battalion of the 29 Regular Combatant Course (29 RC) where he was given the prestigious appointment of Cadet Sergeant Major (CSM). On successful completion of his Officer Cadet training, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 17 December 1983 into the Infantry Corps of the Nigerian Army.

General Buratai has a degree in history from the University of Maiduguri and a degree in philosophy from Bangladesh University of Professionals, Dhaka.

He is also a graduate of the National Defence College, Mirpur, Bangladesh.

He served in 26 Amphibious Battalion Elele, Port Harcourt, Military Observer at the United Nations Verification Mission II in Angola; later 26 Guards Battalion, Lagos; Lagos Garrison Command Camp. Lt Gen Buratai also served as an administrative officer at the State House, Abuja; 82 Motorized Battalion; 81 Battalion, Bakassi Peninsular; Army Headquarters Garrison, Abuja before he became a Directing Staff at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, earning the prestigious “Pass Staff College Dagger” (psc(+)) appellation.

Subsequently, he served at AHQ Dept of Army Policy and Plans, Abuja; as Assistant Chief of Staff Administrative Matters, HQ Infantry Centre Jaji. Additionally, he was again at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College as Director Dept of Land Warfare from where he was appointed Commander 2 Brigade, Port Harcourt, doubling as Commander, Sector 2 JTF Operation PULO SHIELD.

Upon promotion to the rank of Major General, he was appointed Commandant, of Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Jaji; thereafter he was appointed Director of Procurement DHQ before being appointed Force Commander of the newly reconstituted Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTNF) under the auspices of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and the Benin Republic, an appointment he held till he became Chief of Army Staff.

His operational deployments include Military Observer at the United Nations Verification Mission II in Angola, Op HARMONY IV in the Bakassi Peninsular, OP MESA, Op PULO SHIELD, Op SAFE CONDUCT, MNJTF, Op ZAMAN LAFIYA, and Op LAFIYA DOLE.

He was appointed Chief of Army Staff on 13 July 2015, by the then-president Buhari, the immediate past president of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria.

General Tukur Buratai eventually retired from the military on the 27th of January 2021 and was subsequently appointed as a Nigeria Ambassador to the Benin Republic the same year because of his dedication to duty, you can say he was retired and not tired of rendering services to his father’s land, Nigeria and humanity at large.

Please before you come out to utter vague words on an anointed child of Destiny, kindly do your thorough check on such personality via the people who must have had encounters with him in the past.