By Revisited! Who Designed Nigerian Army’s Logo With Arabic Inscription On It?
On various occasions and foras, there has been a recurrence of debate on the rightfulness of using Arabic which is presumed not to be a lingua Franca in Nigeria and also an effort to islamise Nigeria.
Only recently, a lawyer, Malcolm Omirhobo, sued the Federal Government on the issue of Arabic inscriptions on our currency and on the Nigerian Army’s logo.
The Lawyer who instituted a case at a Federal High Court wants the court to declare as “illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional to allow the Nigerian Army logo to be adorned, and inscribed in Arabic language, instead of the official English language or Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo which are the three main languages or ethnic groups in Nigeria.”
Pontificating on the issue, Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, in an article he wrote on January 12, 2020, for ThisDay newspaper, wrote that, ”the Arabic Script on Naira notes has nothing to do with Islam. They only indicate the denomination of the Naira note in question. And the Arabic script on the Nigerian Army’s logo represents their motto. It does not carry an Islamic message.”
The Arabic letters on Nigerian Army logo is: Nasrunminallah which means: Victory Comes From God Alone. This particular motto was inscribed on the banner under which the Sokoto forces under the control of the Sultan fought the British in 1903.
But Who Inscribed Arabic On Nigerian Arm’s Logo
Late Retired General David Ejoor, gave an insight in his book Reminiscences, page 16, where he said that while in the Army, he had the mandate to design a new logo for the NA and he had to discard the old logo by the British which expresses the exploitation of the mineral wealth of Nigeria.
” In the colonial days, the cap badge of the army was a palm tree. This could be interpreted to represent the wealth of the country which the British were to exploit. For that reason, the palm tree had to go. Besides, the Action Group party had a palm tree as its symbol, and it was important that the army and a political party should not have the same symbol. My job was to seek a new meaningful design for the cap badge of the Nigerian Army. I set to work.”
“In seeking a new design, I was anxious that the symbol should reflect the duty of the army and should be capable of inspiring officers and men. As I searched, I remembered the battle between the British and the Sokoto forces in 1903. At that battle, the Sokoto forces had carried the Sultan’s flag with an Arabic inscription on it. That Arabic inscription I learnt meant, “VICTORY IS FROM GOD ALONE”. This, I thought was an excellent symbol that had meaning and could inspire. What is more, the British had themselves incorporated the symbol into the regimental colour which the Nigerian Regiment carried on parade. I decided to incorporate the Arabic INSCRIPTION INTO THE CAP BADGE TO REPRESENT DEFENCE…”
” Next, I searched for a symbol that would depict unity. I found an answer in Lugard’s interlaced triangles which he designed at the amalgamation to represent the coming together of NORTHERN and SOUTHERN NIGERIA. In choosing this symbol for the Nigerian Army cap badge, I hoped it would remind the Nigerian Soldier that his duty was to defend the unity and integrity of his country. I now had two symbols representing DEFENCE AND UNITY.”
Major-General David Akpode Ejoor (OFR, GCON) was born on January 10, 1932 in Ovu now in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State. An Urhobo by ethnicity from Ovwor-Olomu, the young Ejoor attended Ovu CMS School 1939; Baptist School Ovu 1940, Native Administration School Orerokpe 1946-47; Government College Ughelli 1948-1952; Officer Cadet Training Centre Teshie Ghana 1953-54; Officer Cadet Training Unit Eaton Hall, Chester UK 1954; Royal Military Academy Sandhurst UK 1955-56; Instructional and Communications Training Hythe UK 1958; State College Camberley UK 1963 and Royal College of Defence Studies UK 1971.
As a federal officer during the civil war, he stood for the unity of Nigeria in spite of the turbulence of the period. After he was appointed Director at Army Headquarters he was given the task of traveling abroad to convince some foreign nations, notably the United State of America, France and India, to support the Nigerian side. He carried out this assignment with military dispatch and deep conviction.
