By Joseph Erunke
ABUJA-FORMER Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin-Luther Agwai, Thursday, tasked the Nigerian Army authorities to train all Army personnel, irrespective of professional background, as infantry soldiers, saying it was the panacea to defeating Boko Haram terrorists in the North East.

Agwai, also an ex-Chief of Army Staff, equally said adequate funding, modern equipment and training for Nigerian armed forces personnel was a major contributory factor to boosting the morale of military personnel to perform their duties optimally.

Speaking as a guest of honour, at the 2017 Nigerian Army Day Celebration, NADCEL, in Abuja, General Agwai, insisted that the Army must begin to think of having an all dominated infantry personnel if the war against terrorism must be won.

The ex-military chief, who hinted that Boko-Haram terrorists were after the political class and other high ranking Nigerians, contrary to speculation that the terrorists are only after military personnel,asked citizens not to leave the battle against insurgency only in the hands of the military.

“If people believe that it’s only the military that can bring an end to Boko Haram, they are making a mistake because those who are involved in the fourth generation warfare are after political and not military targets,
military power and military achievements, “he said .

But Agwai said insurgency anywhere like the ongoing one in the North East was difficult to defeat.

Hear him:”Strategically, the fourth generation warfare remains focused on changing the minds of decision makers, politically it involves transitional and national networks.

“Operationally, it uses different messages to different audience and which focuses on breaking the opponent political will tactically, using simple materials to create all the havoc, “he added.

“It is on this I come out with my suggestions and many of you would be surprised. My suggestion is that the Nigerian Army must be infantry dominated to fight the next war that we are fighting. They must be infantry dominated.

“They must work from the way to combat Boko Haram and to gain power in the fourth generation warfare, from the obvious to the compelling which is to return us from a dominated infantry force with a strong special force skills.”

“If every army personnel should be in one degree or the other be either infantry or have the skills to perform infantry like functions whether you are in the engineer or the armoured Corps or any Corps you should be able to perform in any of the infantry because everywhere is a battle field you don’t know where the fourth generation warfare will start.

“The clear message is that the infantry dominates at the tactical level and that is where the enemy fights more. With all the strategic forces you have, if you do not have tactical capability, you will be defeated, “he noted.