Honestly diagnosing our military’s woes
There is no arguing the fact that Nigeria’s military, Police and other security forces are no longer what they used to be. The moves by the National Assembly to convene a security summit and calls by some retired Generals for our military’s rearmament are just a few pointers to this.
The same Nigerian Army that distinguished itself in international peacekeeping missions (especially in the Congo) fought to prevent Biafra secession, quelled civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone and restored democratic rule there and in Cote d’Ivoire as ECOMOG leader, can no longer defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria and protect its citizens!
The reasons for this sordid situation are hidden in plain sight. It does not need a “summit” to pinpoint them. Indeed, a summit will not only be another money-guzzling distraction, it will also be a sure sign that the leadership is not yet ready to tackle the real issues.
The call by the retired Generals for the rearmament of the Armed Forces assumes that the main issue is poor equipment. With the estimated current active personnel strength of about 230,000, the Nigerian military far outmans all the terrorist, insurgent and separatist groups put together. They also outgun them all. None of these groups operates with sophisticated equipment or aircraft or enjoys the support of sister agencies which our military do. Yet, they are far more motivated.
The Federal Government has been increasingly throwing money at our insecurity. Our security and defence spending grew from N2.98trn in 2023 to N3.25trn in 2024. This year, defence has taken almost ten per cent of our budget with N4.91trn.
Despite all these, things are getting worse. Boko Haram is resurging. The North-West bandits are still thriving. Fulani militants are still massacring, and the Federal Government appears to ignore their existence. New jihadist groups – “Lakurawa” and “Mahmuda” have joined the fray. Meanwhile, government officials at the highest level pay lip service and generally act unperturbed because they are personally well-protected.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari once unilaterally took $1bn from our coffers, ostensibly to fight insecurity with very little result and zero accountability. How much of the public funds are actually spent on armament and welfare of troops? What about terrorism financiers and enablers, some of whom occupy high offices in our security, defence and leadership?
What about discrimination and ethnicisation of our military’s command structure, which is a major source of low morale among the troops and the youth’s lack of interest in joining the armed services? What about the frequent killings of innocent farmers by the Fulani? They invade, capture and occupy indigenous communities? These are sure signs of state failure.
Patriotism is now a scarce commodity among our leaders in political, military and security offices. Power and money are all that matter to them.
That is the problem.
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