Former President of the Nigerian Defence Academy Alumni Association and Commander of the Multi-national Joint Task Force, Brig-Gen Jon Temlong (rtd), has called for change of strategy in tackling the current security challenges bedeviling the Northern parts of the country. He noted that the current strategy that seems to compartmentalize both the onslaught against the criminals and the intended reintegration process of the victims by the Federal Government should be holistic across the affected states
The fearless and intelligent MNJTF Commander who led mostly military troops from Nigeria, Benin, Niger, Cameroon and Chad analogically likened the current approach being adopted by the Federal Government to treating one sick arm and leaving the other one for another time when both require same attention at the same time. According to him, the one arm being attended to will get better but will transfer the infections to the other arm being left unattended to, at the end amputation becomes the only option.
Gen Temlong who was speaking as a guest on morning flagship program of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) today also emphasize the need for the benefiting communities of the reintegration program to be cardinal in designing the roadmap of integration process. He said “once the communities identify their priority needs, they will jealously guide against vandalization and monitor the construction of the identified projects”
He rightly noted that, “since the return of democracy in Nigeria in 1999, Plateau State has suffered more terrorists and bandits attacks than any State in the North” but he wondered why Plateau State was exempted from the list of the States to benefit from the 50 billion naira security intervention of the Federal Government.
The former commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy lamented that “unlike Niger Delta and North East that have Development Commissions, the middle belt which is most hit by the activities of the criminals is left unattended to”. He appealed to the office of the Vice President which is responsible for the reintegration program to include Plateau, Niger and Nasarawa States in the program
He however expressed optimism that based on the leadership strides of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, North Central States shall be captured and the whole reintegration program will be carried out holistically
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