By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Nigerian military recently initiated a new diplomacy campaign aimed at fostering peace and stability as well as winning hearts and minds in communities.
Observers say this innovative approach marks a significant shift from the traditional militaristic approach to security, recognising that lasting peace can only be achieved through building trust and cooperation with local populations.
The campaign, which is being implemented across various theatres of operation, involves engaging with community leaders, women, and youth groups to understand their concerns and needs.
Under this mode, military personnel are being trained to be more empathetic and responsive to the needs of the communities, providing humanitarian assistance and support where possible.
One of the key aspects of this campaign is the emphasis on civic engagement; military personnel are participating in community development projects, such as building schools, hospitals, and roads, and providing medical care and educational support to local children.
These efforts are designed to demonstrate the military’s commitment to the well-being of the communities and help build trust and confidence.
The results of this campaign are already being felt; in several communities, local residents have expressed gratitude for the military’s efforts, noting that they feel safer and more confident in the military’s ability to protect them.
The campaign has also helped to reduce tensions and improve relationships between the military and local populations, making it easier to gather intelligence and conduct operations against terrorist groups.
The maiden edition of the military diplomacy campaign being conducted by the Directorate of Defence Media Operations at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), commenced on April 24 in three states, namely, Adamawa, Anambra and Katsina.
The campaign is in line with the Chief of Defence Staff’s leadership concept, which is, “To Nurture a Professional Armed Forces of Nigeria that is People – Centric, Collaborative and Capable of Meeting its Constitutional Responsibilities in a Joint Environment”.
In Adamawa, specifically in Yola South Local Government Area, the campaign aims to promote peace, security, and patriotism by deepening civil-military relations through dialogue and sensitisation.
Addressing the audience at the Shagari Primary School premises in Yola, the DHQ Team Lead, Commander Godwin Egbunu, said the campaign was organised to also appreciate the people for their cooperation.
Egbunu said the campaign was an initiative of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, to encourage continued collaboration between the military and its host communities.
He said it was a way of reaching out to communities to encourage them to come out and share credible intelligence to sup- port the ongoing military operations nationwide.
“Part of our message is for the youths and community members to desist from joining or being lured into criminal groups, cult groups, kidnapping gangs, and all other things that will bring about negative vices.
“We want to ensure that communities live at peace with one another, avoiding communal clashes.
“Wherever there are controversies, they should reach out to the nearest military unit to air their grievances so that the military can step in to avoid skirmishes.
“Also, we want to encourage you not to see the military as enemies but to see the military as partners and uphold the trust.
“The military is your military; so, they should love the military, embrace the military, and be friendly with the military,” he said.
Egbunu urged the people to also exhibit spirit of patriotism, orderliness and attitudinal change to ensure peace and security in their communities.
He also urged parents to observe their children, know how they lived outside homes to be able to know when they began to engage in negative activities.
Egbunu also urged them to always volunteer useful information to the military and other security agencies as well as avoid taking laws into their own hands, adding that self-defence did not mean killing another person.
The team lead also warned about the danger of fake news caused by the use of social media, saying that fake news had a negative impact on peace and security in the society.
He urged them to always rely on traditional media outlets like TV and radio stations to get authentic news or contact the nearest military formation to verify whatever information they had.
According to him, the military is not only about fighting but also engages in several non-kinetic efforts like medical outreaches, educational support and provision of essential amenities like boreholes.
Recommended for you
Leave a Reply
Leave a Reply
