Just like teaching, engineering, and other professions, the military is a noble profession. Frankly, the military – Army, Navy and Air Force – is one of the noblest professions ever known to man. The military by its very nature builds warriors to protect and defend the nation against all forms of threats. If you are not prepared to serve, to kill or to be killed in combat – or even while carrying out routine tasks on a military duty post or in a mess in peacetime – then do not bother applying to join the military.
Can you possibly imagine all that I have stated above for a job description? The moment a civilian takes the military oath of enlistment and becomes a soldier, sailor or airman, that becomes his or her reality. The reality is that Mr President has appointed new service chiefs – the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), and their counterparts in our Navy and Air Force.
In the past twelve years or thereabout, the country has not been able to develop a stable pattern of economic and political growth because our national security is challenged
This article is not about expanding the account of the Biblical Magi (wisemen) which was recounted in the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. It is about worsening insecurity and what we need to do as a country in order to guarantee security of citizens. I refer to the newly appointed service chiefs as “wisemen.” Why do I refer to them as “wisemen”, you may ask? It is because of the experience, leadership, wisdom, judgement and professionalism which these distinguished senior military officers will bring to bear singly and collectively in the performance of their responsibilities.
Honestly, I do not envy the newly appointed service chiefs. They are coming onboard to head their respective organizations when the dynamics of the battlefield are changing rapidly. The battlefield has not been linear; it is asymmetric. Unfortunately, there is no front or rear boundary on the battlefield. In the military, the phrase “asymmetric warfare,” refers to battles fought between opponents whose relative military power, strategy or tactics differ considerably. These service chiefs are appointed at a time when there are rising cases of banditry and mindless killings in the country. Today, as I write, Boko Haram (BH) insurgents and bandits are operating in harmony against the military and citizens. These criminal gangs are in a collaborative effort to perpetrate terror on innocent citizens of our country.
Since 2009, Boko Haram BH and smaller armed groups has wreaked havoc on our country either for religious beliefs or economic gains such that national security is heavily challenged. It is very sad!
BH has gone global. It is no more the local insurgents operating in the Northern part of the country. BH and bandits in tow have gone viral with their criminal activities. Yet, all Nigerians look up to the military to end the war against insurgency and banditry.
The security that can be provided by the military is only a single component of national security. All things being equal, the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) can only provide military security. That is, the AFN when motivated with the required training and logistics will exhibit the capability to defend our country, and/or deter military aggression.
There are other components of national security, which the military may likely not provide for 200 million people such as, food security, health security, educational security, and environmental security. Others include community security, energy security, border security, and cybersecurity etcetera. These national security components are closely linked to all elements of national power. But we must ask: Are all these components of national security currently doing well in our country? Not quite.
In the past twelve years or thereabout, the country has not been able to develop a stable pattern of economic and political growth because our national security is challenged. If we glance through the entire national security spectrum, it could be seen that many components have not constantly experienced growth in the past few years. The reasons for poor performance in a few of these sectors are numerous. Demand and supply shocks arising from the COVID – 19 pandemic had hit the Nigerian economy badly coupled with the country’s financial crisis that has lingered for some time. Unemployment rate is high, while inflation rate spikes. However, we observed with regrets that banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, herdsmen and farmers clashes have taken their toll on national security one way or the other. Thus, there has been no significant development in the country because national security is challenged.
I congratulate the service chiefs. Certainly, the appointment of a service chief is not a chieftaincy title. A service chief is the leader of a complex organization with defence equipment worth billions of dollars. And in war, officers and men of subordinate ranks are to be led in order to achieve strategic military objectives, not political objectives. Political objectives of the war against insurgents can only be achieved by political leadership using all elements of national power. This will only happen if there is political will. If there is no political will, success in the war against BH insurgents and bandits would be a dream irrespective of the capabilities possessed by the country. (To be continued)
