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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has said the arrest of Biafran separatist leader, Simon Ekpa, in Finland, has reduced tension in the South East.
Musa stated this, yesterday, when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Defence, at a budget defence session.
Ekpa, who was arrested recently by the Finnish authorities for inciting violence in the South East, and is currently in detention.
The CDS noted that the arrest as well as the Operation Udoka, established by the Defence Headquarters to tackle criminality in the South East is restoring peace in the region.
“With the arrest of Simon Ekpa, it has greatly reduced the tension. Also with Operation Udoka, we’re also doing that, picking up most of the leadership that are there, taking them out, and then making sure that the place is peaceful.
“The sit-at-home on Mondays is gradually diminishing. We’re also working with the political leaders there because we understand, like I said always, we need to have the local support because without it, it’s difficult. You know, the terrain is very challenging, so we need to work together. It is improving.”
Musa explained that the Defence Headquarter was committed to deploying non-kinetic measures in addressing security challenges.
“What we have done is that we have established and enhanced the kinetic efforts for the three services for our operations. We have the Delta Safe, which is in the South South for Oil theft and Militancy. At least for the first time now we have been able to reach our OPEC oil quota for Nigeria and we intend to do more.
“Our target is to hit 2.2 million barrels a day for Nigeria. It’s not something that we can also do alone. We also need the other stakeholders in the oil industry to also play their own role. We are doing more, providing more security. We are close to two million barrels per day. We intend to do more. This year, we want to intensify our operations so that we take out.
“We have formed groups that are discussing with the locals. And we have found that that discussion has helped a lot. So we have the religious leaders, the cultural leaders, and every stakeholder is also part of it. We realize that if we carry everybody along, it makes it a lot easier. Like we said, the best general is that general that does not need to shoot. If you are able to solve the problem without firing it is better.
“So that by the time we do that, those ones are willing to move, we move them out, and those ones that are unwilling, then we go after them. But the kinetic and the non-kinetic must continue to go hand in hand. And it is working very well.”
Stressing the need for troops welfare, Musa said there was a need for to push for local manufacturing of weapons, as it was difficult getting weapons internationally.
“Now what is our other concern? Troops’ welfare. We know generally the economy, everybody is having the heat. And we’re no more different. So we’re looking at the aspect of also improving the welfare for our troops, the RCA, Ration Cash Allowance. We’re still struggling at less than N2,000 per soldier per head to feed.
“We’re happy that Mr. President has recently increased the salaries to some extent of the junior class, which is the junior grade of personnel, which has also enhanced their ability.
“We know the country is going through so much and it’s not only the military that needs support, but I think we want to get more, we can do more.
“We also need accommodation. Every year we are recruiting almost 25,000 for all the services. And those ones going on retirement, every year they are not up to 5,000. So you see we’re getting almost 20,000 into the system. The issue of new barracks, construction, old barracks, renovation, these are issues we have to address because now that we’re beginning to get peace.
“Gradually, we’re going to return to the barracks. We don’t want to go back to barracks and then we’ll start living in tents or in batchers like it was before. So it’s important that we’re able to work ahead to establish new barracks that have been established and then to be able to carry out renovation.
“We also need equipment. We have also tried to increase, because we realized that, because we don’t produce what we need, it’s been very difficult. That’s one of the reasons why the warfare has continued for this long. Because we have to rely on getting hard currency to go abroad.
“When you go there to buy, again, you don’t get this thing off the shelf. Sometimes you have to pay. And now with the Ukraine-Russian war, it has made it extremely more difficult. Because America particularly is paying off most of the items. So when you go there, they say it’s already been booked. So to get it is a problem. So we realize thatWe need to also start producing what we need.
“And that we have started with the DICON bill that Mr. President signed. We are doing a lot together to try and bring for regional equipment manufacturers to come and produce in Nigeria With the DICON, what we are doing again is we have a number of local manufacturers of weapons.
“They have the talents, but they don’t have anywhere to showcase it. So the tendency is if they are not used positively, they will go because they want to survive, they will go negatively. And that’s why in some areas we have identified some people that produce very good weapons, automatic, but local.
“So what we are doing is we are trying to get them, bring them in, give them the platform so that they can come and legitimately produce this thing. And gradually, Nigeria can start producing its own kind of weapon. So we don’t have to rely on foreigners to get our own weapon.
“We are doing that and looking at experts. What we are doing, we are talent hunting them all over the country and then bringing them in to be able to produce this item for us.”
