By John Nwokocha Abuja.
At the Second edition of its spiritual warfare seminar with the theme:”Insecurity in Nigeria: Repositioning Authentic Religious Narratives in the Information Spectrum”, the Nigerian army expressed readiness to relaunch efforts at spiritual approach to tackle Boko Haram in the north east of Nigeria.
The Nigerian Army made it manifest on Thursday at the Army Resource Center, Abuja, where it organised the second edition of the spiritual warfare seminar with clerics and religious leaders urging the army and federal government to adopt spiritual approach a way forward to winning the war against Boko Haram.
The clerics used the occasion to enlighten and educate their followers on the true and correct tenets of Islamic and Christian religions.
The campaign The New Narrative newspaper gathered is to ensure that youth are not easily brainwashed by the teachings of Boko Haram’s ideology.
Speaking in a statement, the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sagir Musa, said the Chaplain and Islamic Directorates of the Nigerian Army commenced effort to reinforce the campaign in 2019 when it organised the first edition of Spiritual Warfare seminar to engage religious/spiritual leaders from across the country.
According to him, the programme is intended to stimulate renewed efforts to finding ways of checkmating and tackling Boko Haram’s extremism and recruitment drive using counter narratives.
“This is due to the fact that terrorism is about the battle of the inner consciousness and the struggle for winning the hearts and minds of the people,” Musa said.
In his opening remarks, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. TY Buratai stated that the
Seminar aimed at evolving narratives to defeat the ideologies of religious based terrorist groups operating in the country.
“It is important to state that the ongoing military operations against the Boko Haram and the slamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) Terrorists as well as other criminal groups is driven by the desire to keep Nigeria safe”.
Full Text of his speech is found below:
It is my pleasure to be here this morning for the Second Nigerian Army Spiritual Warfare Seminar aimed at evolving narratives to defeat the ideologies of religious based terrorist groups operating in the Country. It is important to state that the ongoing military perations against the Boko Haram and the slamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) Terrorists as well as other criminal groups is driven by the desire to keep Nigeria safe, great successes in these fights by applying all forms of kinetic operations. However, these successes are not without some challenges which include the ideological beliefs of the terrorists.
Like we all know, ideology is a system of concepts and views which serves tob make sense of the world while obscuring the social interests that are expressed therein. This has remained the driving force for these terrorists.
In the case of Boko Haram, its ideology is classifying western education as a sin, which hinders the pursuit and attainment of self acclaimed puritan Islam. The ISWAP ideology on other hand is one which challenges the legitimacy of democratically elected government.
By its nature, ideology has the power to manipulate what people think, how they form their opinions and of course direct their attitudes as well as actions. This often results in controlling people’s minds to the extent that they accept social conditions that equal denial of rights and suffering.
- The terrorists’ groups believe strongly that their ideologies have enhanced their generation of resources and the recruitment of new fighters to their folds. As such, we need to come up with positive and authentic narratives that can kill the ideology of the the terrorists and of course wither out the inspired groups.
This therefore underscores the importance of this Seminar as clerics play key roles in producing appropriate narratives required to counter the ideologies of these religious based terrorists groups.
Like earlier mentioned, the theme “Insecurity in Nigeria: Repositioning Authentic Religious Narratives in the Information Spectrum” was carefully crafted to ensure that authentic narratives are always available in the Information Spectrum.
Communities and the states need to be joined with the common purpose of rejecting the ideologies of these groups and challenge those who espouse them. This can be better achieved through the provision of authentic counter narratives targeted at the ideologies of the terrorist groups. Religious leaders and clerics who regularly interface with people at the grassroots, families and local communities have very important role to play candid opinion that this Seminar provides you the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the Nigerian Army’s efforts at ensuring a secured Nation.
Let me also use this opportunity to reassure you that the welfare of the officers and men of the Nigerian Army as well as their families has always been my priority and will continue to receive receive attention.
- I must thank the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari GCFR for all his immense support to the Nigerian Army. Finally, let me appreciate all the invited guests, especially the resource persons and gentlemen of the press for press for honouring the invitation to attend the Seminar.
I wish you successful deliberations and on this note, it is my pleasure to declare the Second Nigerian Army Spiritual Warfare Seminar open.
Thank you and God bless.
