….Whole security needs review if service chiefs must perform…General Role
Director of Publicity and research of the Northern Elders Forum,Dr Baba Ahmed ,have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to extend consultation on resolving herdsmen/farmers crisis in south west to the national council of state and other governors to achieve lasting result.
According to him,meeting south west governors alone and restricting grazing and preventing child herders cannot resolve the crisis because those who commit crimes have not been identified and punished.
He said President Buhari has to be involved in resolving the issue with all stake holders in the south west adding that the people who felt aggrieved by killing of their kinsmen and destruction of their farms has to be pacified and assured of their safety.
Dr Ahmed who spoke alongside Major General Biodun Olanrewaju on Channels Television programme, Sunrise, Wednesday morning also asked the President not to create a disconnect between himself and service chiefs if they must achieve any tangible result in the war against insurgency in the country.
He contended that there must be system change in the overall security architecture of the country to evolve a standard conduct for the various security organs of the nations security apparatus.
He observed that the long stay in office of the former service chiefs had affected the morale of the troops adding, “we need overall and fundamental not cosmetic change,there must be changes in the standard of conduct to achieve any result”.
According to him,the President also has to look at the political imperative of resolving the security issues towards deescalating tension against Fulani herdsmen and their activities all over the country.
He said that the meeting of herders with south west governors has not swept away the threats by those aggrieved on the activities of herdsmen and bandits who he said have not been brought to book.
“How can we be fighting insurgency in ten years without looking at the political context of the war? you need to apply political theory to the way you fight it”
In his own contribution,Major General Biodun Role,former general officer commanding the 1st division of the Nigerian,said there is a need for review of the whole security architecture and system if the new service chiefs must perform since they are part of the war.
The former general officer commanding first division said the service chiefs cannot work alone without the cooperation of other security agencies in the country to which Dr Ahmed said that there is a of of new perception of leadership style of the new service chiefs that they are Generals of good character but that the President and commander in chief has to connect with them.
General Role who spoke of the need to have new leadership competency said there is need for synergy and redefinition of the operational goals among all the institutions in the security services for a positive change to occur adding,”, there is a need for a joint review of the whole situation if changes must occur in the war against insurgency.
He also spoke of the need to take a second look at issue of federal character adding that though it is stipulated in the constitution ,” competency and capability must not be sacrificed on the altar of federal character. it has to be the determining factor not over politicisation of appointments. If you don’t look at the capability of the individual you’ll find it difficult to succeed.”
