by Christiana Gokyo, Jos 

It’s has been observed that, improving the state of Civil  Military Relations (CMR) in Nigeria is key to preserving human security, and to check abuses by the state security forces would ensure balanced recruitment into state security forces.

This was disclosed during a Military Relations Forum on the “Performance of Human Rights Desks in Military Formations and Operations in Nigeria” by Director of Programme CLEEN Foundation, Salaudeen Hasim, held at National Human Rights Conference Hall in Abuja recently.

The event was organized by CLEEN Foundation, with a theme of the paper as: ‘Introduction to Civil Military Relations for Human Security in Nigeria.’

While saying that, appropriate and adequate resources should be made for state security forces, Salaudeen Hasim added that government should also approve the deployment of the military for ISO and PSO and develop mechanisms to ensure accountability in security forces and also approve disciplinary action imposed on indicted state security forces officers.

He noted that, security forces should be shown mutual respect and drum support for the military, both in peace/conflict times, and also engage security forces on dialogues to clear areas of concern by monitoring and exposing human right abuses by military.

“Exposing (mis)use of military by the government/political class, while promoting public awareness on unique nature of military culture (CMR) is a bargain negotiated between the citizens, government authorities, and the military,” he stated.

He said, “Focus should be on increasing public awareness and familiarity of the military’s role and mission to bridge the “familiarity gap,” adding that, “the growing gap between citizens and those, who fight or have fought, results in increasing levels of ignorance about the role and engagement of the military, despite the sacrifices of the military.”

He noted that, government should mobilise to support military remembrance/memorable events (Branded lapel pin-Heroes) and conduct nationwide/zonal/state perception surveys.

The Direction of Programme further stated that, Nigeria faces a myriad of security threats – violent extremism, ethno-religious conflicts, communal clashes, militancy, separatist agitations, and cultism.

He said, “The unprecedented increase in violence – criminality and conflicts – has necessitated increasing deployment of the military in internal security operations (ISO),” adding that, “Efforts and actions of the military have attracted both commendation and condemnation in security provisioning.”

Speaking earlier, the Executive Director of CLEEN Foundation, Gad Peter, said “CLEEN Foundation commissioned research that aimed to underscore the critical importance of understanding the dynamics of social relations between the civilian populations and the military.

“It was primarily sought to discuss the state of Civil-Military Relations in Northeast and Northwest Nigeria, as well as contribute to building a better relationship between the military and the media for enhanced civil-military relations and assess security dynamics within the Borno and Zamfara States’ context vis-a-viz civil-military relations.”

He explained that, “The research showed a deficit trajectory of the civil-military programmes and interventions using a laboratory diagnosis of the factors constraining social relations amongst populations.

“Hence, in a country fraught with conflicts and crises, the significance of this dialogue cannot be overstated. It serves as a guiding light, reminding us of our collective responsibility to alleviate human suffering, protect the vulnerable, and maintain a semblance of civility even amid the chaos of conflict,” he stated.

Gad Peter stressed that, “As stakeholders, you play an indispensable role in translating these principles into actionable measures that can make a profound difference in the lives of countless individuals, acknowledging them and urging them to reflect their commitment to enhancing security and civil-military relations in Nigeria.”

He encouraged participants to actively engage in the discussions, and share their perspectives, as well as collaborate with their peers so as to make the event a resounding success.

By MbNewss

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *