Nigeria Should Lead Regional Anti- Boko Haram Force – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari

yesterday requested leaders of the Lake

Chad Basin Commission and Benin

Republic to allow Nigeria to command

the troops of the Multi-National Joint

Task Force (MNJTF), which will fight

Boko Haram

He also promised to pay up the $100

million pledged by Nigeria to fund the

Force.

The President spoke during the Extra-

Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State

and Government of the Commission and

Benin at the Presidential Wing of the

Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport,

Abuja.

The meeting, which started around

10:50 a.m, was attended by Presidents

Mahamadou Issoufou (Niger Republic);

Idriss Deby Itno (Chad) and Yayi Boni

(Benin Republic).

Cameroonian President Paul Biya was

represented by his Minister of Defence,

Mr. Mebe Alain

Buhari said: “Permit me, at this

juncture, to recall that Nigeria has

already pledged the sum of $100 million

for the smooth take off of the MNJTF. I

hereby reassure you that my

government will keep faith with this

promise.”

Stressing the need to strengthen cross

border patrol and intelligence sharing,

he said efforts must be targeted at

limiting the insurgents’ capacity to

access funds and weapons.

He disagreed with the six months

duration for the change of the MNJTF

command and control structure.

He said: “While I agree that this is a

joint operation with shared

responsibilities, I am, however, of the

opinion that military operations that are

subjected to a rapid turnover of

command and control structures, six

months duration, as it is being proposed

in the documents before us, do not

augur well for effectiveness and

efficiency.

“Such a process will undermine, even if

not intended, the military capacity to

sustain the push against the insurgents,

who also have the uncanny ability to

adapt and rejig their operational

strategies.”.

Buhari urged the leaders to allow

Nigeria control the force throughout the

period of the war against Boko Haram.

He said: “I am inclined, on account of

the above, to suggest for your

excellencies consideration that Nigeria

retains the position of the Force

Commander of the MNJTF for the period

of the war effort.

“This command will be to the

effectiveness of military strategy, since

Nigeria will be providing the bulk of

the troops and the main theatre of the

war is on Nigerian soil.”

He added: “Our meeting today is

premised on common resolve and

commitment of member states of Lake

Chad Basin Commission and Benin to

maintain the momentum in degrading

the capacity of the insurgents until they

are completely defeated.

“It is also going out with urgency to

mitigate the suffering which has been

imposed on our civilian population by

the nefarious activities of the

insurgents and the terrorists.

“Our meeting today provides us an

excellent opportunity to finalise the

instruments of the operations of the

Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF)

in order to give life to our joint military

campaign to decisively defeat the

insurgents.

“You will recall in my inaugural address

on 29th May 2015, I affirmed that I will

consult regularly with heads of

government of our immediate

neighborhood and I have within four

days of my assumption of duty as

president embarked on thank you visits

to the Presidents of Niger and Chad.

This important assignment was however

interrupted because I had to honor the

invitation extended to me by the G-7

member states to attend their meeting

in Germany.”

He intends to continue his thank you

visits to the remaining Lake Chad Basin

Commission member states shortly.

Britain has announced steps to support

Nigerian forces in the Boko Haram

battle.

Prime Minister David Cameroon told the

House of Commons that the support “is

part of our global commitment to

developing security and stability”.

He spoke of “plans to deploy more Short

Term Training Teams to the region

alongside an increase to the permanent

number of military personnel based

there.

“They will provide further support to

Nigeria in improving security and

combating Boko Haram, contribute staff

to the Multi National Joint Taskforce

Headquarters in Chad and advise on

campaign planning and operational

leadership.”

Britain also plans deployment of up to

125 military personnel to provide

further training to Iraqi security forces.

The move, predominantly aimed at

countering the threat of improvised

explosive devices (IEDs), will build on

the work already undertaken in training

1,000 members of Iraqi forces.

Secretary of State for Defence Michael

Fallon said: “This increase in support

for Nigeria will help a valued partner to

improve security and combat Boko

Haram.

“Alongside recent decisions to deploy

additional troops to Iraq and to commit

an additional 500 to NATO’s Very High

Readiness Task Force in Europe, this

underlines our global commitment to

building security.”