President Muhammadu Buhari recently changed the top hierarchy of the nation’s army in order to introduce fresh impetus in the myriads of security challenges confronting the country. In this report, JIBRIN NDACE, SAMSON BENJAMIN and ABDULRAHMAN ZAKARIYAU take a look at the appointment against the backdrop of the lingering security challenges.
President Buhari recently appointed new service Chiefs for the Nigeria Armed Forces. They are Chief of Defence Staff, Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor; Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru; Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Auwal Z. Gambo, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air-Vice Marshal Isiaka O. Amao.
The new Service chiefs replaced former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.
The task ahead
There is no doubt that the task ahead of the new service chiefs is enormous. The country’s military is fighting Boko Haram jihadists in the North-east, armed bandits in the North-west, farmers, herders’ clashes, separatist tensions in the South-east and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
Aware of the daunting challenges ahead of them, the president charged the newly appointed service chiefs to be patriotic and to serve the country wholeheartedly.
President Buhari gave the charge at a meeting with them at the Aso Rock Villa.
According to a statement by presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, the president urged the new appointees to be loyal to the country, and that the country was in a state of emergency.
“We’re in a state of emergency. Be patriotic; serve the country well, as your loyalty is to the country. There’s nothing I can tell you about the service, because you are in it. I was also in it, and I will pray for you. I also assure you that whatever I can do as Commander-in-Chief will be done, so that the people will appreciate your efforts,” he said.
Hitting the ground running
Similarly, in line with his promise to hit the ground running in tackling Boko Haram and other security challenges, Irabor, a few days after their appointment, was accompanied by the three service chiefs on their first operational visit to the Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole, in Maiduguri.
Speaking during the visit, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 division Maj.-Gen. Abdul Khalifa, said the Chief of Defence Staff would be holding meeting with the Service Chiefs, Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Chiefs of Training and Operations from the Defence Headquarters, Army, Navy, Air Force and other field commanders, where they would be briefed on recent operations in the theatre.
The service chiefs also paid a courtesy visit to the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Ibn-Garbai, and Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state. Maj.-Gen. Irabo while addressing the troops said their welfare remains one of the top priorities of the present administration. He assured the troops of improved welfare in order to motivate their fighting spirit.
“Mr. President, the Commander-in-Chief, sent his commendations to you. When we met with him, he charged us to let you know that your welfare is a top priority in government and to also let you know that issues bordering on equipment are what the government is working on in addition to those that have been procured and are on transit to Nigeria.
“Every Service Chief and I have made a commitment that whatever is required for us to work as a team we would do. Well done, keep the spirit because that is precisely what it should be. We have no other choice, but to meet the desires of our Commander-in-Chief. You will be seeing us very often, to let you know we are with you and to ensure that this operation comes to an end speedily,” he said.
Experts’ admonitions
A security risk management expert and managing director, Beacon Consulting Ltd., Kabir Adamu, said only cooperation with other security organisations, strategic coordination and direction will end insecurity in the country.
Dr. Adamu, in a phone chat with this medium, said, “Hopefully, the appointment of new Service Chiefs will create the kind of effect we are all expecting. In other words, it would provide new impetus to the kinds of ideas that are needed within the military. The idea that the immediate past service chiefs provided was helpful. I am hoping that these new service chiefs will bring ideas. The reason this is important is that the former service chiefs were unable to completely contain and eradicate terrorism, banditry, and piracy.
“I am of the school of thought that we are placing too much burden on the military beyond their constitutional roles. Their constitutional role includes quelling external aggression, addressing internal resurrection and any responsibility that the commander in Chief, Mr. President places on them. The reality, however, is that they are now handling several internal security issues – bandits, terrorism, and kidnapping.
“Do they have the capacity? The answer is they can only be successful if they cooperate with other agencies. There are 27 ministries, departments and agencies in the security community. Now, each of them has a role to play. For example, one of Nigeria’s greatest problems is weapon proliferation. It is not the responsibility of the military to address this problem. It is the role of Customs and Immigration. So, no matter how good the military is, if we don’t address weapon proliferation, then we are not going to be successful in the fight against insecurity. “So, the need to cooperate with other agencies and ministries is very critical, because if they don’t cooperate with the 27 that I talked about, then frankly I don’t see any success.
“Then coordination within the security sector. Well, that is not the responsibility of the services chiefs, there are about four coordinating bodies, minister of defence, minister of interior, police affairs minister and the Presidency. Those are the people that provide coordination oversight. Coordination is important because they provide strategic direction for the service chiefs and several other security heads will follow. So, where they are not cooperating and they are working like rivals, sometimes even sabotaging each other. Then there will be success.”
Beyond appointment
In his view, another security expert, Jibril Ibrahim, said solving the country’s security challenge “goes beyond the appointment of new service chiefs.”
In a phone chat with our correspondent, Ibrahim said, “It is good that President Muhammadu Buhari answered the call of Nigerians. Though a bit late, but it is still better. However, we should not expect the new service chiefs to perform miracles. There are lots of internal and even external security challenges, so solving the problem is far beyond the appointment of new service chiefs.
“Though the appointment will boost the morale of soldiers, to win the war against insecurity, all hands must be on deck. The president must play his part, the National Assembly must take its oversight function seriously, media outlets must also support the fight in their reportage, citizens must also support and the military and other security agencies should be encouraged with weapons, equipment and upliftment of their welfare.
“So, the appointment of new service chiefs is a welcome development, but more work to be done to end insecurity. I hope and pray they succeed.”
Citizens’ responsibilities
However, a retired army officer, Col. Dangana Isiaka, expressed confidence in the abilities of the new appointees.
He said, “We are confident that the new service chiefs will consolidate on the remarkable achievements of their predecessors in keeping the country safe and peaceful. I call for public support for the new service chiefs as they perform their constitutional roles of protecting our country’s territorial integrity and tackle emerging security threats. We also urge increased synergy among the armed forces in achieving these tasks.
“Recent incidents in the country have triggered quite divisive rhetoric in some quarters. It is counter-productive and dangerous to national security when we put ethnic spins to issues affecting us. In tackling security threats, we should criminalise crime, not ethnicity.
“As a nation, our strength remains in our diversity and we should continue to forge unity in that diversity. We urge peaceful coexistence and mutual understanding among Nigerians, irrespective of the part of the country we chose to live and work.”
In his opinion, in a chat with Blueprint Weekend, the national coordinator, Citizens’ Initiative for Security Awareness (CISA), Chidi Omeje, urged Nigerians not to detach themselves from efforts to win back peace and progress in the country, saying the on-going war against terror and banditry was not only the responsibility of service chiefs and security personnel.
He said his advice was against the backdrop of his discovery that people seeking political and social relevance had come hard on security agencies, especially the service chiefs over current insecurity in the country.
“Even as we align ourselves to the call for quick decimation of the Boko Haram terrorist group and total obliteration of banditry in our country, we do not want to believe the lie that the problem lies only with the service chiefs,” he said.
According to him, there is the urgent need for the protection of Nigeria’s national security interest.
“It does appear that the surest means of announcing one’s arrival in the political or social scene in Nigeria today is to take an undue shot at disparaging the same institutions and men who are daily taking bullets on our behalf.
“We have seen and heard certain politicians seeking to gain media mileage and cheap popularity by publicly berating and casting aspersion on the same security forces that are on the harm’s way to protect their people. This is never the way to go.
“The war against terror and battle against various forms of violent crimes are the responsibility of all Nigerians. Nobody should detach himself or herself from the effort to win back peace and progress in our country. We must all play our different patriotic roles in order to save our fatherland.
“What could be more horrendous than not offering our troops useful information that will help rout the adversaries but actually sabotaging their effort by leaking their movement or position to terrorists or bandits? We urge our politicians to be more concerned about this kind of unpatriotic act and find a way to drum up support for our fighting forces from their constituents. That will be more helpful.”
Continuing, he said,” We the citizens know that what we have on our hands are mostly asymmetrical warfare waged by terrorists among us. It is a war bordering on subversion in which there is no clear distinction between combatants and borders.
“We perfectly understand the nature of this crisis and appreciate the peculiar challenges our security forces are facing in dealing with the situation. We are very confident that the good will ultimately triumph over evil and that our military and other security agencies will certainly defeat the terrorists and their sponsors.
“While we thank the international community for their support, let nobody or group intimidate, blackmail or disparage our gallant fighting forces. Our security forces must be insulated from the malaise of negative politics ravaging the land, and politicians must desist from wearing out our soldiers with their divisive, incisive and insensitive pronouncements.
“What our military and all other agencies that are engaged in the counter-terrorist operation and other internal security operations across the country need at this moment are unconditional public solidarity and unflinching support. As citizens, we must ensure that their morale is boosted and their fighting spirit up at every material time.
“We also wish to use this opportunity to appeal to the government and the military high command to look into every issue that might brew discontent within the ranks to ensure that enemies of the state will not infiltrate our cherished institution.”
