Getso Warns: Changing Military Leaders Won’t Solve Insecurity

According to Dr. Yahuza Getso, a specialist in security intelligence and investigation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent decision to relieve the former military chiefs of their responsibilities won’t alleviate Nigerian insecurity unless more serious structural issues are resolved.

Dr. Getso explained that such replacements occur in accordance with the regulations governing military appointments, characterizing the dismissal as typical and expected in an exclusive interview on Sunday.

But he emphasized that the action won’t address the nation’s security issues on its own.

“Well, it’s not novel to fire or relieve service leaders. They are supposed to serve for a minimum of two years before being either relieved or renewed, he stated.

“This change merely provides the older police time to relax and helps the younger ones to develop. There is nothing unique or tribal about it. It is at the President’s discretion. It’s difficult to determine the president’s motivation, but only time will tell.

But Dr. Getso cautioned that merely switching service chiefs won’t guarantee increased security.

It can’t make a difference. The solution is not to switch out the service chiefs. We are aware of the true issue, which is unrelated to the position’s occupant.

He commended the departing Chief of Defense Staff General Christopher Musa, Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, calling them some of Nigeria’s most approachable and transparent leaders in recent memory.

“They’ve done a fantastic job, in my opinion,” Dr. Getso remarked.

They should be applauded by all Nigerians. Since their early days in service, they have never changed their phone numbers and were willing to listen to anyone, including journalists. They continued to be available and receptive.

He pointed out that the Nigerian military advanced under their direction in a number of operational domains, including combating IPOB in the South East, Boko Haram in the North East, banditry in the North West, and criminal activity in the South-South and South West.

“They used greater technological innovation to transform military operations. They made an effort within the constraints of their surroundings, even if they might not have succeeded completely.

Dr. Getso acknowledged their efforts but maintained that unless corruption is really addressed and government institutions, especially the legislature, executive, and judiciary, are transformed to encourage accountability, Nigerian insecurity will continue.

“Changing service chiefs won’t get us anywhere because capacity and weapons aren’t the only things that matter,” Dr. Getso stated.

Have we got the political will? Does the environment of the service chiefs support them? Is the fight against corruption genuine? Many of the people who occupy political office are neither honest or sincere, and our judiciary is corrupt. Did they get elected or were they just anointed? We will keep lying to ourselves and insecurity will never go away until these issues are resolved and leaders are held responsible.

He issued a warning, saying, “If corruption is not fought practically, count the new service chiefs as failure.”

“The new leaders cannot succeed if there is no supportive atmosphere, if individuals are not held responsible, and if corruption persists in the government institutions and security services’ hierarchy. They do not work as magicians.

He went on to say that some leaders in Nigeria are purposefully maintaining insecurity for their own personal benefit.

He declared, “In Nigeria, we are lying to ourselves.”

Insecurity is being used by some individuals to further their political objectives. Insecurity will keep growing unless we are genuinely prepared to combat corruption and repair our dysfunctional legal system.

Getso shared his vision for the future, stressing the importance of accountability, sincerity, and a community-driven strategy.

He clarified, “Holding people accountable, reaching out to the criminals where they are, and fixing our judicial system are the way forward.”

“We need to improve technology operations, improve security personnel welfare, and involve young people in community-based intelligence sharing and monitoring.”

In order to eradicate corruption from within security organizations, he continued, the government must likewise concentrate on monitoring and performance-based evaluations.

“Appointing new service chiefs is only one step in the right direction. We need to combat corruption not just on paper but also with sincerity and action. Our judiciary has to be reformed since it is already corrupt. The government should enhance the well-being of military and paramilitary troops and use technology to upgrade operational techniques. Additionally, we require a community-driven strategy that involves youth in intelligence collection and improves citizen-security agency communication. Above all, to establish an atmosphere in which security agencies can genuinely thrive, the executive, legislative, and judicial branches must be accountable, properly monitored, and genuinely coordinated.

“We can’t move forward without a practical fight against corruption and sincerity from the leaders and citizens,” he said.