Involvement in internal security straining our resources – Military

The Chief Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, says the involvement of the military in internal security operations across Nigeria has put a strain on available resources committed to the ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations in the North East.

He said this at the War College in Abuja Monday during the inauguration of the maiden Joint Operations Planning Exercise, nicknamed “Exercise Sky Lock” for participants of Army, Naval and Air Force War Colleges.

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 “It is my opinion, therefore, that our war colleges come in handy at this moment in developing plans and strategies that will enable the optimisation of available resources towards achieving our national military objectives.

“This is, therefore, a clarion call to our war colleges to sustain the ideals of joint operations planning exercises such as this towards institutionalizing synergy evidenced by a culture of joint planning, training and collective effort in security operations,” he said.

He said the knowledge, skills and capacities the participants had acquired, particularly in the operational art, would enhance their professional judgment in the joint operational environment.

Irabor urged them to keep an open mind in proffering innovative and workable solutions to the myriad of security challenges facing Nigeria, especially in the North East and other zones.

Earlier, the Commandant, Army War College of Nigeria, Maj.-Gen. Solomon Uduonwa, said the exercise was to enable participants effectively respond to contemporary security challenges bedeviling the country while operating in a joint environment.