Buratai makes case for snakes, youth inclusiveness in fight against insecurity

By Richard Elesho

former Chief of Army Staff retired Lt. Gen. Yusuf Tukur Buratai has said reptiles, especially snakes, provide very good training for courage and should therefore be embraced in order to conquer cowardice in the fight against insurgency.

The former Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Benin who made the assertion in Lokoja on Wednesday, also called for a youth inclusive governance as a means of fighting insurgency.

He spoke at the 18th distinguished public lecture of the Federal University, Lokoja.

The theme of his lecture was “Youth, Governance, and Countering Violent Extremism: Rethinking Nigeria’s Security Strategy.”

Buratai recommended a combination of both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to the war against insecurity.

“Nigeria is at a critical juncture. its youth, which is highly energetic, creative, and comparatively heavy. In the demography, it could become its biggest liability or its biggest strength.
Violent extremism not ‘only flourishes in the absence of policing but also the absence of good governance, marginalization, and hopelessness.

“The articulation made in this lecture has ‘contended that It takes not guns and boots to counter such a threat but rather a change In paradigm in the way governance gets done In the area of security.

“We can not afford teeming youth engagement anymore, but we should commit to radical — structural transformation. The young people of Nigeria should not be viewed as having a passive role in policies but as decision-makers.

“Every institution will have to be redesigned with the next generation in mind.

Buratai, also a snake farmer, urged Nigeria to learn from other countries. “This is not the philosophy of idealism. It is the peasant pragmatism. Youth centred approaches have been proven both successful and imperative to building post-conflict stability and resilience in such countries as Tunisia, Kenya, Colombia, and Rwanda. Nigeria needs to learn, adjust, and take the lead.

“If we do not reach out to our young people, we leave them to be recruited by criminal gangs or extremist organizations or foreign powers.

“But once we empower them , then they will not only be defenders of Nigeria and safeguards of her peace – they will be the ones to set its future.

Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Olayemi Akinwumi said that the theme of Buratai’s lecture could not have come at a better time.

“As a university committed to producing graduates who are not only academically sound but also socially responsible, we are eager to engage with this critical discourse.

“Our country is in dire need of strategies that are innovative, inclusive, and sustainable, and we are confident that your insights today will provide a fresh perspective that will inform policy, inspire action, and provoke meaningful conversations,” he stated.