By Dapo Olaosebikan
(olaosebikanoladapo@gmail)
Recently, Halilu Sububu, a notorious terrorist, wanted bandit, gunrunner and kidnap kingpin was eliminated alongside his criminal cohorts in Zamfara State by the Nigerian military.
Expectedly, the general applause which greeted the elimination of this Republic of Niger-born antisocial renegade has continued to attract blanket applause and somewhat celebration nationwide. However, this development still calls for a more introspective thought on the fight against banditry and insurgency in the country because there are still pockets of deadly terrorists and insurgents like Bello Turji, particularly in troubled flashpoints in Northern Nigeria.
However, coincidentally, the same time the gallant Nigerian military overran Sububu enclave in Zamfara State, a 3-day conference on civilian-military cooperation for a secured Nigeria’s social space was convened at the main auditorium of the National Defence College, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. Presumably, Real Admiral O.M Olotu, who is currently the Commandant of the College and co-host of the event, graciously graced the event, so also were other prominent leaders.
The 3-day event, which was the third in the series, roundly explored prospects of civilian-military cooperation in gathering field intelligence as a leeway to effectively tackle insecurity in Nigeria.
Organized by Adams Otakwu-led Conference of Civil Societies and Centre for Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMICO), the Conference brought together hundreds of participants, including representatives from Civil Societies, Armed Forces, Para-Military Security Agencies, Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), ECOWAS Commission, Embassies, High Commissions, Non-Governmental Institutions and the Media.
It is quite apt to reinstate that the theme of the Conference was “Whole of Society Approach to National Security and Development. Visibly, this underscores the critical need for inclusive, multi-stakeholder collaboration to address our national security and development challenges. Commendably too, the 2024 Annual Civil-Military Conference unanimously recommended sustenance of that this annual engagement as a vital mechanism to consolidate the gains achieved so far in overcoming threats to national security and development in Nigeria which evidently lies in a robust ‘Whole of Society Approach’, as well as integrating all sectors of the society in a collective effort to secure the country’s social space permanently.
Another highlight of the conference worthy of emphasis is that it loudly promotes collaboration between the Armed Forces, security agencies, MDAs, international bodies, and civil societies to deepen their collaboration with the Conference of Civil Societies as well as CIMICO. The main objective in this regard is to cascade programs, and policies to the grassroots level, thereby fostering a Whole-of-Society Approach to national security and development.
Also, it is very elating that the conference placed princely emphasis on enhancement of public trust and civic engagement as well as recognised the crucial role of public trust in national security and development. In another development, the conference recommended Domain-Specific Engagements (DSEs). This is to strengthen national security and development by focusing on energy security, food security, cyber security, environmental security, health security, economic security and others.
In a similar vein, the conference recommended promotion of transparency, accountability, and regular community feedback mechanisms as strategies to build public trust. In the same vein, civil societies were encouraged to play a more active role in bridging the gap between citizens and government, thereby enhancing civic responsibility and engagement in security and development of the country.
A climax of the events at the Conference was the successful presentation of the Civil Society News. This is a strategic media initiative aimed at promoting balanced reporting, amplifying civil society voices, fostering civic engagement, and promoting whole of society approach to national security and development.
Lastly, a major highlight of the Conference is that it called on the Federal Government, Armed Forces, security agencies, MDAs, non-governmental institutions, international and regional bodies to leverage on the media platform for news coverage. It was also revealed that the news platform will serve as a critical tool in mitigating activities of subversive groups as well as the spread of fake news and blackmail that pose significant threats to national security and development.
Pix above: Adams Otakwu and Rear Admiral O.M Olotu
