Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor
Following rising insecurity in the country, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Eluonye Onyenuchea Irabor, has reiterated the need for every Nigerian to be part of security arrangement that ensures peace in the country.
He spoke at the Distinguished Lecture Series of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, yesterday, in Lagos. While adjusting the lecture’s topic, ‘Security, Defence and Development in Nigeria’, which he tagged, ‘Contemporary Security Environment and National Development, Efforts of the Armed Forces of Nigeria’, he said the focus is very apt, considering current security challenges.
He said there is a nexus between security and development, pointing out that security is the foundation of national development.
Irabor said: “This adjustment was made to bring in focus, efforts of the armed forces of Nigeria in the attempt to contain the contemporary security stress with the attendant consequences on national development.
“I do not need to speak much about this because everyday, when you listen to the news, and you listen to the narratives in many of our networks, what you see is a manifestation of our geo-strategic environment bedeviled with cleavages, along religious, tribal, political, partisan political, and sometimes, very obnoxious political discussions.”
While appraising the current security architecture, he unveiled the need for divergent approaches to tackling emerging threats.
He advocated bilateral and multilateral partnership, saying: “It is necessary to understand the world is a global village. No man is an island. Nigeria cannot be an island to itself. Currently, we have some bilateral and multilateral platforms that we are engaged in, to solve the problems that we have.”
He also said: “It is necessary to deepen institutional support in addressing these issues. There is no need for us to begin to politicise issues of security. It must be seen from the fact that the issues must be properly dissected and identified.”
The stakeholders must take certain actions that must be identified, and whatever support is required must be given. The armed forces must be given more support that will make them effective and efficient.”
He also advocated a broad-based integrated border management system, saying: “The security situation can be best addressed through a multi-faceted approach that will help to halt the violence in the country and create an enabling environment needed for fostering sustainable development.”
Noting that there are 261 entry points into the country, of which 124 are manned while 137 unmanned, he said there is need to bring technology to bear “in the management of our borders, in addition, of course, to physical structures that will be established across the length of our borders. The initial resource required might be mind-blowing, but gains from it would be huge.”
He said there is need for a review of the criminal justice system. According to him, “if criminals are tried and punished for the offences they committed, then, of course, it would be more of deterrent for those who want to entertain such enterprise. Those criminals, who might be nursing the idea of engaging in such practices, would have to think twice. By quick dispensation of justice, we would have, one way or the other, contributed to the security of our lives.”
The event attracted high net worth guests, including Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, Prof Adele Jinadu, Erelu Dosunmu and others. It was chaired by Chief Julius Adeluyi.
The Guardian
