Olufemi Oluyede, chief of defence staff–designate, has
called for the establishment of a local military industrial complex and the
restructuring of the Nigeria Police Force to strengthen the country’s response
to insecurity.
Speaking during his screening by the senate on Wednesday,
Oluyede said Nigeria cannot continue to rely on foreign countries for military
hardware, describing the practice as unsustainable and expensive.
“For Nigeria to move forward, it is imperative that we
develop our own local military industrial complex,” he said.
“We can’t keep buying equipment from outside because these
things are extremely expensive.
“The country must build its capacity to produce the
equipment required to prosecute wars and address the security challenges facing
us.”
He said insecurity in Nigeria has become more complex,
encompassing terrorism, banditry, cyberattacks and misinformation.
According to him, addressing these threats requires a
collective national approach rather than leaving the task solely to the
military.
“In doing better, it requires a whole-of-society approach;
everybody must be involved. It shouldn’t be left to the military alone to
prosecute and face all these challenges,” he said.
Oluyede emphasised the need to strengthen the police, noting
that many internal security roles currently handled by the army should fall
within the mandate of the police.
“Most of the job currently being carried out by the military
falls within the purview of the police,” he said.
“It’s important for the nation to empower the police, make
it stronger and more formidable, so that they can do their job while we
concentrate on defending Nigeria against external aggression.”
The defence chief–designate stressed the importance of
improving soldiers’ welfare, describing military service as a unique form of
sacrifice that demands courage and dedication.
He admitted that limited resources have hindered efforts to
improve the welfare of troops and their families, despite his commitment to
prioritise their well-being.
Oluyede also described his tenure as chief of army staff as
“very challenging”.
“My tenure has been quite challenging, and while things have
improved tremendously, we can do better,” he said.
“It requires a whole-of-society approach. It’s important for
all hands to be on deck to make Nigeria safer.”
Reflecting on his experience, Oluyede spoke about the
immense demands of military leadership and the sacrifices required to maintain
national security.
“It required cognate experience, sleepless nights, and total
dedication to the safety of our nation. We all know resources are limited, but
Nigeria must build its own capacity to confront emerging security threats from
terrorism to cybercrime. If we fail to manage information effectively, our
challenges will persist,” he said.
Oluyede emphasised the need to strengthen local defence
capacity and develop homegrown solutions to national security problems.
Born in 1968, Oluyede previously served as Nigeria’s 24th
chief of army staff.
On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu formally requested the
senate’s confirmation of the newly appointed service chiefs.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read Tinubu’s letter
during Tuesday’s plenary.
Tinubu nominated Oluyede as chief of defence staff; Wahidi
Shaibu as chief of army staff; Idi Abbas as chief of naval staff; Kennedy Aneke
as chief of air staff; while Emmanuel Undiendeye was retained as chief of
defence intelligence.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com