[size=14pt]Why Boko Haram is elusive – Col Kachako (rtd)[/size]
On September 11, 2011 · In Politics , 
By BASHIR ADEFAKA

Colonel Isa Kachako (rtd), a former senator and former acting military governor of Katsina State, is a native of Kachako town in Tarki Local Government Area of Kano State.  Born on January 15, 1940, he started out in life a teacher, then a headmaster and then moved to join the Nigerian AirForce before he enlisted into the Nigerian Army in 1968. He commanded many army formations before retiring and  venturing into politics.  Kachako spoke to Sunday Vanguard at his Isa Kachako Road, GRA, Kano residence, recently.
Excerpts:

WITH your background as a combatant-soldier and defence adviser in India to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, when he was military head of state, how do you think the many security challenges facing the country at the moment can be resolved?

From 1979 till today, about 32 years ago, there has been a lot of developments security-wise, politically and socially.  That being the case, nobody can match what really transpired at that time with what is happening now.  So, if you are talking about security at that time, the military was in government for the larger part  and they ruled by decrees while the Constitution was sidelined.  You can’t compare that time with now because we are now in democracy. The military in our days had a say, no more no less but, today, it has no say other than to protect, prevent and secure the territorial integrity of this nation by all means when, how and where the president of the country asks them to move in or enter to safeguard situations as they may arise.

You are talking about the Niger Delta issue and Boko Haram in Borno State.  These are happening only when democracy is playing its role of the mighty and so, in this kind of situation, military has nothing to worry about.

Do you mean the security problems thrive simply because we are in civilian era? If so, what do you suggest?

Nobody can do that with the military in power.  Even in Kano where Maitasine reared their heads and I was next to the commander, Three Brigade then, the man responsible for the Maitasine offensive could not be challenged by anybody and, mark it; it was a civilian regime during the time of President Shehu Shagari and Governor Abubakar Rimi. It was motivated by politics.  Kano was ruled by Peoples Redemption Party,PRP, government at that time while the National Party of Nigeria, NPN, was the ruling party at the federal level.  So, there was a lot of problem as you have now in Borno.  It’s the same. Rimi couldn’t do otherwise than to ask the commander of the army  to intervene and the commander couldn’t do anything unless the president of the country gave the order. Colonel Kure was the commander then and I was next to him.

What we did really was to send a message  to the president that all was not well in Kano.  The following day, we were given order to clear the way and it took us just five hours to finish with the Maitasine issue.  We killed the leader and many of his people were thrown into disarray.  Some fled to Kaduna, some to Adamawa and regrouped there. The second operation was in Adamawa.

So, you can see the historical antecedents of what you call Boko Haram which has now become a major threat to national security!  And, if you compare it with what is happening in Borno now and in the Niger Delta, you will discover it is all politics.

[size=14pt]There is nothing like Boko Haram.  I am telling you quite frankly; I’m a politician and I know what is happening.  Politicians are messing up the polity like they did in 1981, 1982 and 1983; exactly the same thing is what they are doing now and, I pray they behave responsibly.[/size]

I am talking historically because these were things that happened in my eyes but history is never learned in this country.  Nigerians have always failed to understand, learn and respect history.  If we do, the better.  Whereas Nigerians and Nigeria are good, we, the politicians who have always been operators of the system behave as if we don’t know our left from right. I’m sorry to say it loud that errand boys are at the helms of affairs. People who don’t know governance are put in positions and so what do you expect?  Things will never be straight that way!  It is just so.

As a retired military top brass, don’t you feel challenged by the attacks of Boko Haram on the people?

If I’m in military, nobody can challenge me because, if you put me there, it’s either I die or the person or people responsible for the problems die. I will take one person for 10 people to survive. If you call the military, they don’t understand anything else than shoot on sight.  Otherwise, don’t put them there. I was an adviser on defence in India for three years to the head of state and I know what I’m talking about.  If you don’t like the military to act, don’t send them there at all!  Once they go there, theirs is to fight the enemies of the land. Even if a lizard acts in a way inimical to the progress of the country, kill it!  Not to talk of anybody who doesn’t want anything for Nigeria but failure, chaos and disintegration.

Even in spite of our differences we have been able to live together since time immemorial. Our ancestors lived together: Zik of Africa! Awolowo of blessed memory! Sardauna the greatest!  They argued on issues affecting their respective constituencies.  Constituency is an area demarcated for your people and you are excelled to speak on their behalf.  And, when you go there, you give your life to the service of your people doing what Zik of Africa, Awolowo and Sardauna did.

They did well and at the end of the day they laughed over arguments and jointly challenged any foreign intervention, which was colonial-oriented at that time. Not to talk of now that we are an independent nation and yet we don’t know our left from right as politicians.

We are now the colonialists colonising ourselves. We challenge ourselves, we challenge our country.

What if these security challenges are real and they are tailored towards Nigeria’s break-up? What will be the implication in our individual lives as a people?

It’s only a pity that some groups of people are looking for the break-up of this nation.  I can tell you that Nigeria will never break up, no matter what anybody does because God is not a man!

You seem to stand for unbreakable Nigeria because of your military background.  Others, aggrieved by the threats to  national unity, may not see it the way you do.

It’s not because of my military background.  It’s that our type of unity in Nigeria is God-made but we fail to understand.
We  have more than 300 languages and more than 250 tribes and within a single tribe you get five, six languages.  Go to Kaduna, Plateau and other places.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/09/why-boko-haram-is-elusive-col-kachako-rtd/

waooooooooo i love this, maybe power should be handed over to the military

nigeria will break up!
it might be in 2015, 2065 or 2115 but surely we'll go our seperate ways