By Victor Akaa.
The 6th Annual Security and Emergency Management Awards (SAEMA 2024) held yesterday in Abuja, was a resounding success, bringing together stakeholders from the armed forces, civil society, government, academia, local communities, and the private sector.
The event, organized by Emergency Digest, a publication of Image Merchants Promotion Limited titled “Leveraging Interagency and Civil-Military Relations,” (IMPR), in collaboration with the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), aimed to recognize exceptional contributions to security, emergency management, and humanitarian service.
The awards ceremony honoured notable individuals and institutions, including the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa who received a Bridge Builder award, and the Theatre Commander Operation HADIN KAI, Major General Waidi Shuaibu who received the Outstanding Military Officer award in his contribution and dedication to successful counter-terrorism operations in the North East.
Veteran journalist Kingsley Omonobi received the Outstanding Defence Journalist award, while the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) received the Crime Prevention award.
Other notable awardees included: the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) received the Public Information Management Award, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) received the Cybercrimes Prevention Award, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was conferred with the Emergency Management Award, Nigerian Navy (NN) received Community Service Award, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) collected Diligent Investigation Award and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) received Civil-Military Relations Award
In his keynote address, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa emphasized the importance of civil-military collaboration in achieving sustainable national security and emergency management.
He noted that the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) has made deliberate efforts to deepen civil-military collaboration, which has significantly impacted AFN operations in the Northeast.
He averred that “No single institution can solve these issues in isolation. We must work together to create a resilient framework for security and emergency management.”
General Musa also expressed his gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for its overwhelming support, which has enabled the AFN to achieve success in national security and stability.
He emphasized that the theme of the event, “Civil-Military Relation for National Security and Stability,” is apt and relevant at this critical period of Nigeria’s national existence.
The Chief of Defence Staff highlighted the multi-faceted threats facing Nigeria, ranging from terrorism and insurgency to socio-economic issues and community unrest. He emphasized that a whole-of-society effort is needed to build lasting peace, security, and progress.
The CDS called for innovative solutions and actionable strategies to address security and emergency challenges, reinforcing the collective responsibility of all stakeholders in shaping Nigeria’s future.
As General Musa urged, each individual must contribute their quota towards the integrated effort through civil-military collaboration, with open hearts and minds.
“I urge each of us to reflect on how we can contribute our little quota towards the integrated effort through “civil-military collaboration for national stability and emergency approach ”with open hearts and minds because by doing so, we are not only contributing to national security but also to sustainable development and the over wellbeing of every Nigerian citizen.
“Let us remain steadfast in our mission to create a secure, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria, where all citizens have the opportunity to thrive.” He stated.
