Commander harps on collaboration to tackle insecurity

The Commander, Infantry Corps, Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Christopher Musa, says current the security challenges facing Nigeria require joint and collaborative efforts of security stakeholders to decimate.

Musa said this while speaking as special guest at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) seminar for participants of Senior Course 45 Land Forces Operations, on Tuesday in Jaji, Kaduna State.

The theme of the seminar was “Enhancing the Operational Efficiency of the Nigerian Army in a Joint Environment”

He said that the joint and collaborative efforts was to achieve a unified action within the framework of Nigeria’s national interest and strategic objectives to defeat the country’s adversaries.

According to him, jointness in operational environments will enable each service to exceed the desired threshold of operational efficiency.

“The importance of synergy across services of the Armed Forces within a joint environment cannot be over emphasized.

“The Nigerian Army must therefore leverage the opportunities inherent in a joint environment to achieve the desired strategic effects in a constantly changing and fluid environment,” Musa said.

The Infantry Corps Commander also explained the fundamental requirements of enhancing Nigeria Army operational efficiency in joint environments.

He said ensuring well established communicative structure at all levels of command between the services, organizations, agencies and allied partners would ensure that full range of military efforts were integrated and synchronized to achieve national objectives.

The Guest Speaker, Maj.-Gen Usman Yusuf, the Director General, Land Forbes Simulation Centre, Nigeria, stressed the importance of a whole of society approach to warfare.

He recalled that some years back when the Nigerian Army started operations, it was doing it alone while the society was disconnected without knowing the difficulties the armed forces were facing in the frontline.

Yusuf explained that the whole of society approach being championed by the Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs was to get Nigerians involved in all security issues facing the nation.

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“It shouldn’t be that it is only the armed forces that are fighting; what is the common man doing to ensure security?” he asked.

The Director General said the media also has crucial role to play in reporting the successes of the military and undermining the actions of the enemies by not giving them prominence in the eyes of Nigerians.

He added that religious leaders also have roles to play in encouraging their followers to support government and the armed forces.

“The business community, among others also have great roles to play in security.

“Can we create a security trust fund where it will not only be the government saddled with responsibility of providing ammunition for the armed forces?

“Can well meaning Nigerians assist the armed forces even if it is with medical supplies, logistics and many others?

“The whole of the society must be involved so we can have peace; it is in our interest to have peace so that we can develop more and expand our society,” Yusuf said.

Earlier, the Commandant AFCSC, AVM Emmanuel Wonah, said the seminar was a major programme of the college’s department of land warfare.

Wonah, represented by Commodore Promise Dappa, the college’s Director of Logistics, added that the seminar was part of the training where experienced officers from the field, share their experiences on land operations with the course participants.