As part of attempts to bolster national security and stimulate economic activity in conflict-affected areas, the Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to deploy military veterans to help secure the country's ungoverned areas. This came after the Minister of Defense, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), appointed an 18-person team to reposition the Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires and Veterans to recapture ungoverned areas for economic viability.
The committee was established on Tuesday at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Abuja, with the minister represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Richard Pheelangwa, according to a statement released on Wednesday by the Ministry's Deputy Director of Information, Enderline Chukwu, on behalf of the Director of Information and Public Relations.
Speaking at the ceremony, Musa claimed that the deployment of veterans into ungoverned areas would supplement current military operations by integrating seasoned people into local security and development initiatives, especially in places where the state's presence is still weak.
The minister claims that the program represents a strategic change away from an excessive dependence on military offensives and toward a more sustainable and inclusive approach to security that addresses the socioeconomic causes of instability.
An 18-person committee, titled "Reclaiming Ungoverned Spaces for Economic Viability and the Repositioning of the Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires and Veterans," was established by Minister of Defense Gen. Christopher Musa (retd) as part of a renewed effort to improve veteran welfare and ensure the active participation of military veterans in bolstering national security.
"To reposition the veteran community to promote national economic development is the first of the committee's three areas of reference, according to the Minister.
(2) To assign veterans to guard ungoverned areas and make sure they are properly supervised and developed.
(3) To reorient the Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires, improve operational efficiency, ease the reintegration of veterans, and highlight their role in national security.
Musa emphasized that the program was a component of the Federal Government's commitment to guaranteeing that veterans who honorably served their country be enabled to have fulfilling lives after retirement while continuing to contribute to the stability of the country.
"Intentionally incorporating veterans into security and development projects would boost community trust, increase local ownership, and improve intelligence gathering."
He called on committee members to take creative and forward-thinking stances that would provide practical suggestions to support an all-encompassing plan for protecting ungoverned areas, promoting inclusive development, and maintaining peace.
The Nigerian Legion, Defence Headquarters, the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as the offices of the Ministers of Defence and State for Defence, were among the committee's members.
In order to lessen the excessive reliance on overworked serving members stationed throughout the nation, there have previously been increasing requests for the incorporation of military retirees into Nigeria's security architecture.
If the Defense Minister's recent action is completely carried out, it might greatly lower the frequency of criminal activity in the nation's ungoverned areas, relieve operational burden on frontline troops, and bolster community-based security initiatives.