NINE months into the first term of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Administration in 2015, Major General Muhammadu Buhari worked alone without cabinet ministers but devoted his time to fighting and dislodging Boko Haram terrorist that had taken over 17 Local Government Areas in Borno State North-East Nigeria!

To the credit of the Commander-In-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, his highly professional combatants fought gallantly and succeeded in defeating and completely annihilating them in their hundreds of hundreds as sanity and good governance was restored to the region!

Now seven years into his two-term administration the story had completely changed from bad to worse and worse to worst. The reason is not far-fetched because the Major General appointed for himself dubious lieutenants as ministers, secretary to government, head of service, special assistants special advisers and corruption which he promised fight frontally took over his entire government.

It is true that Buhari inherited terrorism and banditry from his first term but nepotism in appointments which birthed inefficiency, lack of cooperation among service chiefs and their subordinates had worsened the situation of insecurity year-on-year!

BOARDROOM NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL MEETINGS HAVE NOT PROVIDED SOLUTION TO THE INCESSANT TERRORISM!

Whenever terrorists struck and high casualty figures were very devastating, boardroom security experts always met with Mr. Commander-in-Chief to proffer, (most of the time), kinetic solutions which had hardly recorded successes.

Violent conflicts could be resolved on two major planks:
1. Kinetic approach and 2. Non-kinetic option which normally translates to negotiations for peace and tranquility to reign in the polity.
While the first option is the most popular because it involves forceful and physical approach to suppress insurrections and insurgencies because the non-state actors were usually armed and ready for battle instead of engaging in peaceful negotiations.
Although the criminals were never poised to win in any confrontation with legimate government institutions, they were always ready to create anarchy, confusion and instability and most especially fear among the citizens who were usually the casualties of criminalities!

The non-kinetic option involves serious dialogues and negotiations which would get parties from both sides to sit at round table conferences with a view to peacefully resolving such unpleasant situations.

GOVERNMENTS WOULD RATHER NOT NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORISTS ACCORDING TO DIPLOMATIC NORMS.

BUT the United States of America which is the most formidable world power would as a matter of policy never negotiate with terrorists but behind the scenes had always brokered peace and gotten tremendous and meaningful results in most negotiations by descending from its high horse!

Major General Buhari initially took such rigid policy at the beginning of his first tenure by militarily crushing these non-state actors but as they gained empathy from criminal associates which supplied them with arms/ammunitions, within and from without Nigeria, PEACE AND TRANQUILITY eluded the Nation from 2009-2022!

But was it not high time Nigerian leaders realised that the second option would pay off and peace would be secured faster than military arsenals and Tucano Jets acquired with borrowed funds?

Terrorism was unleashed on the nation due to lack of basic amenities of life, uneven distribution of social needs, unemployment of able-bodied citizens, deprivation of quality education for children of school age and bastadization of the IVORY TOWER where University Lecturers have been on INDUSTRIAL STRIKE for over 172 days as at 24th July, 2022, over non-implementation of adequate salaries and emoluments by Buhari's APC GOVERNMENT!

TERRORIST ORGANISATIONS NO LONGER FIGHT ON IDEOLOGICAL PLANKS BUT FOR MASSIVE ACQUISITION OF MONIES PAID THROUGH RANSOMS.

Nigeria Federal Government should realise that they have become the underdogs in this terrorist war on Nigeria for the following reasons:
Terrorist have acquired highly sophisticated and modern weapons that have made nonsense of Nigeria’s military artillery when they successfully attacked strategic government institutions – Correctional Centres, Police Force HQ Abuja, Police Stations across the nation, Military Cantonments, Kaduna Air Force Base/Airport, Abuja-Kaduna train attack and even the PRESIDENTIAL CONVOY!

The Nigerian Armed Forces all put together with the Police and other security operatives are not up to 2 million.

This war of attrition had been on for over 13 years and had overstretched the entire military and other security personnel.
1) Buhari should take advantage of individual negotiations by some patriotic Nigerians to find a lasting solution to the imbriglio.
2) The terrorist are also tired of the insecurity situation because they also love good Life and Peace; the life of hide and seek in the forest has become unbearable.
3) Terrorists, bandits and kidnappers will embrace peace with the right leadership in place.
4) Terrorists who were an “army of occupation “ for almost five years under Jonathan's administration, lived large in various local governments of the North East, collected taxes and oppressed the innocent citizens in most of the remote areas are still haunted and would prefer to live normal lives.
5) These enemies of the State also want to partake in the NATIONAL CAKE in order to enjoy better life therefore Nigeria technocrats should enter into dialogue to finally broker the conflict so that PEACE will reign supreme in Nigeria in the long run!

HOW IS DE-RADICALIZATION DIFFERENT FROM AMNESTY WHICH THE BUHARI GOVERNMENT HAD BROKERED SINCE HIS SECOND TERM WITH SURRENDERED BOKO HARAM TERRORISTS?

Not less than ONE MILLION Boko Haram Terrorists and members of their families have surrendered to the Armed Forces in the last three years of the second term of Mr President Buhari and all of them have been profiled, counselled and re-integrated into the society.
Majority of them are doing well because they have repented and now enjoying family life, good working environments having gone through vocational training and dwelling at peace with their neighbours in their various places of domicility.

These New Nigerians had blended and have been accommodated into the societies which now celebrate naming ceremonies, school graduation and vocational apprenticeship convocations together with them!

WHAT IS THE HUE AND CRY IN RESPECT OF HOW ZAMFARA EMIR TURBANED A NOTORIOUS TERRORIST ON SATURDAY 16 JULY 2022?

If terrorists and bandits could frolic with Governors, Emirs and State Cabinet members, what then is the big deal If one of them who was declared wanted by the POLICE as a notorious and ruthless criminal was turbaned as SARKIN FULANI OF YANDOTON EMIRATE IN ZAMFARA STATE, NORTH-WEST NIGERIA?

According to media reports the terrorist kingpin known as Ada Aleru was notorious for his ruthlessness while he operated his militia group in Zamfara State where thousands of people have been killed.
But the Emir was quoted as saying that the terrorist gang leader was turbaned as chief to ensure a lasting peace in his area of authority.

Over 100 terrorists who rode on motorcycles accompanied their leader to the ceremony where money was lavishly spent and over 17 cows and several rams slaughtered to entertain guests on the occasion.
The question is: WERE the policemen or the Commissioner of Police who issued warrant of arrest on the terrorist kingpin on annual leave while the ceremony took place for several hours?

THIS IS GOOD LESSON FOR BUHARI'S GOVERNMENT TO KNOW THAT THE MILITARY PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM HAS WOEFULLY FAILED AND THE ONLY OPTION FOR HIM NOW IS TO THROW IN THE TOWEL BY EMBRACING THE PROPOSED UNICAMERAL PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUTION THAT WILL PRODUCED A PRIME MINISTER IN THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION OF FEBRUARY 2023!

The President who is a good soldier should know when the chips are down and accept the new PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT which will give opportunity to everyone to have A STAKE IN GOVERNANCE FROM THE GRASSROOTS up to the Central government as representatives, parliamentarians and even as INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES to guarantee lasting PEACE!
It's not too late for the old General to leave a good legacy behind as he hands over on 29th May 2023, to a PRIME MINISTER of the ELECTORATES' CHOICE!

“ A stitch in time saves nine!”

[WATCH OUT FOR A NIGERIAN PRIME MINISTER – NOT A PRESIDENT IN 2023!]


I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon, 08130669886, 08080243066. g-mail-dvdolufon@gmail.

A;

E

If you read it, please summarise.