The armed forces and the police must be provided with tools to secure the nation
The recent announcement of the creation of four new divisions for the Nigerian Army reflects an attempt to enhance the capacity of the military in its fight to combat insecurity across the country. The decision followed an earlier presidential approval for the Army to recruit 28,000 new soldiers. But while these measures have been applauded by some people, others have expressed reservations about the ability of government to muster and provide funds required to implement the directive. The concerns stem from the fact that existing army divisions are poorly equipped and operate below minimum acceptable capacity. While enlistment in the military is a national sacrifice, it is not a suicide mission. Their personnel must be given the tools to fight. The argument therefore is that the resources to be expended on the newly established divisions could have been directed at raising the combat efficiency of the existing divisions in terms of manpower, weapons, arms and ammunition as well as fighting vehicles.
However, we do not query the motive behind the creation of new formations. It arises from the need to have the military spread across the country to ease and quicken response to attacks and dominate many of the ungoverned spaces that provide haven for bandits, insurgents and other criminal groups. But if this objective is to be achieved, the government would need to invest massively in equipping both the new and old establishments. The recruitment of new soldiers comes with other serious demands. They must be fully kitted and equipped in addition to provision of decent accommodation and other logistics requirements for their training and future deployment. Likewise, the welfare of the military deserves attention. Well- motivated soldiers are focused even under pressure. There is no point increasing the size of the military only to have a bunch of poorly paid soldiers who could end up as a nuisance to the society.
