 |
| Lieutenant General Alani Akinrinade |
His submission came on the heels of the relocation of the military command to Maiduguri, the Borno state capital to find solutions to the insurgency.
General Akinrinade spoke yesterday as the chairman of the occasion at a seminar titled ‘Power and Influence in Africa’, organised by Gusau Institute, a think thank with an interest in governance and security, owned by the former Minister of Defence, retired General Mohammed Ibrahim Gusau.
Though Akinrinade did not proffer solution to the insurgency, he intermittently called on the management of Gusau Institute to direct its expertise in security issues towards finding lasting solution to Boko Haram.
He said, “let me say a word or two again about Boko Haram. I have heard a lot of discussions about Boko Haram from many people. I must say that I am lost about the causes of Boko Haram, and I am sure most of our country men are also lost. I want to charge this institute to take this matter very seriously.
“But I am not aware of any military doctrine that has been put down that has effectively addressed guerrilla warfare, which is easier.
But this kind of insurrection we are now having in our hands have never been addressed by any military doctrine successfully.
“So I am aware that a military solution is not going to be the end of Boko Haram.
“So the ball is in the court of politicians, economists and those that have human sympathy that could bring solution to this crisis.
“We have all agreed to treat constitutional issues and maintain Federal character, but it has been bastardised with corruption that has taken over the Constitution.
“We fought the civil war to keep this country and we must honour our founding fathers because they bestowed a befitting country to us. We did what we did because the situation at that time dictated it so.”
It would be recalled that retired General Akinrinade was a member of the Supreme Military Council during the military regime of General Murtala Muhammed and Olusegun Obasanjo between 1975 and 1979.
He was promoted to Lt General on 2nd October 1979 and appointed Chief of Army Staff, and then became Chief of Defence Staff in 1980, during the civilian administration of Shehu Shagari. He voluntarily retired from service with effect from 2nd October 1981.
After retirement, Akinrinade engaged in large-scale farming and was chairman of Niger Feeds and Agriculture Operations between 1982 and 1985.
In General Ibrahim Babangida’s government, he was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Development between 1985 and 1986, Minister of Industries (1988 – February 1989) and Minister of Transport (1989).
Source: Sunnews
