The Army says it will engage retired Senior military officers to enhance and overcome the security challenges faced by the country.
Gen. Leo Iraboh, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), made the disclosure at a one-day interactive session with retired senior military officers from the North-East zone, held at the 23 Armoured Brigade, on Tuesday, in Yola.
Iraboh said the core objective of the parley was to engage the retired senior colleagues to cross-fertilise ideas on how to overcome the insecurity situation in the region and the country at large.
“It is part of the reason why I am here with my team, to interact with our retired senior colleagues, to look for holistic solutions about how to bring to an end the insecurity challenges in the region.
“We believe that as we interact and engage them, they will be ready to open up to us in areas that will enhance security, also be able to tell us areas of our mistakes and for us to make corrections’’, Iraboh said.
According to the CDS, among the cardinal objectives of the parley was the need to come up with solutions, as security is everybody’s business.
He noted that the one-day meeting was an opportunity by extension to reach out to the good people of the northeast region, to appreciate them for the support given to the Nigerian military and ask them to give more.
Iraboh stated his belief that solutions to the lingering security challenges in the region lie right with the northeast people.
“We believe that principally, the solution to the North-East problem will be largely dependent on the inputs of those who come from the region.
“Also, we believe that in the coming days, security will improve and be better in the region and Nigeria at large’’, he said.
On the recent attack on the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) Kaduna, Iraboh, said that the incident was more of an armed robbery, rather than from banditry.
Earlier, in his remarks, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Alli, GOC, 3 Division, said that among the significance of the interactive session was the meeting with men of proven integrity and experience that come from the region.
“I believe no one is happy with the current situation; the interactive session is for us to look at you to speak to us on the exact issues.
“Because we believe there are issues that we have not actually viewed in the manner you look at it.
“And being men of proven integrity and experience, we believe you have the desire and will to turn around the fortunes of the zone, where every one of us will be happy’’, Alli said.
Alli was represented by Brig.-Gen. Aminu Garba, Commander, 23 Armoured Brigade, Yola.
