Security chiefs arrive Borno, assure on airport reopening
Nigerian security chiefs arrived Maiduguri yesterday, saying they were there to end the six-year-old Boko Haram insurgency.
Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Kenneth Minima and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Ademola Amosun shortly after their arrival, briefed newsmen on why they were in Maiduguri.
Air Marshal Amosun said they were in Maiduguri to ensure that they carry out President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that they should move the command and control centre to Maiduguri.
“Let me attempt to break it down, what is command and control? It’s essentially the processes of discharging authority and giving directions and the apparatus that go along with it, this is what command and control is all about. In the armed forces generally, we operate on the concept of centralised control, and the execution is decentralized upon the side where the operation is taking place. So, we have some level of command and control already within the operation area,” he said.
He added: “Mr. President is really committed and ready to close the operations in good time. That’s why we are here to ensure those directives are fully carried out”.
Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minima said they were in Maiduguri to add impetus to the already existing operation.
“There is an assisting command here in Maiduguri and there should be superior pressure on the existing command to ensure that the war ends as quickly as possible. That is what we are working on, not just that something extraordinary is going to happen. The advance party and reconnaissance military command and control centre was here since a couple of days ago to strengthen the existing structures on ground. And indeed the movement has started with the very hierarchy of the army and the air force. It also does not translate that we are taking the battle from the General Officer Commanding (G.O.C.) who is here. He still commands his operations as G.O.C. We are here to give further impetus to the operation,” he said.
On the closed Maiduguri International Airport, Amosun said: “The issue of reopening the airport was not really the Nigerian armed forces issue. NAMA wrote us recently, they want us to give them assurance that they start operations from 6:00am to 6:00pm. We have already given them assurance. We’ve written them back. Very soon the Maiduguri airport will be reopened for civil operation. But when the need arises due to what, may be, would follow up for operation, we advise them from to time, to shut down. But definitely the airport will be reopened soon,” he said.