“Sacrifice is the pinnacle of patriotism. Brave men rejoice in adversity, just as brave soldiers triumph in war.”- Seneca.
SENECA, was a statesman and philosopher from the ancient Rome, that believed in the need to appreciate the sacrifices made by the men in boots, who forgo their comfort for the comfort of the society. These are soldiers who take risks to safeguard us.
There is no doubt, Nigeria is at war with insurgency or insecurity, and we must acknowledge the commitment and selflessness our soldiers are demonstrating at the various battle theatres. Just when Nigeria was rejoicing over the progress being recorded by the military in the war against insecurity, bad news started coming in around the beginning of the year, with an upsurge in terrorist attacks in the north east, claiming many victims.
According to reports, in early January this year, the terrorist group, Islamic state of West Africa Province, ISWAP, attacked a military base in Damboa, Borno State, killing nearly ten soldiers. Many vehicles, military hardware, weapons and ammunition were carted away by the attackers. It took a renewed intervention of the army, alongside additional support by the fighter jets of the Air force, deployed from Maiduguri, to neutralize the terrorists, and recover multiple rifles and several rounds of ammunition.
Thanks to the quick and encouraging support of the President, who urged the army to adopt a “proactive posture” by waging a relentless war against terrorist groups and bandits. Yes, by that directive, the President is simply saying, we have a gallant military, and the time has arrived, for us to trust our troops.
Also, information from the grapevine, quoting the Honourable Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, have it that, pursuant to the directives of the President, the military is re-strategizing, with a view to smoking out the insurgents in earnest. Since the new directive of the President, the military has been on a renewed onslaught against the insurgents, with encouraging results. It’s good that the military high command is re-strategizing, but no amount of re-strategy would yield result until we increase our trust in our troops. The military gives its today, for our tomorrow.
In the context of leadership, if you trust your men, they will be true to you. Treat them greatly and they will show themselves to be great. According to Ralph Waldo Emerso, if you have faith in your team and you treat them with respect, they would reciprocate by way of giving consideration to foster loyalty and excellence.
That again emphasizes the importance of having trust in one’s troops, because, when leaders trust their troops, it creates a sense of security, confidence, and motivation in them. By treating the troops with respect and dignity, they become inspired and ready to give their best effort. When soldiers feel trusted and respected, they are more likely to perform at their best and to take initiative.
Last week, Professor Babagana Zulum, the indefatigable Governor of Borno State, took it upon himself to visit the areas affected by the recent upsurge in insurgency, where he commiserated with those affected, and vowed to deal ruthlessly with saboteurs undermining his administration’s efforts to tackle insecurity in the state. The Governor has intelligence that some people, who cut across the various strata of the society, are conniving with the insurgents, to undermine the efforts of the troops.
“We have informants and collaborators within the Nigerian Armed Forces, within the politicians, and within the communities. What we shall do is to strengthen our intelligence and to deal with them ruthlessly. Let’s remove contractocracy. In six months, we can put an end to this madness.
We need not politicise insecurity. Insurgency will never end with kinetic measures alone; we must ensure that the non-kinetic measures are also put in place. What I mean by non-kinetic measures are socio-political and economic dimensions of the crisis.”
The Governor was quick to call on President Bola Tinubu to urgently overhaul Nigeria’s counterinsurgency strategy by placing greater trust in military intelligence rather than political influence. The Senate also demand immediate action, including the establishment of a military base in Adamawa State. In re-strategizing, the military high command must also take into account, the state of military equipment in the country, and the welfare packages of those with the boots on ground, which are regularly described as inadequate.
There are reports that are saying the insurgents now possess superior technology, including drones, which is tipping the balance in their favor. To upset that, we must equip and give more trust to the troops. And the time to do it is NOW.
- Ibrahim is Publicity Director for the All Progressives Congress (APC).