Military will never solve Boko Haram insurgency – Former CDS, Agwai

A former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Martin Luther Agwai, has stated that Nigeria’s military will not end the current Boko Haram insurgency.

Agwai made this declaration on Saturday in Jos at the public launch of a book entitled, ‘Integrity Matters: Men of Honour in the Public Square’, written by the Dean, Graduate School, ECWA Theological Seminary, Jos.

In his words: “You can never solve any of these problems with military solutions. The military can always be an enabling force. They will sensitise; they will stabilise the area. It is a political issue; it is a social issue; it is an economic issue, and until these issues are addressed, the military can never give you a solution.

“So, to say the military has failed or is overwhelmed or has not failed is incorrect. But I will say that if anybody expects the military to give him a solution to this problem, it will be difficult, since it is not a military problem, it is not a war. You are not fighting another country invading Nigeria. So, you cannot get a military solution to that.”

Agwai wondered how he is expected to pass judgement on the performance of deployed troops when he does not have “all the operators gathering the information and what is happening, the overall plan and the exit plan.”

The one-time Chief of Army Staff (COAS), attributed his time in as head of the army and the armed forces to the grace of God, adding that there was insurgency in the southern part of the country at that time but was managed.

On the nation’s 53 years anniversary, Agwai said he was glad when Nigeria became Independent, recalling that he started Senior Primary School that same year.

“I remember vividly how we used to sing the old National Anthem, ‘Nigeria we hail thee’. I remember also vividly the Coat of Arms, the Green White Green they (the British) gave us. We have come a long way.

Continuing, “As human beings, there are always high expectations. And I have always said that the most difficult thing to manage is expectation. There were other challenges, which included the civil war; we had our challenges, but we have also had our good points.

“We have championed freedom in Africa. Everybody knows what role Nigeria played in getting South Africa and the southern part of Africa to become free and independent. Everybody knows what we did in Angola, everybody knows what we have done in our sub-region, in Liberia, in Sierra Leone, in Guinea Bissau and so many other places,”Agwai said.