Setting national security agenda for incoming administration

By Tunde Adeniran

The world over, security of lives and property remains a top priority of every government. A known fact is that no meaningful development or progress can be achieved in any environment devoid of peace. This explains why government world over places premium on the issues of security, as development can only occur in an atmosphere devoid of strife.

As a country, Nigeria has had its shares of conflicts. Indeed, a senior United Nation official once described Nigeria as a pressure cooker of internal conflict, warning that continued internal strife in the country could have negative impact on other African countries. The Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, banditry in the North West, clashes between herders and farmers  in North Central and State of kidnapping in the south have kept security operatives extremely busy in the last 10 years or more.

The outgoing President Mohammadu Buhari,  no doubt has invested heavily on security personnel and equipment to contain this growing threat, however, a lot still has to be done in order to meet the expectation of Nigerians.

Thus,  the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has  a huge burden and the need to lay the right foundation to ensure that the gains of the past few years are sustained and built upon. No doubt, there have been gains. The Nigerian military has taken the battle to the insurgents. It was in this country that the insurgents took over a large swathe of area and planted their flag to claim territory, it was also in the country that we had suicide bombers, detonating in market places and killing scores of people. Churches and communities have been attacked. One of the most devastating attacks which put the insurgency on the international stage was the bombing of the UN building in August 2011,  followed by the kidnap of over 200 Chibok girls in 2014. However, there have been a major curtailment of such devastating attacks.

It is thus important that for any sustainable development or any achievement that the incoming administration would desire, tackling insecurity should be atop the pecking order. Apart from the traditional heads of the armed forces, the question that readily comes to mind is; who coordinates the entire security architecture as National Security Adviser (NSA)? It is by getting this right that the success or otherwise of the incoming administration in the continued fight against insecurity would be judged.

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) is important. The right choice of the occupant of that office would determine the trajectory of success or otherwise that the fight against insurgency would take. It is not an office that one would experiment with. It is important that the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu presidency gets it right in order to sustain and build on the gains of the outgoing administration . A military background is important. Not a middle level officer, but someone who would immediately earn the respect of all the security heads . Such an appointee must also command international respect on the basis of personal and professional achievements.

Nigeria has  produced a lot of military generals, however, none of them except few have continued to remain relevant, maintaining national and international relevance.

Among the army generals whose name readily comes to mind is that of Former Chief of Army Staff (CAS) and Nigeria’s ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai. However, apart from his present assignment, his appointment to such a sensitive position would lead to morecontroversies. His tenure as CAS was trailed by controversy especially due to heightened insecurity in the country. This controversy continued with his appointment as ambassador with many Nigerians querying that appointment due to his lacklustre performance in the fight against insurgency. The question would then be; what has changed, why bring him back?

Another name worthy of consideration is also that of former Chief of Defence Staff and the Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Cameroon, Lt General Abayomi Olonisakin, unfortunately, Olonisakin like Buratai, by virtue of his present assignment would be inappropriate for several reasons, one of which is also ethnic consideration.

Retired Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, former  Chief of Army Staff between 2008 and 2010 and former Minister of Interior is also a name that comes up for consideration. For me, he stands shoulder high above the others. Apart from his intellectual and practical bents, he commands both local and international relevance.

Highly cerebral, he is the author of five widely read books as well as several academic articles in notable journals. General Dambazau was the Chairman, Board of University Advancement Centre, University of Ibadan as well as Board of Trustees Chairman and founder, Foundation for Victims of Child Abuse (VCAF) which is dedicated to the victims of child abuse in Nigeria.

It was during his tenure as Chief of Army staff that peace was achieved in the Niger Delta through the Amnesty initiative thus showing that kinetic approach is not always the only solution to ensuring peace and curbing insecurity.

As a former army chief, he would surely earn the respect of the heads of the various armed forces formations.

Others have touted the name of former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) boss, Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu. His selfless service in the fight against corruption has earned him deep respectamong many Nigerians. Unfortunately, the controversies attached to his name would not earn him that needed respect that would enable him function effectively. In no way would he be able to command respect in the police where he retired much less the military with its rigid structure of command. In any case, national security goes beyond anti corruption fight.

In all the above, one thing is clear, the country cannot afford to take a step backward in the fight against insecurity. The new administration must ensure it puts a round peg in a round hole to sustain the insecurity battle. The new administration should look into that individual with intellectual and practical exposure. And the choice is limited.