Security: Creating parameters to put new Service Chiefs on their toes

The worsening of security situations in the Country most recently, had led to the clamour which could be said to be linkable to the replacement of the immediate past Service Chiefs in the Country. The turbulence of banditry, insurgency and terrorism among other forms of local security challenges in recent times, has heightened to troubling dimensions which had raised vociferous calls towards the replacement of the immediate past Service Chiefs; a call which the Presidency reluctantly yielded to, after protracted period of intense pressure. The response was deemed to have lingered for too long beyond what the perceived worsening situations portend before the replacement was effected. The performance of the ex-Service Chiefs  apparently fell short of the expectations of Nigerians, particularly when giving premium consideration to the promise of the present Government which made tackling security as one of its pillars of concentration. Forming one of the three major pillars of the campaign promises of the present administration was addressing security challenges, standing as a third fundamental focus to issues of the economy and that of tackling corruption as the priorities constituting the thrust of the Change agenda.

The profile of security since the present Government came into power, has however not brought Nigeria out of the woes of turbulence which was the case as at when the coming of the present administration into government came into force. It is regrettably observable that security threats have multiplied while the prevailing situations have left Nigerians disappointed as many continue to live in panic and fear. The replacement of the Service Chiefs have not either made considerable difference. The assessment of security situation reports have not shown appreciable form of improvements in the profile of operations against insecurity formations in the Country. The operations of bandits and terrorists have continued to ravage the Country incessantly.

Issues relating to challenging the competence or otherwise of the persisting Service Chiefs have not gained much momentum, particularly as such could be said to be too early for perusal. Thus, any call for their replacement may be argued to be unjustifiable yet, given the timeframe they have spent in their duty post. However, the account of the prevailing profile of security trends in the Country, appears not commendable in about the three month records since they assumed duty. From late January till  present, pressing matters of insecurity have not assumed any profound character of improvements. Saddening enough, attacks even on security formations have been recorded in  dismay. Most recently was the effrontery of suspected armed Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists who were last Friday reported to have invaded a military base in Kamuya village of Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, leaving four soldiers feared dead. Although there were reports of casualties on the attackers’ part, it remains that such effrontery of terrorists to launch an attack against military base is an affront against the military. Kamuya is about 30km drive from the Town of the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Rt Lt. General Yusuf Tukur Buratai which is located south, along Damaturu-Buni Yadi-Biu 120km highway. In the track of operation profile, it would be recalled that a standing military base was only last year reformed in Kamuya after an existing one was dislodged by insurgents some years back.  Reports of the recent affront have the  dislodgement of the Special Forces (SF) location on record, as the entire SF base was razed down by the terrorists, even as four SF men were reportedly killed and a number of them Missing In Action (MIA).

The necessity to hold the new Service Chiefs accountable to responsibility is paramount. It is imperative that these set of military heads be given close monitoring by the Presidency to keep them on their toes. The need for the assessment of their profile in navigating military campaigns against insurgency and terrorism in the Country is highly paramount, and must be handled with firmness to check against chances for slackness in the mandate of their duties. Putting them on their toes with the reminder that they were brought to the fore of the battle to change the narratives of the percieved imperfections of the erstwhile Service Chiefs they replaced, is significant. It is hence, important for the Presidency to give priorities to the perusal of the records of the operation profile of the present Service Chiefs, backed with orders of expectations needed to keep them on the top of duties in a pursuit to achieve the highest score of performance recordable in the battle against insurgency and terrorism ravaging the Country.

The significance for the Government to play its role more pragmatically is highly non-negotiable. It is imperative for the Government to navigate all necessary material and strategic resources towards fortifying the military architecture with intelligence and capacities, virile enough to combat insurgency and terrorism to the background in the Country. The need to fortify the military arsenals and human capital resources with sophisticated provisions is indisputable, to close all gaps such that would leave no room open for excuse. While the existing Service Chiefs are to be put on test of competence, it is thus paramount for the Government to make all provisions for the developing of the required architecture to have handy a sophistically virile security hardware and functional system comparable to any advanced military formation of the world.

In this light, paying close attention to the funding of the military is paramount. It is thus, important for responsive structures to be created to give firm monitoring to the funding of the military, such that tracks of all expenditures are monitored in manners that would close all exploitable gaps which have been robbing the system. Thus, the need to infuse the parameters of vibrant accountability to make the system respond profoundly to demands, is imperative to change the narratives of mismanagement and recklessness in the funding of the military.