The Provost of National Defence College (NDC), Prof. Adam Ahmed, says non-kinetic approach is key to winning war against insurgence and conflicts in the north east and other parts of the country.
Ahmed said this on Monday in Abuja at the opening of the workshop on Defence and Security Management organized by the NDC through the Centre for Strategic Research and Studies.
He noted that the use of kinetic approach had not been able to achieve much result as non-kinetic did since its introduction by the Federal Government.
He said that the programme was specifically designed to train the middle level and senior level of the members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the securities and the strategic allied MDAs.
“The current one that is in session is the seventh version, so it means it’s been going on for the past seven years.
“And it’s a course that we are very proud of. Why? Because it introduces people to those ingredients that are very, very essential and important when it comes to defence.
“When it comes to security, when it comes to managing the people in conflict and peace area. The course is likely non-kinetic. It is about management.
“It is giving you alternative to war, war, war, to looking at issues, to looking at security matters as entirely kinetic, is military.”
He lauded the Federal Government and other partners in MNJTL for introducing the element of non-kinetism which he said had been working.
He said that the course would be able to sharpen people who would be involved in managing the cinflict in the crisis ridden areas.
“You understand, away from everything that had to be brimstone, military, and so on and so forth. But you can see that the bulk of thousands and thousands of people that have surrendered are not true kinetic.
“ It’s non-kinetic, you know, and fortunately for us, the little that we have been able to use, the methodology, non-kinetic methodology, and the concept and precept variable that we have used has germinated, it has product yielded, where you see a lot of people coming in.
“ So this course, linking it to what is happening in the Northeast, it means people that are involved in this course will be able to manage the crisis from non-kinetic perspective, which is very, very, very key.
“Not only in the Northeast, all over the country. Not only all over the country, across West Africa. Because the crisis and conflict is what you see all over the world,” he said.
Prof. Istifanus Zabadi, one of the resource persons at the workshop, said that the course was to bring together both military and non-military approaches to addressing conflict situations in the country
Zabadi, therefore, stressed the need for the various aspects of national security agencies to work together in ensuring the safety and security of the country.
“There is the need to work together to give us a safe and secured environment within the country and safety from outside as well.”
He urged the participants to discharge their duty with respect to humanity.
“Those are issues that they must appreciate. So in carrying out their jobs, you know. For instance, one of our values is to deal with gender equality.
“And it’s there in the books now. So, when we know that, we will not treat women anyhow, we will not treat disabled people anyhow, we will not neglect children, and that sort of thing.
“Now, that you have been equipped to know that the next person sitting to you who is not wearing uniform at all or wearing your own kind of uniform, the job they do fits into your own and gives us as Nigeria safety and security,” he said.
The Course Coordinator, Dr Adam Abdullahi, said main purpose of the course was to train the participants on how to better perform their role and prepare them for strategic leadership engagements.
Abdullahi said that programme was also to focus on discussing about “how do we resettle liberated communities in the northeast without them being victim of mines and IEDs and all that. (NAN)