Calls for the removal of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President, Major General Babagana Monguno, because of insecurity across the country has been described as senseless and diversionary.
The Center For Convention On Democratic Integrity (CCDI), a non-governmental organisation incorporated in the United States and Nigeria with consultative status of the United Nations, made this known in a press release by its President, Olufemi Aduwo.
The Center also said the calls for the removal of the NSA showed lack of deep understanding of the dynamics of the security challenges facing the country.
Aduwo, who is also the representative of the organisation at the United Nations, advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to acced to the calls for the removal of the NSA by some groups.
“Removal of the NSA would not provide the arms and, more importantly, the adequate intelligence needed or encourage the citizens to render adequate assistance by providing information to the appropriate security and defence agencies.
“In Nigeria, truth is bitter. Removing the NSA is not the solution to the problem of insecurity bedeviling the country. Insurgency cum terrorism war is a long war. It requires more intelligence gathering to win the war.
“The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation Agency (NOA) has a role to play. People must be informed and made to understand the difference between fighting insurgency and civil war.
“Enough of half-baked truth. It is well known that fighting insurgencies is challenging. The war against the Taliban started in 1994. The US did not achieve all its purpose before it left Afghanistan.
“The Al-Qaeda notorious leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, who coordinated the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US that killed more than 3000 people, was killed just few days ago in Kabul by US drone missile.
“As a people, we desperately need a more thoughtful discussion and intelligence gathering about our response to insurgency and terrorism.
“People have had enough of the demagoguery and divisive partisan attacks that dominate the debate over the years and obscure the issues,” he said.
The CCDI president also said identifying enemies through counter-insurgency intelligence is one sure way to ensure security across the country.
“The basis of successful counter-insurgency is acquiring intelligence to identify an enemy that often hides among the populace.
“Counter-insurgency is the use of all elements of a nation’s power, including not only combined arms operations, but also psychological, political, economic, intelligence and diplomatic operations to defeat any insurgency and terrorism.
“Kinetics method only would not win the war. Asymmetric war operation pattern is far different from conventional war. Government and the people need to do more on above stated strategies.
“The huge ransom collected by these criminals is kept in the same banks we all use or in circulation in the same money market. How does the money get back into the system?,” he asked.
Aduwo also He said the issue of security is a collective responsibility involving all, adding that government should carry alonh all stakeholders in the task of ensuring security of the country and the people.
“These people are with us and some people know them. The fight against terrorism is not an act that the country can achieve on its own. It requires teamwork, international cooperation and collaboration,” he said.
Aduwo also advised that, to maintain a balance in security, more attention should be paid to the source of finance of terrorists and their acts of terrorism, with the aim of cutting off the channels of their funding.
“Terrorists are not able to act on their own without funding for their operations. Being able to cut these financing channels would diminish significantly the capacities of these terrorists.
“What we are witnessing across the North is predominantly uncoordinated criminal gangs engaging in terrorism. Both Boko Haram and lSWAP lack the capacity to overrun the central government of Nigeria, regardless of their links with foreign insurgency groups.
“We should not interpret Nigeria or every other jihadist Islamist group through the prism of what happened in Afghanistan. I disagree with the submission by some analysts, comparing the Nigerian situation with Somalia.
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“The military is overstretched. They should change the rule of engagement and adequate information track technology should be acquired,” he said.
Aduwo called for an expansion of the security intelligence community, and asked that the State Security Service (SSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) should be overhauled for greater performances.
“We need to expand the security intelligence community. Nigeria’s security organisation was dissolved in 1985 into the SSS, responsible for domestic intelligence; NIA, responsible for foreign intelligence and counter-intelligence operations and DIA, for military intelligence.
“These bodies need to be overhauled for great performance. The security challenge then and now are not the same,” Aduwo added.
