Former Chief of Army Staff and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Benin Republic, Gen Tukur Buratai, says for the Federal Government to tackle insecurity it must establish its presence in ungoverned spaces.
Buratai stated this while speaking on Saturday at a one-day symposium on national security, organised by Arewa House in Kaduna.
The former Army Chief, who spoke on the theme, ‘Politics and Insecurity in Nigeria: Way Forward’, said there are different forms of insecurity in the country, including insurgency in the North-East, banditry and kidnapping in the North-West, agitations in south-east and crude oil bunkering in south-south.
He also said it is imperative for more involvement of stakeholders such as religious leaders, youths, teachers, women, civil society organisations, media, law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies.
The Ambassador also advised the adoption of a comprehensive and integrated approach to enable the entire society to play key roles in addressing the security challenges confronting the country.
“There is a need for the public to be constantly sensitised and enlightened on their roles as stakeholders in the security architecture of the country through agencies such as the National Orientation Agency (NAO), among others.
“There must be a concerted effort by the government to see that there are no ungoverned spaces in this country.
“State and local governments must establish their presence in their areas of responsibility. We do not need to mention that the failure of some states and local governments to establish their presence in some parts of their states, is the major reason insurgents and bandits find it easier to move around and operate.
“We must also focus towards non-kinetic measures that would aim at addressing the underlying root causes of insecurity, rather than treating the symptoms.
“Kinetic should also be employed to create conditions for negotiations, mediations and dialogue,” Buratai said.
The Ambassador advised residents of the affected areas to hold security as a major ingredient in the country’s development.
He added that vigilance is a responsibility for all, and not just that of the security agencies alone.
Buratai expressed delight that the revitalisation of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) would address lack of specialised equipment and platforms for the nation’s military to check insecurity.
According to the objective, it is to train adequate and requisite skilled and specialised, manpower, saddled with the responsibility of providing technical support in enhancing equipment production for the military.
“This is crucial in meeting the increasing equipment requirements of AFN to confront current and emerging security threats.
“To achieve this, the Ministry of Defence, in collaboration with stakeholders, could put structures in place for adequate manpower training for DICON staff.
“This would further enhance their specialised manpower and increase their capacity for production of military hardware for the AFN.”
The Ambassador added that the current police reforms, procurement of modern platforms for intelligence gathering, and effective control of Nigeria’s accessible borders, would go a long way in achieving the desired security in the country.
Also speaking on the occasion, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar, assured of the commitment of traditional and religious institutions to improving the country’s security situation.
