The Chief of Defence Staff General Lucky Irabor has said that the security parley would further focus on engaging critical stakeholders such as royal fathers to sensitize their subjects on the need for peace in the country.
General Irabor stated this in Asaba the Delta State Capital at the end of the six zonal interactive sessions, just as he observed that kinetic efforts is only a part of the solution to the insecurity in the country.
The CDS assured that the Armed Forces of Nigeria will continue to foster the right ambience for other stakeholders in order to holistically combat the myriad of security in the region and the country at large.
According to him, “there are other engagements that are holding behind the scene, as we have assessed that kinetic efforts is only a part of the solution, there are non-kinetic approach which forms part of the engagement that is focused on the holistic solutions to the challenges in the Niger Delta region.
He said this on Friday during a security parley with retired senior military officers from South South Zone of the country and urged the participants some of who are traditional rulers to take some tip bits arising from the interaction in sensitizing their subjects.
The Chief of Defence Civil Military Cooperation (CDCIMIC), Rear Admiral Fredrick Ogu, in his remarks, said as stakeholders in the defence and security sector, the retired senior officers are in a vintage disposition to understand the array of security issues in their domain. They offer professional counsel on likely strategies to adopt in tackling the security threats.
The CDCIMIC further disclosed that myriad of security issues in the nation and those specific to each geo-political zone were x-rayed, while adding that the outcome of the engagements with the veterans was rewarding. He listed the heightened insecurity in the SS zone to be attacks on local communities, piracy, militia attacks, cultism, illegal oil theft, vandalizing of critical national assets, sabotage, high sea robbery, kidnapping and other sundry crimes.
Earlier in his welcome address, the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Sani Mohammed lauded the initiative by the CDS in mooting the idea where senior serving and retired military officers were able to gather to brainstorm on a collective approach towards enhancing operational performance of the military in the SS region.
Prominent among the participants were the former Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha Jonah (rtd) and the former CDS, Gen Alexander Ogomudia (rtd). The Royal fathers that were in attendance include: His Royal Highness (HRH), Maj Gen Felix Mujakperuo (rtd), HRH Air Vice Marshal (AVM), Lucky Ararile (rtd) and HRH Brig Gen Bright Fiboinumama (rtd).
The Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Maj Gen Samuel Adebayo, Director General-Defence Research and Development Bureau, AVM Peter Uzezi, Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Kennedy Egbuchulam, FOC Logistics Command, Rear Admiral Sileranda Lassa and the Air Officer Commanding Mobility Command, AVM Ali Bello were among the top military brass that graced the security parley.
The major activities that took place during the close door sessions at the one day parley in all the six geo-political zones was the CDI’s brief on the general security threats being experienced in each of the zone. A group/syndicates’ presentations on the assigned thematic areas were delivered by the retired senior officers,