Defence College alumni wants Nigerians to intensify efforts to deal with asymmetric warfare
NAN-DS-12
Warfare
By Doris Esa
Abuja, March 6, 2018 (NAN) The President of the Alumni Association of the National Defence College (AANDEC), retired Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Temlong , says Nigerians must intensify efforts to deal with the Asymmetric Warfare of today, and prepare to face the emerging more complex trends in tomorrow’s warfare.
Temlong made the call at the 8th edition of the National Security Seminar holding in Abuja, organised by the Association in collaboration with the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
“There is no gain saying that we must intensify our efforts to deal with the Asymmetric Warfare of today and prepare to face the emerging more complex trends in tomorrow’s warfare,” he said.
He said that the 8th AANDEC National Security Seminar was organised to ” plan for tomorrow while managing the present national security challenges.”
” This is to ensure a generational shift that will prevent a catastrophic defeat in the future.
” This, therefore, is a call to action for the Federal Government, all stakeholders in our national security architecture and the general populace to develop our scientific and technological base to enhance military operations,” he said.
” The battles of tomorrow have already began today, Nigeria is facing multiplicity of threats from mostly non-state actors such as the Boko Haram terrorists organisation and separatists groups,” he said.
The president said that some of these threats emanated from hostile narratives which were outright hate speeches, high powered politics, religious and communal conflicts, herders and farmers crisis, among others.
” We are ever prepared to be tasked by the government to carry out any challenging assignments, after all, we are the intellectual property of Nigeria, since all of us were trained and educated with tax payers money,” he said.
The Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Adm. A.Osinowo, said that the seminar was timely and relevant.
” This seminar is timely and relevant as it came at a time when the Armed Forces of Nigeria and indeed the Nigerian security landscape are challenged by mutational security paradigms that leverage emerging technologies to threaten our freedom,” he said.
He said that the Alumni had established itself as a platform for the exhibition of intellectual discourse, to deliver value to the college and the nation.
” The forum has therefore, came to represent a veritable platform for the discussion and sharing of thoughts on contemporary strategic national defence, security and development,” he said.
Osinowo said that the National Defence College was already involved in the conduct of research to articulate strategic efforts of government in the best way to embrace emerging technologies especially as they impacted on national security.
” The National Defence College looks forward to forging a stronger partnership with AANDEC in the realisation of the college’s strategic mandate,” he said.(NAN)
ORD/AMY
Edited by Abdullahi Yusuf