By Christiana Ekpa
The first Women Battalion Commander from Northern Nigeria, Lieutenant Colonel Susana Dibal Johnson riterd, has said with the friendly disposition of the present army hierarchy, women soldiers have brighter chances of becoming the Chief of Army Staff.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Lieutenant Colonel Dibal retired, also enjoined young girls and women not to see the job of a soldier as an exclusive reserve for men, adding that female soldiers who are captain today can become leaders of the military high command.
“I encourage women to see that this job is meant for them, is not just for men. And this job gives you what you want if you understand that army job is a profession, and there are rules and regulations. So, in violating rules and regulations, there is punishment for it.
“So, I want every woman and young girl out there; if you are a graduate, go for short service, go for direct short service, they can also go for regular. If you have finished your secondary school, the regular space is there. Time will come when these women that are captains today may be the chief of army staff tomorrow”, she said, adding that she has traveled about thirty-six cities to campaign for women to join the Nigerian army.
Speaking on the chances of women to survive in the men dominated military, she said “When you have passion for something, there is nothing you cannot do. I love the job, I put in all my best, and that is why I never saw thirty-five years I put in as years, but I see it as yesterday, because I love my job.”
Retired Dibal, also commended the Chief of Army Staff for giving the Women Army Corps a face lift, saying “The Chief of Army Staff has revived the women corps, and I am so glad about that because in the sense that what we call gender mainstreaming is being observed in the army today.
“Giving a woman the chance to do what she knows how to do best. In fact, with the present administration now of the chief of Army Staff, he is even building a barrack that is going to be just for these women, and that gives me joy in my heart and it gladdens my soul that the name women corps exists and the battalions, the one in Abakaliki and the one in Giri, springing up to what they are.
“You see, the Nigerian army women corps is where I worked and the joy of it is that women now understand that they can play a very good role because the gender idea of 1325 says mainstream jobs for a woman. Allow a woman to play the role she knows how to do best.
“Today we have drivers, we have women that knows how to drive tanks, not just the military vehicles, even the thanks. We have them, we have women that have passion to be jumpers, we have them there, but not as much as what we have today.”
