Military Inaugurates Committee On Reforms

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Gabriel Olonisakin has inaugurated a 10-member committee to study the doctrines and procedures of the military and come up with workable plans to renew the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).

The committee which has until 16 November to submit its reports is expected to identify real and urgent measures and recommend short, medium and long term reforms needed to reinvigorate AFN’s professionalism. The committee’s suggestions would be used to enhance Nigerian military’s performance in the current security challenges in the country, especially, in the North East.

Terms of reference include; to re-appraise previous AFN’s transformation activities and suggest options for realistic reforms, to determine ways of improving on operational efficiency in the services, to examine ways of fostering mission-oriented training in the armed forces.

Others are to evaluate the foreign courses that are currently attended by AFN personnel and suggest ways of ensuring that such courses tally with desired milestones, consider measures for improving on troops adherence to Law of Armed Conflicts in Internal Security and Peace Support Operations, determine impediments to effective logistics support and recommend the way forward, identify current constabulary engagements of the AFN that could be relinquished to the Nigerian Police and other paramilitary organizations, examine ways of fostering value orientation of service personnel through nationalism and the promotion of services’ core values, and suggest ways of improving on career planning in the AFN.

The Committee will also take a critical look at personnel welfare, civil-military relations, policy formulation and implementation, media operations, participation in UN/AU/ECOWAS missions, personnel spouses and barrack youths, plights of ex-service men, career review and national development.

The Committee which may also consider other matters that may result in reforms that would reinvigorate the AFN, is empowered to seek inputs from the Service Headquarters, serving and retired senior officers, relevant MDAs and other stakeholders to enrich its recommendations.