Military’s ultimate responsibility is service to political master –Umaru

Muhammed Umaru, the chairman, Presidential Committee for the Review of National Defence Policy, has said that the military’s ultimate responsibility is to serve a political master.
Umaru, a retired air vice-marshal, said this on Monday during the handover of the draft policy on national defence in Abuja.
“In the performance of their duty, the military must be guided by policy, a product of politics. They must be aware of their ultimate responsibility to a political master. This expected ideal situation also requires that our political leaders do not drag the military into politics,” Umaru stressed.
According to him, the Nigerian military has a lot of work to do in renewing its credibility before the general public.
While reiterating that a professional military is key to the security of any nation and a pride of any democracy, he also lamented that due to lack of employment and the perceived good condition of service of the military, some of those seeking recruitment into the Nigerian armed forces are attracted to the military even without the zeal to serve.
The review of the national defence policy became necessary due to the changing security situation in the country, especially within the last decade.
The Presidential Committee for the Review of National Defence Policy was inaugurated on November 20, 2014 by the Nigerian minister of defence, Lieutenant General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau (rtd).
The specific mandate of the committee is to review the existing policy with a view to improving how the armed forces and national resources are employed for the preservation of the nation’s territorial integrity, as well as its protection from internal and external threats.
It therefore constitutes an important document, which provides guidance to the government about Nigeria’s short, medium and long-term security objectives. The policy is also intended to allow the government and citizenry to understand the opportunities and challenges for the count