The National Security Strategy document that the Federal Government just released has come under intense scrutiny by experts. The document contains elaborate effort and the strategic polices taken so far. The government said it has made remarkable achievements in the war against insecurity perpetrated by the Boko Haram insurgents and other areas of the economy.
According to the government, the National Security Strategy of Nigeria outlines the major security concerns of the nation for which policies and strategies have been articulated and how the government plans to deal with them.
“The document is general in content and its implementation depends on other national strategic documents such as the National Counter Terrorism Strategy, Cyber security Policy and Strategy, the National Defence Policy and the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan,” the government said.
The Buhari administration said that when it came to power in 2015, it immediately proceeded to strengthen international partnerships, particularly Nigeria’s participation in the Multi-National Joint Task Force and to consolidate its collaboration with the Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit to fight Boko Haram and allied terrorist organisations.
“We also facilitated improved funding, procurement, operations, training, logistics and welfare for the security agencies to ramp up security operations across the nation.
“Under the relentless onslaught of our Armed Forces and allies, Boko Haram has been substantially degraded and is now unable to mount sustained operations. Areas previously occupied by the terrorists in the North East have also been freed and Internally Displaced Persons are voluntarily returning to their homes,” the government said.
The National Security document also encompasses comprehensive analysis and how to address the menace of armed robbery, the scourge of kidnapping, militancy and separatist agitations, food security, energy development and national interests. It also has a roadmap on how to tackle the violent conflicts between pastoralists and farmers, which have become widespread with severe consequences in terms of loss of lives, property and disruption of the normal functioning of society among other areas.
However, speaking with BDSUNDAY, Majeed Dahiru, a security expert and columnist, said that despite the government strategy, if fundamental steps are not taken to address the root causes of the Boko Haram insurgency, the scourge may remain with the nation for a long time, warning the government against celebrating any success yet in the war against Boko Haram.
“I think it is premature for government to begin to thump its chest about any military success in the theatre of war and this is because the Boko Haram insurgency has metamorphosed into a full-fledged fighting force that no longer targets soft targets but are now taking on military targets headlong.
“That is why we see their dare devil attacks on military personnel and installations to such an extent that it is estimated that Nigeria may have lost more men between 2015 and 2019 than any other time in its history since the end of the Nigeria-Biafra war and the war is still raging,” Dahiru said.
“I have always said that the fundamental causes of insurgency have not been addressed. What the government calls operation ‘safe corridor’ which is like a deradicalisation agenda by a unit of the army that takes care of willing and repentant Boko Harm fighters, who they claimed are rehabilitated and reintegrated in the society has been flawed.
“Now, this strategy is a flawed, one, because the army or any government agency cannot deradicalise radicalised elements. This is because these people that pretend to be deradicailsed may simply hold on to the doctrine of ‘taqqiya,’ which allows them to lie about their true intensions for higher goals of achieving an Islamic state. They are covered within their doctrinal jurisprudence, and so this is one thing that government has to be very careful about,” he said.
He noted that deradicalistion cannot happen within the society, saying that it has to come from the mainstream of the Muslim faith. He added that the doctrine that radicalises people is actually contained in mainstream theology.
“It is this theology that needs to be reformed by ridding it of radical doctrines that push people into Boko Haram, ISIS and other global jihadist bodies. As far as I am concerned, government has not started organising society.
“So the government has to organise the Muslim north to move away from a destructive form of religious practice that has created the twin evils of Boko Haram and almajiri menace. Until that is done fundamentally from the roots, Boko Haram may be here for a long time because it is an ideology and you cannot defeat an ideology by bullets it has to be done with a better ideology.
On food security, Majeed said that Nigeria is far from food security because there is marked difference between farming and agriculture. “Nigerians are just farmers and agriculture entails science and technology and is a whole value chain from planting to harvesting. So, if all of these are not integrated properly with firm government support across, you cannot pride yourself as an agriculturally buoyant nation.
Also speaking, Jide Ojo, a public affairs analyst, columnist and Executive Director of OJA Consult, said it is a welcome development that Nigeria has this roadmap to secure lives and property because security is needed for economic development and for foreign investment
He however, lamented that many companies are divesting and going to saner climes because of insecurity in Nigeria especially the issues of banditry and kidnapping, which he said have caused exponential increase in the cost of doing business in the country.
“If you want to really succeed with your foreign direct investment you need to stabilise and secure the country, which is the constitutional responsibility of every government to provide security for its citizens,” he said.
He emphasised that the government still has a lot to do, adding that the nation needs more political will to tackle insecurity. He however, raised concerns that fifth columnists in the security circles are causing more harm to the war against terrorism.
“The Acting EFCC boss made a recent revelation that some governors are causing insecurity in their states in order to justify collection of security votes and nobody has denied it. Look at what happened in zamfara where some community leaders and district heads and some emirs have been derobed and dethroned as a result of their connivance in aiding and abetting the bandits.
“So, it is not about the beautiful strategy that has been crafted, but can we deal the saboteurs within the security sectors, the fifth columnists who have already seen insecurity as their own honey pot from which they derive their daily living? We have had cases of soldiers selling arms to insurgents and to militants in Niger Delta. Look at the issue of the 400 million naira that was carted away by five soldiers
“So, no matter the strategy you have crafted, it is human elements that will drive implementation and if the people who will implement it feel that this is opportunity for them to make it out of insecurity, then there is more problem,” he said.
A Lagos-based trained psychologist working with a health institution, who also craved anonymity, said it was not about launching a security strategy document, but about ensuring that the society is made livable through policies of government that have human face.
“I can tell you that it is the style of governance that is breeding the high level of insecurity in Nigeria. For instance, the current administration in the last five years has caused serious division in the country through its policies (most times ‘unwritten’),” the Psychologist said.
“If you look at the country today, you see more angry people than happy ones. You see many graduates without a job; every institution of government failing or failed; no infrastructure to encourage entrepreneurship; many sections of the country agitating for secession, and lots of actions and inactions of government that suggest that all is not well with the country. While other countries are shutting down their prisons because there are less and less numbers of criminals, Nigeria is expanding its own prisons and talking about how to fight insurgency. Something is wrong with the system,” he further said.
While inaugurating the reviewed National Security Strategy 2019 Wednesday last week, President Buhari had said that the strategy represents a thoughtful, strategic and practical expression of his administration’s resolve to make Nigeria safe for development, investment, growth and prosperity for everybody.
“As we continue to work towards completely ending insurgency in the North East and laying the foundation of sustainable peace and development in the region, we are also addressing conflicts between farmers and herders, banditry and various forms of security challenges,” Buhari said.
Innocent Odoh, Abuja
