Obasempire reports that the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, clarified that the establishment of the School of Islamic Studies aims to enhance and cultivate the capabilities of military personnel.
General Buba provided this clarification on Thursday during a joint Press Briefing by the Strategic Communication Interagency Policy Committee held at Force Headquarters in Abuja.
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Responding to inquiries about the widely circulated photo of the Nigerian Army School of Islamic Studies, which sparked public debate questioning its presence within the Nigerian military, General Buba defended the rationale behind establishing the institution.
He said, “Life is spiritual and being military men does not make them less spiritually inclined.”
Furthermore, Buba said, “The military does not only have the School of Islamic Affairs; we also have the Chaplaincy School. Being military men does not make us not to be spiritually inclined.
“They say that life is spiritual. Things start from the spiritual before we see them in the physical. We in the military are also aware of that. So, we pray according to our religion, be it Christian or Islam.
“And what is the purpose of a school? It is to develop and build capacity. If you want somebody to go and preach to others, he should know what he is preaching about. He should be able to read the scriptures from one point to the other in whatever religion he practises, so that he can communicate that breakdown to the troops and build their faith.
“I believe that answers the question, why is the military operating a School of Islamic Affairs.”
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