The Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, CDS General Lucky Irabor says security is not a challenge confronting only one agency or an individual but whole of society approach to which means all hands must be on deck.
The Defence Chief disclosed this during a closing ceremony of the Defence Headquarters’ workshop with the theme,
“Strengthening Inter-Agency Cooperation for Sustainable National Security” in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
The Defence Chief was represented by the Chief of Defence Policy and Plans, Air Vice Marshal Ayo Jolasimi.
General Irabor said that “the essence of the workshop is that all the agencies must be fully committed in the fight against the insecurity as no single agency can do it alone”.
He noted that recommendations have been identified with which to tackle insecurity in the country adding that it is not enough for them to wait until the Office of the National Security Adviser sets up the Committee on whatever or Defence Headquarters starts doing anything for all of them were representative from their various individual agencies.
He said that “the essence was that when they go back, they should take the message back to their various agencies and start working on these recommendations at various levels immediately”.
According to him, the insecurity is not waiting for them to go follow it anyhow; therefore, they also don’t have to sleep over these recommendations as they are very apt that they get them going immediately.
He said it was a very rewarding workshop and the aim of the workshop was indeed achieved.
He noted that everybody had participated fully and he appreciated all the resources persons for their wonderful presentations.
He appreciated the organizers for the opportunities given to them to brain stormed and giving them good experience and Information.
The Director General State Services, DGSS, Yusuf Bichi who was the Guest of Honour at the closing ceremony, represented by Director Operations, DSS Joseph Dashwap said that “the issues on boundaries of responsibilities, mutual distrust, suspicion, unhealthy competition and lack of cooperation, have continued to deal a heavy blow on the cohesion of the nation’s security architecture.”
According to him, this would continue to have dire consequences on national security, except they become intentional and determined to deal with the problem.
Bichi said that “in practical terms, Inter-Agency Cooperation (IAC) is simply the working together of the various components of a sub-structure, and in this wise, the various security Agencies in Nigeria, towards a common vision and resolution of problems”.
He said that “positive and productive outcomes could only be guaranteed if their various Agencies work together. It is equally important to stress the fact that the complexity and transnational nature of crimes have made it necessary for IAC.”
The Deputy Director Defence Campaign Planning, Air Commodore Nasiru Folaji who presented the communiqué said that “participants at the workshop noted that inadequate interagency cooperation has been the front burner of identified gaps of the most discourse regarding security architecture of Nigeria.”
Vice Commodore Folaji added that participants should noted that there is no better time than now to further improve on the existing synergy among security stakeholders, as one agency or service cannot single handedly tackle the menace of insecurity in Nigeria amongst other observations.
The event had representatives of Service Chiefs, Security Agencies, Principle Staff Officers of Defence and Services Headquarters, Invited dignitaries, Participants amongst others.
