Jonathan Tasks Military On Modern Security Techniques

[TGD]

THE Nigerian military has been tasked to develop new techniques to tackle the country's security challenges.

   President Jonathan gave the charge Saturday in Abuja, while delivering his address at the graduation ceremony of the Nigeria Defence College (NDC) Course 21.

   He said there are strong indications that national and regional security in the 21st century are determined by forces operating within and outside state-run boundaries.

   "In the past, adversaries were easier to indentify and confront in open hostilities. Today, the enemy is usually unseen, hiding behind human shields and despicable ideologies and deploying cyber offensives, in addition to lethal conventional and unconventional armament," the President said.

   Jonathan, who was represented by Senate President David Mark, said confronting these new threats require new thinking, new approaches and greater sophistication in equipment and capabilities.

   "Our armed forces must be agile and proactive, by enhancing their capacities to identify and disrupt, before execution, the plans and machinations of these faceless enemies, including their sources of fund, arsenal, training bases and recruitment efforts," he said

   He commended the military for conducting itself in an exemplary manner, thereby sustaining the country's democracy in the last 14 years. He applauded how, at various times, under the umbrella of sub-regional, regional and world bodies, they have defended democracy in other countries, and lived up to expectations, upholding the record of Nigeria in peace keeping operations since independence.

    This he said exhibits "heightened professionalism, patriotism and unalloyed loyalty to the nation."

   Of the 131 that where to graduate, including a Brazilian, who is the first South American to have participated in the course since inception in 1992, one participant failed to meet the minimum qualification standard required to graduate with his mates.

  Mark said: "It is unacceptable and the Head of Service would take it seriously and act, because if you come to this course and you cannot make the minimum requirement, you have no business remaining in service, whether you are civilian or uniformed, because many civilians have passed this course very well in the past, among them two women, today."

  The Senate President while commending the best overall student, Captain S. Amoama of Ghana Navy, who clinched three awards including the President's prize for Best Graduating Student, Mark said it clearly "shows the integrity of the institution for a foreign participant to emerge all round best.

 It shows that if one works hard, he would be rewarded as appropriate."

  Earlier the Commandant of the College, Admiral Thomas Jonah Lokoson, said the end of the 11-month course marks a new chapter in their careers as security officers.

   Lokoson said the participants where all taught to confront challenges with a view to exploring possible solutions through good decision making, "and above all, be able to navigate the evolving security landscape" as leaders with vision and capacity to act proactively.

 

The Guardian