Military researchers arrive in Bayelsa to study insecurity, youths’ restiveness

PHOTO: timeslive.co.za

A team of military researchers from the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State, has arrived in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, to understudy the state’s security environment to stem the security challenges that had bedeviled the Niger Delta region.

The team of about 20 senior military officers, comprising the Navy, Army and Air Force of Senior Course 40 in Jaji, from the rank of Major led by Navy Commodore Joseph Dzunve, it was learnt, would also seek to establish the root cause of youths’ restiveness in the area with a view to finding solutions to the challenges.

Dzunve, who spoke during a courtesy call on Governor Seriake Dickson, noted that it was also part of the college’s curriculum to send senior officers to understudy some areas before graduation.

“There are eight other teams going to other states. There’s a student from Niger Republic. In the curriculum of the college, they (senior officers) analyse socio-economic issues hindering the development of the country to expose them to the challenges as compared to theory.

“It will also acquaint them with the problems and prospects peculiar to a particular area and give the students an opportunity to compare notes. In the team, we have teams from any parts of Africa.

“Before now, we had an exchange team with Ghana. But we have expanded that. They are here to research into the theme of this year which is environmental, national security and youth empowerment”, the team leader said.

He said the team was expected to submit a report, which may form part of the security documents for the state to take decisions on its security architecture.

Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd), who stood in for the governor, said one of the major contributory factors to crimes was unemployment.

He, therefore, advised other war colleges to borrow a leaf from the Armed Forces College in Jaji to deepen their security operations throughout the country.

He said that youths have expectations bigger than the efforts they put in and urged the officers to conduct a thorough research that would be of help to the state and the Niger Delta region.