By Mu’azu Muhammad Sulaiman
President Muhammadu Buhari has accepted the immediate resignation of the Service Chiefs, and their retirement from service.
Those so appointed are Maj-Gen. Lucky E.O. Irabor as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS); Maj-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru as Chief of Army Staff (COAS); Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo as Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) and Air-Vice Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao as Chief of Air Staff (CAS).
Their appointment followed the retirement of the former service chiefs, which many Nigerians had clamoured for, but were seemingly ignored, even in the face of rising criminality in the country.
Many of those who commended the President for taking the step said the change of guards could not have come at a better time, while to others, the action was belated.
The military helmsmen should use powerful idea generation tools like morphological analysis, quadrant crunching, cross impact matrix, nominal group technique, structured brainstorming, virtual brainstorming and star bursting. The high level risk mitigation tools contained in my new book, Boko Haram Security Consideration and the Rise of an Insurgency, should be employed to combat the hydra-headed monster of insurgency, banditry and terrorism.
However, at the bottom of it all is that Nigerians want to be secure from increasing attacks by kidnappers, bandits, Boko Haram insurgents and criminal herders, among others, which they feel the former service chiefs could not guarantee.
The question now is, given the complexity of the present security challenges, what was missing in the efforts of the former service chiefs? What do their successors need to do to ensure success and restore confidence of Nigerians in the security architecture?
Secondly, they need to provide proper facilities and equipment to enable soldiers to effectively deal with the insurgents. Besides, Nigeria needs to take care of the welfare of her troops. Not only should they be paid all their entitlements while out there defending their fatherland, they should also be well equipped to be able to repel the forces of terror.
“Issues that should lead to soldiers protesting or scampering away from battlefield should be avoided. If soldiers have overstayed their appointed time, they should be replaced with fresh ones to avoid fatigue setting in. The new regime should as a matter of urgency investigate the resignation of over 127 soldiers in recent weeks as well as non-payment of pension to veterans. By so doing, a standard template for transparency and accountability will be institutionalised.
The new service chiefs must hit the ground running. The jubilation noticed among officers and men of the Armed Forces across military formations in Nigeria was a clear indication that the sacked service chiefs really overstayed their welcome. Expectations by Nigerians are very high. The era of various security agencies working at cross-purposes must be over.
Synergy should be their watchword and key strategy
But above all, to win the war against Boko Haram, the government has to win the war of the mind. Most of the people conscripted by the terrorists have been brainwashed to believe they are fighting for God and would go straight to heaven if they die in the process. This is the most difficult aspect of the war to fight. Until the government and religious leaders are able to counter it effectively, only very little progress can be made in the war against terror.
“The new regime must therefore work very closely with stakeholders on the non-kinetic aspects. CISLAC recently launched a technical working group on protection of civilians and civilian harm mitigation. It is a robust platform that can support new and ongoing efforts of the armed forces with strategic communications to the communities
Kidnappers are now abducting hundreds of school children from their school premises and making away with busloads of travellers.
Cross-border bandits are killing innocent citizens in their dozens. Food insecurity looms because farmers are either being killed or those displaced are afraid of returning home to continue with their cherished vocation. Yet, there is no let-up in armed robbery. The rivalry between the different security organisations must stop.
This dispensation must strike the rhythm for effective coordination, collaboration and synergy as a diamond formation to victory,
Nigeria is one of the largest economies in Africa with a population of over 200 million. However, signs of violence have intensified in the northeast, northwest, central and northern parts of Nigeria. Still, for more than nine years, military heroes have done their best.
The insecurity in the country had gotten to a critical level and due to the silence of the Nigerian government towards the issue, the Crisis has worsened and has made Life more difficult for people especially in the affected communities. Apart from the unresolved Security issues such as Kidnapping, Armed Robbery, Arson and Assassination, the rise of the BokoHaram Terrorism, Banditry and Attacks from Herdsmen had made the situation worse in the country.
The Nigerian Army will not stop expanding its new military strategy. Operation Dangerous Forest aims to defeat terrorists in the Northwest, but defeating Boko Haram / ISWAP terrorists and armed robbers is difficult to achieve while the terrorists are living in the dreaded forests.
Sambisa Forest is one of the forests in the North East where Boko Haram terrorists hide. also.Despite the dangers of the Sambisa forest, soldiers sacrificed their lives to sleep on the battlefield to protect our area.
But above all, to win the war against Boko Haram, the government has to win the war of the mind. Most of the people conscripted by the terrorists have been brainwashed to believe they are fighting for God and would go straight to heaven if they die in the process. This is the most difficult aspect of the war to fight. Until the government and religious leaders are able to counter it effectively, only very little progress can be made in the war against terror.
“The new regime must therefore work very closely with stakeholders on the non-kinetic aspects. CISLAC recently launched a technical working group on protection of civilians and civilian harm mitigation. It is a robust platform that can support new and ongoing efforts of the armed forces with strategic communications to the communities
A whole lot must go into building confidence and resilience from communities and partnership building. There is a huge disconnect between the people and the Armed Forces and this clearly suggests that information is not adequate. It has a huge potential of drifting citizens into deeper resentment of the security institutions
The thing is that the Boko Haram issue, which actually is a minute issue, is not a ground operation but an aerial operation. If the CAS can cooperate with the CDS, that battle is as good as won; it won’t take a month and Nigerians will see that the insurgents have been totally decimated. The ground is well opened that if the military can deploy aerial arsenals the battle would be won.
The new service chiefs must hit the ground running. The jubilation noticed among officers and men of the Armed Forces across military formations in Nigeria was a clear indication that the sacked service chiefs really overstayed their welcome. Expectations by Nigerians are very high. The era of various security agencies working at cross-purposes must be over. Synergy should be their watchword and key strategy.
