Coalition lauds Chief of Defence Staff, Musa over maiden JTF Commanders’ conference

• Calls conference turning point in terrorism fight

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Coalition Against Separatism, Banditry, and Terrorism (CASBAT) has described the recently concluded Joint Task Force Commanders’ Conference as the potentially turning point in the fight against terrorists, bandits, and other criminals.

The Country Representative of CASBAT,

Dr. Abidemi Moses, while commending the Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa for the innovation, described it as the much-needed catalyst to drive the military to success.

In a statement on Tuesday, Dr Moses pointedly declared that Gen Musa has continued to introduce remarkable reforms and strategies to further enhance the operations of the military.

He noted that the CDS’ emphasis has been on synergy, intelligence sharing, and cooperation to effectively address complex security challenges.

Dr Moses added that the theme of the conference ‘Rejigging Defence Headquarters-Led Operations’ attests to General Musa’s knack for capacity building and training as another tool for maintaining operational readiness.

“The maiden JTF commanders’ conference was indeed a massive success. Gen Musa made it clear from the onset that the military must collaborate to address insecurity,” Moses said.

Continuing, he said, “By bringing JTF commanders together, the CDS has effectively broken the barriers and enhanced synergy and collaboration. This is commendable.

“During the conference, he laid emphasis on change of timely and accurate information, which is the lifeblood of successful operations.

“The CDS also harped on improved strategies, tactics, and capabilities to effectively counter emerging threats.

“He urged commanders to embrace new technologies, fostering a culture of innovation, and promoting a learning mindset to maintain an operational edge against the adversaries.

“The CDS also urged them to encourage and empower personnel under them to think creatively to challenge conventional wisdom and to embrace change as they strive for continuous improvement. This is the right way to go.

“We are pleased that the military chief promised to address issues like the inadequate manpower, lack of support weapons, gun trucks, and drones, as well as the inadequate tracking equipment and the teams to operate them”, he said.

The CASBAT Country Director therefore urged the CDS to introduce more top-notch ideas and strategies to rid the nation of remnants of criminal elements.

Dr Moses charged Nigerians to always rally around the troops, noting that they play a huge part in the synergy and intelligence gathering.