All-round development, key to addressing insecurity–Buratai
The immediate-past Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai, has identified what must be done if Nigeria must free itself from the shackles of lingering insecurity.
This was at the 24th, 25th and 26th combined Convocation of the Modibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH) in Yola, Adamawa State, held on Friday.
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In a paper titled themed, “The Nigerian Front in the War on Terror: Security or Development,” he said the search for security must begin in peacetime, not during the war.
Speaking on the aforementioned theme as the convocation guest speaker, Buratai, a retired Lieutenant General, said “the whole society must be involved; there has to be good and inclusive governance, strong military actions, international collaboration and effective counter-narratives to challenge the terrorists’ ideologies.”
Noting that security is a process and not a destination, the erstwhile COAS maintained that issues of development in all sectors must be addressed before insecurity can be resolved.
For counterterrorism (CT) and counter-insurgency (COIN) operations in the North East to be successful, he said, the military, MDAs, the media, civil society, and religious leaders, as well as the academia, have crucial roles to play.
According to Lt. Gen. Buratai, government presence and control through development activities in the liberated areas to win hearts and minds and shore up public support, as well as degrade the terrorist support bases would need to be maintained and enhanced.
The ex-Army Chief observed that security and development in the northeast should not be addressed separately, but as one intrinsic element and that development is a requirement for stabilization.
“A whole of government approach would ensure that the intertwined objectives of development, good governance, and security are achieved.
“You cannot effectively fight insecurity during a period of persistent insecurity. We must search for security during peacetime through all-around development,” he said.
All-round development, key to addressing insecurity–Buratai
