Support New Service Chiefs For Better Security
As The Presidency seeks peace in the land through the various offices of key players in the Armed Forces including that of the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Chief of Army Staff, COAS, and Office of National Security Adviser, ONSA, the Unity Advocacy Group, UAG, has called on Nigerians to support the nation’s Armed Forces in the fight against insurgency.
Also, the body lauded last week’s Presidential acknowledgement of the successes recorded in the theatre of operations especially in the North East.
UAG said such an open commendation of the country’s soldiers is a morale booster for the fight against terrorism and insurgency.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari held a meeting with the service chiefs upon his return from the United Kingdom last week during which he acknowledged that tremendous success has been recorded.
Major General Babagana Monguno, National Security Adviser, NSA, had told newsmen of the meeting: “The President was briefed, the President is quite happy that there’s been a tremendous success, especially with the advent of the new service chiefs and Inspector-General of Police.
“It is evident that a lot of successes have been recorded. Large numbers of people are surrendering in the North East as a consequence of the relentless efforts of the Armed Forces, intelligence and security agencies.”
“We’ve never had such large numbers of people defecting from the other side back to the Nigerian side, mainly as a result of many issues within the theatre, issues of infighting among the various factions of the terrorist groups.
“But the new drive of the Armed Forces, the police, the intelligence agencies, there’s been greater cooperation, greater synergy, intelligence sharing, as well as our partners in the regional intelligence fusion unit,” he added.
The Unity Advocacy Group in a statement yesterday said that the leadership of the Armed Forces of Nigeria has not hidden their determination to quickly provide solutions to the security challenges.
Ifeanyi Aigbedion, convener of the group, who signed the release, hailed the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. LEO Irabor and his team for the various consultations with stakeholders in the affected places including his recent meeting of the CDS with Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State.
“We in UAG see the Presidential acknowledgement as a morale booster to the Armed Forces of Nigeria. We urge them to continue as we pray for light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
He added that his organisation acknowledged the role of synergy in the recent successes as the CDS immediately on assumption of office didn’t hide his desire to see greater cooperation among the various security agencies.
“This no doubt has accounted for the successes. We urge Nigerians to continue to support our troops as they sacrifice for the country.”
Also yesterday, Governor Seyi Makinde Makinde of Oyo State who received the Chief of Army Staff in his office pledged continuous support of his administration to the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in the state.
The governor, while receiving the new Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya, who was on a working visit to the state, said that his government will always go after criminals across the length and breadth of the state.
