New service chiefs

The service chiefs are assuming their onerous command positions at a very critical time when the country is about to embark on another round of elections toward the consolidation of Nigeria’s democratic ethic, the outcome of which may have far-reaching ramifications for the polity. The officers would not be deserving of their positions if they […]

The service chiefs are assuming their onerous command positions at a very critical time when the country is about to embark on another round of elections toward the consolidation of Nigeria’s democratic ethic, the outcome of which may have far-reaching ramifications for the polity. The officers would not be deserving of their positions if they were oblivious of the inherent social and economic dislocation that could follow in the wake of a flawed or a mismanaged election. Thus, being at the helms of a profession charged with maintenance of law, peace and order and the protection of nation’s territorial integrity, they certainly should be keenly aware of the tasks before them.

They are also inheriting a bloody insurgency campaign that is in its fourth year.  Counterinsurgency measures have done a great deal in beating back the violent onslaught from being able to strike at will, as happened when the insurgency was in its infancy. Those measures, with huge collateral consequences of course, appear to have restricted the insurgents to the border areas of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno States.
 Yet until all parts of Nigeria are rid of elements sworn to perpetuate violence and mayhem, and to endanger lives of law-abiding citizens, no effort should be spared in this campaign.
What is required to achieve and sustain that goal is a recalibration of strategy to put the insurgents out of business for good. Similarly, it is apposite to caution that while attention is fixed on combating the scourge of the insurgency, the service chiefs must not underrate the damage to the economy being done by other security challenges, like the incessant theft of oil and act of brigandage and piracy in the Niger Delta region and kidnapping for ransom in the south generally.  The imperative for a decisive measure emanates from the fact that revenue from oil has dipped precipitously as a result of these criminal activities in these part of the country.

The other issues the service chiefs must pay attention to include discipline in the Armed Forces. In the past, members of these services were considered an embodiment of discipline, etiquette, good breeding and training. Sadly, these virtues have been in decline, replaced by a motley mix of attitudes that are not dissimilar to those described as area boys, a trait more rampant with the lower ranks. It is more likely these days to encounter a fully dressed member of the armed forces engaging in a fight with a colleague or some equally irate civilian at a bus-stop.
Related to this are incessant inter-service conflicts between the uniformed personnel—soldiers against police personnel; soldiers/civil defence; air force personnel against naval personnel; or one or a combination of these against members of the Road safety Corps. These conflicts sometimes involve the use of weapons, and result in fatalities. The service chiefs need to consider taking intra- and inter-service measures to put a stop to this show-of-shame that often endangers public safety.