Should change of service chiefs be the cardinal concern?

The notion of anticipating miraculous security transformation as soon as the current service chiefs are surrogated, keeps growing profoundly in the minds of many Nigerians. What is of paramount significance, remains beyond the ‘call for change’ headlines. Although the probability of security restoration is unignorable if our military service chiefs are replaced, yet, the key factors sabotaging the collective relentless effort of our military should be preeminently given utmost consideration.d


Amid the thirst for peace in Nigeria, the current administration came into power in 2015, and afterwards, on 13th July to be specific, new service chiefs were announced and the news left many Nigerians over the moon, rekindling the dormant hope of reclaiming the nation’s stolen peace by Boko Haram.


Shortly after the service chiefs were replaced, normalcy began to reign, and many security challenges became more or less tackled. Disappointingly, the insecurity is exponentially regaining its potency these days, puzzlingly changing in different forms, and frequently claiming more lives. In fact, the entire military endeavour seems to be alarmingly reverting. It is for this reason that, the ongoing call for service chiefs replacement becomes prevalent. 
What remains behind the headlines is that, the military is seriously starving for new applicable strategies, sophisticated fighting equipment as well as financial policies that will awaken their motivation to fight the existing insecurity strengthfully. This is why many security experts keep singing for the change of our service chiefs. It is very hopeful that if new service chiefs emerge there will be breed of new strategies capable of countering the pervasive security challenges.
In a recent lamentation via a letter of voluntary disengagement by 356 soldiers, a complete loss of interest was expressed regarding the service. Similarly, soldiers where also seen in a viral video expressing their grief over poor quality of their fighting equipment. It is also worthy of note that, many have complained about their unimproved allowances. However, Boko Haram terrorists are believed to be in possession of sophisticated weapons with which they carry out their frequent attacks. While answering questions from journalists during a media briefing on July 2, 2020, Defence Headquarters Spokesperson, Major-General John Enenche, said the terrorists use enough expensive sophisticated weapons to suggest they are being sponsored. 


Therefore, the need for new policy capable of improving the allowances of the soldiers, especially those of lower ranks and at the war frontline, becomes incumbent. Should these problems persist even with the change of service chiefs; the change will definitely remain ineffective.It is also worthy of ample consideration that, our soldiers at the war frontline should be militarily re-motivated through provision of more recently advanced sophisticated weapons. Without such concern, the call for service chiefs’ replacement will continue to be a ‘political song’. 
Additionally, some families of Nigerian soldiers slain in battle were reported to be in serious financial difficulty, due to the long tiring process involved in clearing the next of kin before gratuity is released. This has greatly declined the courage of many soldiers, as to what will life be like to their families when they are gone?


To counter this loss of hope in the minds of our soldiers, every possible way that can make the long-irritating process simple, should be timely implemented. By simplifying things to families of the slain soldiers, those in the battlefield will feel more hopeful on their country and will do everything possible to secure the peace of its atmosphere.

On the flip side, most attacks by terror groups appear to be strategically carried out, especially that of Boko Haram, indicating that attackers are sufficiently trained for the task. As a matter of urgency, our soldiers surely need adequate manpower as well as advanced counter-offensive training that will enable them to always think outside the box. Our demand for foreign help should be capitalized on advanced counter-attack training of our junior soldiers. If the situation remains unchanged even with new service chiefs, insecurity will definitely continue to reign.


Relentlessly, all hands must be on deck to bring an end to the existing conspiracy within the military. The call for a completely sanitised military system is negligible relative to the call for change of service chiefs. All efforts are automatically multiplied by zero wherever connivance exists. Curbing this is not a few men’s business, the effort must be across the board in order to seal all possible leakages. 


Unless all existing problems ranging from, poor applicable strategies, unimproved allowances, absence of sophisticated fighting equipment, insufficient enhanced counter-offensive training, inadequate special consideration of the family of slain soldiers and termination of conspiracy are primarily considered, a thousand change in service chiefs will remain a futile task.
Sabo Ibrahim Hassan[email protected] Twitter: @SaboIbrahim99