By; BASHIR BELLO DOLLARS, Abuja
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, has been commended for coordinating the Armed Forces’ operations in the country’s defence.
This was expressed in an interview granted to the media on the efforts of the security agencies in addressing the challenges confronting the country.
Dr Nasir Alkali, a security expert and an associate professor at the Kwararafa University in Wukari, Taraba State, stated that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has displayed a grasp of issues concerning tackling the security issues in the country.
“I have watched the Armed Forces’ renewed efforts in handling the country’s security issues closely. We have observed that the Armed Forces have recently engaged in joint operations, which has yielded tangible results.”
“This is unlike in times past when leadership was missing in the Armed Forces operations. This affected the operational effectiveness of the security agencies in tackling the security threats in the country.”
Dr Alkali cited the example of banditry and how the security agencies missed the opportunity in the past to nip the threat in the bud due to a lack of collaboration.
“The issue of banditry ought to have been dealt with long ago. But again, we are aware of the situation where the security agencies acted in insolation with no collaboration . Its operations were politicized, allowing the bandits to advance and gather momentum.”
“I recall that I made mention of the need for collaboration between the Armed Forces and that the Chief of Defence Staff as the head of the Armed Forces is expected to drive this initiative towards achieving results. That didn’t happen in the previous era. However, I am glad that General Irabor took the initiative by rejigging the Armed Forces operations with an emphasis on collaboration. This is indeed the game changer.”
He also stated that recent events regarding how the Armed Forces operations have been coordinated and the various security threats in the country would soon be a thing of the past.
“We can see progress with the efforts of the Armed Forces in addressing the security challenges in the country. It is indeed common sense to state that two heads are better than one. This is exactly what is happening in the operations of the Armed Forces. There is synergy, there is cooperation, and there is a result. We must commend the Chief of Defence Staff for this.”
“I am not surprised with what General Irabor has done. He is a known strategist who commands tremendous respect from the Armed Forces even before he was appointed Chief of Defence Staff. I have had some interactions with him at seminars and conferences, and I was never at a time surprised that he would do exploits given the opportunity.”
“His style has always been about joint efforts. He canvassed this much while he was the commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, which saw the decimation of the Boko Haram group. As surprising as this might sound, he constantly sought ideas from academia. On one occasion, at one of the conferences organized by the Defence Headquarters, it was robust and intellectually engaging. The Chief of Defense Staff mesmerized all present with his position paper emphasizing the need for collaborations within the Armed Forces.”
When asked about the effectiveness of the Armed Forces in internal security operations across the county, he stated that the operations of the Armed Forces are notable and responsible for the gains in addressing issues such as kidnapping, separatist agitations and other security challenges.
“In some quarters, it has been advocated that the Armed Forces have no business in internal security operations. Of course, that is from a position of ignorance. The Armed Forces’ involvement in internal security operations has been commendable.”
“Those of us in the academia understand that without the military’s involvement, it would have been a horrible case in the country. We should encourage rather than criticize the military’s involvement in internal security operations.”
“We must understand that the military’s involvement in internal security operations has saved the country from disaster. I have always mentioned at various forums that the present security architecture implemented by the Chief of Defense Staff is robust. He has also provided purposeful leadership in ways too numerous to mention.”
Dr Alkali opined that with the recent coordination and efforts of the Armed Forces, the security challenges in the country would be reduced to the barest minimum.
“The indices are there for all to see, and I couldn’t agree less that there is a new vigour in the operations of the Armed Forces. The Chief of Defence Staff should not rest on his oars until victory is achieved.”
It would be recalled that there has been an improvement in the management of the security situation in the country with the renewed collaboration among the security agencies in the country.
