The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila on Monday advocated for a more proactive Nigerian military towards tackling foreign and external aggression in the cyberspace in tandem with the prevailing global realities.
Hon. Gbajabiamila gave the charge in Abuja while declaring open a two-day capacity building workshop/retreat of the House Committee on Defence, chaired by Hon. Babajimi Benson; in collaboration with Centre for Strategic Research and Studies of the National Defence College and the Policy and Legal Advocacy Center (PLAC).
The Speaker said the deployment of the military globally has moved beyond conventional responsibilities of physical protection of the territorial integrity of any country against external aggression.
While stressing that Nigeria can no longer afford to be dogmatic about the roles and responsibilities of its military, the Speaker stated that “here in Nigeria, we are straight-jacketed with the military. The traditional role of the military as we understand it is, once there’s foreign and external aggression, that is when we deploy the military.
“But then, when we get foreign aggression and external aggression, it can be simultaneous. So, when we begin to talk about the military and expand the frontiers, rather than being straight-jacket, we must consider and remember that in this day and age, this century, the foreign attack can come from anywhere. We talk about cyberspace here.
“When we begin to consider the issues on this, I will suggest that what exactly is the definition, or what exactly is a foreign attack. Food for thought.”
While acknowledging the inadequacy of annual budgetary allocation to the security, Hon. Gbajabiamila disclosed that the House is already working on a new model of funding the Nigerian military.
Citing the deployment of the military against coronavirus (being foreign aggression) in the United States of America (USA) as an instance, the Speaker said foreign or external aggression has assumed a new dimension in global conflict considering the use of technology in modern warfare.
According to the Speaker, the House is greatly concerned about the security situation in the country, which was the reason behind its relentless efforts to proffer an enduring solution.
He said: “The challenges of our national security and national defence at this critical time in world history are more diverse and more demanding than they have ever been in our history as a nation.
“We are besieged on all sides: In the north, by insurgents and bandits, in the south by militants and highwaymen. And all of us together, our economy and industry, even our democracy are threatened by the ambitions of those who will wage war on our interests through the skilful abuse of information technology and cyberspace.
ALSO READ: US begins first human trial of coronavirus vaccine
“It is perhaps this last threat that promises to alter forever the nature of our existence. As legislators, we are called upon to make national security policy through the passage of legislation, through oversight of national security infrastructure and through the approval of appropriation to fund national security activities.
“We cannot effectively serve in this role unless we make the effort to understand the continually evolving nature of the threats we face and the challenges we must meet.”
In view of this, Hon. Gbajabiamila disclosed that beyond words, the House would strive to ensure that the Nigerian military no longer lacks in critical areas as a result of funding challenges.
“The House is already working on another model for funding apart from the budget. Anywhere in the world, you don’t fund either your infrastructure gap or security matters simply through the budget.
“It’s time to look for other sources of funding, which we are doing. There’s a Bill in the House already looking at that,” he added.
In his presentation, chairman, House Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson who expressed concern over the spate of security challenges facing the country called for proactive steps toward curtailing various criminal activities across the country.
“We are disturbed by these security challenges because we must always answer to our constituents. Consequently, the committee has continued to interact with the defence establishment with a view to finding lasting solutions to the challenges.
“Only recently, the committee visited Borno State for face-to-face interaction with men and troops of Operation Lafiya Dole as well as the governor of Borno State. We also had an interactive session with the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police. All these have helped to shape our legislative intervention for the defence sector.”
Hon. Benson expressed optimistic that the workshop would aid the oversight function of the members of the committee as well as build trust and confidence between the civilian population and the military.
“This retreat will help us to explore ways to achieve this. Furthermore, we are all aware of the dwindling nature of resources available for appropriation to the security sector. Consequently, this retreat will open our eyes to alternative sources of funding for the defence sector and the role of the National Assembly in ensuring this.”
He also applauded the decision of the governors of Borno and Lagos States, Prof. Babagana Zulum and Babajide Sanwo-Olu respectively for accepting to come and share their experiences with us.
“As the sitting governor in Borno State, we are looking forward to hearing from you about the imminent challenges the Boko Haram insurgency has caused. Similarly, the perspective of a governor outside the centre of the insurgency but also facing other security challenges will be shared by the Lagos State governor.”