The Executive Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum has admonished the new Service Chiefs to accept constructive criticism in the war against insurgency.
This admonition was made by the Borno state governor while speaking in Maiduguri, the state capital after receiving the Service Chiefs led by the Chief of Defence Staff Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor.
Zulum said the service chiefs must ensure effective collaboration with the civil population if the insurgents are to be finished off.
He said: “In a democratic setting, the military is an established system which is subject to constructive criticisms by well-meaning citizens.
“Therefore, you should accept constructive criticism in good faith to enhance productivity in your operations
“For us to succeed, there must be effective and robust cooperation, collaboration and coordination among yourselves, especially between the Army and the Air Force.
“Incidentally, the Chief of Air Staff and the Chief of Army Staff were coursemates. We are not expecting anything less.
“Enhancing military-civil relation is the sine qua non to peace. Bridging the trust deficit between the government, the civil population and the military is key to stabilising this nation.”
Zulum added that the Boko Haram has taken an international dimension; therefore the collaboration with neighbouring country is crucial in the fight.
To him, the marine component of the operation has been missing, especially in the shore of the Lake Chad, adding that something has to be urgently done about it.