DHQ: Military Working on Relocation of Command Centre to Maiduguri
02 Jun 2015
Nigeria ThisDay
In response to President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that the Command and Control Centre of the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) should relocate to Maiduguri, the epicenter of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east, DHQ has confirmed that the military is working round the clock to implement the relocation within the shortest possible time.
Buhari had in his first directive as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, ordered the transfer of the command centre from the service headquarters in Abuja to Maiduguri, the Borno capital, in order to bring the insurgency to a quick and decisive end.
In compliance with the directive, Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, informed THISDAY monday that the military authorities were already expediting action to ensure that the relocation is effected as quickly as possible.
Although Olukolade could not specify the date or further details on when the order would be implemented, he confirmed that the modalities were being worked out.
“The necessary details and implementation strategies are already being worked out,” he said.
Buhari’s order which was made during his inaugural speech last Friday, has however divided opinion among stakeholders in the defence and security sector, with some describing it as a sound strategic move while others considered it a tactical blunder.
While the directive got the backing of most retired military chiefs and a few security experts who spoke with THISDAY on the condition of anonymity, explaining that moving the Command and Control Centre was distinct from relocating DHQ, some senior serving officers and defence experts were circumspect about the directive.
A retired Brigadier General explained that the “relocation of the command centre does not amount to the relocation of DHQ to Maiduguri. I am confident the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) will do the needful. The president's directive was meant to focus the military on professionalism”.
In the same vein, another retired Major-General said: “It dosen't mean the entire HQ will relocate. It’s only those elements that are operationally required for the success of the specified task that will move to Maiduguri.”
Also, a former service chief asked for patience, advising Nigerians not pre-empt the outcome of the president’s directive to relocate the command cenre to Maiduguri.
“I think there is an intrinsic value in that thought process, so let's wait and see the value addition of this move on the efficacy of the on going operations.
“The president has given a directive and it’s in order. It does not amount to moving the military headquarters but the operations centre. The operations centre is different; it’s just like a network.
“It’s because people don't understand how these things work. It’s like the military operations centre, but what's important is to ensure proper operational command and control, and has nothing to do with the command structure of the Armed Forces.
“So instead of the man waiting for Abuja to give orders or assess situations before giving the orders, everything should be done in situ from a direct command where everybody will have a common tactical picture of the operations.
“Don't forget that when we had the Niger Delta militancy, we had the operational headquarters in Yenogoa as Restore Hope, which later chaged to Operation Pulo Shield manned then by General Sarkin Yaki (rtd).
“When they even claimed that he (Buhari) did not consult widely, they seemed to have forgotten that General Dambazzau who was a former army chief and also fought Boko Haram was part of Buhari’s security team. So he must have consulted widely.
“Buhari himself was also the first to fight an insurgency in that same environment many years ago,” the former service chief said.
Also supporting Buhari's decision, a security analyst and Executive Director, Acti-Tech Limited, Engr. Peter Madu, described the call for the relocation of the military command centre to Maiduguri as a reflection of the president’s zeal to get the job done as quickly as possible.
“We both know his frustration with the way this campaign has been prosecuted up till now; more so having served in the same theatre and against a similar threat in the past,” Madu said.
In my opinion, he added, “This smacks of a declaration of a state of emergency in another form.”
According to him, the proximity of decision makers within the military hierarchy to the insurgency will be useful in focusing their entire energy and available resources to the job at hand.
“I would like to believe that it has benefits. Moving the command centre to Maiduguri does not mean all our fighting men and hardware will be situated there. Besides, a military force worth its name must retain tactical wherewithal in its ability to respond to national security threats no matter which part of the country they might exist,” he said.
However, the directive has been received with a degree of skepticism by some retired and mostly serving senior officers in the military who were of the opinion that such a move could boomerang, adding that it was neither strategic nor had a historical precedence.
Those who spoke to THISDAY castigated their colleagues – retired and serving – who agreed with the president’s move as part a move to curry favours from the new administration.
One senior officer who was not excited with the decision, said: “That directive is capable of dampening the whole operations. It only reinforces the notion that he (Buhari's) is not completely in the picture on the current military arrangement.
“He (Buhari) must know that there are about nine major conflicts in the country being coordinated by the central command where apart from the Operation Zaman Lafiya against Boko Haram in the North-east, we still have Operation Pulo Shield in the Niger Delta, Restore Hope in Plateau State, and as well as other operations to cater to Fulani Herdsmen-Farmers clashes in the Middle Belt, kidnappings and armed robbery attacks, amongst others. The military is now being deployed in virtually all the states of the federation.”
Speaking to THISDAY another senior officer said president was displaying a particular bias towards the Boko Haram crisis to the detriment of other conflicts in the country.
“I mean, what makes him feel that relocating the central command to Maiduguri is more important for a man in Benue whose life and farmlands are under constant threat from the Fulani herdsmen?
“We have devoted two Divisions, not just two Divisions but almost three Divisions of the Nigerian Army to the operations in the North-east. Look, that operation is being overseen by two Divisions, that is, 7Div in Maiduguri, 3rd Div in Jos and a part of the 1Div in Kaduna.
“What is he trying to imply? That the two GOCs who are all Major-Generals cannot manage the situation or that at their level, they are two small?
“I think the directive came too soon, and he is acting on sentiments and populist views. This is just a populist decision to score a cheap point against the military establishment, and instead of crediting it with the recent successes, he would rather attribute it to our neighbouring countries.
“He is trying to pander to his political party rather than to see the reality on the ground. What did he mean by the Command and Control Centre, if it is not the one domiciled in the service headquarters where over nine conflicts are being monitored? Can you imagine the scandal it will cause if a general is killed in that zone, and the effect on the rest of the military? The DHQ and Command Centre are supposed to be a bastion of the military might, they are supposed to be the last sectors to be attacked. So matters should not be compounded,” he said.
Also opposing the move, a retired Director with the Department of State Security Service (DSS), Mr. Mike Ejiofor described the directive as “strategic but somewhat hasty and political”.
“It is strategic but political... asking the Command Centre to move to Maiduguri. I don't think it’s going to change the course of the fight because already we have achieved much under the immediate past administration,” he said.
Also, Ejiofor recalled that the Jonathan administration established 7 Division, Maiduguri, where there is a GOC and the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) on the ground.
“I also believe that he could have consulted the service chiefs to know their plans, what they had done and what they had not done before making such a move.
“Anyway, as a former military man he has his mindset and that's why I believe the decision was strategic, but to me it also had a political tweak and it was rather hasty,” he concluded.
Similarly, a retired air force chief recalled that the National Assembly had also tried to relocate the service chiefs to Maiduguri until the legislators were educated on the folly of their motion.
“They realised that it was not proper and retracted. I mean where is it or has it been done in the world. This is not about sentiments. Look, any retired officer that is supporting this move is either being sentimental, ignorant or looking for patronage.
“When they brought this issue to the floor of the Senate, there was one General Saleh (rtd) who is now a Senator who educated them on the writings of an American general and they were ashamed.
How many times did America move its strategic command because it was engaged in a war?” he asked.
Nigeria ThisDay
In response to President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that the Command and Control Centre of the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) should relocate to Maiduguri, the epicenter of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east, DHQ has confirmed that the military is working round the clock to implement the relocation within the shortest possible time.
Buhari had in his first directive as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, ordered the transfer of the command centre from the service headquarters in Abuja to Maiduguri, the Borno capital, in order to bring the insurgency to a quick and decisive end.
In compliance with the directive, Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, informed THISDAY monday that the military authorities were already expediting action to ensure that the relocation is effected as quickly as possible.
Although Olukolade could not specify the date or further details on when the order would be implemented, he confirmed that the modalities were being worked out.
“The necessary details and implementation strategies are already being worked out,” he said.
Buhari’s order which was made during his inaugural speech last Friday, has however divided opinion among stakeholders in the defence and security sector, with some describing it as a sound strategic move while others considered it a tactical blunder.
While the directive got the backing of most retired military chiefs and a few security experts who spoke with THISDAY on the condition of anonymity, explaining that moving the Command and Control Centre was distinct from relocating DHQ, some senior serving officers and defence experts were circumspect about the directive.
A retired Brigadier General explained that the “relocation of the command centre does not amount to the relocation of DHQ to Maiduguri. I am confident the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) will do the needful. The president's directive was meant to focus the military on professionalism”.
In the same vein, another retired Major-General said: “It dosen't mean the entire HQ will relocate. It’s only those elements that are operationally required for the success of the specified task that will move to Maiduguri.”
Also, a former service chief asked for patience, advising Nigerians not pre-empt the outcome of the president’s directive to relocate the command cenre to Maiduguri.
“I think there is an intrinsic value in that thought process, so let's wait and see the value addition of this move on the efficacy of the on going operations.
“The president has given a directive and it’s in order. It does not amount to moving the military headquarters but the operations centre. The operations centre is different; it’s just like a network.
“It’s because people don't understand how these things work. It’s like the military operations centre, but what's important is to ensure proper operational command and control, and has nothing to do with the command structure of the Armed Forces.
“So instead of the man waiting for Abuja to give orders or assess situations before giving the orders, everything should be done in situ from a direct command where everybody will have a common tactical picture of the operations.
“Don't forget that when we had the Niger Delta militancy, we had the operational headquarters in Yenogoa as Restore Hope, which later chaged to Operation Pulo Shield manned then by General Sarkin Yaki (rtd).
“When they even claimed that he (Buhari) did not consult widely, they seemed to have forgotten that General Dambazzau who was a former army chief and also fought Boko Haram was part of Buhari’s security team. So he must have consulted widely.
“Buhari himself was also the first to fight an insurgency in that same environment many years ago,” the former service chief said.
Also supporting Buhari's decision, a security analyst and Executive Director, Acti-Tech Limited, Engr. Peter Madu, described the call for the relocation of the military command centre to Maiduguri as a reflection of the president’s zeal to get the job done as quickly as possible.
“We both know his frustration with the way this campaign has been prosecuted up till now; more so having served in the same theatre and against a similar threat in the past,” Madu said.
In my opinion, he added, “This smacks of a declaration of a state of emergency in another form.”
According to him, the proximity of decision makers within the military hierarchy to the insurgency will be useful in focusing their entire energy and available resources to the job at hand.
“I would like to believe that it has benefits. Moving the command centre to Maiduguri does not mean all our fighting men and hardware will be situated there. Besides, a military force worth its name must retain tactical wherewithal in its ability to respond to national security threats no matter which part of the country they might exist,” he said.
However, the directive has been received with a degree of skepticism by some retired and mostly serving senior officers in the military who were of the opinion that such a move could boomerang, adding that it was neither strategic nor had a historical precedence.
Those who spoke to THISDAY castigated their colleagues – retired and serving – who agreed with the president’s move as part a move to curry favours from the new administration.
One senior officer who was not excited with the decision, said: “That directive is capable of dampening the whole operations. It only reinforces the notion that he (Buhari's) is not completely in the picture on the current military arrangement.
“He (Buhari) must know that there are about nine major conflicts in the country being coordinated by the central command where apart from the Operation Zaman Lafiya against Boko Haram in the North-east, we still have Operation Pulo Shield in the Niger Delta, Restore Hope in Plateau State, and as well as other operations to cater to Fulani Herdsmen-Farmers clashes in the Middle Belt, kidnappings and armed robbery attacks, amongst others. The military is now being deployed in virtually all the states of the federation.”
Speaking to THISDAY another senior officer said president was displaying a particular bias towards the Boko Haram crisis to the detriment of other conflicts in the country.
“I mean, what makes him feel that relocating the central command to Maiduguri is more important for a man in Benue whose life and farmlands are under constant threat from the Fulani herdsmen?
“We have devoted two Divisions, not just two Divisions but almost three Divisions of the Nigerian Army to the operations in the North-east. Look, that operation is being overseen by two Divisions, that is, 7Div in Maiduguri, 3rd Div in Jos and a part of the 1Div in Kaduna.
“What is he trying to imply? That the two GOCs who are all Major-Generals cannot manage the situation or that at their level, they are two small?
“I think the directive came too soon, and he is acting on sentiments and populist views. This is just a populist decision to score a cheap point against the military establishment, and instead of crediting it with the recent successes, he would rather attribute it to our neighbouring countries.
“He is trying to pander to his political party rather than to see the reality on the ground. What did he mean by the Command and Control Centre, if it is not the one domiciled in the service headquarters where over nine conflicts are being monitored? Can you imagine the scandal it will cause if a general is killed in that zone, and the effect on the rest of the military? The DHQ and Command Centre are supposed to be a bastion of the military might, they are supposed to be the last sectors to be attacked. So matters should not be compounded,” he said.
Also opposing the move, a retired Director with the Department of State Security Service (DSS), Mr. Mike Ejiofor described the directive as “strategic but somewhat hasty and political”.
“It is strategic but political... asking the Command Centre to move to Maiduguri. I don't think it’s going to change the course of the fight because already we have achieved much under the immediate past administration,” he said.
Also, Ejiofor recalled that the Jonathan administration established 7 Division, Maiduguri, where there is a GOC and the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) on the ground.
“I also believe that he could have consulted the service chiefs to know their plans, what they had done and what they had not done before making such a move.
“Anyway, as a former military man he has his mindset and that's why I believe the decision was strategic, but to me it also had a political tweak and it was rather hasty,” he concluded.
Similarly, a retired air force chief recalled that the National Assembly had also tried to relocate the service chiefs to Maiduguri until the legislators were educated on the folly of their motion.
“They realised that it was not proper and retracted. I mean where is it or has it been done in the world. This is not about sentiments. Look, any retired officer that is supporting this move is either being sentimental, ignorant or looking for patronage.
“When they brought this issue to the floor of the Senate, there was one General Saleh (rtd) who is now a Senator who educated them on the writings of an American general and they were ashamed.
How many times did America move its strategic command because it was engaged in a war?” he asked.
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