(PRESS STATEMENT)
The Centre for Crisis Communication, CCC, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) with the mandate to engage in crisis information and communication management, wishes to express its heartfelt delight over the appointment of the National Security Adviser (NSA), and a new set of Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on Monday.
Indeed, the new Service Chiefs will be taking over from a set of accomplished and high-flying military officers (led by General Leo Irabor) who were retired by Mr. President.
The decision by President Tinubu to inject the expected fresh bloods into the ‘theatre of war’ to help fight Nigeria’s insecurity is apt. The new NSA and Service Chiefs are truly among the few brilliant senior officers in Nigeria. They have absolutely paid their dues, hence they got Mr. President’s nod to take over from where their predecessors stopped.
CCC, wishes to also salute the ingenuity of President Tinubu, who ensured that the appointees reflects Nigeria’s ethno-religious diversity, and geographical spread, without sacrificing competence.
Indeed, it is the first time, in recent years, that a majority of the appointees will not be adherents of a particular religious faith, and ethnic leaning. No doubt the appointment shows how sensitive Mr. President is to issues that can polarize Nigerian citizens.
To this end, it is pertinent to say that the new NSA, Service Chiefs and IGP should see their appointments as a call to serve. They have been selected at this critical period of the country’s evolution, to help foster national security.
They must do all they can to ensure they do not betray the trust and confidence of the Commander-in-Chief and teeming Nigerians, who believe in their unrivaled capacities, to deliver. There is the need for them to boost the harmonious relationship, already existing between their services.
Furthermore, the Centre wishes to urge them to reinvigorate the synergy and inter-agency collaboration and sustain same with other paramilitary and security agencies, for the benefits of Nigerians.
Similarly, it is fundamental that they prioritize strategic communication of the current security challenges, while also engaging in the timely analysis of discreet security information. Above all, they must strive to introduce administrative policies and programmes that will tackle Nigeria’s insecurity conundrum headlong.
Meanwhile, CCC, wishes to use this medium to express her delight for the career elevations of Deputy Inspector General of Police, Frank Mba, and Acting Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs, Wale Bashir Adeniyi, who were founding members of the Forum of the Spokesperson of Security and Response Agencies, (FOSSRA), which was established in 2015, to among other things, provide a systematic approach to crisis information management to strategic stakeholders and the general public.
We beseech Almighty God to grant new NSA, Service Chiefs, IGP and other appointees abundant wisdom, sound health and peace of mind to discharge the onerous responsibilities they all have been foisted with.
E-Signed:
Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (rtd),
Executive Secretary, Centre for Crisis Communication.
