…Wants programme expanded

The Global Excellence Foundation (GEF) has lauded the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government for absorbing members of the civilian JTF into the Army and other security agencies, even as it appealed that the programme be expanded to accommodate more of the youths that risked their lives to confront terrorists.

President Buhari interacts with troops of HQ 1 BDE in Dansadau Zamfara State as part of the 2016 Nigerian Army Day celebration on 13th July 2016

Country Director of GEF, Professor Yemi Ola, who stated this in Abuja on Tuesday noted that the development deserves commendation for its uniqueness in solving the problems of what to do with the ex-members in a way that everyone emerged a winner.

Professor Ola, who was a member of the House of Representatives in the Second Republic, suggested that adopting the civilian JTF approach in addressing militancy in the Niger Delta should not be ruled out since it worked so well in providing the community component to fighting Boko Haram in the north east.

He argued that “Now that the militants have not started taking human life is when to bring in a sort of civilian JTF, which is the concept of community policing that helped defeat Boko Haram terrorists in the Borno axis. President Muhammadu Buhari mustn’t wait till things in the south south gets as ugly as under Boko Haram before applying this homegrown solution.

“It therefore makes sense that the remaining civilian JTF are accepted into one security agency or the other so that youths in other geo-political zones will easily heed the clarion call to serve because they would have seen that the federal government does not forget nor neglect to honour sacrifice made in national interest.

“The absorbed youths, with the asset they possess by way of detailed knowledge of the local geography and lore, are now the first line of defence against insurgency and criminality. This sort of community policing that Mr President has implemented not only end Boko Haram’s reign of terror but will go a long way to help in identifying individuals with tendencies to launch future attacks,” Professor Ola stressed.

He advised that the Federal Government should start expanding the process by asking all military, security and para-military services to take inventory of their personnel needs in the areas covered by the civilian JTF with a view to identifying the ones that can be filled under the absorption programme.