Military Efforts Alone Can’t Address Nigeria’s Security Challenges – Amao

Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao has said military operations will only address 20 percent of the nation’s security challenges while the remaining 80 percent will be through non kinetic approaches.

The CAS added that a whole-of-society approach in tackling the various security challenges confronting the country remains the surest bet towards finding lasting solutions.

Amao who made the assertion when he received the president and chairman of council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) , Mallam Mukhtar Zubair Sirajo during a courtesy call at Headquarters Nigerian Air Force (NAF), commended NIPR for the successful hosting of the well-attended “Citizens Summit for National Integration, Peace and Security” held recently.

In a statement by the director of public relations and information Air Cdre Edward Gabkwet
Air Marshal Amao, said the theme of the Summit, ‘Reopen Conversation, Rebuild Trust’, indicated it aim at bridging the widening trust gap between the leaders and the citizens, as well as amongst the citizens, through promotion of national integration and enhancement of cross-country peaceful co-existence.
He said ‘For us in the Nigerian Air Force, we see your efforts as non-kinetic means of frontally confronting and addressing the myriads of security challenges facing us as a nation in view of its import to national integration and cohesion, reconciliation, peace and unity of all Nigerians.’
He noted that the NAF concurred with the notion that most Nigerians care less about the country’s political problems, but rather its accelerated development and a stronger Nigeria built on equity, fairness, and justice.
‘Indeed, a Nigeria built on these ideals will surely minimize the risk of conflict and violent which are inimical to national security,’ he noted.
He added that though the NAF, in synergy with other sister Services, has stepped up its air operations against enemies of the State with varying degrees of success, “the efforts can barely address 20 percent of the security challenges being faced while the remaining 70 percent will be resolved via non-kinetic means such as the recently held NIPR Summit”.