Nigeria cannot depend on mercenaries to tackle insecurity ― NIIA DG

The Director-General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Professor Eghosa Osaghae has said that the country cannot depend on mercenaries to solve its seemingly intractable insecurity challenges amidst calls for mercenaries.

Professor Osaghae, therefore, called for more concerted multilateral actions like the multinational joint force with Chad and other neighbours.

The DG, who made this known in an exclusive chat with Tribune Online on Sunday in Lagos, explained that the multilateral actions involve defence, security partners, and major regional and global institutions and powers.

The Former Vice-Chancellor further explained that the nature of conflicts and threats have gone transnational and as such cannot only be attended to internally even though some countries manage theirs alone.

“Nigeria cannot depend on mercenaries, but efforts like the multinational joint force we have with Chad and other neighbours are an indication that we need more concerted multilateral action.

“Concerted multilateral action with neighbours, defence and security partners, and major regional and global institutions and powers.

“The nature of conflicts and other global threats today, the fact that they tend to be transnational in all terms, groups, weapons, cyberspace, effects, and so on, means that conflicts can no longer be the internal affairs of individual countries alone.

“Nigeria’s experience with terrorism, the Sahel, and piracy in the Gulf, not to mention herder-farmer conflicts, banditry and other supposedly internal conflicts, illustrate the point very well. Some countries are better able to manage the problems acting alone, but none does so in isolation anymore.” The DG said.

Professor Osaghae also stated that the Federal Government cannot do it alone having tried working earnestly to overcome the challenges and as such need the cooperation of citizens and all tiers of government.

He added that issues of national cohesion in peaceful and democratic ways can be addressed in a bid to become a strong and powerful country.

“The FG has been working very hard to overcome the challenges within the constraints of the very difficult internal and external circumstances under which we have had to operate.

“But the point to make is that the federal government cannot do it all alone. We need the support of citizens and the cooperation of all tiers of government – in addition, of course, to external multilateral support.

“Hopefully, we can address issues of national cohesion in peaceful and democratic ways and become the strong and powerful country we have always had the potential to be.” He said.

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