LAST week, the story broke that Chadian
forces were operating inside Nigeria against
the Boko Haram insurgency. And they seemed
to be making a lightning success of their
operation, because by last Thursday, they
had taken Malam Fatori, after two days of
fighting.
Last Sunday, these forces were in control
of Gamboru Ngala as well as Abadam; and
were fighting a major battle to take
Damasak. Cameroonian forces also joined the
fight and were reported to have taken the
border town of Banki and pushing towards
Kala-Balge. By Tuesday this week, reports
emerged that the French Airforce, which has
bases in Chad, was overflying Nigerian
territory and providing intelligence to their
Chadian and Cameroonian allies.
Agency pictures also appeared showing rows
of armoured vehicles and assault helicopters
of the Chadian Army being used in
operations in Cameroun and in Nigeria. It
took a while for officialdom to own up
that these forces were operating within
Nigeria, with Mike Omeri finally saying they
were here within the context of the
Multinational security project; and there
were no reports that the Chadian forces
were fleeing from Boko Haram or
abandoning weapons.
The second leg of these developments
originated from South Africa, when it
emerged there, that mercenaries numbering
about 100 (but described as private military
experts) were on their way to Nigeria to
help in the fight against Boko Haram. South
Africa’s Defense Minister warned these
alleged mercenaries of consequences, if they
travelled to fight in Nigeria without
government imprimatur or as part of a
government deployment:
“There are consequences when somebody
leaves the country and provides any form of
military assistance that is not part of the
government’s deployment.”
The story emanating from South Africa said
these men were former members of the old,
apartheid-era South African Defense Force.
These were ex-military men used to fight
ANC guerillas by the racist regime, in the
days of the struggle against apartheid. Even
the African Union last week also decide to
raise a 7, 500 man force to help tackle the
Boko Haram menace, which has rightly
become seen as a danger to the entire region
and Africa.
Chadian troops gather on February 1, 2015
near the Nigerian town of Gamboru, just
accros the border from Cameroon. In a
deserted Gamboru, Chadian forces carried
out clean-up operations after entering the
town and retaking it from Boko Haram,
which seized control months ago. AFP
PHOTO / MARLE
The resort to these foreign forces of
course flies in the face of territorial
integrity and national pride. But it merely
underlines the weakness of Nigeria’s forces
today and the deterioration of the Nigerian
armed forces. This is a great pity, given the
proud tradition of our forces, and their
heroic efforts around the world dating
back to the pre-independence period.
At 1400HRS GMT on Tuesday this week,
the BBC broadcast a special programme on
the state of Nigeria’s Armed forces, and
some of the participants in the programme
included the National Security Adviser
(NSA), Sambo Dasuki and human rights
lawyer, Femi Falana. The NSA agreed that
the Army’s capacity had deteriorated over
the years, as a result of a combination of
factors, some of which were directly
related to the years of military dictatorship.
The programme also had an expert who
reminded how our army used to be one of
the best-equipped and trained in Africa. In
the final analysis, according to the
programme, the army today suffers from
low morale; the high level of corruption with
an annual defense budget of about $6.5b,
but which doesn’t deliver on the needs of
the troops. There is also a problem of
training of the forces and armament. It was
a very instructive programme in every sense.
And my takeaway (apologies to Lagos
Governor BRF) is that there is the need
for the political will to confront the
enumerated weaknesses in order to re-build
Nigeria’s Armed Forces. I think one of the
problems of the past few years, was the
refusal of the government to accept that
Boko Haram was not a conspiratorial design
by its Northern enemies. It is therefore a
tragic irony that Nigeria, that used to
dominate its neighbourhood, is now having to
depend on Chadian and Cameroonian forces
and even South African mercenaries.
A security sector reform is an imperative;
not as designed by imperialist countries and
institutions, but home grown, and with the
strategic focus of rebuilding armed forces
that can effectively defend our country and
enhance our position as Africa’s largest
economy. Military power must be
commensurate with our economic and
geopolitical aspirations. The deployment of
foreign troops to fight Boko Haram is an
indication of how weak we are at the
moment. We must rebuild our armed forces
fast to face whatever challenge appears in
future!
Gen. TY Danjuma and the Niger Delta mob
LAST Wednesday, General TY Danjuma,
former Defence Minister and one of the
most respected leaders in Nigeria today,
called for the immediate arrest of Niger
Delta ex-militants who threatened to plunge
the country into war, if President Goodluck
Jonathan is not re-elected in this month’s
presidential election.
The trio of Boy Loaf, Tompolo and Asari
Dokubo had issued the threat of war, at
the Government House, Yenagoa, with Bayelsa
Governor, Seriake Dickson and Presidential
Adviser on the Amnesty Program, Kingsley
Kuku, in attendance. General Danjuma
reacted to their threat by calling for their
arrest and punishment, for ‘unguarded
utterances’, that ‘were provocative and
inflammatory’. Gen.TY Danjuma, who is never
known for ambiguity on any issue, added
that: “the statements were very reckless
coming from irresponsible individuals and they
should be condemned, in fact they should be
arrested”.
Gen. Danjuma spoke the mind of a lot of
Nigerians, who wondered why there was no
disclaimer from the presidency or any
proactive action from the security forces
that would have sprung to action, if the
statements had come from individuals not
located in the president’s corner of the
political space.
But expectedly, the Niger Delta mob
responded the following day led as usual by
Chief EK Clark. Clark was “disappointed” by
Gen. TY Danjuma, asking why the General
didn’t “condemn the attacks on Jonathan in
several states of the North instead of
calling for the arrest of the ex-militants”,
according to a Vanguard report. Tompolo
actually “accused Danjuma of sponsoring
terrorism in the Northern part of the
country”. For that allegation, he said TY
Danjuma should also be arrested and
prosecuted.
Sponsoring of terrorism
Not only that though, he said “the devilish
treaty that brought the Southern and
Northern Protectorates together in 1914,
expired last year…If not for President
Jonathan there would not be a Nigeria
anymore”. Asari Dokubo, in his own reaction,
said he “felt sorry for Danjuma for calling
for his (Asari’s) arrest and other Niger
Delta activists”. Even Kingsley Kuku, a
presidential adviser, said: “Danjuma misfired
by calling for the arrest of the Niger Delta
activists”. Boy Loaf asked Gen. TY Danjuma
to “apologise and hide his face in shame or
face humiliation”. Others who stuck out
their necks for the Niger Delta ex-militants
and against Gen. Danjuma’s call, included
retired Brig. General Idada Ikponmwen, a
certain Captain Beck Hitler, even Urhobo
Ovo and Ijaw Kene Patriots, amongst others.
While no rebuttal came from the presidency,
apropos of the threat to wage a war on
Nigeria, by the ex-militants, by the beginning
of this week, the PDP, through
spokesperson, Olisa Metuh, finally warned
Chief EK Clark and his ensemble of ex-
militants, to ‘be mindful of what they say at
this period of the nation’s political history’.
Olisa Metuh was “disturbed over provocative
statements of some people which could
provoke other parts of the country” adding
that “Jonathan was not an Ijaw President or
the South South zone of the country alone
but the president of all Nigerians”.
Olisa Metuh spoke the truth, but it might
just be too little too late! In truth, if
President Jonathan loses the coming election,
the provocative utterances as well as the
bellicosity and threats of Chief EK Clark
and the ex-militants, would be a major
contributory factor. There is nowhere in
the world where democracy can be achieved
by the sort of threats these characters
regularly issue against other Nigerians. They
have never won empathy for President
Jonathan with their threats and insults; and
because President Jonathan has never
denounced these threats, Nigerians in other
parts of the country believe they operate
with presidential support.
The attitude of the ex-militants is one of
the many factors responsible for the
noticeable alienation of the Jonathan
platform and campaign from other parts of
Nigeria. Nigerians will go to the polls on
February 14th, and it is not looking like they
will be afraid of the threats of war issued
by these ex-militants. We will never have
democracy by threats, insults and abuses!
When the mob surfaced last week against
Gen. TY Danjuma, they missed the point.
Danjuma’s statement reflected the feeling of
people around the country, with the exception
of those who share the sentiments of the
Niger Delta warlords.
Let us collectively save the Emir of Ilorin’s
palace
I WAS back in Ilorin last week, and I
gathered that Bukola Saraki’s government in
Kwara has finally sold the houses in the
Kwara State House of Assembly residential
complex, in Ilorin. I have an emotional
connection to that complex.
It was an estate built by the construction
company, Dumez, when constructing township
roads in Ilorin in the 1970s. We used to
attend parties there. But it was abandoned
thereafter to the African bush. When I was
appointed GM of KWTV in 1997, I got our
reporters to do a comprehensive report on
the complex, thus bringing it to the notice
of officialdom.
Then Military Administrator, Col. PAM
Ogar, visited the complex and decision was
made to reclaim and renovate it. The
governor commended KWTV for our
report. In 1999, it eventually became residence
for Members of the House of Assembly.
With its sale, Bukola Saraki has finally sold
ALL government houses in Ilorin. First to go
were all the government residences in the
GRA as well as the land in the Ministry of
Agriculture, which spread over a huge swathe
of the city.
They had allegedly perfected plan to sell the
Ilorin Eid praying ground and had also
parceled out plots within the old Ilorin
Teachers’ College. It was the collective
resistance of the Ilorin community, under the
aegis of the IEDPU that stopped them in
their track.
The Emir of Ilorin’s Palace and Central
Mosque are all that remains to sell. Allah
protects His place of worship; but no one
can take sale of the palace beyond Bukola
Saraki and his henchmen in government, if we
are not alert. This is an appeal to Ilorin’s
people to “shine our eyes”! If we lose focus,
even the Emir’s Palace can end up being sold!

www.vanguardngr.com/2015/02/boko-haram-chadians-south-african-mercenaries/

Why can't you people just hit the nail on the head ?

The government of Jonathan systematically sabotaged the military, in preparation for war against the Nigerian state.
I must Comment that they have succeeded!
Imagine, nigeria that used to be feared in the sub region is now relying on the French colonists to fight simple insurgency!
Is the Cameroon or chadian army using better equipment than what we have here in the army?
No!
So how come they can do in days what has taken Nigerian army years, unable to do?

there is no simple way to explain how i feel about this article

So what happens if these armies refused to give up their conquered land?

Can we push them out?

I dey laugh o

Pangea:
So what happens if these armies refused to give up their conquered land?

Can we push them out?

I dey laugh o

Na wetin me self dey think

[quote author=Pangea post=30443372]
I must Comment that they have succeeded!
Imagine, nigeria that used to be feared in the sub region is now relying on the French colonists to fight simple insurgency!
quote]there's nothing simple about insurgency...

Now I am terribly sad. I am convienced that Jonah's end will never be good.

All I know us that we Nigerians should stop whipping up sentiments on behalf of our preferred candidate. If violence should erupt after this coming election. They will simple up into their private jets to stronghold they have prepared for themselves, their family and generations unborn while they leave us to tear ourselves up having successfully divided us along religious and ethnic lines. While we are at each others in throat, they will be negotiating with the foreign powers on how to share our resources. Even the militants have private jets to get them out of this country. Our voting power doesn't end at the polls. It should first be activated in our private lives as well by first separating ourselves from their mudslinging which is their ploy to distract us while serious negotiations are going on behind back doors. Various media outlets is being used to manipulate us into thinking we decide what goes on in Nigeria. The forthcoming election is just a struggle between the old cabal and an emerging one. This people have no respect us, see the way they throw recharge cards, noodles, rice and T shirt at us as if that is our immediate need. Litter the whole streets with their election posters. people decide to vote not because they see photo shopped posters but by the work such politicians have done. Don't be used, we are not ignorant of the devices of the enemies.

we as citizens should equally shun corruption; from helping to manipulate figures to rejecting bribe to rejecting gifts from politicians. politicians are not successful in their corruption because they are smart but because we support them through our complacency, ineptitude, selfishness, favouritsm, indiscipline and sometimes laziness. We are the root of corruption, if we can stamp it out of our lives, politics will stop been interesting to them. I believe it is possible to stamp it out but it first starts with me then you. They are not our salvation we are, they are not our messiah we are. Let each man instruct himself first and his household then the change will come, the tribalism and religious sentiments we display was inherited from past generations, let our children inherit love, hard work, respect and integrity from us. It is possible to change Nigeria.