₦airaland Forum

By Mohammed Ali

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Yusufu Buratai is from Borno State in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria. But that is not why the people of that geo-political zone love him.

Everytime the name of the Chief of Army Staff comes up in discussions in the region, the peoples'countenance brighten and their spirits lifted.

This is as a result of what the Chief of Army Staff has done to restore normalcy and hope in their lives by giving a sense of belonging that the country can protect them from constant attacks, intimidation, mass murder, torture and other forms of abuses.

The above scenario has come to represent the lot of the people of the region before the coming of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

It was a dark period for the people when all forms of bringandage were being unleashed on them without let.

Out of the six states in the Northeast, only one, Taraba could claim to.have suffered only minimally from the devastating effects of terrorism and insurgency that was ravaging that zone.

The remaining five, Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe and Yobe saw real terror and other forms of dehumanization that they cannot forget in a hurry.

This was the region where teenage boys in secondary were slaughtered in one night, over 200 school girls were adopted, communities sacked and surviving members of the comuntuues left to die in bushes and desert stretches and families permanently displaced with no hope of reuniting.

Other parts of the country also felt the heat as bombings, mass shootings, and executions imcteased leaving hundreds including law enforcement officers, and civilians dead .

Out of the six states in the Northeast, three states were regarded as the main theaters of conflict hence the most severe impact of terrorism were felt in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states where violent deaths were becoming the order of day.

The entire social and economic infrastructure in those states collapsed with the poorhealth situation in those stayes worsening, schools remaiing permanently closed and many living as refugees in neighbouring countries, or internally displaced within the country

Sexual violence and kidnapping became upscale.

This is not to talk of markets, churches, mosques, roads, homes that have been destroyed.

But with the coming of Buratai as Chief of Army Staff in 2015, troops were able to penetrate the fortresses of the insurgents and freed many that were held captives.

Local governments that were.taken over by the insurgents were.recaptured and brought under the control of Nigeria and order was restored while general services in health and other public institutions resumed.

Families that were separated for.long were reunited, those that fled to other countries as refugees began to return and camps of Internally Displaced Persons were emptied as many returned to their communities.

The Chief of Army Staff also added value to the lives of the people of the region by building an army university in Biu, one of the local governments being targeted by the insurgents.

Added to that, Lt. Gen. Buratai also the established Nigerian Army Brigades in Monguno, Gubio, Gwoza, Damaturu and Damboa to enhance security in the area.

The designation of Sambisa Forest as Nigerian Army Training Area and the establishment of Command Secondary Schools have added to the security in the region and raised the standard of living of the people.

States like Taraba, Gombe, Bauchi and even Adamawa have since put the horrors of the insurgents behind them and are living normal lives all thanks to the efforts of troops.

These days,.when movement of insurgents are sighted in the region, the people are not alarmed as they know that they will definitely be crushed by the ever ready troops in the area.

This is why Buratai is highly loved and respected in the region. He has given the people their lives back.

By Idoko Ainoko


Every system and in all political dispensations, there are enough spoilers and destroyers. The professional sabs stop at nothing to rock the boat even where the circumstances resist. There are people who hate progress and invent all antics to ensure progress is interrupted. Their only joy is when they cause confusion.

Nigeria has a fair share of such people. And unfortunately, they are also found in the corridors of power and they use such positions to pursue personalized agenda at the detriment of the nation. Nigeria’s most urgent challenge now is the insecurity.

But it is glaring that there is no meaning approach or suggestions to assist the President and Heads of Security agencies overcome the challenge of insecurity. Most Nigerians are out to weaken the attempts by the President to surmount our security challenges.

And the National Assembly has many of such Nigerians who are opposed to President Buhari’s stringent actions on security. I can argue conveniently and boldly with Nigeria’s best of political Socrates that since 1999 the National Assembly (NASS) has been Nigeria’s greatest incumbrance on the country’s progressive match to peace and prosperity.

NASS has consistently affirmed itself as the static and haunting nightmare of the country’s match to a stable or vibrant democracy, good governance and progressive development. Every evil plan against Nigeria is hatched through NASS. which they usually back with pristine laws.

The negative shadows of NASS are too overflowing and have overshadowed any modicum of respect or honour it has ever earned on credibility as an important institution of government in a democracy. I am not hesitant to say, NASS has marketed itself as an institution which also deserves an independent body to monitor it’s sinister and destructive activities in the nation.

The National Assembly is currently deliberating on a law Christened “Nigerian Armed Forces Commission Bill 2019.” The Bill is sponsored by Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe from Abia state. The law seeks to dissolve all the powers constitutionally vested in the President in hiring and firing his Service Chiefs. The powers which presently resides with the President is transferred to the Commission whose composition comprise politicians and National Assembly members.

It is difficult to understand the direction or intention of the proposed Bill. It is hogwash in every sense. It is the most senseless Bill ever contemplated in Nigeria or known to any country in the world. Outside its obvious aberration, I see it as a duplication hence existing laws already empowers the Senate to confirm Service Chiefs nominated by the President. So, what does the Senators want to do to Nigeria with that Bill?

What the Sen. Ahmed Lawan-led Senate is attempting to do by the Armed Forces Commission is to politicize and weaken the management of national security. It is a masked attempt to polarized the Nigerian military and make it susceptible to the mercy of politicians to recklessly manipulate. This is how we consciously embark on actions that are capable of destroying our country. The Senators themselves know that such a Bill is irrational and destructive to the security architecture of the nation.

But a lot of Nigerians are comfortably silent, because the darts are directed at a President they hate. But they have forgotten that President Muhammadu Buhari will not remain Nigeria’s President forever. Every Nigerian knows the Armed Forces Commission Bill will spell doom for the country if allowed to scale through the legislature.

The contents of the Bill overtly endanger the future of Nigeria because it is a sure way of polarizing the Nigerian Armed forces which will begin to function by the dictates of political parties and politicians. This is not permissible anywhere. We cannot leave sensitive decisions on national security in the hands of multitudes as the Senate is contemplating.

I am convinced that this is not justifiable. It surprises me that members of the Senate are hypnotized and hoodwinked by Sen. Abaribe into believing such a destructive and worthless Bill is worth their attention and energy to the point of debating. It is not possible for one nation to have two Commanders-In-Chief. The Bill seeks to create two Commanders-In-Chief for Nigeria. Where else is this aberration obtained?

Abaribe is a diehard apostate and an unrepentant agent of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB). He is the Senator who took the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu on bail when every one else declined. He failed to produce Kanu in court on the appointed day, which betrays his total allegiance to IPOB. It is clear to me that Sen. Abaribe is the veiled official force of IPOB in government and the Senate. And therefore, he is using his privileged position to nourish IPOB’s agenda as evidenced by his contemplation of this absolutely useless Bill.

And we all know that the main agenda and determination of IPOB is to lead a war against the country. It has not given up on this ambition. And its agents like Sen. Abaribe are working in diverse ways to create fertile and unchallengeable grounds for the IPOB war on Nigeria. No one is in doubt as to where they are deriving their inspiration.

And the nonsensical Armed Forces Bill sponsored by Abaribe is cleverly crafted to weaken the power of the Nigerian Military in the event IPOB declares war on the country. It is honed to sow the seed of disloyalty to Mr. President among the Armed Forces when IPOB steps out again against Nigeria.

So, we are not going to allow Sen. Lawan and his cahoots to rubbish the Nigerian Armed Forces. If Sen. Lawan is blind to Abaribe’s prosecution of IPOB’s agenda, Nigerians are not blind to it. The Bill is a façade by Sen. Abaribe to feather the nest of IPOB. It is Sen. Abaribe’s drive for IPOB’s agenda to destabilize Nigeria. But we don’t think, it is correct for him to use the Senate as platform in promoting and emboldening the ferocious and criminal activities of IPOB.


Ainoko is a public affairs commentator based in Kaduna.

By Sunday Attah
 
 
There is no such thing as crisis of confidence in the current war against insurgency in Nigeria. If there is, it wouldn’t have been confined to the hush tones of conspirators but would have been evident in reports of the operations of troops.
When Nigerian troops suffered defeat in the hands of insurgents in the previous administration and retreated to other countries for tactical maneuver, the whole world knew that there was a problem on ground that even the military command could not hide.
The contrary is the case with reports coming from the theatres of war and other locations where Nigerian troops have battled the insurgents in recent time.
Unlike in the past where military camps and fortresses were being attacked and subdued at will and communities decimated in the twinkle of an eye, the narrative has changed to reports where troops have constantly repelled insurgents based on intelligence reports, destroyed their bases and sending them fleeing in all directions by taking the war to their bases.
This was the case in Biu, Michika, Maiduguri and other places where the insurgents had attempted to launch attacks.
The effectiveness of military operations at the moment is such that there is no room for the slightest form of compromise to be accommodated, not to talk of engendering a crisis of confidence. Such thoughts exist only in the imagination of naysayers.
People have forgotten so soon that Nigerian troops have recorded tremendous success in the fight against insurgency compared to what was obtainable in the past.
This they have done by changing tactics and strategies and taking the fight to the theatre of war, deployment of intelligence in the face of challenges and by boosting the morale of troops.
The Nigerian Army as well as the Chief of Army Staff, have received awards and recognition from governments and reputable organizations the world over.
The gallantry of the Nigerian troops is to such an extent that neghouring countries which were relied upon to lead in the fight against insurgency after having withdrawn the bulk of their troops from Nigerian soil have been awed by the renewed efficiency, professionalism and determination of the Nigerian troops which has seen them succeeding in the fight unlike in the past where they have to rely on such countries.
Time there was when Nigeria invested heavily on the participation of other countries as a stimulus for fighting the insurgents. But with the success being recorded now, Nigeria has taken back its leadership position in the fight and has paved the way for the success of the much onslaught against troops.
The Chief of Army Staff explained recently that the narrative changed because changes were introduced in tactics deployed by Nigerian troops from a wholly defensive posture to one where the army defend in numbers and conduct offensive operations in smaller packets but simultaneously in different fronts.
People have also forgotten so soon how the terrorists had seized parts of Nigerian territories and proclaim with glee that they are severing it from other parts while hoisting their flags to drive him the point.
It was such a low period for Nigeria that in Borno State alone, 14 local government came under the authority of the insurgents with the sacking of every form of authority of the Nigerian government, such things no longer exists as all the captured local governments and territories have been liberated and there is now an effective local government administration in those places.
Many would recall that Sambisa Forest used to be the most dreaded place in Nigeria where even troops dare not tread.
Insurgents had captured the military training facility as well as the armory and were deploying it to their use as they wished. The area was a no go area for troops then even when it was suspected to be where they kept the terrorists kept their abductees.
The effrontery of the insurgents then was such that they even penetrated military bases like Monguno and Gwoza and seized the training facilities as well as armoury and sent troops and other trainees fleeing for dear lives.
But the Nigeria army under Burati has confined such experiences to the dustbin of history by retrieving such captured military bases and the dreaded Samnbisa Forest from the hold of the insurgents and established a base at Camp Zero.
More than that, the hitherto usual invasion of military facilities by the insurgents have been stopped as the remnants of the terrorists have been so pummeled that they have been reduced to launching attacks on only soft targets.  
This has led to an improvement on internal security as many roads that were declared impassable due to the activities of insurgents on such routes have been liberated by Nigerian troops such that many can now travel freely to their destinations without fear of being killed or attacked.
The barricading of major roads by organizations and in worship centers in state capitals has also reduced as people no longer fear conducting business within their premises.  
From complaints about lack of sufficient and modern weapons the amry has been able to equip personnel with modern fighting equipments as well as encouraged and supported all NA officers and soldiers who have innovative ideas and competencies that it is now partnering with several companies in Nigeria including Innoson Motors, Proforce Limited and Nigeria Machine Tools, among others, towards the production of light and heavy armoured vehicles, critical equipment as well as protective clothing for NA troops which has led to the development of the TYB Rover, Infantry Patrol Vehicle (IPV) and the Bionbion Helicopter, among several other equipment.
Many also forget there was time when the activities of insurgents had begun to penetrate the hinterlands leaving the fringes of Bor and Yobe and extending to Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Kaduna and even to the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
 
Those that peddle the idea of a crisis of confidence rely heavily on the restraint deployed when measures that extend beyond Nigeria are involved.
But this is misleading because they do not seem to realize that there are various dimensions to the insurgency which Nigeria has no power over. The interests of nations come into play when certain measures are taken which impact extends beyond a particular border. In such an instance, nations have to observe restraint in order not to be seen as infringing on the territorial integrity of others.
Issues concerning prisoner swap especially when  it has to do with international terrorists organisations like ISWAP cannot be determined by the interest of one country alone due to the effect it is bound to have on the global war against insurgency.
 
Nations have to fight to defeat both internal enemies and those coming from outside and the Nigeria army have done great so far showing that it has learnt from history.
In Romans 13 the bible enjoins all to respect constituted authority. It says,  “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.”
It is also recorded that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) received his first divine revelations for the purpose of legal warfare to repel aggression and protect human rights in Mecca where he peacefully preached the message of Islam to the Meccans for thirteen years until an intolerable level of persecution forced him and his followers to flee to the nearby town of Yathrib (later known as Medina and despite emigrating outside of Mecca, the Meccans headed by the Quraish aristocracy vowed to exterminate the newly formed religious community.
In all aspects therefore the Nigerian army has giving a good account of itself while defending the people and the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
There is therefore no such thing as crisis of confidence as far the war against insurgency in Nigeria is concerned.
 
 
 Evangelist Attah is a public affairs commentator based in Abuja.

A Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state, Dr. Solomon Aguele, has congratulated the newly sworn in Executive Chairman of Esan South East Local Government Area, Hon. Peter Aguele.

This came on the heels of the judgment of the Edo State High Court declaring Him Peter Aguele the rightful winner of the local government chairmanship primaries in the council.

Speaking with reporters at his country home in Ewohimi, Edo state, the former PDP Chairman urged the newly elected chairman “to see his victory in the court as an act of God and therefore use the opportunity to unite the people of local government and provide the desired leadership and dividends of democracy to the people”.

Dr. Aguele added that “indeed the court had shown by it's judgement that it still remains the last hope of the common man”.

By Bridget Agada

The management of disasters in Nigeria has come under public scrutiny in recent times. This is especially so in the light of the various humanitarian crisis that has been experienced in Nigeria, and worthy of mention is the Boko Haram crisis in North-East Nigeria. As a start, this subject would not be understood in its entirety if the agency of government responsible for the management of national emergencies in Nigeria is not highlighted.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was established via Act 12, as amended by Act 50 of 1999, to manage disasters in Nigeria. It has been tackling disaster-related issues through the establishment of concrete structures with the overarching mission to coordinate resources towards efficient and effective disaster prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and response in Nigeria.

It acts in the following areas: Coordination, Disaster Risk Reduction, search and rescue, policy and strategy, Geographic Information System, Advocacy, education, administration, finance, and logistics; relief and rehabilitation; planning, research, and forecasting.

Nigeria, as a nation, has suffered from its share of disaster occurrences. For example, between 1992 to 2000, Nigeria recorded about 400 major fire and aircraft disasters involving more than 10,000 people with a death toll of about a thousand-plus, and the quantum of property destroyed was evaluated to be in millions of dollars.

These include flooding and soil erosion, while the human-made ones include dam-failure, maritime disasters, bomb explosions, conflicts occasioning displacement of victims), oil spillage, population explosion, and air crashes. Nigerians have been lucky with earthquakes but not so fortunate with floods, pollution, and oil spillages.

The loss of lives and inefficient disaster management in Nigeria has been a burden too hard for the government to carry. The problem has been compounded by the fact that the citizens lack the basic knowledge of health and safety as well as a disaster avoidance technique. As a result of the inefficiency and apparent shortcomings in the management of disasters and to address the limitation in the scope of the operation of National Emergency Relief Agency NERA, and proffer solutions to the ineffective disaster response in the country, on the side of NERA which was established in by Decree 48 of 1976 by the Federal Government of Nigeria to fight the reoccurrence of disaster and the post effect of the disaster which is death, the federal government of Nigeria held a meeting with stakeholders and leaders of NERA and the outcome metamorphosed to the formation of NEMA for effective management of disaster in Nigeria.

The question is thus: Is NEMA making progress on her mandate? The answer is yes due to the following reasons. Since April 2017 when Engr Mustapha Maihaja came on board as the director-general of the agency, a lot has changed. This much has been attested to my critical stakeholders in the industry. They indeed stated that the policy drive and innovations introduced to the operations of the organization indeed gave it a fresh breath of life.

As a first, NEMA under the leadership of Engr. Mustapha Maihaja established Disaster Response Units (DRUs) to enhance disaster management efforts nationwide further. DRU's are designated military units established through the instrument of the National Disaster Response Plan (NDRP) and charged with the responsibility of providing immediate assistance to civil authorities to reduce further loss of lives and property as well as human suffering during a National Disaster.

This is aside from the fact that efforts are almost completed to put in place Hi-Tech facilities and other infrastructure for an improved and all-encompassing disaster management system for our country. An example is the installation of the Search and Rescue Satellite-aided Tracking (COSPAS-SARSAT) system. COSPAS-SARSAT system, since its inception in 1982, has reportedly saved over 20,000 lives worldwide. The system consists of emergency radio beacons, equipment on satellites in low-earth polar ground receiving stations, also called Local User Terminals (LUTs), Mission Control Centers (MCCs), and Rescue Coordination Centers (RCCs).

It is on record that only three COSPAS-SARSAT technologies exists in the whole of Africa, and one of them is located in the NEMA headquarters in Abuja. This is indeed a rare feat and an example of the leadership drive of the director-general towards ensuring a regime of effective and timely disaster management in Nigeria.

It has also been stated that most disasters resulting in high casualty rates are due to the absence of an early warning mechanism. In this regard, NEMA has established a functional GIS lab for early warning and precision in response to disasters and emergencies. The lab collects spatial data, analyses, and prepares useful information that helps to aid responses to disaster. It is one of the significant facilities of the agency for its disaster risk reduction programme.

The Agency under Maihaja has gone into collaborative pacts with Helicopter operators in the Country, NGOs, INGOs, International, regional, and sub-regional bodies and agencies for both capacity building and technological enhancement in pursuit of a workable preparedness approach to curtailing disasters.

It must be stated that all of these innovations have indeed positioned NEMA as an effective disaster management agency. It is also on record that NEMA under the watch of Engr. Mustapha Maihaja has seen the development of an improved welfare package for its workers that consists of improved insurance and emoluments. This has led to an increase in the productivity level of the staffer in the agency. This is indeed commendable and an indication that the exceptional and proactive leadership provided by Engr. Mustapha Maihaja is indeed yielding dividends and responsible for the various successes recorded by the agency in managing disasters in Nigeria.

NEMA under Maihaja has also implemented measures that ensure unscrupulous elements do not abuse materials meant for the needy. It has eliminated the practice where impostors collect materials intended for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) through the biometric registration of affected persons. Critical stakeholders have recognized this feat as indeed revolutionary.

It is indeed a statement of the fact that NEMA under the watch of Engr. Mustapha Maihaja is indeed making tremendous progress on her mandate of effective disaster management in Nigeria. The director-general has set a worthy example of what sound leadership should be in Nigeria in our quest for socio-economic development.


Agada is a human resource practitioner and wrote from Abuja.

The Centre for Democracy and Developmental Research (CDCR) has rubbished a US report which alleged voter intimidation by security agents during last year's general elections.

According to CDCR, the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in Nigeria released by the US Department of State was fabricated and full of lies.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja, President African Affairs, Dr. Johnson Bewaji wondered how the US Department of State arrived at this conclusion, especially after the polls was adjudged as one of the most transparent by international observers that traversed the length and breadth of the country.

The Centre recalled the patriotic role played by the Nigerian Army, Department of State Service and other security agencies during the exercise; how it maintained sanity and integrity during the entire process.

CDCR, though, believes that this may be another grand plot by the opposition to discredit the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

After a careful analysis of the issues raised, the centre, however, the Centre concluded that the Report on Human Rights Practices in Nigeria is absolute falsehood and a figment of the author’s imagination.

The Centre for Democracy and Developmental Research, therefore, advised Nigerians to ignore the report and others in this same direction aimed to paint the current government in bad light.

Read full statement below:

The Centre for Democracy and Development Research is holding this press conference to put issues in proper perspective with regards to the allegations against the Nigeria Security Agencies by the US Department of State in its 2019 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Nigeria.

The report, amongst other things, alleged that there were high incidences of voters' intimidation by Nigerian security agents, including the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Army, during the 2019 general elections. The report also alleged that these supposed acts fuelled the impression that the Nigerian Army worked for the success of the ruling All Progressives Congress during the general elections.

The Centre for Democracy and Development Research as a result of this wish to state that both local and international observers closely monitored the 2019 general elections in Nigeria and the Centre for Democracy and Development Research was amongst the accredited international observer groups that traversed the length and breadth of the country during and after the elections.

It is succinct to state that during the elections, the role of the Nigerian Army was invaluable in the sense that it was able to maintain sanity and integrity during the entire election period by ensuring that the activities of political thugs and others do not hamper the credibility of the elections in any way.

We also wish to state that the officers and men of the Nigerian Army indeed saved the day in the areas that were prone to violence. This undeniable fact was highlighted in our interim report after the elections, and we are consequently bewildered as to the source of the information of the US Department of State in its 2019 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in Nigeria.

The content of the report is indeed questionable and calls for concerns from all critical stakeholders because it is highly misleading and not an accurate representation of the facts on the ground with regards to the credibility of the 2019 general elections in Nigeria.

The Centre for Democracy and Developmental Research sees this attempt as futile and a deliberate attempt to question the authenticity of the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari at the 2019 general elections.

It is indeed worrisome to state that the content of the US Department of State 2019 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Nigeria strategically shares semblance with the narrative pushed forward by the opposition party that lost out at the elections.

This statement of fact can be further buttressed when the issues canvassed in the 2019 Country Report are put side by side with the plot by the opposition party to discredit the outcome of the elections before the international community.

We are therefore constrained to believe that the possibility of the US Department of State acting out the script of the opposition in Nigeria is very high and of reasonable suspicion, because its content and arguments are directed at the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Centre for Democracy and Development Research wishes to state that there was never a time it observed during the elections incidences of voters intimidation by the security agencies. There is also no basis for the unsubstantiated assumption that the Nigerian Army worked for the success of the ruling All Progressive Party at the elections.

We indeed wish to state that the reverse was the case as it still appears some foreign interests are still angry that the military and other security agencies stood against the underground plot by Nigeria's opposition and their external collaborators to destabilize Nigeria.

This is on the heels that the underground plot was to ensure that war broke out after the exercise in their attempt to seize power through the back door.

The Centre for Democracy and Development Research after a careful analysis of the issues raised and the elections it observed wishes to state that the 2019 Report on Human Rights Practices in Nigeria is absolute falsehood and, at best, a figment of the imagination of the authors.

The Centre for Democracy and Development Research wishes to inform members of the general public that indeed the plot to discredit the electoral victory of President Muhammadu Buhari is still rife and taken the international dimension with the 2019 Human Rights Practices Report in Nigeria as that example of that international dimension.

The Centre for Democracy and Development Research wishes to advise members of the unsuspecting general public to form the habit of disregarding reports of such nature as their motives are not always in the interest of Nigeria, but that of those that have elected to ensure that Nigeria disintegrates.

The Centre for Democracy and Development Research thanks all present and wishes to state that it shall be making public the outcome of its observations of the 2019 general elections for the consumption of the generality of the public.

Thank you for your time.

By Deborah Obeweh
 
In the history of terrorism and the fight against insurgency the world over, few countries are able to beat their chests to say they have succeeded in crushing terrorists in record time like Nigeria has done under the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Since President Buhari promised during the inauguration of his administration to relocate the operational command of the armed forces to the areas ravaged by the activities of the insurgents, the world watched to see if the strategy could usher in a glimmer of hope in an asymmetrical war that has defied all known tactics for winning a conventional war.
This is because most who have been involved or have experienced insurgency and terrorism know how different it is from a conventional warfare and realize that it takes more than a sophisticated armory or superior firepower to crush.
World powers like the US and Russia have found out that the war against insurgents is different from a conventional war because, due to how it starts, is fought in a terrain better known by the insurgents.
The efficacy of weapons is therefore hampered by the undulating terrain like hills, valleys, forests and creeks; access to the fortresses of the insurgents is made difficult with laying of land mines and due to proximity to civilian settlements. There is also the inability of members of surrounding communities to cooperate with troops due to fear and lastly, peculiarity of the illogic the drives the insurgency.
All these factors affected the initial operations of Nigerian troops sent to fight the insurgents and like it happened to US troops in other countries, Nigerian troops were being ambushed and killed and many had to run to other countries for their safety.
Worse still, communities and local government were being captured and a sizeable part of the country was brought under the control of the insurgents.
But the appointment of Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai as the chief of army staff in 2015 helped to changed all that; it raised the hope that Nigeria was about to do something different giving his approach and tactic towards the fight.
The Nigerian government had made a promise to end the scourge within a given time and Gen. Buratai resolved to achieve that.
Here was Nigeria, which had in the past admitted to not possessing modern weapons and a general lack of confidence haunting its troops now talking tough and giving a deadline for the defeat of insurgency.
And to the surprise of many nations, Nigeria was able to achieve and by December 2015, was able push the insurgents out of the territories they were occupying, destroy their weapons, set captives held by them free, liquidate many of their top commanders and pushing the insurgents to the fringes.
The world immediately took an interest in Nigeria because this is an area where many nations have failed.
The US an acclaimed world power failed woefully in several wars against terrorists and insurgency that it has come to learn to tread carefully when the issues in other nations bother on the twin evil.
Right form its intervention in Iraq to its recent in Syria, the strategy adopted by the US have not been that effective. This has not been helped by its meddling in the internal affairs of sovereign states or resort to different standards depending on the countries concerned.
Its intervention have been woeful that most times it is even blamed for escalating the crises in such countries as it happened in Iraq and Syria.
The Soviet Union had also not fared better when it comes to fighting terrorism,
It exhibited a lack of preparedness to fight counter-insurgency war when it went into Afghanistan.
It was reported that in 1985, Soviet forces lost 18 aircraft and 53 helicopters,  before the introduction of the Stinger shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles into the war.
In Somalia the US-led military operation in 1992–93 which culminated in the Battle of Mogadishu on October 3–4, 1993,  18 U.S. soldiers and hundreds of Somali militia fighters and civilians were killed.
Under international pressure, the UN humanitarian effort, known as Operation Provide Relief, arrived in Somalia in April 1992.Various Somali militias however disregarded the cease-fire that brought the UN intervention and engaged in extensive fighting as well as in large-scale hijacking and looting of international food convoys.
 
Hence the US proposed to the United Nations that American combat troops be sent to Somalia to protect aid workers which the UN accepted and on December 9, 1992, a force of about 25,000 U.S. troops began to arrive in Somalia.
The already unstable situation took a turn for the worse when 24 Pakistani soldiers were ambushed and killed while inspecting a weapons-storage facility.
On October 3, 1993, the U.S. forces in an attempt to capture Olympic Hotel in Mogadishu, where the targets were thought to be meeting went awry.
After 17 hours of continuous fighting, the surviving U.S. troops were finally rescued by an international force but the battle left 18 U.S soldiers dead and 84 wounded.
Soon after the incident at Mogadishu, the US withdrew all its troops from Somalia and a year later UN troops were also withdrawn, leaving the country engulfed in clan warfare.
This is in sharp contrast to what is taking place in Nigeria where within a short while after taking over, the Buhari administration crushed the erstwhile dreaded Boko Haram insurgents by taking the fight to their territories.
Within three months after Buratai moved troops to the theatre of war, the minister of information, Lai Mohamed announced that the insurgents were technically defeated and degraded.
This is because much success was recorded after troops were mobilized to enter right inside the fortresses of the terrorists at Sambisa Forest and the terrorists were fled and were reduced to launching attacks on soft targets to prove their existence.
Since 2015 when the current administration was inaugurated, so much effort was put in place to ensure the life of the citizenry is secured.
General Tukur Yusuf  Buratai on assumption of office got the troops ready for action and introduced reforms and  strategies which gave the military upper hand as they took the insurgents by surprise in their fortress which saw the Boko Haram terrorists running for dear lives.
Complaints about insufficient weaponry became a thing of the past as weapons were procured at speed and mobilized across the theatre of war.
There was confidence building as the low morale of the army gave way to high spirits as men and officers which under the previous dispensation were quitting due to lack of confidence became encouraged and fought in defense of their fatherland.
The military took the dreaded Sambisa forest and established a base at Camp Zairo as the insurgents on seeing superior fire power and war strategies surrendered and began to fight among themselves. 
Gwoza a local government headquarters  and 13 other local governments which were previously captured by the insurgents and designated the capital of the Caliphate were recaptured by Nigerian troops and its people liberated.
Local governments areas in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States that were under Boko Haran were liberated and the insurgents were pursued to precincts on the fringes of the Nigerian border and began to prey on soft targets to be able to eat
Much has been achieved with the release of the over hundred Chinok girls and return of the other set stolen from Dapchi within days.  This is a far departure from the attitude in the previous era when more than three weeks were wasted before the administration could even admit that some girls from Chibok were abducted.
Camps for Internally Displaced Persons IDPs were emptied as  more persons in such camps relocated to their recaptured communities living normal lives as before. 
 

Obeweh is a psychologist and wrote from GCU, London Campus, United Kingdom

Boko Haram/ISWAP: CALSER pays special tribute to COAS, Buratai's continued impressive coordination of troops' offensive against terrorists


The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights (CALSER) has hailed Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai for sustaining the momentum and intensity in the fight against terrorism.

CALSER paid special tribute to the Army Chief at a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

The Nigerian Army recently announced remarkable success in anti-terrorism and anti-banditry operations across the country.

The Nigerian Army Operations Media Coordinator, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, noted that armed bandits, kidnappers and other sundry criminals were finding it difficult to operate in the country due to the increased onslaught of the troops against them.

CALSER, in a statement signed by President, Princess Ajibola, lauded the COAS whose steadfastness and dedication to the course has rubbed off on his gallant troops, evident in their recent outings.

According to the Centre, this “ is indeed an indication that the war against terrorism would indeed come to an end soon”.

It further revealed that “with the reports gathered, there has been tremendous progress that has seen to the rescue of innocent people, mostly women and children from the Boko Haram/ISWAO enclaves.

“This is indeed commendable and as such the Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights wishes to state that the Nigerian troops have indeed proved that where there is a will there is always a way because, despite the various conspiracies against Nigeria in the war against terrorism, the Nigerian troops have always given the Boko Haram terrorists fatal and decisive blows in the war front. “

The Centre reckoned that this tremendous gains wouldn't have been possible without President Muhammadu Buhari's concerted effort to ensure that the security agencies are up and running with improved welfare and up to date operational equipment.

“The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights salutes the resolve of the Muhammadu Buhari led administration for this display of patriotism and unalloyed commitment to Nigeria,” Princess Ajibola said.

CALSER, however, urged Lt. Gen Buratai not to take his foot off the pedal at this point, especially with the troops in an all-time high in terms of morale.

While charging Nigerians to rally behind the military, the Centre called on the African and international communities not to play ostrich and join hands with Nigeria in ridding the country of fleeing and heavily decimated insurgents.

This, the group declared, has become paramount as a bulk of the arms and ammunition used by the Boko Haram terrorists were supplied by foreign countries.

“ The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic also wishes to state that the war against terrorism requires all hands to be on deck in our quest to defeat terrorism. All Nigerians must stay united with the Military as they push for the final decimation of the Boko Haram terrorist group,” Princess Ajibola noted.

“ This is also calling on other African countries to intensify their resolve in the fight against terrorism in the African continent as it must be stated that the threats posed by terrorist organizations in the region is a collective threat as the effect would be felt across the region and ultimately affect our growth and development.

“This charge is also extended to the European Union to do all it can to support Nigeria in the fight against terrorism by ensuring that it sanctions any of its member countries that sell arms and ammunition to the Boko Haram terrorist group.

“ This is indeed the time for African leaders to exhibit the true African spirit by join hands with Nigeria to defeat the remnants of the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorist group. This much is necessary because the strategic importance of Nigeria in the African continent cannot be overemphasized.

“This is on the heels that the bulk of the arms and ammunition used by the Boko Haram terrorist were supplied from some European countries. It must be stated that it is not by mere coincidence that the Boko Haram group continue to enjoy the strategic support of some European countries.

“We wish to state that it is deliberate and a part of the grand plot by some foreign interest to destabilize Nigeria in fulfillment of their nefarious agenda. This is unacceptable and must be discontinued immediately.

“Nigeria shall be indeed great again. The leadership of the Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights salutes the courage of all Nigerians that have kept faith in the country for the labors of our hero's past shall never be in vain. “

By Evangelist Sunday Attah



A larger percentage of the world’s population lives below the poverty line. As nations grapple with how to overcome this, they are not spared from the further debilitating and catastrophic effects of other disasters that aggravate the pitiable conditions of the poor and even increasing their number. Due to this, there have been injunctions by the major religions on assisting the poor and coming to the aid of the needy. In Nigeria, while organizations and individuals have taken it upon themselves to intervene in various ways to alleviate the sufferings of the poor, the combined effect of natural and man-made disasters has emphasized the need for more of such efforts. Considering the enormity of the problems on ground, many have given up while others who have managed to remain and have had their resources drained.


The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was set up by the government to intervene in emergency situations and has been doing so over the years but with the coming of Engr. Mustapha Maihaja, there seems to be an understanding on the part of the agency that the role NEMA is supposed to play goes beyond living up to government’s mandate but to serve humanity and do the will of God. In the Bible, the question was asked, who should be considered a nieghbour and Jesus Christ responded with a parable of the good Samaritan in which the assistance of a foreigner categorized as an enemy qualified him to be regarded as the neighbour of the slain traveller who was ignored by his brothers and those supposedly close to him in his time of distress.

If the question, ‘who is your neigbour?’ is to be put to the very weak and poor in Nigeria today, regardless of religion, ethnic group or geo-political zone, the response would be unanimous: Maihaja.
This is because since the coming of Engr Mustapha Maihaja as the Director General of NEMA, the agency has responded to emergency situations and has moved swiftly to help the needy in a way that has qualified it to be seen as the neighbour of the poor, vulnerable and weak in the society.


The agency has been able to achieve these from the observation of analysts on four major fronts, namely, through its response to disasters and emergencies, constant reaching out to the distressed, providing succor to the weak and poor through social protection intervention measures.
In Deutronomy, the Bible says: “ For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land and in ACTS 20: 35 it says. “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”


In Islam, the Hadith stated that Hadrat Abdullah Bin Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu) reported Allah’s Messenger(peace be upon him) as saying, ”There are some servants of Allah the Almighty whom He has bestowed with special blessings by which they help His servants. As long as they help people with their wealth and influence, Allah the Almighty keeps bestowing His blessings on them. If anyone of them keeps away from helping people then Allah the Almighty withdraws His blessings from him and transfers it to some more deserving person. “ 


And according to Hadrat Abu Hurayra(Radiyallahu Anhu), Allah’s Messenger(peace be upon him): “Whoever relieves a believer of a difficulty from the difficulties of this world, Allah shall relieve for him a difficulty from the difficulties of the Day of Resurrection. And whoever lightens the burden of someone in difficulty , Allah shall lighten his burden in this life and the next.”
Disasters and emergencies as is well known are of two different kinds, but NEMA has positioned itself to take up the challenges with equal adroitness. The agency's response to natural disasters like flood and emergency situation caused by human activities like the insurgency in the North East have received high élan an commendation both within and outside the shores of the country.

In the former category, NEMA has shown sensitivity and concern to the plight of those ravaged by natural disasters that its intervention in the areas has so mitigated the effect of the disasters that the victims have been brought back to normal lives leaving no room for regrets.
It is common knowledge that in Nigeria, several communities in several states during the rainy seasons, are ravaged by floods due to heavy rains and release of water from some dams. This has usually leaves a large part of the population  in the throes of the devastation from loss of lives, homes and other property.
Several states in Nigerian including Benue, Niger, Kaduna, Gombe, Plateau and others are rendered homeless and citizens reduced to destitute.
But with the intervention of NEMA which lately has even gone head to take proactive steps by warning communities of likely floods and giving them adequate advice on preventive measures, much of the effect of the devastation has been reduced.


The agency has helped communities and individuals with relief material to return to their bases and start new lives without allowing themselves to be overwhelmed by the devastation of the disasters.
 
 
 
On the man made disasters especially the hardship caused by the effects of insurgency in the North eastern part of the country, the various initiatives employed by NEMA have had tremendous impact on the lives of those that have been affected by the crisis in the area. NEMA has been able to establish bases in terms of reaching out in several villages, communities, and hamlets with food items, clothes, medications and other relief materials that the impact of NEMA in North-East Nigeria has been commended in several fora in that regard.
Does this line of action also answer to a call? Yes. In Deutronomy 15:17 it says, “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.”
And in Islam it says, “Give to the near of kin his due, and also to the needy and the wayfarers. Do not squander your wealth wastefully; for those who squander wastefully are Satan's brothers, and Satan is ever ungrateful to his Lord. (17:26 - 27).
 


Not done with that, the agency lately moved ahead and exercised its mandate to tackle humanitarian issues emanating from ecological devastation in the country.
This is one area that has been neglected in the past but with the coming of Maihaja, realizing the number of people affected and the effect on the general well being of the citizenry, NEMA took up the responsibility. NEMA’s Establishment Act empowers it to cover ecological problems hence the agency took up the mandate seriously as many parts of the country are suffering from ecological devastation.
The southern parts of the country suffer from erosion, the central part of the country suffers from the activities of miners and in the north there is the age long problem of desertification.
The intervention by NEMA has reduced the hardship caused by each or a combination of these disasters and has brought succour and relief to the communities and individuals living in these areas.
This also has a spiritual background as the Bible says in Proverbs 19: 17 that “ Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed and in 1 John 3: 17-18, “But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
In Islam, Safwan ibn Salim related that the Prophet said: “Anyone who looks after and works for a widow and a poor person is like a warrior fighting for Allah’s cause, or like a person who fasts during the day and prays all night. (Bukhari) and Anas related that the Prophet said: If any Muslim plants something or sows seed from which a man, a bird or an animal eats, it counts as a charity for him. (Bukhari, Muslim)


NEMA under Maihaja has also reached out to the distressed. When Nigerians were being humiliated and put under harsh conditions for repatriation in Libya, the agency felt concerned and moved into action.
This has seen the agency participating in the repatriation and rehabilitation of Nigerian refugees from Libya through airlift of returnees from Tripoli to Port Harcourt, fact-finding negotiation mission to Libya, international and local media and publicity and others. The agency through its distribution of relief material to communities has helped in mitigating the suffering of the poor and the weak,
Again this lies at the background of the love for one another enjoined by the two major religions in Nigeria, proving that NEMA under Maihaja is God-sent.


Attah wrote this piece from Abuja.

Media Right Initiative and the Centre for Transparency and Public Accountability is suing the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and the House, by asking the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, to order the Assembly give account of how it has spent it's Budgetary allocations and other finances, over the past six years.

The groups say they are suing the Lagos Assembly Speaker, Honorable Mudashir Obasa for failing to give account of how funds accruable to the Assembly, has been spent thorough the years in question, coupled with the monthly income and allowances of each member of the Assembly.

The group further unveiled its plan to approach the Federal High Court, Ikoyi Lagos, on Thursday, to file the case, mandating the EFCC, to immediately commence an investigation into the financial conduct of the Assembly.

The groups said they are alarmed, by recent revelations of abuse of office, frivolous spendings, and are determined to let Lagosians know the extent of at which the State's procurement law, has been abused by the Lagos State house of Assembly, under the leadership of Honorable Obasa.

Meanwhile, the groups have engaged the services of Human rights Lawyer, Kayode Ajulo, a Lagos based Senior Advocate of Nigeria and other legal practitioners to prosecute its case against the Assembly.

The Coalition for Truth and Justice (CTJ) has aimed jibes at Amnesty International for failing to prove allegations of human rights abuses against the Nigerian Military before the presidential panel despite hiring a team of international lawyers.

The acclaimed humanitarian group had claimed it “received credible evidence that as the military regained control, more than 600 people, mostly unarmed recaptured detainees, were extra-judicially executed in various locations across Maiduguri”

However, AI's legal team were unable to backup this bogus allegation before the presidential panel and CTJ reckoned its the group's usual “campaign of calumny” against the gallant troops.

In a press conference briefing a statement signed by National Secretary, Barrister Abiodun Sodiq Babalola, on Monday, CTJ said it monitored the military's activities and found AI's claims to be totally false.

It further revealed that AI lawyers relied on “ newspaper reports and news items planted in the media as it was not able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the allegations were indeed genuine".

The Coalition for Truth and Justice, therefore, warned Amnesty International and its sponsored proxies to discontinue its propaganda of mischief against the Nigerian Military with immediate effect.

Failure to do so, however, the group said would attract the full wrath of Nigerians.

Read full report below:

The leadership of the Coalition for Truth and Justice welcomes you all to the important press conference in light of the allegations of human rights violations by the Nigerian Military in the fight against the Boko Haram terrorist group and other militant groups in Nigeria.

The Coalition for Truth and Justice, as a critical stakeholder in the fight against terrorism and other militant activities in Nigeria, has monitored the activities of the Nigerian Military with regards to the use of force in the discharge of their various operations.

This is also on the heels that, in some quarters, clamors were rife that the Nigerian Military engages the use of maximum force, and grossly violates human rights in their various operations.

It is on record that the Federal Government of Nigeria had inaugurated an eight-man Presidential Investigation Panel to Review Compliance of the Armed Forces with Human Rights' Obligations and Rules of Engagement in 2017.

We wish to state that this presidential investigative panel was mandated to "the review of extant rules of engagement applicable to Armed Forces of Nigeria and the extent of compliance thereto.

To investigate alleged acts of violation of international humanitarian and human rights laws under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended; the Geneva Convention Act; the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, Ratification and Enforcement Act and other relevant laws by the Armed Forces in local conflicts and insurgencies.

"To investigate matters of conduct and discipline in the armed forces in local conflicts and insurgencies; "To recommend the means of preventing violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws in conflict situations, and to make further recommendations in line with these terms of reference as may be deemed necessary.

We consequently wish to state that Amnesty International in operation in Nigeria made over 150 submissions against the Nigeria Military through its lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) as well as some other international human rights lawyers to support their claims that the Nigerian Military has consistently violated human rights in its operations.

The Coalition for Truth and Justice wishes to state that the Presidential Investigative panel absolved the Nigerian Military of human rights violations as the brilliant lawyers engaged by Amnesty International could not prove that the Nigeria Military indeed violated human rights in their operations.

The lawyers relied on newspaper reports and news items planted in the media by Amnesty International as it was not able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the allegations were indeed genuine.

We wish to state that since the countering of the claims of human rights violations by Amnesty International by the Presidential Investigative Panel, Amnesty International has elected to continue its campaign of calumny against the Nigerian Military using proxies.

We have it on competent authority on how Amnesty International is now sponsoring some local NGOs to run a campaign of calumny against the Military in recent times. This fact can be seen with the flurry of allegations on human rights violations against the Nigerian Military.

The Coalition for Truth and Justice wishes to inform the members of the general public that Amnesty International as an organization has been adequately mobilized by some enemies of Nigeria that are covertly sponsoring violence in Nigeria to continue to use its platform to distract and discredit the Nigerian Military, especially in this period that the Nigerian Military is making significant gains in the war against terrorism in North-East Nigeria and other parts of the country.

It is also on record that Amnesty International, in their usual fashion of making bogus and unsubstantiated claims on human rights violations, is primarily propelled by pecuniary benefits and not in the interest of human rights.

This trademark of Amnesty International is the order of the day in all the countries it is in operation. The insincerity of Amnesty International is indeed legendary with the fact that their activity is fraught with lies, deceit, selection bias, fraud, and as well as an ideology and foreign policy bias against either non-Western countries or Western-supported countries.
It is worthy of mention that countries such as Israel, Congo, China, and Chile to mention but a few have complained about Amnesty International's one-sided reporting, and failure to treat threats to security as a mitigating factor.

The Coalition for Truth and Justice wishes to use this medium to inform Nigerians that Amnesty International is a fraudulent international organization that does exactly what it accuses others of. Sufficing to mention that in February 2019, Amnesty International's management team offered to resign after an independent report by Konterra group found what it called a "toxic culture" of workplace bullying, as well as numerous evidence of bullying, harassment, sexism and racism in the organization.

The Coalition for Truth and Justice wishes to state in unequivocal terms that Nigeria, as a sovereign country, is duty-bound to protect its civilian population and is doing just that within the ambit of the law.

Nigerians are also duty-bound to see through the gimmick of Amnesty International and understand that its aim is nothing but to destabilize Nigeria just like it did in some countries. Nigerians must, in one voice, resist and rebuke the shenanigans of Amnesty International.

We consequently wish to use this medium to warn Amnesty International and its sponsored proxies to discontinue the campaign of calumny against the Nigerian Military with immediate effect.

Nigerians have indeed had enough of its nefarious activities. As such, it must desist from it or face the full wrath of Nigerians. Amnesty International must understand that Nigeria is not a banana republic, but one with extreme regard and respect for human rights in line with international humanitarian and human rights laws.

I thank you all for listening, and it is hoped that Amnesty International would heed to wise counsel at this material time as its destabilization plot has failed.

By Abubakar Tsav


The world is replete with very many tinges of experiences. A man’s bad deeds lives long after his demise, but his good deeds are interred with his bones. President Muhammadu Buhari accepted the burden of leading Nigeria at a time in its history every aspect of existence in the country was in extreme shambles.

It is repeating the obvious to say, the Military is the strength of every nation. The Army is its first treasured gold and hub of preserving and securing the territorial integrity and sovereignty of a nation from external aggressors. The Army is the foremost in many ways and ought to pass fitness test all the times to respond to security emergencies.

Unfortunately, President Buhari met a Nigerian Army that was completely in disarray and neglected in infrastructural development; signposted by defaced and dilapidated barracks, ill-equipped armouries and populated by unprofessional and undisciplined soldiers. Worse of it all, the Nigerian Army was politicized, enmeshed in partisanship and polarized along Nigeria’s faultlines of ethnicity, religion and regionalism.

Equally saddening was the reality that Nigerian soldiers who were formally famed nationally and globally for their gallant exploits in wars and Peace-Keeping Missions could no longer boast of such accomplishments. Even combating the menace of Boko Haram terrorism and other insurrections in the country was a big challenge to soldiers. Troops disgracefully faltered many times on the battlefield in the face of enemy forces.

The dignity of the Nigerian Army was rubbished by a basketful complaints of favoritism in postings, stalled promotions, unpaid salaries, denial of basic allowances, poor or non-existent welfare packages; lack of motivational incentives to soldiers deployed on special assignments on Internal Security (IS), absence of a reward system for excellence, brazen abuse of Rules of Engagement (ROE), widespread professional misconduct and constant mutinies.

In effect, Nigeria operated and paraded a demoralized and depressed Army, where promotions were earned based on a soldier’s link or affinity with the President or other top notchers in Government. A soldier’s hard work was not recognized and appreciated with a promotion as reward for excellence unless he either knows ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo or former President Goodluck Jonathan, the serving Presidents of Nigeria at that time.

Military Guard rooms were looking better than barracks where soldiers and their families were living. Army offices across the country were pigsties, and like dwelling places for animals.

The most fatal blow on the Nigerian Army was the deep-seated issue of religion and ethnicity. They became strong factors in the force to the extent that it gravely affected the operations of the Army as an institution; shattered the coherence and the cord of comradeship among soldiers. Infinitely politicized, the Nigerian Army was more enthusiastic in performing political duties than their constitutionally assigned professional roles.

So, officers and soldiers had redirected their loyalty and patriotism to specific political parties which their brothers and sisters professed. It was not to Nigeria, the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, Army leadership or field Commanders. The productivity of soldiers was on a steady, generous and dangerous decline in a sphere of the Nigerian Army operations.

President Buhari could not accept the eroded values and degradation of the Nigerian Army. He knew he owes Nigerians and the Nigerian Army a sacred obligation to change its status of a degenerated Army to a responsive, responsible and professional Army.

But the President needed a marksman for the job. Thus, came the appointment of Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai, as the Chief of Army Staff and leader of the Counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria. The COAS was briefed by his Commander-In-Chief on the task at hand. But ab initio, Gen. Buratai was also aware that he needed a standard Nigerian Army to deploy as solution to the countless security challenges which were tormenting the nation.

Having carved a niche for himself as a professional soldier of enviable standing, Gen. Buratai, also a notable administrative guru, launched far-reaching reforms and innovations in the Nigerian Army. And he followed their implementation reverently and meticulously.

Within a short time, the Army began to recover its lost glory and trampled shadows. Today, and with every sense of pride, the narrative of the institution of the Nigerian Army has changed for the better. Its reputation has soared incredibly. It is attested by the sustained successes of troops over Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorism in the Northeast; soldiers' professional candour, discipline and adherence to the appropriate code of service loyalty anywhere they serve.

And as long as Gen. Buratai is on the saddle, he has maintained the tempo and is improving it with each passing day. One can assert with certainty, that so long as Gen. Buratai continues to remain on the saddle, the Nigerian Army will keep getting better and excelling in all tasks assigned to it, as it sails gradually to the destination of perfection.

A peep into Gen. Buratai’s leadership of the Nigerian Army shows a pleasing reversal of all the aforementioned odds and negativities, which demoralized, afflicted and hindered our soldiers from performing their professional duties. He has succeeded in insulating our soldiers from partisan politics. Even when on Election Duty, soldiers remained apolitical and neutral in the exercise of their duties as recently confirmed by the Ebonyi state Governor, Chief David Umahi while assessing the Army’s participation in the 2019 general elections.

Salaries and allowances of troops are paid regularly and promptly; almost every Army Barrack in the country has undergone renovation; new offices have been built for the Army and old ones renovated; the reward system based on excellence has been restored and very active. Even on the battlefield, Gen. Buratai decorates soldiers who have displayed exceptional courage and gallantry in terrorism combats.

Soldiers need not to know Mr. President or have affinity with him to have their promotions effected and timely. All that is required of a soldier is his loyalty, dedication to duty and hard work to earn what he deserves.

Army Hospitals have been animated and stocked with drugs and other modern medical equipment for soldiers and their families. In -service training of soldiers is open to all indiscriminately and once a soldier qualifies or is due for refresher courses, he does not lobby anybody to get the approval. New training institutions like the Nigerian Army Aviation School and the Nigerian Army University, Biu have been established under the leadership of Gen. Buratai.

Gen. Buratai has introduced multiple incentive packages for the Nigerian Army. These are initiatives that ginger performance enhancement for soldiers. Interestingly, the Army Chief has repositioned the Nigerian Army in a manner that it has developed its internal capacity to contribute to the economic development agenda of the present political leadership of Nigeria under President Buhari.

Besides establishing new Army Divisions and Units, Gen. Buratai’s leadership has ventured into economic initiatives like the Nigeria Army Farm and Ranches; the Nigerian Army Post-Service Housing Development Limited; the Command Engineering Depot; the Nigerian Army Property Limited and the Nigerian Army Welfare Guarantee Limited among others. These economic concerns are the first in the history of Nigerian Army and designed to serve both the Army and the Nigerian public.

Therefore, the arrival of President Buhari on the leadership podium of Nigeria and the right choice of Gen. Buratai as the COAS have been the saving grace of the Nigerian Army, which was fast sinking into oblivion. The duo have remained the best thing to have ever happened to the Nigerian Army.

Every soldier today looks at himself with pride and dignity. Troops no longer shirk at the warfront, but fight the enemies even at the cost of their lives. It is not controvertible that the Nigerian Army today stands as one of the best in Africa. There is every optimism that it can still be the best in considering the various limitations in terms of technology. Nigerians believe it can be the overall in the world one day and Gen. Buratai can make it possible as evident in his determination to leave a legacy for the nation.



Tsav who was Commissioner of Police in Lagos and served at the Public Complaints Commission, Abuja wrote from Makurdi, Benue State.

The North East Peace Advocates have showered praises on President Muhammadu Buhari and Engr Mustapha Y. Maihaja for restoring transparency and accountability to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The group made this known in a strategic report to appraise emergency management after a thorough study of NEMA's activities in the North-East with regards to crisis management.

In the report signed by President, Comrade Bitrus Ali on Sunday, the group hailed the Director-General for inch-perfect interventions in mitigating the suffering of internally displaced persons in the North-East.

The North East Peace Advocates observed NEMA’s strong presence in villages, communities, and hamlets, all thanks to Maihaja's reforms structured in line with best global practices in disaster and emergency management.

According to the group, this wouldn't have been possible without President Buhari's willpower who has displayed an extraordinary commitment to addressing disasters and emergencies in Nigeria through the appointment of Maihaja.

The North East Peace Advocates, however, advised ministries, departments, and agencies in the country to emulate the accountability and transparency in NEMA's operations.

While urging President Buhari to honour Maihaja, the group admonished the NEMA DG not to rest on his laurels.

Read full report below:

Introduction:

The management of disasters and emergencies in Nigeria has taken a front burner in recent times. In some quarters, it has been stated that the relevant agencies responsible for the management of disasters and emergencies in Nigeria have been lackadaisical.

Consequently, questions have been asked as to the effectiveness of the National Emergency Management Agency in the management of disasters and emergencies in Nigeria since the advent of the Muhammadu Buhari led administration in 2015.

The North East Peace Advocates, an organization dedicated to the entrenchment of peace in North-East Nigeria, undertook a study of the activities of NEMA in North-East Nigeria with regards to the management of the crisis in the region.

It deployed a team of researchers to the three senatorial districts in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states with the mandate of assessing the situation on ground with regards to the emergency management and responses by NEMA to the humanitarian crisis in the region.

Duration/Limitations:

This research work spans seven months, and the researchers were mainly hampered by communication challenges that were overcome through the assistance of local tour guides.

The objective of Research:

The overarching aim of the Research was to examine the various interventions of NEMA in mitigating the suffering of internally displaced persons in North-East Nigeria as a result of the Boko Haram/ISWAP crisis.

Core Issues:

In the course of the Research, across the three senatorial districts in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa state, the unanimous verdict was that of excellent service delivery by officials of NEMA whose presence in the affected communities visited is paramount.

It was observed that NEMA officials were divided into teams in each community, and each team leader has the power to make quick decisions without having to wait for approval from the leader of the delegation at the local government level.

The same applies to the head of the delegation having the powers to make decisions without waiting for approval from the state coordinator of NEMA in the various states.

It was also observed that a regime of transparency and accountability is in place with the various monitoring and implementation mechanism put in place since the present Director General of NEMA came on board.

Our researchers were able to identify the emphasis on accountability in the discharge of their duties, and this much has seen to the rise of the effective management of the crisis in the region. The various initiatives employed by NEMA have a tremendous impact on the lives of those that have been affected by the crisis in the area.

It was also observed that NEMA has a strong presence in villages, communities, and hamlets. Most of the areas visited by our team of researchers had imprints of NEMA no matter how remote such settlements were.

There is also in place a feedback mechanism that assesses the operation of NEMA in every local government area, usually reviewed by NEMA officials from the headquarters, who routinely visits locations where NEMA is in operation. The director-general is also a member of the review and assessment committee.

Conclusion:

The North East Peace Advocates upon completion of the research work comes up with the following conclusions:

That the director-general of NEMA has been able to institutionalize the process at NEMA, and this has seen to an enviable level of accountability and transparency in its operations.

The impact of NEMA in North-East Nigeria is indeed commendable given the manner its operations are structured in line with best global practices in disaster and emergency management.

That the director-general of NEMA has indeed displayed quality leadership strides that have affected the operations of NEMA positively.

That the preparedness of NEMA in addressing disasters and emergencies in North-East Nigeria is topnotch and should be replicated across the country.

That the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has indeed displayed an extraordinary commitment to addressing disasters and emergencies in Nigeria through the appointment of a dedicated professional who has hit the ground running since assumption of office.

That the level of transparency and accountability in the operations of NEMA should be replicated in all ministries, departments, and agencies in Nigeria.

Recommendations:

The North East Peace Advocates recommends that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari continue in this fashion with regards to the operations of NEMA.

The director-general must not rest on his oars in ensuring that disasters and emergencies in Nigeria are adequately managed.

That the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari commends the director general of NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Maihaja for the excellent job he is doing in NEMA.

NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL OF NIGERIA CHARGES 2020 JAMB CANDIDATES TO BE GOOD AMBASSADORS OF NIGERIA

As the 2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination  (UTME) commences nationwide on Saturday,  14th March 2020, The Leadership of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has urged the candidates taking part in the examination to be good ambassadors of Nigeria, by conducting themselves according to the laid down rules and to the highest ethical standards as future leaders of the country.

This was contained in a goodwill message to candidates made available to newsmen and signed by the National Vice President (North Central)  of the NYCN.  Amb. Akoshile Mukhtar and his team during an inspection of one center’s each from the Six geo Political Zones of the Country. At the Navy Boys Secondary school Ogun State, the Council was pleased with their level of preparation and the same at the  Government College Kefi. Quoting the late Nelson Mandela,  the NYCN reminded the candidates that “education is the most powerful weapon with which you can change the world while noting that the Nigeria of our dreams will be squarely dependent on the quality of the products of our educational system.

The statement went on to call on the candidates “not to take their responsibilities as future leaders with levity, as the significant challenges of a 21st century multi-plural country like Nigeria rests on their shoulders,  even as the rest of Africa looks to Nigeria for direction”.

The leadership of the Council expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness of JAMB, “having carefully monitored the process and discreetly interacted with various stakeholders in preparation to monitor the conduct of the examination nationwide”. The statement concludes that JAMB,  under the leadership of Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has come to body the spirit of a new Nigeria along the lines of the vision of President Muhammadu,   providing a world-class examination service at a lower cost than in years past while making unprecedented remittances of excess funds to the Nigerian treasury”.

Lawyers draw battle line with Senate over Armed Forces Commission Bill

No fewer than 350 lawyers across the country have vowed to resist any attempt by the Senate to pass the proposed Armed Forces Commission Bill into law.

Sponsored by the lawmaker representing Abia-South, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, the bill, among others, claims to address the lopsided appointment of heads of security agencies by the president.

If passed, it will whittle down the President’s powers and hand it over to the legislative arm while also establishing the Armed Forces Service Commission.

The Senate’s Minority Leader and others connected with the said bill have come under serious criticism, the latest being legal practitioners under the aegis, Lawyers Initiative for Democratic Advocacy (LIDA).

In a letter signed by Director of Communication, Ekpa Stanley Ekpa and addressed to Senate President Ahmed Lawan, on Wednesday, the group declared that as legal practitioners, it is their duty to ensure that the rule of law, justice and separation of powers are upheld for the betterment of the ordinary citizens”.

It revealed that the Armed Forces bill goes against their mission, describing it as “obnoxious, repulsive and satanic, targeted at reducing the Nigerian Armed Forces into a mushroom assemblage that can be easily subjected to political interference”.

The group argued that it is the lofty duty of the Federal Character Commission to enforce the Federal Character Principle and not that of the Senate and if passed the bill would lead to several administrative crises among the various bodies involved.

The lawyers, therefore, warned it “ will resist any attempt by narcissist elements within and outside the country to assail and defile our sacrosanct Constitution”.

It added that the bill will serve no useful purpose for the development of Nigeria.

A civil rights organisation, the Coalition of Civil Society Groups in Nigeria, on Wednesday embarked on a solemn protest to the Ministry of Science and Technology in Abuja protesting against the sack of the former acting Director General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi FIIRO Lagos, Dr Chima Igwe. The protesters described the sack as illegal.

The Chairman of the coalition, Comrade Ayodeji Emmanuel, who led others while speaking at entrance of the Ministry called on the Minister of Science and technology, Dr Ogbonaya Onu to immediately relieve the newly appointed ag DG of the Institute, Dr Yemisi Asagbra of her appointment, accusing her and some management team members, of being responsible for the crisis, which has rocked the Institute over the past few months.

According to Ayodeji, the sacking of the Igwe and his subsequent replacement by the governing board of the Institute violates every principles of justice, equity and fairness as he asserted, that Chima Igwe has been previously subjected to several investigations by the Ministry and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offenses Commission ICPC in the past, and given a clean bill of health.

Recall that the sacked ag DG, Chima Igwe has been embroiled in controversies surrounding his Doctorate degree, which the Unions at the Institute alleged, that he never possessed. This led to several investigations and series of Industrial action and the most recent being another pronouncement by the ICPC, which the governing board of the Institute, based its decision to sack Igwe upon.

A petition to the minister, Senate Committee on Science and technology, Secretary to the government of the federation and others were later by the group.

The group further demanded a probe into the activities of the Unions who were involved in crisis, and an alleged underhand dealing between the new ag DG of Institute, Yemisi Asagbra and some officials of the Lagos office of the ICPC.
It also asked the Federal government to confirm Chima Igwe, as the substantive Director General of the Institute, as it described his as a competent and transparent administrator, whose record are viable enough to provide quality leadership to FIIRO.

By Dan Amor

As expected, the usually selfish and self-centred Upper Chamber of the Nigerian bi-camera legislature took its peculiar joke too far on Tuesday March 3, 2020. In a brutally caustic display of the game of the ostrich, the double-faced Janus who is the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, sponsored a bill whose sole aim is to cut the powers of President Muhammadu Buhari as duly enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). The proposed law is mischievously centred on the appointment of the service chiefs of the nation's military arms. Tagged: "Armed Forces Service Commission And Other Related Matters 2020", the bill has passed its first reading on the floor of the Red Chamber.

If it scales through, the bill would transfer the appointing power of Mr. President of the service chiefs to a commission which would advise the Commander-in-Chief on the appointment of the Chief of Defense Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, the Inspector General of Police, Director of Military Intelligence and heads of other arm-bearing security agencies such as the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Immigration Service, the Nigerian Correctional Service, etcetera. What this means is that the President would cease to be the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is invariably a usurpation of the power exercisable by the President under Section 218 of the Constitution under the guise of federal character.

In the face of mounting security challenges, the country cannot afford to witness another round of altercations between the Executive and the Legislature. The 8th Senate could not boast of any meaningful achievement due largely to its belligerent posture and selfish attitude to the business of lawmaking. One had thought that with the rapprochement between it and the Executive arm of government before and after the 2019 elections, the Senate would jettison its previous fighting and individualistic spirit and choose the path less followed in order for the country to move forward. The current step being taken by the Senate is unarguably an ill wind that will blow no one no good. You would recall that the leadership of the 8th Senate waged several unwarranted battles against the executive, from the Presidency to almost all the ministers and heads of security agencies.

Col. Hameed Ali (retd), the Comptroller General of Customs was roundly distracted by a vainglorious Senate that was determined to strip him of his portfolio when he was literally cajoled to appear before it with his uniform. The Senate also had a running battle with the former Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris who completely snubbed the Red Chamber's summons on four consecutive occasions. The 8th Senate also bluntly rejected the confirmation of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu. With the Presidency, the 8th Senate had a stand-off over issues like the electoral act bill which was rejected four times; the control of resources in states by the Federal Government; perennial delays in the passage of annual budgets and the phenomenon of padding of budgets.

Yes, Nigeria is saddled with enormous responsibilities as a largely heterogenous and vast country and as a regional power in West Africa. Most of the self-inflicted injuries we have had to live with as a nation were foisted on us by our leaders. With the oil boom of the 1970s shortly after the civil war, some of our national leaders in different fields spoke as if, on the continental scene, we were omnipotent, invulnerable, unchallengeable. Our head of state then, General Yakubu Gowon was even reported to have said that Nigeria's problem was not how to make money but how to spend it. This was hubris of the highest order and was the beginning of the free-for-all looting of our national patrimony into private pockets and the attendant failure to build a strong and virile national economy. We are far from being omnipotent. There are vast problems in Africa that we did not cause and which we are powerless to resolve. It is, in fact, more realistic to speak of some trying African conditions not as problems - which implies that there are solutions - but as conditions, which will change in time in ways that we cannot now foresee. We are not invulnerable, nor is any country in the world armed with nuclear weapons.

Our military and our economic strength have fluctuated relative to that of both friendly and hostile nations. Neither are we completely shielded from the impact of great economic shifts, as both the oil crisis orchestrated by the recent Coronavirus scare and the impressive economic performance of a few countries have confirmed. We are not unchallengeable, as both individual and state terrorism have both revealed to all observers. The challenges the country is faced with, which President Buhari is painstakingly addressing are what he inherited from previous administrations. The Senate therefore has no right to add salt to the injury. Every Commander-in-Chief the world over, has the constitutional powers to hire and fire his service chiefs. Nigeria cannot be an exception.

The Senate President Ahmed Lawan and the Senate Minority Leader Enyinnaya Abaribe, therefore, cannot usurp President Buhari's powers on this score. We have responsibilities, but they are not indefinite. It is the responsibility of the Senate to lead the good people of this country to reinvent the State as an organic political institution. The Nigerian State need to be made more efficient, more responsive and more united. We actually need to embark on massive public enlightenment programmes that would encourage the people to take their citizenship responsibilities more seriously. The Senate being an assembly of the elected representatives of the people should lead in this campaign rather than encouraging separatist gang ups against the system. The nature of Nigerian politics at the moment gives cause for grave concern. Political contestations seem to be regarded here as the equivalent of warfare.

This politics of the winner takes all and the loser loses everything must be halted. This is the root of violence during elections. Senators should discourage the humongous allowances they corner into their pockets at the expense of the people. The character of our political parties is the major problem confronting our society today. Aside from the death of ideology, there is a total breakdown of discipline and lack of focus in all the political parties. Many of the political parties whose leaders are in the Senate cannot articulate issues that would ameliorate the plight of ordinary Nigerians nor do they possess the wherewithal to curb the excesses of their members. Our Senate leaders know all this but because they are swimming in endemic corruption, they cannot save the situation. They only attack policies that don't favour their clannish self-centred hegemony.

Our greedy senators attack one another on all fronts over all manner of issues especially those bordering on sharing of looted funds. They insult the leadership of their parties without restraint and they viciously insult their party leaders over issues they themselves should help solve. Occasionally, they declare free for all on the floor of the Senate over flimsy excuses all bordering on parochial self interests. Among our gullible senators, issues that concern the future of the country are never discussed. The insecurity threatening to engulf the entire country does not mean anything to them. This is why they can stop at nothing to antagonize the service chiefs at a time when they are supposed to be given a pat on the back. It is said in certain circles that the Senate President has sold out to the separatist agenda of those who want to mortgage the unity of Nigeria for a pot of peppersoup. If the 8th Senate had a frosty relationship with the Presidency and the citizens paid dearly for it, must the 9th Senate continue in this belligerent and stultifying social order? Nigeria will definitely survive any kind of gang up. Ask Dr. Bukola Saraki.

Amor is Vice Chairman, Editorial Board of TheNigerian News.

Why I will be a patriot, not a terrorist! Rendition of a poem!

By Best Agbese

The COAS, Lt. Gen. TY Buratai is a bundle of talents. A famed soldier, he is also a consummate and prolific poet. General Buratai selects his poetic themes carefully and dwells on very touchy contemporary issues. He infuses into his poetry very powerful emotions while crafting his thoughts.

In a poetic piece titled; "Are You A Terrorist?," General Buratai examined the wretched and rustic life of a terrorist. He identifies actions or concealed inactions of seeming onlookers which bear trademarks of terrorism.

In the opening stanza, the poet begins with series of rhetorical questions. He presents and compares two general lifestyles at the disposal of the terrorist.

One portrays the beauty of an alluring life, in a normal world a terrorist denies himself. He contrasts it with the ignoble beast- like and lonely life he imposes on himself by living with chirruping birds and dangerous reptiles in forests, caves and mountains, perpetually dreading his shadows.

He writes; "Living in the jungle or in the city?/ The city in everyday life embodies all the niceties and comfort life can offer. In this realm of normality, there are limitless opportunities of comfort and a prosperous life for the individual.

And the next line again asks the terrorists whether he prefers a squalid life, "In the market place or in the park?/Roaming the city streets or the bush paths?"

While the poet portrays two worlds, the stanza intimates that the terrorist foist on himself, life of squalor and misery, even when he kisses the city gates. He is a tout for chosing the life of blood and destructions and so, denies himself of the goodies of existence.

The poet proceeds to mock the terrorist's imposition of deprivations on himself. He writes; "Breaking terror news from a reporter;" because a terrorist is the harbinger of bad news; he pleasures in propagating gory pictures of victims of his sadism.

The poet sermonizes that a terrorist is very scared to break his own news freely like other normal human beings. This in itself alludes to his mental derangement.

It is explicable because he is cursed by a cruel fate. That terrorists also deprive themselves of the pleasures life offers by satanic wickedness is alluded in this verse; "Or breaking hearts in the worship places?" Even in sacred places, they exhibit their satanism.

And in the third stanza, the poet parodies the convictions of the terrorist, as he says; "Are you a terrorist?"

He continues by challenging the guts and might of a terrorist who swims in false illusion about the defeat of humanity by atrocious acts. He says a terrorist is an slowpoke and feeble-minded, "Who believes all others not of him are lost? /Or he who believes those who fight."

And the poet submits reassuringly that a terrorist erroneously believes troops who battle them in trenches,
"In defence of citizens have no faith?/ A cause and a patriotic faith they have." Now, the poet goes into outright deriding of terrorists, who in the mindset of the poet are paperweight in the battles they start.

In the next stanza, the poet comes out more forcefully against terrorists misconceptions and ideological bent. Permanently relying on the style of repetition, he again asks; "Are you a terrorist?," The poet thinks, terrorists are effiminate warriors who are barren of valour to face real gallant men like Nigerian troops on the battlefield.

Rather, they sneak in the dead of the night to unleash violence on helpless women, children and their aged parents, only to lay false claims to bravity. But they are nothing other than cowards who scamper at the sight of battle with troops too many times.

The poet explains further that the terrorist is a cursed fighter, "Who sees only one course to his ascendancy/Or who provides many reasons to blame/Those patriots that daily sacrifice for the nation?"

Having drenched the soul of the terrorists in ascerbic tirades and invectives, he migrates to innuendic allusion to sympathizers and agents of terrorists. Searching their ungodly souls, the poet descends heavily on the dead consciences of these set of another children of Adam and Eve obviously under a curse.

He asks, "Are you a terrorist?/
Who remains mute when the enemy strikes/ The innocent but blames the patriotic/Forces without offering any civic hand?"

Terrorists agents and sympathisers who display pretentious empathy for the nation under the spell of terrorism exposes themselves wittingly. According to the poet, their antics are not only known, but the message is conveyed very poignantly by their silence in the face of action to appease the wailing blood of the innocent crying for justice.

The poet campaigner is saying it is absolutely nonsensical to blame troops when Boko Haram accomplices either cleverly encourage terrorism by reneging to enlist in the fight or project a perforated sense of patriotism.

There is a lengthy scolding of disparate categories of veiled shadowy existence of terrorists in many subsisting sub-sets who pose as saints. While the poet tries as much as possible not to offend their sensibilities, he repeats same question; "Are you a terrorist?"

And he provides answers,an indication from the answers that terrorists sympathisers function in a wild range, which include those "Who supports the enemy's propaganda/ Or who attacks the patriots' genuine psychological operations/Or who condemns policies toward solutions?"

Perusing the poets mind, it connotes that a terrorist includes that politician who kicks against Government policies designed to end terrorism or the cronies he recruits for this purpose. They include the formal and informal pen pushers who regales in hyping or celebrating terrorists publicity stunts. They are all guilty of cyberspace terrorism, the poet mutters mildly.

And the next stanza explains it more pungently and heartingly. In the last phase of the repetition,"Are You A Terrorist?," the poet punctures this issue which obsesses his mind all day and every minute, as he crafts the poem.

He thunders condescendingly and condemnably on allies of terrorists. The poem asks unreservedly and asserts that by your actions, you have affinity with terrorists if you are the personality, "Who is quick to spread the fake news?"

Or the type who is eager to "Spread any adverse news on the patriots?/
Or who always finds faults of the patriots/ In the fields or in their abodes."

The overriding preoccupation of the poet is to examine the operative nuaunces of terrorists and terrorism. Through a unique poetic style of repetition, an impressive use of the stream of consciousness and mastery of diction, he finely conveys a contemporary message on terrorism which touches every heart penetratively.

The poet fruitfully counsels all not only to resent terrorists and abhor terrorism, but always be a patriot and never a terrorist.#


Agbese, a patriot and PhD student at University of Dundee, wrote from Scotland.

An ex-serviceman, Major Atawodi Achile (retd), has alerted President Muhammadu Buhari over the implication of the proposed Armed Forces Bill by the Senate if passed into law.

The erstwhile military officer made this known in an open letter to President Buhari, where he described sponsors of the bill as forces after the soul of Nigeria.

Major Achile, a former serviceman under the Nigerian Army and now security expert, said it is “irrational, abberrational, inchoate, corrosive, abuse of legislative powers and traduces military tradition” for the National Assembly to embark in such path.

According to him, the NASS is being instigated by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe and others interested in overthrowing the current administration and truncating the nation's democracy.

The veteran warlord, however, urged the president to take “decisive actions to checkmate the veiled infiltration of our National Assembly by foreign forces and agents in furtherance of the destabilization plots against Nigeria”.

Read full letter below:


Compliments of the season to you and members of your cabinet. We salute you for the steadfastness and resoluteness of your administration in confronting the monstrous insecurities in Nigeria.

I solicit the support and cooperation of every Nigerian to your administration in these difficult and delicate times. We believe you are the Biblical Peter on whose rock God wishes to redeem and rebuild Nigeria.

Sir, you are aware of a Bill pending in the Senate for establishment of Armed Forces Service Commission, sponsored by Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia).

The contents of the proposed legislation seeks to wrest the sacred powers and authority conferred on you by the 1999 Constitution Section 217 and 218 for the composition, appointment and termination of services of Service Chiefs of the Armed Forces of Nigeria by vesting it in a Commission.

The Bill expressly states that the Commission shall have the powers to recommend to you or whoever is the President those qualified for appointment as Service Chiefs and Heads of other arm-bearing security agencies in Nigeria.

The offensive Bill also contemplated to imbue the Commission with the powers to recommend to the President the removal from office of these Service Chiefs and Heads of other arm-bearing security agencies on flimsy excuses or what members of the commission deem offensive.

We find such provisions irrational, abberrational, inchoate, corrosive, abuse of legislative powers and traduces military tradition. This is a serious attempt to unlawfully erode the powers of the Presidency and make the appointment of Service Chiefs and termination of same susceptible to manipulation by political musketeers.

There is nowhere in the world that a President recognized as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces will have his powers in full exercise of this authority severed or stripped from him and quarantined in a strange body through a legislation.

Mr. President sir, I want to put you on notice that the National Assembly is being instigated by one Senator Abaribe and a few conspirators into unwholesome actions. It is another clandestine attempt to overthrow your government and truncate our democracy.

I plead with you not to handle the matter with kid glooves; but take decisive actions to checkmate the veiled infliltration of our National Assembly by foreign forces and agents in furtherance of the destabilization plots against Nigeria. Beware that the National Assembly has offered itself as a cheap plank for triggering disaffection, disunity and crisis in the country.

Thank you, sir, for your kind audience.

*Armed Forces Commission: 200 CSOs unanimously reject bill being considered by Senate as invitation to anarchy*

No fewer than 200 civil society organizations, on Tuesday, unanimously rejected the proposed Armed Forces Commission Bill, describing it as an “invitation to anarchy”.

Led by Comrade Ogenyi Okpokwu, the double century CSOs, under the aegis of Parliament Watch, made its stand known at the end of a one-day Town Hall meeting at the Confereence Hall, Top Rank Hotel, Abuja.

In a communique signed by Comrade Danelsi Momoh, Comrade Kabir Dallah and two others, the CSOs said the National Assembly have not shown interest of the nation at heart after the bill scaled first reading on the floor.

The bill, according to the group, is “retrogressive and an attempt to undermine the powers of the President as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces”.

The CSOs further resolved that the NASS is acting against the interest of the country and heating up the polity for anarchy.

Having exhaustively analysed the said bill, the Parliament Watch concluded that it is “not in the overall interest of Nigeria and as such it is unacceptable for lacking in merit in its entirety”.

It, however, warned the NASS to avoid undermining the office of the President, the nation's constitution and a reverend institution like the Armed Forces.

Read full communique below:

Introduction:

The Parliamentary Watch is a Civil Society Organization that is devoted to the preservation of emerging democracies through the contributions of the parliament in Nation Building. It has, over the years, monitored the parliament and made tangible interventions in times of critical concern as it relates to issues of National Interest.

The Parliamentary Watch as an organization has continuously kept the parliamentary arm of government in check through numerous advocacies that have, over the years, entrenched our nascent democracy with the overarching objective of ensuring that our parliamentarians stay through to the ideals of democracy.

The Issues and Deliberations:

The Parliamentary Watch at its one-day town hall meeting deliberated on the activities of the National Assembly with regards to the robustness of its deliberations vis-à-vis the introduction and passage of bills that are of national concern.

There was an extensive deliberation of some of the new bills introduced by the National Assembly, and the impact such bills, when passed into law, would have on the overall wellbeing of the country.

One such Bill that attracted the attention of the members in attendance is the “Armed Forces Service Commission (Est.) Bill 2020 (SB 362)”. According to the Bill, the appointment of Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Director of Military Intelligence and heads of other arm-bearing security agencies shall be appointed subject to recommendations by the Senate.

The Bill is advocating that the Armed Forces Service Commission shall have the power to approve the promotion of officers as heads of military formations/branches such as General Officers Commanding Divisions of the Nigerian Army and their equivalents in the Navy and Air Force, amongst a host of others.

The Resolutions:

The Parliamentary Watch after extensive deliberations came up with the following resolutions:

Members of the Parliamentary Watch unanimously agreed that the National Assembly has not proven that it has the interest of Nigeria at heart with the Bill slated for Second reading of the floor.

That the proposed Armed Forces Service Commission bill is retrogressive and an attempt to undermine the powers of the President as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as stipulated in Chapter Six, Section 2 (1) (2)

That the National Assembly is strategically acting against the interest of Nigeria by playing to the gallery in an attempt to arrogant executive powers to itself.

That Armed Forces Service Commission Bill is a call for anarchy in Nigeria and to subject Nigeria to public ridicule among the comity of Nations.

That Bill is an affront to the office of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

That the Armed Forces Service Commission bill lacks merit in its conceptualization and its provisions are against the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and an attempt to rewrite history through unconventional means.

That the National Assembly through the proposed Armed Forces Service Commission Bill is attempting to reduce Nigeria to a Banana republic where they can subject their whims and caprices on Nigerians unpatriotically.

Conclusion:

The Parliamentary Watch at the end of the one-day town hall meeting convoked to assess the merit and demerits of the proposed Armed Forces Service Commission as a result of this concludes that the Bill is not in the overall interest of Nigeria as a country and as such it is unacceptable for lacking in merit in its entirety for the following reasons:

That the Armed Forces as a highly sensitive and strategic institution constitutionally mandated to defend Nigeria from external aggression and maintaining its territorial integrity and sovereignty should not and cannot be subjected to the whims and caprices of politicians and against National Interest.

That Section 218 Subsection 1 and 2 expressly states that “the powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation shall include power to determine the operational use of the Armed Forces of the Federation; (2) power to appoint the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Chief of Air Staff and heads of any other branches of the Armed Forces of Federation as may be established by an Act of the National Assembly.”


Recommendations:

The Parliamentary Watch herby makes the following recommendations:

That the National Assembly must save its face from this despicable attempt at usurping the powers of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces with regards to the appointment of Service Chiefs in the country.

That the National Assembly must desist from the attempt to destroy a strategic National and Professional Asset that has stood the test of time since the creation of Nigeria.

That the National Assembly must not lose sight of its functions as clearly spelled out in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and which must align with the strategic goals of ensuring growth and sustainable development

That the National Assembly must realize that its role in the Nigerian setting is to enact laws that would serve the overall interest of the country and not bills that suit their purpose and fulfills their desires and interests.

That the Armed Forces must not be dragged into politics as it is critically engaged in sensitive internal security assignments that requires all level of concentration in the light of the politically sponsored security challenges in the country.

Don’t succumb to plans to destabilize Nigeria, Diaspora group warns Senate over bill on Armed Forces Commission


Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group United Kingdom (NDMG-UK) has charged the Senate not to allow itself to be used as an agent to destabilize the country through the proposed Armed Forces Commission Bill.

The group of Nigerians in the UK made this known in a communique issued after its meeting in London on Monday, which appraised and reviewed in totality the legislative activities of Nigeria’s 9th National Assembly.

In the communique co-signed by Prince Ugo and Mr. Tegha Samuel, Chairman and Secretary Communique Drafting Committee respectively, the NDMG-UK urged the NASS to take a deeper look at the proposed bill and restrain itself from foisting confusion.

The UK group revealed that the Armed Forces of a country is a symbol of unity and should be spared from partisan abuses especially as being contemplated by controversial lawmaker, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.

Failure to do so, the NDMG-UK reckoned, may lead to a total break down of law and order which is the ultimate target of Senator Abaribe and his cohorts.

The group, however, urged the NASS “to retrace its footsteps and learn to conduct its legislative functions in a manner that is beneficial to the immediate and future aspirations and progress of Nigeria”.

Read full communique below;

A communique issued by the Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group, United Kingdom (NDMG-UK) after its meeting in London, which appraised and reviewed in totality the legislative activities of Nigeria’s 9th National Assembly (NASS).

That the Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group, United Kingdom (NDMG-UK) has recognized the legislature as an integral and very crucial arm of the democratic government in Nigeria. And the National Assembly (NASS) which is the only organ vested with the powers of churning out legislations for good governance seems to have slumbered, slacked, unfocused and derailed in the discharge of this fundamental responsibility.

The NDMG-UK wishes to call on the leadership of the National Assembly led by the President of Senate, Sen. Ahmed Lawan and the House of Representatives Speaker. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila to urgently re-direct the parliamentary body on a productive, purposeful and rewarding trajectory of lawmaking for the nation.

The NASS leadership is enjoined to frequently organize seminars and workshops for national parliamentarians in the area of legislative functions, procedures and matters of legislation through sponsored member-Bills and other issues ancillary to it. This will refresh the knowledge and enlighten lawmakers especially newcomers in the Chambers on the art of legislation and the democratic process.

The meeting noted with grave concern some anti-populist motions and Bills being contemplated by both chambers for passage. The NDMG-UK particularly frowns at the recent resolution of NASS which purportedly passed a resolution calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to resign over resurgent insecurities in parts of the country.

Equally, we condemn in stringent terms the calls for the resignation of the country's Service Chiefs as an egregious resort to laying the landmines for disruption of Nigeria’s democracy and overheating of the polity. Such positions emanating from the hallowed chamber of NASS which failed to gauge public mood are calls for anarchy and plain disservice to the nation.

The meeting also resolved that the NASS be reminded that it must genuinely re-work and re-order itself to toe the path of public good in the course of legislation for the general interest of Nigerians. Its status now only aligns to the generally held notion that the 9th National Assembly has not proven an inch that it has the interest of Nigeria at heart.

The NDMG-UK also wishes to draw the attention of all well meaning Nigerians to the Armed Forces Commission Bill currently being debated in the Senate which seeks to strip Mr. President of the constitutional power as the C-in- C to exercise full control of appointment and promotion for officers in the Nigerian Armed Forces. It also raised fundamental concerns over the Bill in the House of Representatives seeking to upgrade the educational qualification for aspirants gunning for election either as President or Governor as another misplaced priority.

The meeting noted that both Bills are attempts tomqif allowed to scale through. The NASS is hereby persuaded to take a deeper look at the proposed Bills and restrain themselves from foisting an aberration and confusion on the nation by discontinuing any further debate and or, discarding the Bills for national interest.

NDMG-UK wishes to use this as an opportunity to persuade the entire leadership of the National Assembly to take into account the flurry of opposition and protestations against the proposed Armed Forces Commission Bill particularly staged by Nigerians and a barrage of Civil Society organizations (CSOs). These are attestation to the public resentment over the actions of the parliamentarians who are encouraged to make necessary adjustments. They are obliged to cultivate the needed public sensitivity when taking such decisions in the future.

The meeting noted that the Armed Forces of any country binds the nation together and must be protected by its Government. Any other institution in the country could be bastardized, but the Armed Forces should be spared and insulated from partisan abuses especially as being contemplated by Senator Abaribe.

There is therefore, no reason for anyone to crave to destroy the Nigerian Armed Forces , which is a symbol of unity and protection through such a despicable Bill, crafted in contents and intendments to entrench divided loyalty to Mr. President and Commander-In-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Finally, the NDMG-UK wishes to unequivocally call on the entire National Assembly to retrace its footsteps and learn to conduct its legislative functions in a manner that is beneficial to the immediate and future aspirations and progress of Nigeria.

The National Democratic Front (NDF) has lashed out at the National Assembly over its proposed Armed Forces Bill, describing it as another plot to truncate the nation's democracy.

According to the group, the bill sponsored by the lawmaker representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, is targeted at destroying the revered Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

NDF made this disclosure at a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

In a statement signed by Secretary-General, Dr. Abdulkadir Bolaji, NDF said the move is unconstitutional as it will whittle down the powers of the President who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

Dr. Bolaji added that the bill shouldn't even be given consideration in the first place, especially as it is being championed by a staunch advocate of the Indigenous People of Biafra and an Nnamdi Kanu's sympathizer.

NDF, therefore, urged Nigerians to rise in unity to condemn this attempt at destroying a critical national institution like the Armed Forces.

It further called on the National Assembly leadership to ignore sentiments in this critical time and uphold the country's democracy and peace .

Read full address below:

The attention of the National Democratic Front has been drawn to the presence of a bill seeking to establish the Armed Forces Service Commission to amongst a host of other things deliberate and decide on the composition and appointments of Service Chiefs in the country.

The bill seeking to establish the Armed Forces Service Commission is, at best, the handiwork of political merchants, warmongers, and separationist advocates. As such, the National Democratic Front wishes to put in in precise terms that this is nothing but an attempt to destroy our revered Armed Forces.

The National Democratic Front as an organization with expertise in documenting the democratic experiences in advanced and emerging democracies wishes to state that in the most advanced democracies in the world, there is no such arrangement in place that would take the powers out of the hand of the president as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

It is the inalienable constitutional rights of the President to oversee the affairs of the Armed Forces in the country, and this bill can thus be regarded as a coup against the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

We are appalled that the leadership of the Senate would allow such travesty to be discussed on the floor of the red chambers without taking the time to look at the antecedent of the sponsor of the bill, who is a known separationist advocate.

The sponsorship of this despicable bill is indeed an avenue for the likes of Senator Eyinaya Abaribe to carryout out from where his protégée Nnamdi Kanu stopped in their quest to disintegrate Nigeria.

The National Democratic Front considers the sponsorship of such a bill as an affront to our collective sensibilities as a people and as a country, given the fact that it is on record that Senator Eyinaya Abaribe is a staunch advocate for the Indigenous People of Biafra.

We are also aware that seated in the hallowed chambers are other advocates of those that are hell-bent on destroying our revered Armed Forces so they can actualize their destabilization and disintegration plot against our dear country.

This fact is corroborated in that such a bill that seeks to promote the interest of a certain few have been slated for a second reading on the floor of the Senate. This is indeed despicable and might be an indication that the leadership of the Nigerian Senate might have been compromised in ways too numerous to mention.

We also wish to put it on record that, indeed, Senator Eyinaya Abaribe is nursing a grudge against the Nigerian Military for quelling the IPPOB uprising and as such one of the way to retaliate is to seek for the destruction of the Armed Forces through the Armed Forces Service Commission.

Nigerians must indeed know that this is indeed an attempt to whittling the strength of the Armed Forces in preparation for renewed hostilities by the members of his IPOB constituency in their quest for the disintegration of Nigeria.

Nigerians must rise in unity to condemn this attempt at destroying a critical national institution like the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The implication is that is this anomaly is allowed to materialize; we might wake up one day and realize that we do not have a country of our own anymore.

Nigerians must see this attempt by Senator Eyinaya Abaribe as a disservice to our great country, which by all indication, would plunge it into anarchy if some certain institutions are not protected from the murky water of politics.

The National Democratic Front wishes to use this medium to charge the leadership of the Senate to rise above sentiments in this critical time and indeed prove to Nigerians that the Legislative Arm of Government is a partner in progress and not an adversary.

It must at all times, watch out for the interest of the generality of Nigerians and must do all within its powers see that acts of legislation do not destroy certain segments of the country.

It must also be stated that the stakes are high and the likes of Senator Eyinaya Abaribe are scattered everywhere in the country and holding positions of authorities with which they intend to foster their plot against Nigeria by targeting those institutions that are our symbol of unity and national pride like the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

We consequently call on the leadership of the Senate to protect Nigerians from the activities of warmongers, separationist advocates, and political merchants and protect and preserve the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from the attempt at destroying it through the obnoxious Armed Forces Service Commission.

I am thanking you all for your time and for rapt attention.

Suspicious shadows of foreign NGOs in festering Boko Haram

By Tunde Kila

The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian military have spent the last four years dousing the wild fires of terrorism in the country. A lot has been done by Government and individuals to arrive at this destination. But traces of the problem is still there for nearly inexplicable reasons.

Nigeria is compelled to face another facet of terrorism, which by character and actions of the actors appears more ruthless and heartless by the executors. And until terrorism resurged again in 2019, one could reasonably assert with certainty that solace and respite came the way of victims and communities of Boko Haram insurgency in the North East (NE) Nigeria. It was where it raged in extreme turbulence.

Part of the grounds the Nigerian military regained in counter-insurgency operations in the last few years are facing portentous reversal. The pairing and blend of forces with Boko Haram by the ISIL’s backed Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists sect is the nascent threat.

Also disturbing beyond the complicit roles played by covert actors, Nigeria’s nightmare in the resurrected wave of terrorism includes the suspicious shadows of some foreign Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the nation’s Boko Haram conundrum. These NGOs operating in Nigeria and the NE in particular under the pretext of rendering humanitarian services to victims of terrorism may be bad companions. They are suspected of aiding terrorists and accentuating terrorism in the country.

Over time, the activities of these NGOs in the NE have raised questionable bars on genuine humanitarian trust. It has become too naked, somewhat bold and consistent to ignore. In Nigeria, almost everyone believes the word “international” ascribed to Amnesty International (AI) is only applicable to Nigeria.

All the attention and energy of AI is concentrated on Nigeria. It appears as if other nations are not facing terrorists’ battles or where such warfare exists, there are no human beings and so, their rights are not violated to attract an “eagle eye” by AI.

Meanwhile, the entire Middle East is terrorism signified, with over 20 terrorists’ sects operating in the region. But AI is deliberately blind to the atrocities of human rights violations in this region. It was just yesterday, America brutally assassinated the leader of the Quds sect, another terror group, Gen. Qassim Soleimani alongside three other persons.

At the instance of Gen. Soleimani’s assassination, there was no material evidence suggesting a war scenario that would have compelled American special forces to have acted in that manner. Unfortunately, AI’s ink dried up and not even a word either in a press release or so-called annual report ever mentioned this incident anywhere on abuse of human rights.

Insistently at the forefront of NGOs suspected of such repulsive indulgence against Nigeria remains the Amnesty International (AI), an international watchdogs for human rights abuses and violations. Nigerians and the coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have kept protesting against the activities of AI in Nigeria.

The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has incessantly brawled with the AI over false allegations, mendaciousness and malicious reports against the Nigerian Military and troops in the frontlines; same for the Nigerian Military itself.

And last year, the Nigerian Army, temporary banned the operations of some NGOs. The UNICEF of the United Nations (UN) was also affected. The Military alleged some of its officials furtively committed acts of espionage for terrorists in the North East.

In the same year, a frustrated Nigerian Army also angrily shut down several offices of Action Against Hunger (AAH) and Mercy Corps (MCs) in the North East. Both foreign NGOs are into the task of providing humanitarian assistance to victims of terrorism in the areas of food and medical supplies.

The Nigerian Army’s sustained discreet searchlight on their activities posted signals suspecting the NGOs of also supplying food and medication to terrorists operating in the region. The Army raised several alarms accusing the NGOs of supporting insurgents and indirectly, thriving terrorism, until it was compelled to act by closing down its offices.

Although, the FGN has lifted the ban on AAH and MCs which are now operating under stringent conditions in the region. Nevertheless, the challenge of the Nigerian Military in sustaining the victory over insurgents or staging effective counter-insurgency operations over resurgent insurgency in the North East is far from being over.

It is observable that Amnesty International (AI) poses the biggest problem for the Nigerian military in prosecuting anti-terrorism combats. AI’s persistently suspicious aiding of terrorists and their sponsors through fake propaganda and defamation of the conduct of soldiers involved in the war by fabricated accusations of human violations has been a cog in the wheel of a progressive war against terrorists.

It is now clear that AI’s offices all over the world have ganged up against Nigeria’s battle with terrorists. The first sign of this intentional posturing by AI against Nigeria which aligns and sympathizes with Boko Haram/Haram terrorists is the eagerness of some of its offices worldwide to conspiratorially report the Nigerian counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram criminals and ISWAP terrorists with every bias.

And their confluence point has always been to indict the Nigerian Government for consenting to the perpetration of human rights violations and refusal to investigate; or the Nigerian Army for masterminding human rights violations.

The grand design by AI and its suspected pay masters is to frustrate bi-lateral understanding which Nigeria, under the Buhari Presidency, has struck with countries like America and the United Kingdom for military aid in terms of training support, surveillance/logistics and weapons procurement to battle terrorism in Nigeria.

It may shock Nigerians and the world to know that that Amnesty International UK, which is a separate country headquarters of AI and, different from AI African region or Nigeria’s country office unashamedly canvassed this position in one of its report on Nigeria’s battle with terrorists.

The AI-UK published on its website a news report captioned; “Nigeria: Boko Haram survivors raped and starved by military 'rescuers'" dated May 24, 2018. The report identified Mr. Oliver Feeley-Sprague, Amnesty UK’s Military, Security and Policing Programme director as the newsmaker and highlighted in its riders that; "New Amnesty investigation details the “horrendous” treatment of women and girls by the Nigerian military since escape from Boko Haram…Many forced to become ‘girlfriends’ of military in exchange for humanitarian assistance…UK must urgently review support to the Nigerian military…UK needs to ensure “any training it’s providing hasn’t contributed to the vile abuses and violations currently taking place in north-east Nigeria.”

Feeley-Sprague finally let the cat out of the bag, by saying; “The UK government must work with relevant women human rights defenders to review UK support to the Nigerian military…”

AI’s country office in Nigeria serves as the architect of the concocted news reports about Nigeria from where it is syndicated elsewhere in their offices around the world. It embellished, amplified and circulated with scant regards for the facts. On February 1, 2019, AI also published on its website a news story captioned; “Nigeria: Deadliest Boko Haram attack on Rann leaves at least 60 people murdered.”

The lead paragraph stated that “At least 60 people were killed following the 28 January devastating Boko Haram attack on Rann, a border town in Borno state, northeast Nigeria, Amnesty International has confirmed.” Sadly, there was nowhere throughout the story AI could justify even its guesses that 60 Nigerians were killed in the attack.

The attack was perpetrated by Boko Haram insurgents. But despite the atrocities and human rights violations insurgents meted out to victims in the onslaught, AI was very careful in stating or mentioning the Boko Haramists. It mildly and vaguely said, “This attack on civilians who have already been displaced by the bloody conflict may amount to possible war crime, and those responsible must be brought to justice.”

And next, AI descended very hard and callously against Nigerian soldiers, accusing them of abscondment from duty when Boko Haram came visiting. AI added; “Disturbingly, witnesses told us that Nigerian soldiers abandoned their posts the day before the attack, demonstrating the authorities’ utter failure to protect civilians”

And always consistent with reports of AI in Nigeria is that it alleges aberrations in several communities, but rely on what they coat as “eye witness” from a few distraught persons to anchor their report on a generalized scale indicting either the FGN or the Nigerian Military.

More defective is that AI has assumed the role of every day media in Nigeria by reporting incidents of Boko Haram attacks, painting very horrible portraits of the attacks at every instance. But it does not deem it necessary to balance/confirm such reports with government or military sources before rushing to the press with any trash fed them.

Therefore, AI is an active promoter of cyberspace terrorism in Nigeria. It was persuaded by public agitations before it started mentioning the human rights violations by Boko Haram insurgents in its reports. Now that a guilty conscience haunts AI, it silently or vaguely blames insurgents; but descends very harshly on the FGN or the Nigerian Military calling for ICC to investigate and prosecute them for alleged war crimes.

AI is wittingly escalating Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorism in Nigeria through cyberspace terrorism with such gibberish it consistently pushes into public domain. AI is enjoying these fraudulent practices and it is reason it does not plan to leave Nigeria anytime soon in spite of public protestations against their continued stay. But a good conscience should tell them to stop dancing on the graves of our patriots.


Kila wrote this piece from Ikeja, Lagos.

Armed Forces Commission: Coalition for Nigeria calls on citizens to embark on mass disobedience over proposed bill


The Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) has called on Nigerians to reject the Senate's proposed bill on the Armed Forces Service Commission, describing it as a “taboo”.

CNM made this known at a press conference on Monday in Abuja, adding that it is unconstitutional for the National Assembly to propose such bill.

Sponsored by the lawmaker representing Abia-South Senatorial District, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, the bill will give the Senate authority to appoint Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Director of Military Intelligence and heads of other arm-bearing security agencies.

The bill will also provide for the establishment of Armed Forces Service Commission, which shall have the power and authority pursuant to section 219 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

Speaking on behalf of the group, National President, Mr. Sabo Ode argued that Abaribe and his cohorts would have to ammend the constitution for this to happen.

In clear terms, the coalition rubbished the bill to be “repugnant to the principles of democracy; a satanic wish to curtail the powers of Mr. President on security matters, and a despicable plot to hamstrung the Presidency”.

The coalition, however, called on Nigerians to rise and defend their democracy and not allow selfish politicians manipulate the constitution in their favour.

Read full statement below:


The Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) is deeply displeased with the apparently very shameful, directionless and fuzzy outings of the 9th National Assembly (NASS) in recent times. CNM is overly piqued with the Senate popularly known as the Red Chamber which is ordinarily supposed to be populated by experienced elder statesmen and patriots filled with wisdom, but playing infantile tricks on Nigeria.

We expect that Nigeria’s parliamentarians should lead the trajectory of redeeming our checkered country from the tottering tenterhooks of development deficiency, deprivation of the citizenry, mass poverty, hunger and disease. But rather and very resentfully, our lawmakers at the National Assembly and the Senate in particular have rather preferred to embark on senseless voyages in the pretext of legislations.

This Coalition is extremely worried that most times these accidental politicians who have found themselves in the national parliament are not only barren of ideas, but devoid of the basic skills, wisdom and procedures of legislation that would meaningfully ginger national development and progress.

But instead of devoting their time to acquaint themselves with the barebones, they are in a haste to impress their constituents and gullible Nigerians by playing to the gallery. There is a vexatious craze of sponsoring absolutely very useless Motions and Bills currently at the National Assembly.


It is not the responsibility of our Coalition or the civil society to educate members of the National Aseembly on their elementary roles as national legislators. But we cannot restrain our emotions in bemoaning the fact that these men and women want Nigerians to believe they don’t know the supremacy of our Constitution and the limits of their interference with it through Bills and Acts emanating therefrom.

Nigerians cannot pretend aloofness on certain issues. The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) spells out clearly areas that the National Assembly is empowered by the same supreme document to make laws. And majority of these parliamentarians are conversant with the cliché recited like national anthem everywhere that any law which contradicts the Constitution of Nigeria is null and void to the extent of the contradiction.

Give and take, the NASS has no powers to make laws on any matter which the Constitution has not granted such powers to it or made express provisions for it until the Constitution itself is amended. We expect the lawmakers to know that regardless of whatever they consider as loopholes in existing laws, as long as it is reflected in the Constitution, its wishful thinking that subsidiary laws by an Act of parliament can vacate the potency, effect or functionality of provisions of the Constitution, unless it is amended.

This Coalition is therefore appalled at the foolishness which informed Abia state’s Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe’s wisdom to float the so-called Bill branded as the Armed Forces Service Commission (establishment) Act 2020. We are even more consternated that other Senators who should know better that Sen. Abaribe is embarking on a senseless voyage, sat back and endorsed an obviously worthless piece of legislation to proceed to the stage of second reading in the Senate. We want to believe that if the 104 members of the Senate were in their slumber at that point, the rest of our over 200 million citizens cannot be fooled at the same time.

That Senator Abaribe relied on Section 219 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, but aligned its intendment wrongly gives us a serious cause for concern and not to remain silent. And so, it is obvious that the Senators are attempting to wrest the powers of Mr. President in deciding who makes up the list of his Service and Security Chiefs through the backdoor.

We wish to elucidate that the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria which Sen. Abaribe and his co-travellers relied upon to smuggle a Bill very obnoxious to the interest of Nigeria states is Section 219. But Sections 217 and 218 of the same Constitution have already settled the supremacy of Mr. President in deciding who to appoint into Service Chiefs leadership, in compliance with the Federal Character Principle. And Federal Character principle is also not same as ethnic or religious character.

Section 219; Sub-section (b) states that “With respect to the powers exercisable by the President under section 218 of this Constitution, by an Act, established a body which shall comprise such members as the National Assembly may determine, and which shall have power to ensure that the composition of the armed forces of the Federation shall reflect the federal character of Nigeria in the manner prescribed in the section 217 of this Constitution.”

However, Section 217: sub-section 3; earlier stipulated that “The composition of the officer corps and other ranks of the armed forces of the Federation shall reflect the Federal Character of Nigeria.”

Also, the Constitution in Section 218; Sub-Section 2; explicitly states that “The powers conferred on the President by subsection (1) of this section shall include power to appoint the Chief of Defence staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Chief of Air Staff and heads of any other branches of the Armed Forces of the Federation as may be established by an Act of the National Assembly.

The Coalition wishes to explain that the phrase in the clause (218) stating that “…as may be established by an Act of the National Assembly,” refers directly to the Armed Forces of Nigeria as may be determined or approved by NASS. It does not suggest the enactment of a fresh law which will whittle or usurp the powers of Mr. President in deciding who to appoint into the hierarchy of Service Chiefs.

In other words, the Section 219 of the 1999 constitution (as amended), as cited by the sponsor of the Armed Forces Commission Bill, Senator Abaribe does not confer such powers on the National Assembly. If NASS finds provisions of Sections 217 and 218 defectives, it must first amend the relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution or may be riding against the tide by this Bill.

The Coalition for Nigeria Move finds it pertinent to caution that the Senate should avoid its planned instigation of Constitutional crisis through the contents of a Bill which seeks to undermine the powers of Mr. President on appointment of Service Chiefs. Mr. President is the Chief Security Officer of Nigeria and takes responsibility over every act of security breach which is of national dimension. It is illogical to severe such powers and reside it in another organ or body as contemplated by this repulsive Bill.

We deem this so- called Bill by the National Assembly repugnant to the principles of democracy; a satanic wish to curtail the powers of Mr. President on security matters, and a despicable plot to hamstrung the Presidency. No country contemplates it. It is indisputably, a planned attempt to stage a coup against the spirit and intendment of the Constitution of Nigeria and an invitation to anarchy in the country.

This Coalition of eminent and patriotic citizens consequently implores all patriots everywhere in Nigeria and abroad to rise against the Bill and its contents. It is narcissist, anti-democratic and a prelude to chaos and breach of public law and order.

The same aberration echoed same week in the House of Representatives. A fresher in the House, Hon. Benjamin Mzondo from Benue State introduced a Bill seeking to raise the educational qualification into the office of the President and Governor of a state alone.

However, there is Constitutional uniformity in the least prescribed educational qualification for all elected office seekers from State Assembly members to President. By provisions of the Constitution, the discrepancy on qualification is only on age limit or differentials. But while the NASS feels a President and a Governor should have a higher educational qualification, our ever greedy national parliamentarians feel it is not necessary for them. So, they excluded themselves from the proposed Act. That’s the hypocrisy!

Section 131 of the constitution states that a person only qualifies for election into the office of the President of Nigeria if among others things, “they have been educated up to at least school certificate level or its equivalent”. This stipulation applies to all elective offices, except local councils which laws are made by state independent electoral commissions.

But today, the National Assembly is contemplating a Bill which will raise the educational qualification for some aspirants into elected offices, without amending the necessary sections/clauses in the constitution that pegs it to a minimum of school certificate. These are laws which create ambiguity of interpretation by Justices when issues morph into litigations before the courts. Both chambers of the National Assembly should think and act better than its current obvious groping in the dark.


We therefore wish to stay in unmistakn terms that the Bill is a taboo that must be rejected by all Nigerians and the National Assembly must be put on notice that no anti- people law will be allowed to see the light of the day in any chamber of NASS.

A word is enough for the wise.

Thank you and God bless you all..

Boko Haram/ISWAP: CALSER backs FG on investigation of Boko Haram sponsors, fingers INGOs


The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Liberation (CALSER) has welcomed the Federal Government's decision to investigate and prosecute Boko Haram sponsors in the Northeast.

The centre said this has once again confirmed the FG's “ unalloyed commitment to preserving the sanctity of lives and properties of all Nigerians”.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday in Abuja, convener, Princess Ajibola hailed the Nigerian military for its tremendous feat in the war against terrorism despite conspiracy by desperate politicians and their cohorts in foreign countries.

According to Princess Ajibola, this group has continually engaged in acts that undermine the efforts of the military, from supplying food, drugs, to arming Boko Haram terrorists.

CALSER, therefore, backed the FG to investigate and prosecute these Nigerians who have formed a deadly alliance with international non-governmental organisations as it will mark the final victory over the terrorist group.

The centre equally urged relevant security agencies to begin the process of profiling and identifying these individuals and organizations that have elected to enemies of our great country.

Read full statement below:

The leadership of the Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights (CASLER) warmly welcomes you all to this press conference at the instance of the patriotic steps taken by the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to investigate and prosecute the sponsors of Boko Haram terrorist group in Nigeria.

CASLER, in continuation of its core mandate, wishes to commend the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria in sustaining a decisive campaign against the Boko Haram terrorist group in Nigeria.

It is indeed a testament to the unalloyed commitment to preserving the sanctity of lives and properties of all Nigerians by ensuring that the Nigerian Military is well equipped and motivated to defeat all acts of terrorism in Nigeria.

This fact is evident in the numerous gains recorded in the theatre of operations in North-East Nigeria, and which was corroborated recently by the Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum where he stated that the Nigerian Military displayed unprecedented gallantry when they tackled the Boko Haram terrorist from ground to air in Damboa and seized 19 Gun Trucks belonging to the defeated Boko Haram terrorist group.

CASLER wishes to commend the Nigerian Military for this rare feat and also wants to encourage the officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Military to continue to push till the remnants of Boko Haram terrorist group are entirely defeated.

The leadership of CASLER is also appreciative of the various rescue operations carried out by the Nigerian Military that has seen to the rescue of thousands of women, children and elderly ones once held in captivity by the terrorist group in their various camps scattered around the fringes of the Lake Chad Basin region.

This is also on the heels of the ongoing rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced persons back to their communities and their loved ones by the Nigerian Military as a part of its strategic objective of ensuring that all displaced persons are reunited with their families and loved ones.

The leadership of CALSER wishes to state that with the current zeal and commitment displayed by the Nigerian Military, the end of the Boko Haram group is indeed around the corner despite the political patronage the group enjoys from some political elements that have been covertly providing logistical support to them in furtherance of their nefarious activities.

This despicable stance by those politicians that have benefited from the crisis to loot the commonwealth of the people is mainly responsible for the pocket of attacks carried out by the Boko Haram group in recent times.

It is also a statement of the fact that these individuals are hell-bent on destabilizing the country so that it can return to business as usual as it were in times past before the advent of the Muhammadu Buhari led administration.

We consequently wish to state that it is indeed despicable that these politicians are in cahoots with some foreign interest that are envious of the gains made by the Muhammdu Buhari administration in the war against terrorism since 2016 when the Nigerian Military gained ascendency over the Boko Haram group that saw to the retaking of the over 16 local government areas in North-East Nigeria hitherto under the control of the group.

The capture of the operational headquarters of the Boko Haram group, Camp Zero in Sambisa forest was indeed the game-changer in the war against terrorism and this heroic feat indeed unsettled these foreign agents of destruction and they have been doing all they could to undermine the efforts of the Nigerian Military in numerous ways, including ensuring the continuous flow of money to the insurgents through the activities of International Non- Governmental Organizations.

CASLER views this action as a crime against humanity as it is unfathomable as to why International Non-Governmental Organizations who are supposed to be involved in Humanitarian efforts have betrayed the essence of their humanitarian intentions in the first instance and have suddenly become agents of the terrorist groups.

They have continually engaged in acts that undermine the efforts of the Nigerian Military, such as supplying food, drugs, and arms and ammunition to the Boko Haram group in conjunction with those foreign interests that are plotting the destabilization of Nigeria.

The leadership of CASLER is indeed in support of the decision of the Muhammadu Buhari administration to investigate and prosecute the sponsors of the Boko Haram group in the light of the prevailing circumstances.

We are indeed convinced that this line of action will mark the final victory over the terrorist group as their sponsors have continued to use falsehood, mischief, and propaganda to manipulate the minds of Nigerians and diverting attention from their evil acts.

The leadership of CASLER welcomes this initiative and wishes to express its total support to the Muhammadu Buhari administration in this regard as it would usher in the needed peace in North-East Nigeria and an end to the inglorious era of the Boko Haram terrorist group.

The leadership of CASLER is with this using this medium to call on the relevant security agencies to begin the process of profiling and identifying these individuals and organizations that have elected to enemies of our great country.

We also call on the judiciary to embrace this worthy initiative by setting up special courts that will dispense justice and in record time. The judiciary must also not allow itself to be manipulated, as in the case in the past.

President Muhammadu Buhari must, as a matter of national interest, ensure that anyone found guilty gets maximum punishment as it would serve as a deterrent to others and an avenue for them to repent from their evil ways.

The leadership of CASLER wishes to assure President Muhammadu Buhari that indeed all well-meaning Nigerian welcomes this initiative and are in total support of it.

We thank you all for your time and wishes to state that the end of the Boko Haram group is indeed in sight. Nigeria shall defeat terrorism, and Nigeria shall over its security challenges to the astonishment of that are plotting to destabilize the country.

Our unalloyed support of the Muhammadu Buhari’s administration decision to investigate and prosecute sponsors of the Boko Haram Terrorist Group in Nigeria is unflinching.


God bless Nigeria.
God bless President Muhammadu Buhari
God bless us all.

By Gift Ogar

It is no longer news that the COAS as the leader of the counter - insurgency operations, belongs to what is called the “strong breed.”

Personally as an operative I do monitor various TV stations and each time the COAS appears on TV screens during interviews including the recent one he granted to educate the public on Nigerian Army operations on the nation - wide counter - insurgency operations, his infectious aura will invoke passions of love on him by anyone. He is soft - spoken, usually calm and calculative, blended with his gift of oratory.

It is no longer news that nature has gifted the COAS so generously. He has excelled as a very combatant Gen who has the unbeatable reputation of a military master strategist and tactician. He is an exceptional Gen who visits and lives with his troops in the trenches much like in military diplomacy. He is a historian and philosopher by academic training. For me, the COAS is a star personality of military history and deploys his intellectual arsenals to find solutions to the manifold contemporary security challenges.

A poet by hobby, the COAS verses are extraordinarily pungent and a gripping commentary on societal problems. Assimilating his poems only reminds one of the lord of romantic poetry, the English-born William Wordsworth. One is often tempted to think, Gen Buratai would have better excelled as an academic don but in all fields, he has come full measure.

In administration and leadership, he exudes uncommon excellence. The COAS has a knack for innovations and reforms. A workaholic and very respected senior officer to the core. He marshals out his plans, set his priorities with time frames and pursues them relentlessly and tirelessly until his targets are met.

With this, he had little difficulty in transforming the disorganized and disoriented NA he inherited into a professional, responsible, responsive and disciplined force. He gave the Nigerian Army a new face and portrait of excellence within months of his assumption of duty as the COAS. Let us not forget that the NA was running into a tattered Army with so many unnecessary dismissal of troops especially with 100% of those dismissal coming from the NE before his appointment.

In addition, as evidence of his innovative ingenuity, the COAS established two new Army Divisions within 3 years of his leadership. He has established 8 Division with Headquarters in Sokoto and 6 Division Port Harcourt in Rivers State. As a leader who is interested in legacies, he has erected modern residential and office accommodation structures in the new Army Divisions so fast. The COAS knows how to pull the right strings to get what he wants for the Army.

Also, remarkably endearing, the COAS has equally established a dozen of Army Brigades, Battalions’ and Forward Bases in different parts of the country especially in places with recurring issues of insecurity just to tackle such insecurity situations. I am happy to mention that he is still expanding in this direction because Delta State has just been given an Army Brigade and Battalion. It is a well known fact that the idea is to facilitate the quick response of troops to all emergency situation in order to smoothen operations against armed criminals for the protection of Nigerians.

With the present COAS handling the affairs of the Nigerian Army, it is so clear that taking a glance at the Nigerian Army today, one sees Nigerian soldiers actively involved overwhelmingly in counter-insurgency operations. Troops are quelling bile and violent insurrectional movements; extinguishing the fires of destructive militancy, quenching the madness of armed bandits and dousing the conflagrations between farmers and herders in different parts of the country.

This in reality shows that the deployment to troops to at least 33 out of 36 States of the Federation for these reasons is quite a bogus operational spread to manage and supervise effectively but our indefatigable COAS has no problems playing his supervisory roles. He is always found everywhere troops under him are deployed for special assignments by paying operational visits to them all the time. From my calculation, he has never spent complete one month on seat without going to visit his troops in FOBs.

Like a nomad, the COAS is a very senior and respected Gen who sits nowhere, but is constantly in motion, hopping from one State to another to oversee the work of his troops at various stations, FOB, Military barracks and operational areas. The COAS dreads failure and avoids it like a plaque. This is evidenced because each time he kick-starts a capital project for the Nigerian Army, he ensures it is completed as scheduled. He hates excuses adduced after failure with a passion.

It is on this spirit that our great COAS gave the Nigerian Army the first specialized conventional Nigerian Army University, Biu (NAUB). The idea of NAUB started like a mustard seed but it grew as the COAS persistently watered it. Based on his efforts, within two years the university became a reality dotted with gigantic and aesthetical edifices. It will interest you to note that students are already observing their second academic session.

The COAS is a visionary and focused leader who is also aggressively pursuing the idea of an aviation unit for the Nigerian Army to make air combats easier for troops in the trenches in the ongoing counter-insurgency operations. An aviation wing for the Nigerian Army has been on the cards of previous leaders of the Nigerian Army but it has dragged for decades without positive results. The present COAS in his characteristic manner is pushing it with an extreme force and tonic.

Foresighted as ever, the COAS first established the Nigerian Army Aviation Corps with Army pilots and technical crew members being trained both at home and abroad. He has established hangers for the Aviation Corps and is in the process of producing helicopters just like he did with the production of the Ezugwu MRAP.

The COAS as a trailblazer at every turn is again set to make history as the COAS who brought to fruition the Army Aviation wing and with this, the admirers of the COAS often times tease him with epaulettes such as “the itinerant Army boss,” or “the mobile General.” And his actions reflect such affectionate wisecrack on his personage.

It is very hard to pin the COAS down to a spot and he is not transfixed in any location. You recall that if you have been following the COAS events, on Tuesday last week, he was in Asaba Delta State to commission the headquarters of 63 Brigade Complex and to also officially authorize the operationalization of the brigade in the State capital. Equally as a COAS who is ever ready for success within another 24hrs, he was in Maiduguri with the troops monitoring the clearance operations of troops of Operation Lafiya Dole. It is no longer secret that with his presence to boost troops morale, Nigerians including the Governor and people of Borno State bear testimony to Nigerian troops decisive crushing of insurgents at Damboa and the destruction of their 19 vehicles the insurgents took to attack own troops. The Governor could not hold his praise for the troops over the success as witnessed.

Meanwhile my findings reveal the COAS is due for Kaduna to inaugurate other new projects and the circle continues on and on. With this, I am bold to say my present COAS is undeniably the restless Gen who wants his troops to win the war on the insurgency. He is a Gen who is always ready to lead and to bury all threats of insecurity in Nigeria. He is also that Gen who hates to sit in one place and merely bark directives.

Gen TY Buratai to me is an amiable Gen by birth from the obscure little town of Biu and an achiever by dint of hard work. He is a Gen by training, a very professional Gen by calling and by action. That is the hidden portrait of Gen. TY Buratai the nightmare and tormentor-in-chief of terrorists. I regard him always as the action-filled and result-oriented Nigeria’s COAS and ombudsman of counter-terrorism operations. Having mentioned all the above, this is the more reasons why some saboteurs and their agents want him removed but I am personally happy that Mr President who brought him to come and fixed the NA and to fight the insurgency knows better.


98NA/46/2456 Ssgt Gift Ogar wrote from NARC Military Intelligence Regiment, Abuja

By Idoko Ainoko

To say that Nigeria remains the best place on earth is no longer news. Despite all the conspiracies against her as a nation, Nigeria has continued to defeat her adversaries without going to war. So, many things naturally work out positively for the country even without the citizens ever knowing. Quote me right or wrong; Nigeria is God's own country on earth. I will therefore attempt to reveal the secret in this piece.

It is very easy to know the enemies of Nigeria. Though most times, they conceal their identities, but tacitly expose it through actions and words. Persistently, these enemies of Nigeria unleash vitriols on public servants who have demonstrated hard work and a favourable disposition to the new order as enunciated by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Therefore, these foes of Nigeria fabricate assorted tales, lies and falsehood to kick them out of office. They seek attention through the fake garments of patriotism and hide under fake public interest, but scheme behind the curtains to pull down Nigeria.

There is inconsequential, but distractive noise from infinitesimal quarters about tenure elongation of the incumbent Service Chiefs by President Buhari. For some Nigerians, it has become a favorite past time. Those pushing the senseless campaigns have irrationally refused to recognize that it is the sacred prerogative of Mr. President to either extend the tenure or sack his Service Chiefs.

This league of remonstrators easily forgets that nowhere in the whole world, a President is publicly stampeded into changing his Service Chiefs. Most times, Nigerians abuse the liberties offered by democracy. Because of a mindset fixated on evil, those objecting the Presidential decision fail to acknowledge their limitations and decode the lawful powers of Mr. President on matters of such magnitude.

With such freeness of the mind and careless meddlesomeness, even those who can hardly run effective families come out to dictate to the President on such exclusive matters. But this is what happens in a country where some people do not know their limitations. Let them be informed that the service duration of his Service Chiefs is outside their purview of interrogation in whatever guise.

The campaigners for the sack of our patriotic Service Chiefs are Nigeria’s greatest enemies and allies of external forces which have been plotting to destabilize and destroy the country. It defeats sound logic why some people should decide to mount such propaganda at such an auspicious time, when the country is facing very serious emergency security problems. It is diversionary and in bad taste.

Every patriotic Nigerian knows it is wrong and unacceptable to distract the unrelenting Service Chiefs with such partisan and meaningless noise. Nigerians of good conscience are aware that this is the time to allow the Service Chiefs the grace and peace of mind to concentrate on delivering Nigeria from the clutches of insurgents, terrorists, armed bandits, militancy and other assemblage of armed criminals.

However, the spoilers and destroyers of Nigeria are thinking differently. They are sounding as if President Buhari has done an unpardonable thing by extending the tenure of his Service Chiefs. Or Mr. President has committed an abomination by sticking to his hardworking and tested Service Chiefs. They posture as if this is the first time, that President Buhari has renewed the tenure of national appointees and therefore, it is “illegal” and should not stand.

It is unfortunate that some Nigerians have cultivated the habit of depriving themselves of truth. The seed of truth and honesty has deserted most hearts in Nigeria. And it is the compelling force for the very unreasonable and malicious excuses in protesting the continuous stewardship of the Service Chiefs.

These same people never protested when President Buhari extended the tenure of his other appointees before now. May be, those who benefitted from the presidential gesture appealed to their ethnic, religious, partisan, regional or sectional proclivities. Or, such renewed appointments pandered to the personal interests of the community of opposers against the Service Chiefs. This is precisely where the lacuna deepens and runs contrary to logic.

What did the campaigners against Service Chiefs say when President Buhari extended the service of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Dr. Godwin Emefiele? The President inherited the boss of the apex bank from his predecessor, but renewed his tenure when it expired last year. But the professional opposers and emergency activists lost their voice. They rather hailed Mr. President.

In 2018, the President also approved the extension of the tenure of seven retiring Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Civil Service for one calendar year. But nobody raised eyebrows. And according to Mr. President, it was to ensure stability in the Federal Civil Service and sustained effective delivery on the nine priority areas of the administration.

The President has reappointed many of his ministers, but no discordant voices were heard. The likes of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; Chief Rotimi Amaechi; Barr. Babatunde Fashola ; Dr. Chris Ngige; Alhaji Adamu Adamu; Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Dr. Osagie Ehanire; Alhaji Sirika Hadi; Hajiya Zainab Ahmed and Barr. Abubakar Malami among hordes of others are beneficiaries. Why did the Senate fail to reject them at the point of screening?

No one kicked against it. And in all instances of service extension or reappointment, the President is motivated by the service records of excellence by the beneficiaries. It is Mr. President’s style of appreciating the dictum, “service begets service.” It implies that their performance has impressed Mr. President and aligns with the effective service delivery on the priority areas of the administration.

And the leading propagandists against the tenure extension of Service Chiefs have forgotten so soon that in 2018, President Buhari also extended the tenures of numerous other federal appointees. These included; Dr. Jafaru Alunua Momoh, the Chief Medical Director, National Hospital Abuja; Prof. Eli Jidere Bala, the Director-General, Energy Commission of Nigeria; Dr. Boboye Olayemi, Chief Corps Marshall, Federal Road Safety Commission; Dr. Nwadinigwe Cajetan Uwatoronye, Chief Medical Director, National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu state and Dr. Mohammed Jibrin, Director-General, National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI).

There are many others who have benefited from this presidential favour under the Buhari Presidency. Many Presidential aides have also enjoyed service extension. And the common denominator or defining yardstick is that they have performed exceedingly impressive. But when a people embrace mendacity, everything is personalized, even when it runs against the spirit of public interest.

So, what’s the heck about the issue of Service Chiefs? What is good for the goose should certainly be good for the gender and justifiably too, particularly that the Service Chiefs have performed creditably. And many Nigerians are convinced and can attest to it; except those whose hearts are steeped in biases. Let's not cry foul when there is none or raise any alarm where there is no cause for it. The Service Chiefs have done well and need to be supported and encouraged to go the proverbial extra-mile.


Ainoko is a public affairs analyst based in Kaduna.

Null

*Damboa: Former CP Tsav hails Buratai, Nigerian troops over gallant display against Boko Haram terrorists*

Ex-Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, has commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai and his gallant troops for a display of sheer “gallantry and patriotism” against Boko/ISWAP terrorists.

According to Mr Tsav, the COAS has once again silenced his critics and proven beyond reasonable doubt that he is worthy of President Muhammadu Buhari's trust and that of Nigerians despite the conspiracy.

Scores of insurgents lost their lives on Wednesday after the gallant troops repelled an attack in Damboa, a town 85 kilometres away from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

The Nigerian soldiers were unscathed from a five-hour gun duel which left dead bodies of the insurgents and their 19 abandoned trucks littered on the ground.

Being a security expert himself, Alhaji Tsav likened the Nigerian troops to its American counterparts with zero tolerance for terrorists.

He expressed pride in their consistent show of bravery and courage amidst distraction by paid critics behind beguile negative scripts.

Mr. Tsav added that this may not have been achieved without Lt. Gen Buratai’s focused leadership and tenacity, who he says has done enough to earn his respect and that of all Nigerians.

This victory, according to the ex-CP, however, is an indication that all the military need is encouragement and not disparagement from Nigerians.

Read full statement below:

I am compelled by the extraordinary gallantry and patriotism displayed by our patriotic troops in their recent encounter with the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists to issue this public statement because of the excitement that overwhelmed me and countless Nigerians.

I wish to stress that Nigeria belongs to all of us. And when it borders on matters of national security, it is also our collective responsibility to encourage and support the efforts of FGN and our troops in securing our lives and property in any part of the country.

There is a deliberate malevolence and dampening scolding of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR and Service Chiefs over alleged incompetence in handling the fresh spate of insecurities in the country. I sensed for a long time that it has assumed the tone of conspiracy by a select elite.

But contrary to such regressive thoughts, our Armed Forces are performing exceedingly marvelous on the warfront. And the cooked opinions they canvass is not what is really obtainable on the field of battle.

I was specifically elated with the strides of our combined troops, comprising the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force under the “Operation Lafiya Dole which recorded yesterday’s blistering victory (March 4, 2020) over Boko Haram criminals and ISWAP terrorists in Damboa, Borno state. A battalion of insurgents laid ambush on our troops and the natives, with the intention of overrunning the town.

But in a surprise bulwark of defence network mounted by our brave troops, the invading insurgents were pounded so mercilessly to the extent the survivors had to scamper for safety. The terrorists least expected this fatal fate.

News reports had it that several insurgents met their waterloo during the encounter and 19 of their warfare vehicles were also destroyed. It happened both during the fierce exchange of gun battles and their defeatist retreat after a hot chase by our ground and air forces.

As a security expert myself, I know, it was an excellent performance by our troops and a replica of what only American troops can do to terrorists. The military squad which conducted this highly successful and commendable operation deserves special hogs and a dinner from Nigerians.

Even Borno state Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum and the residents of Damboa were impressed. Zulum could no longer conceal his feelings, but gave a public salutation to the gallant soldiers of the Nigerian Army and the Air Force under operation Lafiya Dole for the decisive blow against the Boko Haram insurgents.

These are actions that should attract loud public commendations for our troops beginning with the National Assembly, State Governors, opposition parties, Nigerian elites, the media and the generality of Nigerians.

The focus of the people on the once in awhile crippling of our troops in the frontlines is a very unpatriotic act. There is nowhere in the world where the citizens only delight in celebrating the victories of enemy forces against their Armies in battle or country.

Even before the repelling of insurgents at Damboa, Nigerian troops performed a similar feat at Jiddari Polo General Area located at the Southern part of Maiduguri metropolis. The same day President Buhari paid a condolence visit to Borno over the Boko Haram attack in Auno village, the insurgents regrouped and stealthily launched an attack on Jaddiri Polo General Area.

The intention was to disgrace Mr. President, challenge and mock the competence and capacity of our troops. But our brave troops proved them wrong by repelling the attack and securing the community. And to my knowledge, since 2019 when insurgency was animated again, our troops have gone to extra miles to secure communities in the North East and Nigeria so many times.

With every sense of responsibility, I commend the Nigerian Army and the troops fighting Boko Haram in the North East. They have always made us proud as a nation and should never be distracted by paid critics, who themselves feel comfortable wherever they are resident to craft the beguile negative scripts because of the security some of your colleagues’ have even paid the supreme price so that we can live in peace.

Most profoundly, I salute the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen TY Buratai for his focused leadership and tenacity. He has proven to Nigerians innumerable times that Nigeria’s problem with insurgency is not beyond him and the competence of the Nigerian Army. He has proved it enough to earn my respect and that of all Nigerians.

It is our divine obligation as Nigerians to always suckle the confidence we have collectively reposed in the competence and capacity of Lt. Gen TY Buratai. He has not failed to demonstrate that we will not only win the war, but expose and put the enemies of Nigeria to shame.

And I buttress this point with all seriousness from the confidence the latest Damboa Boko Haram incident has rekindled in me. Like the 2016 demolishing of the dreaded Sambisa forest, both have symbolized for our country a foretold success in the counter-insurgency operations. Nigerians should think of this!

We imagine that the residues of terrorists had mobilized all their fleeing forces together to fight the troops and wreak havoc on the innocent people in the town of Damboa to mock our country. But unexpectedly, the insurgents were embarrassed and violently pushed back by the Nigerian troops. They met a mightier force in our troops, at a time some Nigerians dismissed them as non-performers on the warfront.

It's a sign of what we all stand to gain if we remain unflinchingly committed and united behind our military. It is just the only part we are obligated to play and there will be no force too strong for us to defeat.

I thank and appreciate all Nigerians and very hopeful, that with passage of time soonest, our country shall be free of any trace of terrorism.

*Fraud, sinister motives only things restricting NGOs in northeast, coalition tells Human Rights Watch*

The Coalition Against Terrorism and Extremism (CATE) has fingered fraud, sinister motives by some international non-governmental organisations in northeastern Nigeria as the only factor restricting their operation.

CATE’s assertion trails claims by certain NGOs that tighter restrictions by authorities has crippled humanitarian crisis in the northeast.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday in Abuja, National Coordinator, Gabriel Onoja, discredited reports by Human Rights Watch which it claimed is on a mission to destabilize Nigeria.

The activities of NGOs like Human Rights Watch, according to CATE, have worsened the plights of those affected by terrorism instead of providing succour.

CATE, consequently, warned HRW to stop playing the ostrich by admitting the truth rather than accuse the military falsely.

On its own part, the coalition, however, charged the Nigerian military to shake off HRW’s attempt at cheap blackmail and ensure the terrorists are starved of the support provided by rogue international humanitarian groups.

Read full statement below:


The Coalition Against Terrorism and Extremism (CATE) is disappointed to learn of the lies told by a section of international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to the effect that tighter restrictions by authorities is “stifling” efforts to tackle humanitarian crisis in the northeast of Nigeria.

CATE as an active stakeholder in the war against terrorism and extremism in Nigeria has deemed it necessary to set the record straight in view of the misleading report ostensibly put out by the Human Rights Watch staffers. It is best that the NGO retraces it steps, clean up its acts and revert to the humanitarian work that the world expects of it and not continue to be an agent of destabilization in the region.

We particularly note the ignoble statement credited to Human Rights Watch, a group that has been repeatedly discredited having been found to be in collusion with NGOs that have stated their avowed mission to destabilize Nigeria. A Human Rights Watch that had on several occasions allowed itself to be used as a front for publishing fake reports by Amnesty International has lost the moral right to speak on the management of access to the northeast, where the military is in the process of ridding the region of Boko Haram terrorists.

We find it necessary to clarify that NGOs that are genuinely engaged in humanitarian work, like CATE, have no difficulties transporting staff and materials to areas of their work. What Human Rights Watch is referring to as restrictions are the accreditations and controls put in place after the group’s associates were caught collaborating with terrorists up to the point of sharing intelligence with Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commanders.

The activities of NGOs like Human Rights Watch have rather worsened the plights of those affected by terrorism instead of providing succor to them because any organization that offer any sort of support to terrorists makes it possible for them to destroy entire settlements and plunge the people into suffering.

It is consequently imperative that Human Rights Watch stops playing the ostrich by admitting the truth. Fraud and sinister motives, like acting as proxies for terrorists, are the factors hindering the operations of the NGOs and not military restrictions.

We urge other international NGOs that are threading the kind of destructive path of Human Rights Watch to have a rethink, especially now that the military has ensured that it is no longer business as usual for groups that exploit their international status as cover to aid terrorists to the detriment of the Nigerian state.

CATE charges the Nigerian Military to shake off Human Rights Watch’s attempt at cheap blackmail by continue to implement measures that ensure that Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists are starved of the support provided by rogue international humanitarian NGOs. This support from international NGOs has been pivotal to the persistence of terrorists in the region and it is a situation that must stop now.

By Anthony Obekpa

Nigeria is an unfortunate country on many flanks. There is nowhere this misfortune is expressed more pungently than in the National Assembly (NASS). The two chambers of national parliament have the penchant to engage in actions which are inconsistent with popular cause or mocks the national interest they are supposed to jealously protect.

Some members of NASS have spent upward of three or more tenures in NASS. But to say, they have acquainted themselves with the basic rudiments of legislation is expecting too much from members of this important arm of government.

The belief of the heavily populated NASS is that the legislature exists primarily to antagonize the executive arm of government to extract personal gains. They don’t think strategically for national interest. Every issue before the parliament is approached from the perspective of personal benefits, even at the detriment of the country. Once their personal desires are met, the country can go to blazes.

Therefore, NASS has consistently failed in legislation or oversight functions. Most times when NASS deliberates and passes national Appropriation Acts, tales of budget padding in billions reawaken national discourses. It reminds Nigerians of how badly the country has fared. Almost always, constituency projects funds end up in the drain. But NASS members loathe any investigation into it by anti-graft agencies. Attempt it, and they unanimously chorus political witch-hunt.

These Parliamentarians’ are more excited with driving posh cars as official vehicles and daily bargain for sumptuous allowances. And these cars must be imported at huge cost of FOREX to the country and so, they rejected vehicles from Innoson Motors as too inferior for them.

The NASS members feign the portrait of patriotism. But deep down their hearts, the opportunity of being in the NASS is for personal service and personal enrichment, instead of national interest. Each time they want to earn more objectionable allowances, lawmakers arm-twist and blackmail the President and his appointees.

The only notable emblem of members of NASS is that some are “distinguished” and others are “honourable” in the exact opposite of the prefixes attached to their names. But aside it, every other thing about them drapes with either incompetence or lack capacity to serve Nigeria.

So, Nigerians have entered the new church of saints and angels, who are more satanic in thoughts and actions than lucifer himself. That’s why in his days as President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo had consistent brawls with them, to the point of fisticuffs.

Once anyone who is President refuses to play ball with them, the legislators create crisis and threaten the soul of Nigeria. Yet, these are parliamentarians some of who sleeps throughout most plenary sessions. They only saunter from their trance to concord with motions which service their appetite for illicit money. They flaunt power like conquering emperors and dare anyone to challenge their impertinence to the same people they claim to serve.

National parliamentarians approach every issue upside down. It is doubtful whether some of them know their left from the right. When one listens to their debates during plenaries on national issues, the dullness disarms. Even secondary school debating competitions of those days were more energetic and stimulating.

Nigeria operates constitutional democracy, which is powered by the rule of law. And the powers to checkmate and sack an erring President is exclusively that of the NASS. But here, Parliamentarians told Nigerians President Muhammadu Buhari has failed the nation on insecurity. They claimed Mr. President is incompetent.

But what was their reaction? They rather told the President to resign. Who elected them to play advisory roles to Mr. President on decisions that are personal to him? One can only imagine! It means they were not sure of themselves and as usual, were out to blackmail Mr. President.

And thereafter, they delved into matters they are neither empowered by law nor within their operational jurisdiction. It mocks commonsense that parliamentarians will ask Mr. President to sack his Service Chiefs. It is laughable and only smacks of their confounding confusion.

One believes that NASS members don’t know that the power or decision to sack Service Chiefs is the exclusive prerogative of the President and Commander-In-Chief. So, the hilarious cacophonies like “sack the Service Chiefs or no, the President should resign” meaninglessly resonated in both chambers. Oh! They are really confused and in need of urgent salvation.

These Parliamentarians bury any bill that threatens their personal interests, especially in business and promote silly ones. Any appointee nominated by the President for NASS confirmation whose records demonstrates a flair of being a pain in the neck of NASS members is soundly rejected. No cogent reason is adduced for the rejection. They only crave the indulgence of Nigerians to believe in the supremacy of their decision whether good or bad.

This is the NASS which wanted the Acting EFCC chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu sacked because he was bold to investigate their Chairman over allegations of corrupt acts. Look at the speed they moved to amend the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) Act simply because the NASS chairman was facing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

Nigeria’s parliamentarians are very unique dramatists. Their altercation with Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), the Comptroller General of Nigeria’s Customs Service (NCS) was like a stage theatre. They summoned and harangued the customs boss, insisting that he must wear uniform before he appears before them or be sacked.

And his only offence was that he impounded an imported vehicle which the NASS chairman smuggled into the country and evaded payment of lawful tax levies. The NASS was livid with anger against Hameed Ali for refusing to share cash and impounded cars to them. But they met a brick wall, as the ex-soldier cum administrator stood defiantly against them.

What is unknown to them is that Nigerians are not fooled. Nigerians can’t be fooled by their antics anymore. They have overplayed this game and it has become too familiar. Each time they bark at Mr. President, it is not for national interest, but subtle blackmail for personal favours which he is adamant to approve for them.

The legislators want cars worth billions of naira to run assignments for Nigerians in the guise of oversight functions in a country majority of the citizens are living in penury. How did they arrive at the figure of N37 billion for the renovation of National Assembly Complex?

Even an entirely new NASS complex will not cost as much as N37 billion. Could it have been another subtle blackmail of the Presidency to pass the 2020 budget? Nigerians later heard that the parliamentarians endorsed the 2020 Appropriation Act without any inquest into it. What had a semblance that the national budget passed through NASS was its padding by over N163 billion.

But they pray Nigerians not think about how much they have inserted into the budget for renovation. The money is more than the total cumulative budget for health, defence and education sectors. However, it must be given it to them or there must be war. That's the NASS Nigeria operates.

So, President Buhari, an upright and straightforward leader has always been in trouble with NASS members. If the ICPC is investigating some NASS members over allegations of corruption and President Buhari refuses to intervene, he runs into trouble with them. They cry like little babies that anti-graft agencies are “fighting” them, but the President is quiet.

And in vengeance they go for the President neck. If they can’t get him, they trouble and intimidate his appointees. After all, an Africa adage says, “once you grab the ears, the head will come.” Gbam... Yes, that's the key. So, the battle has to go the President in another way. NASS members, how funny are thee in the new African shrine of hypocrisy?


Obekpa, a University don wrote this article from Bauchi.

Enter NASS, African Shrine of Hypocrisy

By Anthony Obekpa

Nigeria is an unfortunate country on many flanks. There is nowhere this misfortune is expressed more pungently than in the National Assembly (NASS). The two chambers of our national parliament have the penchant to engage in actions which are inconsistent with popular cause and mocks the national interest they are supposed to jealously protect.

Some members of NASS have spent upward of three or more tenures in the NASS. But to say, they have acquainted themselves with the basic rudiments of legislation is expecting too much from members of this important arm of government.

The belief of the heavily populated NASS is that the legislature exists primarily to antagonize the executive arm of government to extract personal gains. They don’t think strategically for national interest. Every issue before the parliament is approached from the perspective of personal benefits, even at the detriment of the country. Once their personal desires are met, the country can go to blazes.

Therefore, the NASS has consistently failed in legislation and oversight functions. Most times when the NASS deliberates and passes national Appropriation Acts, tales of budget padding in billions reawaken national discourses. It reminds Nigerians of how badly the country has fared. Almost always, constituency projects funds end up in the drain. But NASS members loathe any investigation into it by anti-graft agencies. Attempt it, and they unanimously chorus political witch-hunt.

These Parliamentarians are more excited with driving posh cars as official vehicles and daily bargain for sumptuous allowances. And these cars must be imported at a huge cost of FOREX to the country and so, they rejected our locally produced vehicles from Innoson Motors as too inferior for them.

The NASS members feign the portrait of patriotism. But deep down their hearts, the opportunity of being in the NASS is for personal service and personal enrichment, instead of national interest. Each time they want to earn more objectionable allowances, the lawmakers arm-twist and blackmail the President and his appointees.

The only notable emblem of members of the NASS is that some are “distinguished” and others are “honourable” in the exact opposite of the prefixes attached to their names. But aside it, every other thing about them drapes with either incompetence or lack of capacity to serve Nigeria.

So, Nigerians have entered the new shrine of saints and angels, who are more satanic in thoughts and actions than lucifer himself. That is why in his days as President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo had consistent brawls with them, to the point of fisticuffs.

Once anyone who is the President refuses to play ball with them, the legislators create crisis and threaten the soul of Nigeria. Yet, these are parliamentarians some of who sleep throughout most plenary sessions. They only saunter from their trance to concord with motions which service their appetite for illicit money. They flaunt power like conquering emperors and dare anyone to challenge their impertinence to the same people they claim to serve.

Our national parliamentarians approach every issue upside down. It is doubtful whether some of them know their left from the right. When one listens to their debates during plenaries on national issues, the dullness disarms. Even secondary school debating competitions of those days were more energetic and stimulating.

Nigeria operates constitutional democracy, which is powered by the rule of law. And the powers to checkmate and sack an erring President is exclusively that of the NASS. But here, Parliamentarians told Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari has failed the nation on insecurity. They claimed Mr. President is incompetent.

But what was their reaction? They rather told the President to resign. Who elected them to play advisory roles to Mr. President on decisions that are personal to him? One can only imagine! It means they were not sure of themselves and as usual, were out to blackmail Mr. President.

And thereafter, they delved into matters they are neither empowered by law nor within their operational jurisdiction. It mocks commonsense that our so called parliamentarians will ask Mr. President to sack his Service Chiefs. It is laughable and only smacks of their confounding confusion.

One believes that the NASS members do not know that the power or decision to sack the Service Chiefs is the exclusive prerogative of the President and Commander-In-Chief. So, the hilarious cacophonies like “sack the Service Chiefs or no, the President should resign” meaninglessly resonated in both chambers. Oh! They are really confused and in need of urgent salvation.

These Parliamentarians bury any bill that threatens their personal interests, especially in business and promote silly ones. Any appointee nominated by the President for confirmation whose records demonstrates a flair of being a pain in the neck of NASS members is soundly rejected. No cogent reason is adduced for the rejection. They only crave the indulgence of Nigerians to believe in the supremacy of their decision whether good or bad.

This is the NASS which wanted the Acting chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu sacked because he was bold to investigate their Chairman over allegations of corrupt acts. Look at the speed they moved to amend the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) Act simply because the NASS chairman was facing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

Nigeria’s parliamentarians are very unique dramatists. Their altercation with Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), the Comptroller General of Nigeria’s Customs Service (NCS) was like a stage theatre. They summoned and harangued the customs boss, insisting that he must wear uniform before he appears before them or be sacked.

And his only offence was that he impounded an imported vehicle which the then NASS chairman smuggled into the country and evaded payment of lawful tax levies. The NASS was livid with anger against Hameed Ali for refusing to share cash and impounded cars to them. But they met a brick wall, as the old-soldier cum administrator stood defiantly against them.

What is unknown to them is that Nigerians are not fooled. Nigerians can’t be fooled by their antics anymore. They have overplayed this game and it has become too familiar. Each time they bark at Mr. President, it is not for national interest, but subtle blackmail for personal favours which he is adamant to approve for them.

The legislators want cars worth billions of naira to run assignments for Nigerians in the guise of oversight functions in a country majority of the citizens are living in penury. How did they arrive at the figure of N37 billion for the renovation of National Assembly Complex?

Even an entirely new NASS complex will not cost as much as N37 billion. Could it have been another subtle blackmail of the Presidency to pass the 2020 budget? Nigerians later heard that the parliamentarians endorsed the 2020 Appropriation Act without any inquest into it. What had a semblance that the national budget passed through NASS was its padding by over N163 billion.

But they pray Nigerians not to think about how much they have inserted into the budget for renovation. The money is more than the total cumulative budget for health, defence and education sectors. However, it must be given to them or there must be war. That's the NASS Nigeria operates.

So, President Buhari, an upright and straightforward leader has always been in trouble with the NASS members. If the ICPC is investigating some NASS members over allegations of corruption and President Buhari refuses to intervene, he runs into trouble with them. They cry like little babies that anti-graft agencies are “fighting” them, but the President is quiet.

And in vengeance they go for the President neck. If they can’t get him, they trouble and intimidate his appointees. After all, an Africa adage says, “once you grab the ears, the head will come.” Gbam... Yes, that's the key. So, the battle has to go to the President in another way. NASS members, how funny are thee in the new African shrine of hypocrisy?


Obekpa, a University don wrote this article from Bauchi.