Security adviser for a time like this

By Dr. Salisu I. Ibrahim

SIR: The whole nation was shocked on Thursday, June 19 when President Muhammadu Buhari openly admonished his service chiefs that he would no longer condone excuses from them for the unending insecurity in the country.

The charge came against the backdrop of increasing nationwide disenchantment with the worsening insecurity in the country, especially in the North-East and North-West.

One reason that has been roundly adduced for the rigid, ineffective and unyielding approach of the security agencies in fighting insurgency and banditry, particularly in the current political dispensation is their regimented mentality of ‘fire for fire’, which of course, is implicit in their professional training.

It is stating the obvious that in appointing the next National Security Adviser NSA, there is need for a shift from the norm of engaging people with military or quasi-military background to competent, non-military professionals with requisite experience in multilateral and bilateral methods.

Management of strategic communications in civil-military relationship is key to effective peace-building and democratic governance.

The next NSA should be a civilian professional without regimented mentality who can view all the pressing security issues in Nigeria holistically.

As the chief adviser to the president, he must possess deft knowledge in counter-intelligence, stealth surveillance, infiltration, intelligence sharing and systemic propaganda

He must not be more than 55 years in age and should have the capacity to cause same (holistic approach) to be applied to counter terrorism and insurgency operations in all the flash-points in Nigeria.

Similarly, the next occupier of ONSA should be a man lettered in law and jurisprudence. He should equally have the knowledge of enforcement of law and criminal justice.

In addition, he should have wide knowledge of international business, public policy, public economy and cross-cultural economic management.

He must be knowledgeable in statecraft and counter-intelligence just as he must be abreast of all issues in internal security of Nigeria

He must possess requisite knowledge in counter-insurgence and counter-terrorism and be able to understand management of strategic communication.

The next NSA must have deft knowledge in bilateral and multilateral dynamics of international politics.

Lastly, he should be an international security expert with wide knowledge of contemporary threat to peace at and national, continental and international or global levels.

All these salient reasons for one’s patriotic counsel for Mr. President on the choice of his next National Security Adviser; especially as providing adequate security for Nigerians is a cardinal focus of his electioneering campaign, and, has also remained a covenant his administration has with citizens of the country since 2015.

• Dr. Salisu I. Ibrahim, Abuja.