FG deploys military retirees to secure ungoverned spaces<\/p>\n
The Federal Government says it plans to deploy military veterans to assist in securing Nigeria’s ungoverned spaces as part of strategies to strengthen national security and drive economic activities in conflict-affected areas.<\/p>\n
The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.) made the statement at the inauguration of an 18-member committee charged with the responsibility to reclaim ungoverned spaces for economic viability and reposition the Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires and Veterans<\/p>\n
The Ministry\u2019s Deputy Director of Information, Enderline Chukwu, in a statement on Wednesday on behalf of the Director Information and Public Relations, said the committee was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja, with the Minister represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Richard Pheelangwa.<\/p>\n
Musa said the deployment of veterans into ungoverned spaces would complement ongoing military operations by bringing experienced personnel into local security and development efforts, particularly in areas where state presence remains weak.<\/p>\n
According to him, the initiative reflects a strategic shift from an over-reliance on military offensives to a more inclusive and sustainable approach to security that tackles the socio-economic drivers of insecurity.<\/p>\n
The Minister highlighted that the move is part of a renewed effort to strengthen Veterans’ welfare and ensure active participation of military veterans in strengthening national security.<\/p>\n
Musa stressed that the initiative was part of the Federal Government\u2019s commitment to ensuring that veterans who served the country with honour are empowered to live productive lives after retirement while still contributing to national stability.<\/p>\n
\u201cDeliberate integration of veterans into security and development initiatives would enhance local ownership, improve intelligence gathering and foster trust between communities and the state,\u201d the Minister added<\/p>\n
He urged the Committee to adopt innovative and forward-looking approaches that would produce actionable recommendations capable of supporting a holistic strategy for securing ungoverned spaces, promoting inclusive growth and sustaining peace.<\/p>\n
The Committee’s Terms of Reference include:
\n-To reposition the veteran community to support national economic development,
\n-Deploy veterans to secure Ungoverned Spaces and ensure that the areas are brought under effective oversight and development, -Reposition the Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires, strengthen operational effectiveness, facilitate veterans reintegration and promote their contribution to national security.<\/p>\n
Members were drawn from the Joint Services Department of the Ministry, the Nigerian Legion, Defence Headquarters, the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as the offices of the Ministers of Defence and State for Defence.<\/p>\n
Before now, there have been growing calls for the integration of military retirees into Nigeria\u2019s security architecture, as a way of reducing the heavy reliance on overstretched serving personnel deployed across the country.<\/p>\n
With this strategic move by the Defence Minister, full implementation could significantly reduce criminal activities in ungoverned spaces, easing pressure on troops and boosting community-based security efforts<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FG deploys military retirees to secure ungoverned spaces The Federal Government says it plans to deploy military veterans to assist in securing Nigeria’s ungoverned spaces as part of strategies to strengthen national security and drive economic activities in conflict-affected areas. The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.) made the statement at the inauguration of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":149847,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,424,20],"tags":[100,2703,2702],"class_list":{"0":"post-149846","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"category-security","9":"category-the-nation","10":"tag-fg","11":"tag-retired-veterans","12":"tag-securing-9f-ungoverned-spaces"},"yoast_head":"\n