CDS tasks theatre Commanders on joint operational structure

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, has charged theatre and field Commanders to strictly adhere to the joint operational structures to further combat emerging security challenges in Nigeria.

Olonisakin gave the charge while addressing participants at the just concluded Training Conference organised by the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), which held at the National Defence College, Abuja.

According to a statement by the Acting Director, Defence Information, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, the CDS said military operations were among the approaches adopted by the Federal Government to confront the security challenges in the country. He added that the conference was part of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) initiative towards addressing these challenges.

He emphasised the collective resolve by the military and other security agencies to ensure a safe and secure society for socio-economic growth. The CDS catalogued some of the ongoing Joint Operations being coordinated by the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) to include Operations Whirl Stroke, Whirl Punch, Delta Safe, Save Haven and Sharan Daji, describing them as so far successful.

Olonisakin urged all stakeholders to fully harness the decisions of the conference in order to promote collaboration in future operations.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Muhammad Dan Ali, who was the Guest of Honour, described training and retraining as critical components essential to shore up efficiency in any organisation, especially the Armed Forces.

“For the AFN, a training conference such as this is crucial to the success of our efforts to maintain conducive security environment for the economy to thrive,” he said.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Mrs. Nuratu Batagarawa, the Defence Minister commended the CDS and the Service Chiefs for placing premium on improving the capacity of military personnel, which he noted, was a primary factor in determining the roles played by the Armed Forces in the security of the country.

The minister further expressed the Federal Government’s commitment to providing the Armed Forces and other security agencies with requisite support. He urged the AFN not to relent in the protection of lives and property, as well as securing the territorial integrity of the nation.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Chief of Defence Training and Operations (CDTOPS), Maj. Gen. LEO Irabor, said the conference was intended to culminate into series of training conferences that would be organised by the DHQ to standardise and harmonise the training doctrines and operational concepts in the AFN.

He noted that the outcome of the deliberations would indeed add value to the military institutions, both in joint and combined training and operations.

During the conference, participants who were mostly top echelon of the military, exchanged ideas on modalities to address lapses identified in joint training doctrines, concepts, procedures and policies within the Armed Forces. This was with a view to further enhance capacity development of the AFN to effectively tackle current asymmetric threats bedeviling the country.

They agreed that strict adherence to extant joint operational procedures and structures would boost further synergy and decisive defeat of the adversary in the fight against insurgency, terrorism, militancy, kidnapping, banditry and other transnational crimes.