Ex-Defence Chief, Agwai, Decries Inter-agency Rivalry

*Irabor seeks proactive measures

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

Former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai (rtd), has decried the interagency rivalry among amongst the military and other security agencies in the country.

He said a symbiotic relationship of the armed forces was a pre-condition for success in the ongoing counter terrorism and anti banditry operations.

Agwai, who spoke at a workshop on inter-agency coorperation in Abuja, said inter-agency rivalry had far reaching implications for national security even as he called for the loyalty of the armed forces to the people and the constitution.

“Developing a cordial, symbiotic relationship among you is a pre-condition for success and a lasting security of the nation. Government relies on political, security and military power to function effectively. Coorperation and coordination will provide better result”.

Agwai, who was also Force Commander, United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), recalled the arrest of jailed former President of Liberia, Mr Charles Taylor.

He noted that the episode was a bad example of inter-agency coorperation, adding that synergy of the armed forces was a pre-condition for success in security operations.

He said the arrest of the former Liberian war lord as he left Calabar, where he was on exile and headed to Libya after the United States declared him wanted, was a low point of inter-agency coorperation.

“Charles Taylor wanted to leave Calabar and go to Libya. Customs and Army rivalry came up. They argued about who arrested Taylor.

“The army said we knew him in Liberia. Customs said but we arrested him.

“But the president (Obasanjo) said whether army or customs, I am happy Charles Taylor has been arrested”, he said.

In his remarks, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, called for a proactive approach that would improve inter-agency relations.
He said the three-day workshop themed:”Strenghtening Inter-agency Cooperation for Sustainable National Security”, is expected to identify areas of overlap of responsibilities in order to eliminate them.

“As watch-keepers and law enforcement agents of Nigeria, developing a cordial and symbiotic relationship among you is an important precondition for success in all operations.

“This must be achieved within the ambits of acceptable global standards. It is my belief that this workshop will facilitate the advancement of a proactive and responsive approach that would bring about clear structures and modes of cooperation in wide-ranging situations meant to improve effectiveness among security agencies”, he concluded.