Why security challenges persist, by KWASU Vice Chancellor

The Vice Chancellor of Kwara State University, Malete (KWASU), Prof. AbdulRasheed Na’Allah and the Director of the Institute of Advanced Military Studies in the institution, Dr. Ademola Araoye, have traced insurgency and other security challenges in the country to neglect of military intellectualism.

They made this observation during the launch of KWASU Institute of Advanced Military Studies (IAMS) in Malete, Kwara State.

The university teachers posited that crime could be eliminated in the society through intellectualism and not by sheer force or purchasing of more guns and other war weapons.

Na’ Allah noted that: “We have neglected high level of intellectualism and critical thinking in the elimination of crimes in the society. Nigeria should develop enough intellectual power to resolve security challenges in Nigeria.”

He posited that poverty is a threat to world peace, adding that no amount of money expended to stamp out poverty is misplaced.

“Militarism and military tradition are not new to us as Africans. But we inherited a post-colonial institute from the British Government and embraced different experiences. Unfortunately, in the 21st century has become outdated thus making Nigeria not to catch up militarily.

“We need to mobilise the entire African continent to begin to rethink and develop things of our own. Something that is local but global, something that is African but also universal. This not a technical military school, but an academic, intellectual and interdisciplinary institute,” he stated.

He said that the newly introduced school has been mandated to “award doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in advanced military studies. The doctoral degree programme is to groom students through immersion in the advanced history and multi-disciplinary theories of war as a fundamental human challenge.

“The programme would also interrogate the immense potential transformational consequences of war related inventions and technological innovations for society and state as well as their implications for systemic stability.”

Araoye, a retired diplomat said the current security tension in Nigeria is not unique to the country.

“It is not a unique experience to have the security challenges orchestrated by the Boko Haram insurgents, but what we need to do is to manage those tensions constructively.

“The security architecture should flow from a grand national strategy, a grand national strategy should be underpinned with a common national vision. Beyond that whatever architecture we have will not be underpinned by a sound theoretical understanding of the challenges that we are facing.

“If you look at the development of the military in advanced states and the military in post colonial states, 99 per cent of the military in advanced states is externally focused while more than 85 per cent of the post colonial armies are internally focused.

It goes to say that there is a need for policy making to be firmly underpinned by strong theoretical understanding of our experiential military,” he added.

Credit: The Guardian