The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor has said the newly promoted Service Chiefs will not leave the country at the mercy of the terrorists who have turned themselves into merchants of fear.
Irabor assured Nigerians that he and other service chiefs would do their level best to ensure that Nigerians no longer live in fear.
He gave the assurance while fielding questions from State House correspondents after the service chiefs were decorated with their new ranks, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.
Irabor noted that the service chiefs would work in collaboration with other security agencies to restore normalcy to all troubled areas across the country.
He said: “Nigerians expect us to bring about peace and security in concert with other security agencies, that we will do.
“We can’t live in fear. And we will ensure that whatever brings fear to Nigerians before now will be a thing of the past.
“Peace and security is not just the security of the borders alone. It comes with having to build bridges across various divides.
“We, as members of the Armed Forces, will never in any way demand peace and security of our nation in the hands of the terrorists. Rather it is we that will determine the peace and not for us to leave it in the hands of the terrorists.’’
The CDS promised to embrace exemplary leadership adding that while they give instructions to their subordinates and deploy them to the insurgency-ravaged areas of the country they would not lead from the rear, too.
“What we will not do is to give instructions to our subordinates and not do the same.
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“By extension, we will command the troops based on the expectations that we have of them and they will do it according to the expectations that we have of them too,’’ he said.
On whether the new service chiefs will consider change of strategies in the fight against insurgency, banditry and violent crimes in the country, Irabor said they would review the current strategies with a view to meeting the demands of current security challenges.
“Strategies are not sacrosanct. Of course, there are dynamics that we need to begin to look at, what needs to be reviewed, and that is precisely what we are doing currently.
“We review various strategies and of course come up with new ones to be able to meet the demands of the current realities,’’ he added.
He noted that the president had given them a marching order to restore peace to all troubled areas in the country, saying they would work assiduously to achieve that.
On what Nigerians should expect from the newly promoted CDS and the service chiefs in the next 100 days, Irabor said:
“No doubt, next 100 days is not as important as today. I believe that as members of the Armed Forces working in concert with the rest of the security agencies, we will bring Mr President’s expectations to bear in terms of our task.
“But let me also let you know that the inevitable is that Nigerians will indeed experience peace and security across the land.’’
The CDS, who thanked the president for giving them the opportunity to serve the nation, enjoined all citizens to partner with the security agencies in ensuring peace and progress of the nation.
Speaking, through a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity , Femi Adesina, yesterday, President Buhari told the service chiefs that they have got a few week to secure the country.
He stressed that he expected them to work in collaboration with their competent subordinates, without considering seniority or paper certificate, to achieve the purpose before the beginning of the rainy season.
