Grassroots Intelligence Key to Effective Internal Security  – Asagba Prof Azinge

The Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Asagba Prof Epiphany Azinge, SAN, OON, FNIALS, has aligned with the importance of grassroots Intelligence to successful security operations.

Asagba Prof Azinge, in his remarks while playing host to participants of Senior Course 47, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, who paid him a courtesy visit in Asaba, noted that security reports in communities often got to traditional rulers before the security agencies because of their closeness to the people.

Citing Asaba as a case study, the highly reverted traditional ruler said security threats brought to his knowledge through intelligence were locally handled, using the various established traditional structures, pointing out that security agencies could only be invited to intervene in very rare cases.

He attributed the ability to maintain peace, law and order in his domains to the trust and confidence the people, including non indigenes, had in the Asagba traditional institutions, stressing the need to harness grassroots intelligence that recognized the key role of traditional rulers in internal security.

The Asagba revealed that he had taken steps towards promoting grassroots intelligence in his kingdom, including the setting up of a ten-man Security Committee, introduction of operation know your tenants, banning of Eze Nwanyi fetish activities, and waging war against hard drugs.

Asagba Prof Azinge called on the Armed Forces to build relationships with rural communities, especially those considered to be war-torn or theatres of conflict, to be able to effectively harness grassroots intelligence that would aid internal security.

He commended the Armed Forces Command and Staff College for the incisive studies its Course participants had undertaken over the years, explaining that the initiative had helped to expand the knowledge based of the present day military.

Earlier, the leader, Team 7, Senior Course 47 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, and Director of Coordination, Brig. Gen. Al-Hassan Grema, said the participants in different teams were undertaking studies of the states, which in Delta bordered on security at the grassroots level, preparatory to a study of the African environment.

Gen. Grema pointed out that the theme of this year’s study was “Harnessing Grassroots Intelligence for Enhanced Internal Security”, which aligned with the importance of grassroots intelligence to addressing the broader national security challenges.

The Team leader said Asaba was considered to be a strategic place for the study tour, not only because of its rising profile as the state capital, but also in recognition of the sterling qualities of the Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Asagba Prof Epiphany Azinge.