₦airaland Forum

Re: The Coward Alleged As Akpabio

By Okanga Agila

Nigeria has so many worthless politicians who bestrode the political space, priding in empty dignity, but simultaneously flaunting a badge of puritanism gulfed absolutely by even its surficial value.

The grand master of these mischievous games is former Aviation Minister and jailbird, Chief Femi Fani Kayode (aka FFK). Since his party, the PDP was ousted out of governance in 2015 through masses revolt, FFK has projected himself a restless soul. He has become an accidental essayist, analysts, and commentator and letter writer on every national issue like his mentor and political godfather, former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

What painfully pierces the heart with pain and fury is the rubbish FFK spews every time, twisting facts and subjectively or maliciously discolouring every issue. He exudes this naïvely peculiar mentality of sole author of wisdom and knowledge.

Anytime, he is outsmarted in his pranks, as a person or his political party- the PDP suffers collateral damages on the political turf, he goes berserk. But instead of licking his wounds quietly, he goes on elaborate public proselyting on public ethics, dishing out near insane stupidities.

FFK is very inconsistent in character. He is propelled by where the field is greener. One can earn his praises today; but by tomorrow, the same person becomes his mortal enemy for very selfish reasons. He has just turned his mouthy pastime on former Governor of Akwa Ibom state and serving Senator, Chief Godswill Akpabio.

Apparently, angered by the planned defection of Sen. Akpabio from the PDP to the progressive APC, as usual FFK released a lengthy diatribe against this leader whose political milestones are beyond the comprehension of feeble minds like him.

In an article titled, “The Coward Alleged As Akpabio,” a baselessly enraged FFK unleashed an indiscernible venom on the personality and inalienable liberties of Sen. Akpabio to free association, by resorting to name-calling like a little brat slapped by a hated neighbor. FFK’s indignation bubbled to no end, when he learnt Akpabio travelled to London and met with President Muhammadu Buhari, to finalise his defection plans on August 8, 2018.

Part of the package which irked FFK more was Sen. Akpabio’s promise of not only returning to APC, but also delivering Akwa Ibom and the entire South-South to APC in the forthcoming general elections. So, to a little, polluted mind like FFK, he feels Sen. Akpabio is not entitled to such liberties and therefore, “a coward, traitor and treacherous,” as if the former Governor signed any pact in a shrine with him to eternally remain in PDP.

It’s even difficult to understand what Akpabio and FFK share in common; rather what is pronounced is the dissimilarities between the duo. But in all nuances, Sen. Akpabio is a more clear-headed man, who is not excited by the frenzy of politicking for personal interests. He can differentiate between dusk and dawn. And in the past three years, leadership of Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari has epitomised the break of dawn.

Sen. Akpabio has refused to be blinded by partisanship and quite astounded that President Buhari has accomplished for Nigeria in just three years. It is what his original party, the PDP, where FFK is gratuitously tied, could not approximate in 16 years of controlling power in the country.

Akpabio’s voice is merely the loudest of the other positive voices of millions of Nigerians, who are shouting on rooftops in favour of President Buhari and the APC. FFK is lost in the fields about what is happening in Nigeria today; that is, the rebirth of the country; the developmental strides; leadership sincerity and commitment, which cumulatively surpasses the personalised affinity to a political party as FFK delights at the moment.

FFK has the right to get angry and quote Bible versus more than a Pastor. But he can pardon Nigerians and Sen. Akpabio in particular.

Sen. Akpabio truthfully and unpersuasively echoed from the bottom of his heart to President Buhari that; “You remain the father of the nation, our father and political father to all. Just like I told Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Osinbajo yesterday in Nigeria… Those who think that they have politically grown to insult you will all regret it before month end sir. I am here (London) to register my undiluted love and unalloyed support to you.”

The pains are visibly much in FFK because he feels his campaigns of calumny against President Buhari and the excited dodgy steps of his co-travellers and renegades in the game of dumping APC have not affected or diminished the worth of the Buhari Presidency in the eyes of Nigerians.

So, FFK’s bile criticisms of Sen. Akpabio and all clear-minded Nigerians who freed their conscience into the camp of the progressives cannot halt the train from reaching its destination. The journey of nationhood is on course.

Its laughable for FFK to hurl tirades on failure of Sen. Akpabio to make sacrifices for his nation, which he fondly roots in Akpabio’s dread of his past and possible prosecution by the Buhari regime. President Buhari does not prosecute people; rather the EFCC, which is lawfully established and independent, goes after those who have looted Nigeria like FFK.

Sen. Akpabio has abandoned the PDP because he has found a bright light at the end of the dark tunnel that was of the PDP fame and pests like him. But in scolding Sen. Akpabio blatantly, FFK conveniently forgot that in 2013, he erected an opposition within the same PDP he claims to cherish today more than anyone else.

Popular as a man who has no thoughts or actions of his own, until either influenced or pushed like a robot, FFK followed OBJ’s opposition to the Jonathan Presidency. But when he discovered that his court case of alleged corruption and embezzlement of public funds when he served variously as minister in the Aviation and later, Culture and Tourism ministries, what did he do?

FFK chewed his words and swallowed his vomit. He backed down on the opposition to the then President Goodluck Jonathan, abandoned his boss, OBJ and further placated GEJ by serving on the 2015 Jonathan Campaign Organisation for re-election. OBJ who understands him perfectly said, with food in his mouth, FFK can sell his own father.

Since the leopard does not leave its spots, FFK again allegedly partook in the Dasukigate scandal over the arms procurement fraud, by embezzling fresh funds. This same character is bold enough and plays out the guts of casting aspersions on another leader of dreading EFCC, much more, the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Akpabio.

And FFK is so concerned with what happens to Nigeria, which smacks of abuse of the hospitality the venerable Nigerian Bishop Ajayi Crowther offered his slave father who was rescued at Badagry, aboard a slave ship from Sierra Leone to Europe. The clergy man offered his father protection, adopted him as his son, trained and resettled him in Yoruba land, where he begot children including FFK.

FFK is challenged to trace his paternal lineage two or three generations before his immediate father in Yoruba land. Why has FFK never been bothered about what happens in Sierra Leone, his home country, even it was embroiled in a civil war, but more concerned about what happens to Nigeria? He should devout more time tracing his roots.

FFK is free to vent his spleen. But Sen. Akpabio is on a higher status in class and leadership foresight in Nigeria. In any case, it does not escape the mind that what FFK has succeeded in trumpeting is the inevitable final death of PDP, and the mournful dirge as reflected in the piece would not be pitied by millions of President Buhari’s admirers and supporters who are ready to sink his ilk and raise APC to the sky, beyond imagination.

Sen. Akpabio is only a symbol of the overwhelming opinions expressed in actions by many Nigerians and he has done the right thing by defecting to the APC. For Akpabio, the August 8, 2018 date is indeed a nightmarish reality to the likes of FFK.

Okanga writes from Agila, Benue State.

2019: Dankwambo’s Declaration A Saving Grace For PDP

By Emmanuel K. Bulus

Regardless of what your political leaning may be, you cannot deny, if you know the person and impact of Dankwambo since he took up politics that he is one of, if not the brightest stars of Northern Nigeria. It is on the strength of this that I believe his declaration, albeit in front of delegates of the North-East extraction is PDPs first, real salvo at challenging the APC led government at the centre.

We all know that aspiring to lead Nigeria pushes the boundaries of ambition to the very end partly because Nigerians have continued to play possum with their future while people facing down the time-ringed barrel have been allowed to continue playing a card of relevance that should have been retrieved from them a long time ago. Nevertheless, the growing political consciousness around Nigeria gives lots of room for optimism and this is why, when young and vibrant politicians with the competence, knowledge and experience to lead the nation present themselves for selection as his excellency Hassan Dankwambo has just done, those in charge of the selection process must as a matter importance look at their credentials and give them the necessary backing to succeed for the sake of all of us.

But for the kind of politics that we practice in Nigeria, serious political parties ought not to joke with their responsibility of shopping for credible, befitting and saleable candidates to fly their flags, this is especially so if the parties are in the opposition. Wasn’t it how APC came to power in the first place? So, it is even easier for parties like the PDP who frankly have a lot to do to try and convince Nigerians that indeed, they are going through a rebranding that will permanently bury their dark past to take people like Hassan Dankwambo very seriously. If the PDP for instance is at a loss as to who to bank on for the 2019 polls to the point that they will be shopping as we hear in the news, for people with little or no political capital when they in fact have a colossus right down the street of the Umbrella empire in the person of Dankwambo, what kind of impact do they hope to make at the polls then?

While it will be preposterous to downplay the presidential credentials of many Nigerians, especially those of the Arewa extraction (considering the zoning arrangement) whose education, charisma and other leadership pointers stand them in a good position to make a run for the Aso Rock seat of power, Dankwambo’s nativity, education, leadership record and age makes him a perfect fit for 2019. But for the fear of sounding arrogant, I would have called the entire PDP machinery blind unless they have been making covert moves to get Dankwambo to run their flag at the upcoming polls.

I mean, here is the only man to defeat the incumbent APC all the way to the center in 2015. While his compatriot governors of the PDP were busy puffing and huffing in empty bravado, he deployed a cool, calculative and novel strategy that only accountants can manage, to give APC a sound beating in Gombe. An occurrence that continues to be a source of embarrassment to the APC juggernauts at the centre. Did he justify his election? Absolutely! You just need to visit Gombe state to see for yourself how not to be a noisemaker but a purpose driven and result-oriented leader.

If antecedence and track records are the certificate with which we measure the impact created by the leadership qualities of aspiring politicians, then, it will be safe to declare Dankwambo best graduating student of his governorship class of Arewa prospects for national leadership. Besides the much-touted integrity of PMB that Nigerians have now tasted with bitterness and various shades of grimaces, who among the APC golden boys can match the credentials of Dankwambo in all sincerity?

It will be pointless to call them out now, but many are cradling a baggage that will weigh them down for the journey ahead. This is why Arewa regardless of their political affection must begin to think Dankwambo for he is class. The people of Gombe can attest to his impact in all of the critical sectors of the state. Security, Human Capital Development, Infrastructure, Economy etc. all areas where Buhari is failing and very hard, Dankwambo has excelled beyond compare.

The man is a trailblazer for how he has managed to do that which virtually every Governor in Nigeria is saying they cannot do. Yes! It is on record that Dankwambo is one among the few Governors elected in 2015 not to have owed workers or pensioners in Nigeria their monthly dues despite the low allocation that accrues to the state. It takes a trained and dedicated financial manager to pull this off. In place of complaints, the man has delivered result, and in place of despair as a result of the faulty economies of the Buhari led administration that have brought nothing but hunger and death, the man has delivered hope to the people through his giant strides in all critical sectors of the economy.

The city of Gombe and its environs has been transformed into a peaceful, clean and conducive place to live and do business. However, it is in the areas of rural development that Dankwambo has done wonderfully and this is why he stands out. Rural linkage roads, rural electrification, agricultural support and a lot more that has been the bane of Buhari’s stewardship is where Dankwambo is excelling. The rural people of Gombe can attest to the clear difference between the impact of this political enigma and those of his predecessors.

Governor Dankwambo is the opportunity that PDP have to show Nigerians that they are truly rebranding with youth, zeal, credibility, education and performance. It will be a big loss to PDP if a man such as Dankwambo who has remained the only shining beacon of the party in the entire north is to be short-changed because his integrity, humility and self-respect will not let him delve into the frenzy of money bags looking to buy their way into the party’s ticket. No need reminding the Uche Secondus led PDP that it is one thing to sell the presidential ticket to the highest bidder, but another thing entirely to convince Nigerians that the money bag whose dirt-filled antecedence is public knowledge, is the answer to their problems. It will be interesting how the new ‘change the change’ party slogan will sound when instead of a new shining start, the party returns with the bitter past as their candidate for “the change”.

Let me also warn the PDP that, the gale of defection that has hit the APC may not necessarily be in its favour if it pushes the party from keeping faith with party faithfuls like Dankwambo who held the flag with an unwavering resolve despite the persecution they have had to endure from the APCs well-oiled propaganda machinery.

Let it be known finally, that aside political parties shopping for candidates and other candidates taking themselves to the shops, I believe Nigerians also owe the nation and themselves a duty to help parties shop for credible candidates, and this is why I am without prejudice, presenting Dankwambo for service. It is left for our great party, the PDP to do the needful. It is my sincere belief that the man has the wherewithal to take Nigeria out of the proverbial woods that she is languishing in right now.

Bulus write from Abuja

Boko Haram: X-raying Nigeria’s Success Narrative

By Esther Okpabi

Boko Haram Terrorism (BHT) is war on Nigeria. Let us not pretend or deceive ourselves. And it is a war which raged and sapped the living juice out of Nigerians uncontrollably for years before the ascension of the “change” administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. We cannot contest this fact.

Terrorism combat undoubtedly is the world’s deadliest warfare. I know, the United States of America (USA) with all its sophistry in military equipment and personnel has spent the last 16 years prosecuting the anti-terrorism war in Afghanistan and Iraq. We are still living with the reality of America to completely overcome the 9/11 terrorists attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) and the Pentagon House, which killed over 3,000 persons. But its just a mere three years under the Buhari Presidency.

But this no nonsense country is still anticipating its day of final victory against Islamic State Militants (ISIS) and the other splinter terror sects like the Taliban. None of us is in contention about the huge casualty of both civilian and military personnel, incidental to such wars and the associated destructions. Most times, terrorists target military formations or ambush on convoys and could be lucky to have a field day.

I know every soldier desires to fight a battle and come out triumphantly, with his life intact to enjoy the beauty of victory. But we must also realize that casualty on the side of troops in any war is expected. There is nothing so strange or abnormal about a soldier paying the supreme price in the course of a war, anywhere in the world. A Soldier is always a hero because of his first decision to live for his country.

Such unfortunate and tragic deaths of soldiers in battle do not in any sense convey the feeling of incompetence, incapacity or defeat of troops. Troops are rather animated to greater determination and performance, stirred by the feeling of vengeance against enemies.

In Nigeria, we are a people neck-deep in the act of politicizing everything under the sun. So, when I read some politicized commentaries from some of our analysts on the Boko Haram terrorists ambush on a military convoy at Boboshe village in Bama LGA , Borno state in the Northeast, I became downcast.

Even some media houses were unconsciously conscripted into this mess, as they deployed uncomfortable adjectives in describing the incident, which I sensed as serving the purpose of emboldening insurgents. A media house alluded to the attack on the Nigerian military as “… suffering huge loss in the battle with the insurgents.”

The lexicon is a strong stroke Nigeria. It’s also very unpatriotic. We must understand that the ambushed military convoy, in the purported attack had soldiers responding to intelligence reports of terrorists converging at the Maiduguri-Konduga-Bama road. Should we under any rationality, celebrate the victory of insurgents over us or the fate of our soldiers reverently?

As a people, we have grappled with the cancer of sabotage and betrayers in our national life. Even the military is not insulated from such abuses and there is no denying this fact. Sometimes, it’s difficult to beat the racket of the masked undertakers and it happens everywhere. It’s unfortunate that our soldiers fell into the trap of the terrorists. But our prayers are with them.

What I have found difficult to reconcile is the emotional reactions from some Nigerians, including elder statesmen and it’s near celebrative tone. It’s not clear to me what we stand to gain, when others tend to jubilate, as we lose troops to insurgents.

It’s nothing, but politics, which is laced in the tacitly selfish propaganda of a Buhari Presidency failing on security and so not, good enough as the Commander-In-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. This is utmost shame to us.

This is completely misplaced and fundamentally untenable in sane climes. America has lost thousands of troops in the prosecution of the anti-terrorism conundrum in some Middle East countries.

But I am not aware Americans have perceived the deaths of such troops as the incompetence of its Service Chiefs, the troops or the incapacity of any of its Presidents who occupied the White House, at any material time, while the tragedies occurred and lasted.

Can I appeal to Nigerians for once, to think straight and disrobe ourselves of partisan garbs and assorted sentiments of local politics?

Let me give some little insights, on the possibility of terrorists gaining grounds, once in a while, on military formations or troops, outside of our clime, as recent as early 2018.

In the January 30, 2018 edition of the FP, a US online publication’s report anchored by Dan De Luce, with the caption; “Before Trump’s Speech, More Bad News From the Afghan Front;” it chronicled and summarized the American efforts in battling insurgency in Afghanistan in the past 16 years.

The report recounted America’s sojourn in that country since the 9/11 terror attacks, and with over 100, 000 special US forces in 2001 and with a current 15,000 troops on ground at the time of the report in 2018.

The report succinctly expressed the difficulties of suppressing terrorism with these words, “Despite a threefold increase in U.S.-led airstrikes compared to last year, the Afghan government has not managed to gain back control over more of the population. Civilian casualties overall have increased 13 percent, and casualties are up for U.S. troops as well.“

And there are several instances of such attacks which either killed soldiers in combat or attacks on military formations, which space cannot permit me to recount conclusively.

In The New York Times on January 29, 2018, a report by Helene Cooper with the caption, “Attacks Reveal What U.S. Won’t: Victory Remains Elusive in Afghanistan,” posted that “ Three strikes over the past two weeks have killed 128 people, mostly civilians, in Kabul, the Afghan capital, alone. The latest came on Monday, when Islamic State militants stormed an Afghan military training base, killing at least 11 soldiers.”

Terrorism warfares are not easy combats anywhere. I feel it smacks of politicization of Boko Haramism, for some Nigerians to deliberately refuse to appreciate the efforts of the Buhari Presidency in curbing terrorism for the respite of today.

Again, what did CIA director, Mr. Leon Panetta tell the then President Barack Obama after al- Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad cave in Pakistan? He said in a BCC news interview on May2, 2011 that “Qaeda would "almost certainly" try to avenge the casualty of Bin Laden.”

And that’s where Nigeria is at the moment over its war on terrorism. Boko Haram insurgents are angry at the guts of the Nigeria Army in dwarfing their might. They are out on revenge mission and that’s what we saw in the Boboshe terrorists ambush on the military convoy. This should ordinarily not be enough reason to stimulate emotional responses from Nigerians, who share empathy with insurgents on revenge mission.

The Boboshe incident wasn’t even the usual Boko Haram attacks we know in Nigeria. It was one isolated incident by the terrorists, who are clearly unhappy with the Nigerian Army in particular, for their bulwark on Nigeria and ending the sects reign of impunity and terror in the country in the last three years.

As Nigerians, we must not forget that President Buhari promised the nation upon assumption of office that he will crush terrorism in the country within the first one year. He has done it. Through fatherly blessings, he indemnified a war veteran, Lt. Gen. Buratai who took the message to the insurgents. Today, Boko Haram has become history in Nigeria.

A Nigerian in the furnace of terrorism, Alhaji Mushak Bello is full of excitement for sighting his Zari village in Mobbar LGA of Borno state after years. Another afflicted Nigerian in Numan LGA of Adamawa state, Alhassan Maishai also conveyed similar feelings and he is very appreciative of the efforts of Chief Of Army Staff (COAS), Gen. Buratai and the troops he leads. These songs of glory and joy have resonated in other parts of the Northeast and Nigeria.

I have no reason to doubt about their competence to sustain this victory and keep the tempo high and mighty for me and every other Nigerian. The Army knows, much of security of the nation depends on their determination in warfare. And I bet you, under Gen. Buratai, they are leaving no stone unturned to achieve the final victory over insurgencies for Nigerians.

Okpabi a researcher writes from Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja.

NEMA And Maihaja’s Triumph Over Distractions

By Olu Ajayi

There are certain public offices in Nigeria, which are focal, sensitive and indispensable to the responsible functionality of Nigeria as a nation. The welfare of the citizenry is a cardinal principle of state enshrined in the Constitution, the supreme law of the land and every leader abides by it.

Those responsible for salvaging humanity from artificial or natural disasters, appear next to God in the eyes of hapless victims. Every smidgen counts; every morsel of food is important and the victims require everything, including assurances of overcoming their present afflictions. They want the affectionate care and love of someone, who can psychologically rebuild their broken and shattered souls.

That’s the glimpse of the onerous mandate of the agency, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), at the moment piloted by a tested and trusted humanitarian; a perceptive administrator, Engr. Mustapha Maihaja as the Director-General (DG).

He has been a victim, as one who personally experienced the despair, the hunger, depravation, pains and sorrows of his people and survivors of Boko Haram terrorism in his home state of Yobe, in the Northeast. That was the hey days of insurgency and the NEMA DG feels, he is wiping off the tears of his people, anywhere the call of duty beckons in Nigeria.

Maihaja’s mien and deportment on executing his job; the smartness in responding to the multifarious incidents of disasters in the country are indications of a leader who is not just bond by the dictates of his official responsibilities alone. But a leader imbued with innate compassion against those in trauma or debilitating predicaments.

Nigeria’s NEMA office demands a leadership which is naturally committed, conscientious, upright and with the fear of God. The current NEMA-DG, Engr. Maihaja and his team epitomize these qualities. It explains why, despite organized distractions from all angles, both from career politicians and his envious antagonists; it has not derailed his focus in the service of Nigerians in distress. He is delivering on his job marvelously.

And that’s the trademark of a leader guided by the shadows of God, as those who believe and trust God are never put to shame; as reflected in the Holy Scriptures; Romans 10: 11; which succinctly expresses that “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Armed with this unshakable tool, Engr. Mustapha has been steadily dismantling hardest of rocks. He is also breaking new grounds in his national assignments to the envy of his detractors. It is edifying to recount that a few months back, some dark forces attempted to imperil his attention on this noble job, by initiating a meaningless probe on the less than two years administration of Engr. Maihaja.

Unfortunately, whatever was cooked up against Maihaja had every ensnaring of blackmail, as evidenced by the House of Representatives Adhoc committee probe, led by Hon. Isa Ali. The committee unpretentiously and unapologetically sought to repress the EFCC ongoing probe of the alleged N2.5 billion contracts, procurements and supplies fraud in NEMA.

The fraud was perpetrated under the immediate past management of the agency led by Mr. Mohammed Sidi Sani and some six other directors, still in the employ of the agency and the FGN.

Not a few Nigerians believed the antics of the embattled former leadership and serving directors to dubiously divert attention to extricate themselves from the EFCC probe of the fraud involving such mindboggling sum of tax payers money.

The Reps committee has had all the time in the world to convict its target. But it seems lost in its own malicious folly, as they have been unable to cook anything against NEMA’s leadership by Engr. Maihaja.

The intention was to distract Maihaja from attending to the urgent humanitarian crises in sizeable proportions all over Nigeria, to label him of dereliction of duty. But he remained defiant, bowing more to the demands of his busy office, than some mischievous echoes of deceptive probes, from unusual sources, such as the Reps Committee.

Today, Maihaja and Nigerians are the winners. Unless, someone who has devoted keen interest in disasters in Nigeria, the enormity and severity would continue to elude minds bent on destruction of the agency. None is in doubt that the commonest afflictions of Nigeria now are humanitarian crises, which sprouts from either natural disasters like, violent clashes, flooding and fire disasters.

The spate of violence, arising from armed local conflicts, across the country, is their most deadly monster. It often and consistently leads to deaths, injured persons, destructions of properties and the displacements of thousands of Nigerians.

Since Maihaja took up the mantle of leadership in NEMA, such disasters have occurred in many states, which desperately beg for its attention and the eventual prompt reliefs to surviving victims. Nigeria within the period of Maihaja’s stewardship, apart from the severe humanitarian crises arising from the defeat of Boko Haram insurgency flaunts other severe humanitarian problems.

The country has contended with other emergent and magnifying forms of disasters. There have been uncountable communal violence among communities or tribes. It has led to displacements of people into camps in Southern Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto, Taraba, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Ebony, Kogi, FCT, Ekiti states and so forth.

The militancy in the Niger Delta states and it concomitant humanitarian crises also exalted a strain on the agency. In addition, flooding has also visited Nigerians like the latest incident in Katsina state, which killed about 50 persons and displaced over 100, 000 others. Flood has been the unwanted guests of Benue, Taraba, Enugu, Anambra, Gombe and others; while fire disasters have also extracted its share of anguish from Nigerians, like the most recent fuel tanker explosion fire in Lagos.

Satisfyingly, in spite of the multiplicity and frequency of these disasters, Engr. Maihaja has lived up to expectations by providing reliefs in food supplies, utility materials and counseling of victims. So, despite all the distractions for refusing to cheat the public, Maihaja has continued to triumph on eagle’s wings, breaking new grounds and delivering above the normal in the recent history of NEMA.

The NEMA –DG is not just walking the talk, but it is proactive in its engagement with Nigerians, by alerting on the possibility of natural disasters, like the repeated warnings it gave about the impending flooding of some states in the Southeast states. It advised state governments and people of the region to embark on massive de-silting of drainages. But its advice was ignored and the floods eventually came with the avoidable destructions.

NEMA still rushed to the rescue by providing immediate relief to victims to Enugu victims of flood. Nigerians can only appreciate the efforts of NEMA under Maihaja if they are acquainted with what the agency needs for year 2018 to manage the humanitarian crises in the Northeast region alone, much more its resurgence in other parts of Nigeria.

Yet, with its meagre annual budget, Maihaja’s team has been able to judiciously apply and manage the funds, by affecting every distressed community or persons in Nigeria.

Head of Communications, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA, Nigeria) Head of Communications, Samantha Newport, during a two-day dialogue with the media in Kano State with theme: “The Humanitarian Crisis in the North-East: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead,” was emphatic that Nigeria needs a minimum $1bn in 2018 to rebuild the devastation in North-East Nigeria and to tackle immediate humanitarian relief demands of about 6.1 million victims of insurgency in the region.

Undoubtedly Engr. Maijaha has proven that good men are not easily swayed by circumstances; but rather bolstered by their conviction to change the world. He is really turning things around for good by striving day and night to uplift an afflicted humanity.

Ajayi, a retired civil servant writes from Lokoja.

Buhari’s War against Terrorism and Echoes of Victory from Northern Borno

By Anthony Kolawole

The fight against insurgency in Nigeria precedes this present administration. The level of destruction experienced regarding physical and emotional impacts are unquantifiable. We were witness to terror. We stared at death in the face. We were at the mercy of insurgents as nobody and nowhere were safe anymore.

We were witness to attacks on critical government infrastructure such as the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force, the headquarters of the United Nations, and many others. It was gory. The private sector was not left out too. There were also stacks on media houses. And we also lost brilliant and promising Nigerians, quite a black era in the annals of Nigeria.

Fast forward to 2018, and you would have a reason to thank God. The president was at Monguno recently at the Nigerian Army Day Celebration. For the president as well as the indigenes of Monguno, it was an emotional meeting because there was a time that Monguno was under the firm control of Boko Haram insurgents. The frequency of attacks in the local government area was phenomenal. But all of that is history, thanks to the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari and the appointment of a seasoned infantry officer as Chief of Army Staff.

I am particular about the choice of Monguno for certain reasons. It was a sharp departure from the usual parade, combat march past, weaponry and equipment usually displays at the Eagle Square in Abuja or any of the big cities in the country. And it adds to the narrative of once upon a time, Monguno was under constant attacks from Boko Haram insurgents. But not anymore.

Some might not fully appreciate the efforts of the military in the fight against insurgency, but when the story of Monguno and northern Borno is analyzed, and then we will begin to appreciate the leadership of the Nigerian Army under Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai. As a first, I knew something was going to change in the Nigerian Army upon the assumption of office of President Muhammadu Buhari because, in a way, the army is his constituency. I knew he was going to get the best for the position of Chief of Army Staff. And so when he made the announcement sometime in 2015, I said yes. Yes for the fact that things were going to turn around. Yes because I knew that the end of Boko Haram was just around the corner. And I wasn’t wrong. How was this possible? The military achieved all these feats through transparency and accountability, the hallmark of the present administration.

Back to the crux of the issue, Monguno is not just a local government area in Borno state. It is one of the local government areas with military bases. And guess what? The military base in Mongono was not only attacked, but it was also ransacked by Boko Haram insurgents sometime in 2015. It was indeed a shame. Some said it was unthinkable. Some even said it was as a result of lack of strategy and motivation. Some also blamed the leadership of the Nigerian Army. But in all of these, it was evident that something was wrong. It was also apparent that something would give and eventually Monguno eventually fell into the hands of Boko Haram insurgents.

Now fast forward to 2018. Monguno is not only safe, but it also hosted the prestigious Nigerian Army Day celebrations and the president, as well as other notable dignitaries, was also in attendance. At the event, the president expressed his delight in the following words:

“I am delighted to be in your midst today on this special occasion of the Nigerian Army Day Celebration 2018. I am particularly elated by choice of the venue for this year’s celebration here in Monguno, Northern Borno State. The choice of this venue is very noteworthy and assuring to all Nigerians that the negative history which was associated with the North East in the past decade is now gradually becoming a thing of the past. We are aware of the effects of Boko Haram insurgency on the livelihood, economy, and security of the North East people.”

“It’s gratifying to hear on a daily basis the progress of our gallant troops as they carry out clearance operations along the fringes of Lake Chad Waters and Northern Borno. Members of the Boko Haram insurgents now surrender willingly in their numbers to our troops. Today is a perfect opportunity for me to again sincerely commend members of the Armed Forces particularly the Nigerian Army for their role in the defeat of the Boko Haram insurgents and for the many sacrifices they have made in ensuring the safety of our great nation.”

These were the words of the president who is naturally excited by the successes recorded by the Nigerian Military in the fight against the insurgency. Like I mentioned earlier, the significance of the event is not that it is the routine Nigerian Army Day Celebrations, but the fact that it was hosted in an area that was once under constant attacks from Boko Haram insurgents.

This is worthy of celebration. It is indeed a testament to the capacity of the service chiefs, especially that of the Nigerian Army in the fight against insurgency in North East Nigeria. If we must be honest with ourselves, before the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari, the country was indeed under siege that we feared for our continued existence. But today, Northern Borno state has been liberated. And that speaks volume of leadership and capacity. I am tempted to mention how the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Tukur Buratai has been able to lead the troops to victory. But in all, I will say it has been a job well-done.


Kolawole, PhD is a University Lecturer and writing from Keffi.

Buhari’s War against Terrorism and Echoes of Victory from Northern Borno

By Anthony Kolawole

The fight against insurgency in Nigeria precedes this present administration. The level of destruction experienced regarding physical and emotional impacts are unquantifiable. We were witness to terror. We stared at death in the face. We were at the mercy of insurgents as nobody and nowhere were safe anymore.

We were witness to attacks on critical government infrastructure such as the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force, the headquarters of the United Nations, and many others. It was gory. The private sector was not left out too. There were also stacks on media houses. And we also lost brilliant and promising Nigerians, quite a black era in the annals of Nigeria.

Fast forward to 2018, and you would have a reason to thank God. The president was at Monguno recently at the Nigerian Army Day Celebration. For the president as well as the indigenes of Monguno, it was an emotional meeting because there was a time that Monguno was under the firm control of Boko Haram insurgents. The frequency of attacks in the local government area was phenomenal. But all of that is history, thanks to the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari and the appointment of a seasoned infantry officer as Chief of Army Staff.

I am particular about the choice of Monguno for certain reasons. It was a sharp departure from the usual parade, combat march past, weaponry and equipment usually displays at the Eagle Square in Abuja or any of the big cities in the country. And it adds to the narrative of once upon a time, Monguno was under constant attacks from Boko Haram insurgents. But not anymore.

Some might not fully appreciate the efforts of the military in the fight against insurgency, but when the story of Monguno and northern Borno is analyzed, and then we will begin to appreciate the leadership of the Nigerian Army under Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai. As a first, I knew something was going to change in the Nigerian Army upon the assumption of office of President Muhammadu Buhari because, in a way, the army is his constituency. I knew he was going to get the best for the position of Chief of Army Staff. And so when he made the announcement sometime in 2015, I said yes. Yes for the fact that things were going to turn around. Yes because I knew that the end of Boko Haram was just around the corner. And I wasn’t wrong. How was this possible? The military achieved all these feats through transparency and accountability, the hallmark of the present administration.

Back to the crux of the issue, Monguno is not just a local government area in Borno state. It is one of the local government areas with military bases. And guess what? The military base in Mongono was not only attacked, but it was also ransacked by Boko Haram insurgents sometime in 2015. It was indeed a shame. Some said it was unthinkable. Some even said it was as a result of lack of strategy and motivation. Some also blamed the leadership of the Nigerian Army. But in all of these, it was evident that something was wrong. It was also apparent that something would give and eventually Monguno eventually fell into the hands of Boko Haram insurgents.

Now fast forward to 2018. Monguno is not only safe, but it also hosted the prestigious Nigerian Army Day celebrations and the president, as well as other notable dignitaries, was also in attendance. At the event, the president expressed his delight in the following words:

“I am delighted to be in your midst today on this special occasion of the Nigerian Army Day Celebration 2018. I am particularly elated by choice of the venue for this year’s celebration here in Monguno, Northern Borno State. The choice of this venue is very noteworthy and assuring to all Nigerians that the negative history which was associated with the North East in the past decade is now gradually becoming a thing of the past. We are aware of the effects of Boko Haram insurgency on the livelihood, economy, and security of the North East people.”

“It’s gratifying to hear on a daily basis the progress of our gallant troops as they carry out clearance operations along the fringes of Lake Chad Waters and Northern Borno. Members of the Boko Haram insurgents now surrender willingly in their numbers to our troops. Today is a perfect opportunity for me to again sincerely commend members of the Armed Forces particularly the Nigerian Army for their role in the defeat of the Boko Haram insurgents and for the many sacrifices they have made in ensuring the safety of our great nation.”

These were the words of the president who is naturally excited by the successes recorded by the Nigerian Military in the fight against the insurgency. Like I mentioned earlier, the significance of the event is not that it is the routine Nigerian Army Day Celebrations, but the fact that it was hosted in an area that was once under constant attacks from Boko Haram insurgents.

This is worthy of celebration. It is indeed a testament to the capacity of the service chiefs, especially that of the Nigerian Army in the fight against insurgency in North East Nigeria. If we must be honest with ourselves, before the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari, the country was indeed under siege that we feared for our continued existence. But today, Northern Borno state has been liberated. And that speaks volume of leadership and capacity. I am tempted to mention how the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Tukur Buratai has been able to lead the troops to victory. But in all, I will say it has been a job well-done.


Kolawole, PhD is a University Lecturer and writing from Keffi.

Group Calls For Resignation Of NABTEB Registrar Over Board Issues

A civil society group under the auspices of the Conference of Harmonised Civil Society Organisation in Nigeria (CHCSON) has called for the immediate resignation of the National Board of Technical Education (NABTEB) registrar, Ifeoma Abanihe over alleged malpractices and abuse of office.

The convener, CHCSON, Musa Lawani who made this call while speaking with newsmen in Abuja called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate alleged corrupt practices in the board.

He also expressed dissatisfaction over how the minister of Education, Hon. Adamu Adamu is managing the nation’s education sector and the recent purported dissolution of the NABTEB board.

Lawani said that the dissolution of the NABTEB board was done after several cases of alleged fraud had been established by the Governing Council against the registrar of NABTEB.

‘’The Governing board set up a committee to investigate her, indeed, a prima facie case was established against her. It was then expected that in line with President Muhammadu Buhari administration policy on anti-corruption, she would be asked to step aside pending proper investigation.

‘’Of course the Governing board of NABTEB recommended her suspension along with four directors of the agency.

“Surprisingly, the supervising ministry appeared not to be comfortable with the suspension of the registrar of NABTEB, even after a prima facie case was established against her. To further demonstrate the conspiracy of the minister of education to the fraud perpetrated by the registrar of NABTEB.

‘’A unilateral announcement was made by the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education, Mr Sunny Echonu dissolving the board of the Governing Council of NABTEB,’’ he said.

Lawani, however, said the alleged illegal dissolution was done to spike the chairman and members of the Governing Council of the board of NABTEB for daring to expose fraudulent activities of the registrar of NABTEB.

He, therefore, demand that the ministry tender an unreserved apology to the Chairman and members of governing board of NABTEB for the illegal and purported dissolution as well as Nigerians for the embarrassment caused them.

My Monguno Experience And Odyssey To Our Troops

By Okanga Agila

Life teaches us some prime lessons, which influence our skills of appreciation every day. We are often told, after dusk, comes dawn at day break; and after darkness, comes light, an indication of the interment of tribulations.

Your own beloved, the Chief Priest just came back from the deepest part of the north-east, specifically Monguno in Borno state. You know African Chief Priests are endowed with broad-mindedness and a heart steeped in mystic aura. It is an African cultural trait.

We all know the Northeast region in Nigeria, particularly was a few years earlier, the most dreaded enclave in the West African sub-region. Even angels with their miraculous prowess were terrified by it.

It was unthinkable for anybody to risk a journey to its forlorn villages and communities because of Boko Haram terrorists. They held the region, the natives and even the military captive, with very lethal terrorism, in the name of the devils they worship.

But my personal experience, from the latest trip to this liberated region is full of pleasant recollections and memories. In the last two years, I have journeyed to this area more than twice for no other reason than love for adventure and to feel first-hand the realities and afflictions of our people in this part of the country.

Each trip reveals to me a progression in the liberation of this troubled region. And dare say, the Nigerian Military has finally consolidated its hold on the region at the detriment of vicious tormenting terrorists. Many thanks to the Nigerian Army in particular, which have commandingly held the forte under the COAS and leader of the counter-insurgency operations, the charismatic Lt. Gen. TY Buratai.

At my recent trip, I was one of the uninvited guests at the Chief of Army Staff Conference (COASC) holding at Monguno, Borno State. As usual, my curiosity to know; the passion for adventure dusted any fears in me and my native credentials as Chief Priest bolstered the courage.

So, my team comprising a few like minds signified our intention and, the Abuja Army team to the COASC in Monguno beckoned us on board the convoy. The journey was quite smooth. As we sped pass villages and communities, it was visible that normalcy had not just returned,but serenity, was enlivened by the greenness of the land, with the return of rainfall.

And in Borno, my team headed to the Northern axis on a humanitarian mission to support returning families departing IDPs camps with our love and affection.

We held this intention a top secret until we got to our destination. The Army team we had the privilege of journeying in their convoy were surprised. But I assured them to worry less, as the team was led by an African Priest.

Duty beckoned on me and I had to demonstrate the potency of my capabilities. Before now, there have been cacophonies of voices, with many querying our modus operandi in the African shrines, where the lord has ordained me as his Chief Priest, equivalent of a Bishop in the Western church.

Time was ripe for me to prove my mettle and I led my team to do it in Monguno faultlessly, as our presence alone gave further hope and confidence to the IDP returnees. Their responses were full of praises to the Military.

The next day, we joined the Thursday session of the COASC that had Senate Committee chairman on Army, Senator George Akume (APC-Benue Northwest) representing the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki. The gathering paraded a galaxy of personalities from the political and military leadership of the country.

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo was also in attendance. After the day’s event, we started heading for Maiduguri at 7pm with a military escort of just one gun truck and two Hilux vans. I can assertively say, it was a modest security back-up for the Vice President on any trip.

But something unexpected happened. In less than 30 minutes into the trip, I lost one of the tyres of my Lexus 470 Jeep. In Abuja, we heard tales about the danger on that road. But the troops assured us of our safety. In the words of our drivers, “Bros you need fear nothing. We done chase them from here and they no fit near us.”

In the dark, every effort to remove the spare tyre failed. Perhaps, out of exasperation, I didn’t know where I misplaced my phones, which are like a cherished baby to me. I wanted to be online at all cost. I felt like I have been marooned in an Island alone.

The possibility of spending the night on the road appeared real. I have experienced night life in Maiduguri, but not anywhere on the fringes of Northern Borno up till that moment of the trip. But we eventually abandoned the vehicle and zoomed off to Maiduguri. So, gripping anxiety gave way to courage and instantly quashed indecisiveness.

Interestingly, my friends, Messers Daniel, an American and Francis, a Frenchman were all on the trip with me. As we journeyed back again, we saw enlivened villages along the road blistering with life. From the faces of the natives, it was clear the fear of Boko Haram was nowhere around. Terrorism has indeed vanished!

I was just shocked at the confirmation that the things we read about the defeat of Boko Haram were not false after all. It is real and not film tricks or fiction.

Throughout the days, we traversed Borno, we saw in our troops courage; I saw determination and confidence to keep Nigeria together. I saw sacrifices of troops in action and all that pointed revealingly to the immutable fact that Nigeria has overcome terrorism. We finally arrived our hotel rooms at about 10pm and spent sometime in the open bar, rewinding the day’s experience excitedly over drinks.

On the flipside, the trip also had exciting angles. Whilst all the dignitaries particularly members of the National Assembly (NASS) used choppers to Monguno, our Military Generals and their subordinates all used the road for a journey of about 3-4hrs. This is how they risk their lives, yet we appreciate them not.

I recall the several summons the National Assembly had issued to Service Chiefs to appear before it to explain why they “claimed” Boko Haram was defeated. I shook my head in sadness. But they came and saw it themselves.

I plead with politicians to show some empathy to troops, at least for once, rather than bossy combativeness. We must necessarily know that our troops deserve the hallowed chambers of the NASS just like legislators, but have chosen to spend weeks and months in the trenches defending fatherland against terrorists.

Meanwhile, on the return trip to Maiduguri , my team travelled from Abuja by road due to Medview flight cancellation. , through Bauchi to Potiskum to Damaturu. And pleasantly too, my team also confirmed the safety of the road from Jos to Bauchi through natives we met. Businesses are back to the roads and life returned to normalcy. God is really good and our military deserve some accolades.

But before I end this odyssey memoirs, I must not fail to celebrate the Benue born Maj. Gen. John Malu, who bagged the Chief of Army Staff award at the COASC. He was honored for his prudence and accountability in the discharge of his duties. He was instrumental to some key Army building projects and everything Nigeria entrusted in his care.

I listened with trepidation as the COAS, Gen. Buratai confirmed that not a dime was mismanaged under Gen. Malu’s care. Kudos to my dear elder brother!

I cannot help, but thank President Muhammadu Buhari immensely for keeping faith with his covenant with Nigerians on security, especially ending Boko Haram terrorism. His very modest submissions are worth recalling here but keep a date with me again.

And in spite of whatever his critics and opponents say about this Presidency, I feel he should be happier as a one Nigerian President who restored the lost glory of our country and the dignity of nationhood.

Okanga, a traditional warrior wrote this piece from Agila, Benue State.

A Soldier’s Letter Of Gratitude To General Buratai

By Haruna Isa

“There have been many COAS since I was enlisted into the Nigerian Army. But your leadership output is uniquely different,” Says 35 years in service soldier in Borno

A soldier in the Army who is currently serving in the northeast described the Chief of Army Staff,Lt. General T.Y Buratai in his letter titled MR. WELFARE as, “…leader of the anti-terrorism campaigns in Nigeria” whose re-orientation and repositioning of the Nigerian Army on the path of professionalism, patriotism and loyalty to our country, are virtuous that have etched indelibly on his psyche.

The soldier who preferred to remain anonymous but identified himself as S.O Udo said that he served Nigeria as an Army officer for 35 years. “And my retirement is due in the next few days by the special grace of God. He deserves my special thanksgiving because it has been his mercy and grace all the years,” said the officer.He went further to write that to say that, “Sir, even at the risk of flattery, please permit me to say, my last service years in the military under your leadership of the Nigerian Army have been very eventful and memorable to me. Without mincing words, I dare say, your emergence as COAS and leader of the anti-terrorism campaigns in Nigeria, at this time in our nation’s history is the best thing that has ever happened to the Nigerian Army in particular and our security architecture in general.”

And quite notably, your re-orientation and repositioning of the Nigerian Army on the path of professionalism, patriotism and loyalty to our country, are virtuous that have etched indelibly on my psyche. I remain eternally grateful to you for the exposure you gave us in both military warfare and strategies; Indeed, your wisdom, foresight and leadership charisma are enviable.

The soldier did not hesitate to express his profound gratitude to God for enabling him to work under the COAS at this very particular time.”There is every reason for me to be happy; first for the rare privilege of serving my country through the Nigerian Army. And secondly; the joy of serving under your leadership of the Nigerian Army in the last few years, particularly, being part of the success story in the counter-insurgency operations of under your amiable leadership,” wrote the officer.

On the area of professionalism in the Army,the soldier’s August’s letter reads in part: “And quite notably, your re-orientation and repositioning of the Nigerian Army on the path of professionalism, patriotism and loyalty to our country, are virtuous that have etched indelibly on my psyche. I remain eternally grateful to you for the exposure you gave us in both military warfare and strategies; Indeed, your wisdom, foresight and leadership charisma are enviable.”

An interesting paragraph in the letter is the place where the soldier pleaded with the Army authority to extend his service in the Army for another two years to continue to serve his father land.He started by writing, “I will be bowing out of service, with pride and dignity, because through you, Nigerian Army personnel have reclaimed their pride of place and honour, as proud defenders of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our beloved country, against terrorism and other insurgencies,” which is a testimony that shows that he is ready to honorably bow out of the service,he also wrote that, “I wish I could have the privilege of the extension of service for another two years to enable me continue to fight Boko Haram insurgents, with my colleagues in the trenches.

I will miss your endearing leadership and colleagues.” According to him,this is because, “Any soldier serving under your leadership of the Army is having an interesting and rewarding experience both in military warfare and leadership lessons, which shall be useful to us, even outside the Service.There have been many COAS since I was enlisted into the Nigerian Army.

But your leadership output is uniquely different. Even as COAS, you have been a complete epitome of humility and welfarism in leadership. Soldiers are generally proud of you as a General who knows the job; a COAS who regularly visits his troops on the battlefront and a boss, who laces on his boots and join his troops in the trenches to battle insurgents.”

The full version of the officer’s letter reproduced below:

July 4, 2018

The Chief Of Army Staff (COAS)
Lt. Gen. TY Buratai,

Nigerian Army Headquarters’ (AHQs),
Abuja.

Dear COAS, Sir.

Special Gratitude To Mr. Welfare!

I wish to first appreciate the Almighty God for His kindness and mercies to me and all Nigerian Army personnel in Nigeria. There would never have been an auspicious time for me other than now to write to you this special letter of gratitude.

I have served my country, Nigeria, as a Soldier in the last 35 years. And my retirement is due in the next few days by the special grace of God. He deserves my special thanksgiving because it has been his mercy and grace all the years.

There is every reason for me to be happy; first for the rare privilege of serving my country through the Nigerian Army. And secondly; the joy of serving under your leadership of the Nigerian Army in the last few years, particularly, being part of the success story in the counter-insurgency operations of under your amiable leadership.

Sir, even at the risk of flattery, please permit me to say, my last service years in the military under your leadership of the Nigerian Army have been very eventful and memorable to me. Without mincing words, I dare say, your emergence as COAS and leader of the anti-terrorism campaigns in Nigeria, at this time in our nation’s history is the best thing that has ever happened to the Nigerian Army in particular and our security architecture in general.

I will be bowing out of service, with pride and dignity, because through you, Nigerian Army personnel have reclaimed their pride of place and honour, as proud defenders of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our beloved country, against terrorism and other insurgencies.

And quite notably, your re-orientation and repositioning of the Nigerian Army on the path of professionalism, patriotism and loyalty to our country, are virtuous that have etched indelibly on my psyche. I remain eternally grateful to you for the exposure you gave us in both military warfare and strategies; Indeed, your wisdom, foresight and leadership charisma are enviable.

I wish I could have the privilege of the extension of service for another two years to enable me continue to fight Boko Haram insurgents, with my colleagues in the trenches. I will miss your endearing leadership and colleagues.

Any soldier serving under your leadership of the Army is having an interesting and rewarding experience both in military warfare and leadership lessons, which shall be useful to us, even outside the Service.

There have been many COAS since I was enlisted into the Nigerian Army. But your leadership output is uniquely different. Even as COAS, you have been a complete epitome of humility and welfarism in leadership. Soldiers are generally proud of you as a General who knows the job; a COAS who regularly visits his troops on the battlefront and a boss, who laces on his boots and join his troops in the trenches to battle insurgents.

Throughout my service years, your administration has prioritized the welfare of personnel the most, as salaries, allowances and all other entitlements are paid to us promptly. It is only under your tenure that Army Barracks and quarters have become ideal dwelling places, habitable for human beings, by their massive renovations and improvement of facilities.

I have not forgotten that anytime we are on the battlefield, you pay special attention to our families, by personally listening to their problems and solving them with immediacy. Nothing inspires more than this from a boss who became a father to us all.

COAS Sir, your positive character and attitude to duties, soft-spoken mien, simplicity and honesty are virtues soldiers and officers never thought were possible to encounter in their leaders, but only in the books they read about Army leaders of other countries. None of us knew, it was possible to encounter this physical reality in Nigeria in one’s life time in the Army. But you have made it possible and we appreciate you profoundly.

These are your leadership attributes that have endeared you to me and soldiers all over Nigeria. Had Protocol and Army rules not restricted me, I almost walked up to the podium during Army Day Celebration at Monguno to kiss the lace of your boots in demonstration of your very special place in my heart. But nevertheless, I have satisfied this yearning, by doing it several times in my dreams.

Finally, it is my prayer that the Almighty God continue to imbue you with the wisdom and strength to serve your fatherland. I invoke His special blessings of protection upon you and the troops at the warfront. I shall continue to seek your counsel on many issues from time to time, even out of service of the Nigerian Army .

Thank you, Sir, for taking your time to read my letter .

Yours Sincerely,

SO Odo

NEMA Stalemate As The Hand of Esau And Voice of Jacob

By Solomon Gowon

Depression and nervousness are the bane of staff of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on the fate that awaits them. Panicky directors and other staff facing the EFCC‘s noose are becoming more vicious in plots to obfuscate the truth and save their necks.

The EFCC is probing the alleged siphoning of N2.5 billion from the agency led in this crime by the former Director-General,(DG-NEMA) Mr. Mohammed Sani Sidi and at least, six directors.

EFCC’s preliminary report exposed very mindboggling acts of sleaze perpetrated by the former DG-NEMA in collusion with some directors and an appreciable number of staff of the agency at the lower cadre.

Sensing danger in no distant time, should the EFCC probe is allowed to run conclusively, these throngs of indicted civil servants have conspiratorially vowed to make NEMA ungovernable for the incumbent DG-NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Maihaja, who is insisting on transparency, accountability and due process in the running of the agency.

In somewhat an impulsive reaction, the indicted staff petitioned the House of Representatives through the Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness chaired by Hon. Ali Isa for intervention. This was after the Governing Board of NEMA chaired by the Vice President; Professor Yemi Osinbajo approved the suspension of the serving directors as requested by the anti-graft agency to insulate the investigations from interference.

That the House of Reps, strangely sided with the petitioners is no longer news. And it directed the agency to reinstate the suspended directors. But instead of focusing attention on the subsisting alleged N2.5 billion fraud perpetrated by the directors, the House of Reps rather repressed the issue and mandated its committee to probe the less than year old tenure of the current NEMA-DG.

So far, the House Committee has not come out with a proof of any financial impropriety against the leadership of Maihaja.

Sadly aware that the pranks they played and refuge sought in the House of Reps are not creating the desired impact, the staff resorted to a strike. And frivolous reasons and unwarranted demands have brandished before the public to portray the current management as inept and incompetent. The gimmick is to divert focus on the fraud under investigation in the agency, which most of them are complicit.

To sustain the battle against NEMA’s DG, Engr. Maihaja, the striking staff have embarked on bitter and disparaging media propaganda to attract public sympathy. One of such hoopla came in form of an article captioned, “Incessant NEMA Crisis: Time for Mr. President to Act.”

The writer, obviously on a hatchet job, frantically sought to distract attention from the issues of accountability and the alleged N2.5 billion fraud rocking NEMA. So, he exculpated the former DG-NEMA, Mr. Mohammed Sani Sidi and the six directors of the agency fingered in the fraud. But it is the NEMA administration of Sidi that the misinformed and unconscionable writer praised to high heavens.

In the media outing, it is easy to infer the Biblical “hand of Esau and voice of Jacob.” So, instead of subjecting themselves to the scrutiny of the anti-graft agency, the supposed culprits are expending huge sums of money to stall the probe.

Now, NEMA staff have been instigated by the same forces to embark on strike, advancing frivolous reasons and making demands, some of which are clearly outside their official jurisdictions. It’s unfortunate that Nigerians have over time been oriented to believe all is fair, so long as personal interests are fraudulently serviced.

Therefore, these embattled officials feel through media hype, enriched with falsehood, public and official attention would be diverted from them and the heat would cleverly be turned against the current NEMA DG, Engr, Mustapha Maihaja.

It could not astound anybody, the reference to the organized, focused, transparent and accountable leadership of NEMA under Maihaja as fraught with “scandalous activities.” The puritan sanity of the propagandists never compelled them to even mention the fraudulent administration of the immediate past NEMA DG and his conspirators. But this is a case which EFCC preliminary investigations are smoking with their complicity, which they seek to frustrate.

But truth cannot be repressed and former NEMA DG and his directors whom the writer has positioned himself to sycophantically praise sing as the best, crippled the agency and in fact, laid the foundation for the prevailing decay, which Maihaja is gradually trying to impose some positive changes.

And abuse of due process has been deeply entrenched in the system and it is natural for those who regale in illegalities to resist any attempt at cleansing the agency. Staff committed financial frauds with uncommon sophistry and in a manner that has confounded the expertise of financial crimes investigators in the anti-graft agency.

The EFCC report alleged direct diversion of foods and relief materials meant for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North-East; the use of fake companies and weigh bills to secure NEMA contracts by some directors; embezzlement of votes for staff training; the incorporation of personal companies to secure the agency’s contracts; with some directors owning between 5 - 10 companies and payment of the agency’s funds into the private accounts of family members of some directors and creation of fake IDP camps, where they claimed phantom delivery of relief materials among others.

There were also alleged frivolous overtime claims by some directors and workers of NEMA, with some vouchers of individual staff demanding as much as N20 million refund as expenses or debt incurred for the agency.

But the striking workers are complaining of redundancy, unpaid claims and lack of working tools. It is possible for Maihaja to have grounded all the working tools of the agency in less than one year in office, as portrayed by the pen undertaker? If they were redundant under Maihaja, how did they arrive at the overtime claims and liabilities of nearly N3billion?

Come to think of it! Unsentimentally, If the votes for capital expenditures were captured in the 2018 budget, which was signed into law barely two weeks ago by the Presidency, is more time not required for funds to be released to MDAs? So, is the strike timely?

If words are anything, Maihaja’s antagonists wrote: “It would interest you to note that the present crisis rocking the agency became manifest as soon as the administration came into being.” It means the current NEMA boss exported the problems into agency on arrival, to encourage the staff to early restiveness?

If the striking staff are clamouring for the investigation of the current leadership of NEMA, there are anti-graft agencies saddled with this statutory responsibility, like the EFCC. Or perhaps, the staff are expecting President Muhammedu Buhari to personally preside over the probe? Is it not tidier to package whatever allegations of sleaze against the management of NEMA to either the EFCC or the ICPC, with the relevant proofs, than playing to the gallery with strikes and shielding their liability in the scams?

When and how was the about N2.8 billion liabilities, including the N655 million outstanding claims by some staff accumulated? Could it have been possible for Maihaja to accumulate such huge liabilities to staff in less than one year of his headship of the agency?

And part of the discovery of the EFCC investigating the N2.5 billion fraud was the heavy claims by staff, some up N20 million, an indication that some of the staff were too wealthy and funding the agency, instead of the other way round.

Maihaja complied with the House of Reps directive for the reinstatement of suspended directors indicted in the fraud, even against sound wisdom. But the issue is that if the staff are so concerned with financial sanity, what is the motivation for canvassing for the reinstatement of staff under investigation on the same desks and offices? Is it to rubbish any evidence that could possibly aid the EFCC’s investigation?

The former NEMA-DG and the indicted directors are behind this latest spiteful media hype against Maihaja’s leadership. But they have no option than to get used to the new order in a reformed Nigeria, where due process counts and where stealing is not only corruption, but a big and serious crime under the Buhari regime.

Gowon is a humanitarian activist based in Jos.

Tukur Buratai: Reflecting On The Counsel of A Master Strategist

By Anthony Kolawole

Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and leader of the counter-insurgency operations, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai is one enigmatic leader. He is passionate and tenaciously works according to his convictions on service to fatherland.

Every day he steps out for his official assignments, he faces multiple risks of death from enemy camps, together with his troops. But it’s no deterrence to him and the team, as professional soldiers to the core.

But his resolve never to relent or bow before the forces amassed against his country, who minutely, threaten the security, peace and unity of the nation has eternal remained unbowed.His constant and consistent thoughts are baked on the table of improving the security of Nigerians. On his Facebook page, Gen. Buratai, pensively posted this endearing comment;

“The current crises are both induced internally and externally. So many forces are against Nigeria. The target is the corporate existence of Nigeria as a country. The blame game along ethnic and religious fault lines is not the solution. The military and the security agencies are doing a lot. Much more needed to be done but, surely we shall get the solution. Nigerians must unite to solve this serious challenge.”

It re-validates his infinite his mindset for the insecurity tribulations of his dear country and reveals his irreversible determination, in spite of all odds, to reach the final bus stop of its termination. To repeat the obvious, Nigeria is unpretentiously, on the cliffhanger of insecurity.

Terrorism and its spiral acts of armed local conflicts are still holding Nigeria captive in a few locations. It could have been worse, had President Muhammadu Buhari failed to deploy wisdom or reneged on his campaign promise to secure the lives and property of Nigerians.

But the enemies of Nigeria, both within and outside the country are very determined to plunge the rest of the nation into debilitating violence, killings, confusion, chaos and anarchy.The camps spend more time plotting this evil on themselves and the country, because the time is really auspicious.

The fragrance of the next general election is just months away. And Nigerians know the power monks; supposed “owners” of Nigeria who have brought the country on its kneels for decades hate to see a leader with the strong spirit President Buhari radiates. The enemies are averse to the posture of Buhari to free the nation from these manacles of political, economic, insecurity and ethno-religious servitude.

But the President is more equally determined than the enemies of Nigeria. He has perfectly decoded their gimmicks and subterranean conspiracies to rattle his Presidency and Nigeria.To say, these opponents and enemies have subdued him is off target.

The President is even more primed now to puncture their consuming inferno on Nigeria.He knows of the presence of active internal agents and collaborators and is also superbly aware of their external paymasters as confessed by security agents and confirmed by him.

The shadows funding, encouraging and unleashing violence on Nigeria resonates more loudly from Iran, Libya and other veiled foreign nations. And their internal connivers in Nigeria have grabbed this destructive conversation and are spreading its tentacles incredibly.

The predictions about the break-up and total disintegration of Nigeria in 2015 failed. So, emphasis has shifted to exploiting the nation’s hurtful and hackneyed struggles for political power and the blame-game along ethnic-religious fault-lines to propagate these destructive campaigns of bloodbath. It is against every value and norms which have tethered Nigerians together as a people and a united nation.

Gen. Buratai, the leader of anti-terrorism operations in the country has also adequately discerned and decoded the diction of the detractors. On this one score like others, one senses that he is on the same page with Mr. President and his Commander–In-Chief. So, strategic thinking and actions have never been part of their official exhaustion.

Therefore, when Gen. Buratai released the aforementioned post on his Facebook page, it only reminded of his unshakeable resolve and promise to Nigerians never to let them down on security. Deep thinkers and believers of the Nigerian Project knew the Army boss was expressing his deep-seated empathy and passionate disquiet with the extent internal forces have gone to destabilize their own country.

At the same time, he offered a clue to Nigerians who are unmindful of the grand plots to make their country ungovernable, by serving as canon folders to haters of Nigeria.

From the very first day Gen. Buratai assumed duties in his present capacity, he was very honest and abundantly articulate and coherent to all Nigerians that he has been saddled with a nationally patriotic duty to secure Nigerians and his country from bile acts of terrorism. And that it’s either he succeeds or sacrifices his life in order to give Nigerians peace and security. This much was personally conveyed on his early Tweets and Facebook posts on his handles.

In such early social media interface with Nigerians, the Army boss did promised Nigerians and his fatherland, the defeat of Boko Haram terrorists; the fall of its factional leader, Abubakar Shekau and the liberation of all Nigerians held hostage by the insurgents. He has substantially lived up to his promises.

Insurgents have been weakened to the extent that even striking soft and obscure targets in the Northeast now is as difficult as cracking kernel nut with bare hands. Boko Haram terrorists have been decimated and defeated. They would have loved to do more than the once in a while strikes now. But its impossible.

So, Shekau has fearfully deserted his Sambisa forest’s Camp Zero home in Nigeria and only releases once in a long while, faint, and frustrated voice from the caves and forests of the Republic of Cameroun, where he has presumably relocated.

In his 2018 Democracy Day speech to Nigerians, President Buhari confirmed that.“Today,the capacity of the insurgents has been degraded leading to the re-establishment of authority of government and the release of captives including, happily,106 Chibok and 104 Dapchi girls, and over 16,000 other persons held by the Boko Haram.”

Even the most ardent critics of Buhari’s government, including the opposition have not contested these figures, which untangle the positives, inside government’s counter-insurgency battles in the last three years.

To this end, Gen. Buratai qualifies as a prophet in his own right and Nigerians must necessarily concede it to him. Whatever Gen. Buratai predicted from the outset on battling insurgency has come to pass and the final blow to terrorism and associated acts would also come to pass.

Undoubtedly, Gen. Buratai’s Facebook post streams from the mindset of a leader genuinely worried. Only Almighty God knows exactly what must have gone through the mind of this Army General in the course of the night, when he dissected the problems confronting the nation and came out on his social media handle in this manner. It is what he rarely does.

But it’s apparent that the consciences of Nigerians are being pricked by the Army General’s reflective post. The patriotic commitment of every country men and women to these festering internal armed insurrections is also being tasked.

It begs for innermost soul-searching to make a moral detour, where there are observable lapses. It prods Nigerians to put the interest of this potentially great nation first and forward. It is a call to go into alliances with security agents, even in their small hamlets to completely eliminate terrorism menace from Nigeria.

Until Nigerians think deep and act fast, it’s possible never to candidly appreciate the uncommon sacrifices of the military. And it’s same with the sister security agencies in terminating acts of terrorism and the peace presently savoured.

Unassailably, much more needs to be done in Nigeria’s vineyard of absolute security redemption. But the complete solution would only descend with the support and importantly, co-operation of Nigerians. Military actions alone have never proven anywhere to be an absolute panacea to these strangulating terrorisms and crises, unless it is garnished with the teamwork of the citizenry.

Kolawole PhD is a University teacher writing from Keffi.

Tukur Buratai: Reflecting On The Counsel of A Master Strategist

By Anthony Kolawole

Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and leader of the counter-insurgency operations, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai is one enigmatic leader. He is passionate and tenaciously works according to his convictions on service to fatherland.

Every day he steps out for his official assignments, he faces multiple risks of death from enemy camps, together with his troops. But it’s no deterrence to him and the team, as professional soldiers to the core.

But his resolve never to relent or bow before the forces amassed against his country, who minutely, threaten the security, peace and unity of the nation has eternal remained unbowed.His constant and consistent thoughts are baked on the table of improving the security of Nigerians. On his Facebook page, Gen. Buratai, pensively posted this endearing comment;

“The current crises are both induced internally and externally. So many forces are against Nigeria. The target is the corporate existence of Nigeria as a country. The blame game along ethnic and religious fault lines is not the solution. The military and the security agencies are doing a lot. Much more needed to be done but, surely we shall get the solution. Nigerians must unite to solve this serious challenge.”

It re-validates his infinite his mindset for the insecurity tribulations of his dear country and reveals his irreversible determination, in spite of all odds, to reach the final bus stop of its termination. To repeat the obvious, Nigeria is unpretentiously, on the cliffhanger of insecurity.

Terrorism and its spiral acts of armed local conflicts are still holding Nigeria captive in a few locations. It could have been worse, had President Muhammadu Buhari failed to deploy wisdom or reneged on his campaign promise to secure the lives and property of Nigerians.

But the enemies of Nigeria, both within and outside the country are very determined to plunge the rest of the nation into debilitating violence, killings, confusion, chaos and anarchy.The camps spend more time plotting this evil on themselves and the country, because the time is really auspicious.

The fragrance of the next general election is just months away. And Nigerians know the power monks; supposed “owners” of Nigeria who have brought the country on its kneels for decades hate to see a leader with the strong spirit President Buhari radiates. The enemies are averse to the posture of Buhari to free the nation from these manacles of political, economic, insecurity and ethno-religious servitude.

But the President is more equally determined than the enemies of Nigeria. He has perfectly decoded their gimmicks and subterranean conspiracies to rattle his Presidency and Nigeria.To say, these opponents and enemies have subdued him is off target.

The President is even more primed now to puncture their consuming inferno on Nigeria.He knows of the presence of active internal agents and collaborators and is also superbly aware of their external paymasters as confessed by security agents and confirmed by him.

The shadows funding, encouraging and unleashing violence on Nigeria resonates more loudly from Iran, Libya and other veiled foreign nations. And their internal connivers in Nigeria have grabbed this destructive conversation and are spreading its tentacles incredibly.

The predictions about the break-up and total disintegration of Nigeria in 2015 failed. So, emphasis has shifted to exploiting the nation’s hurtful and hackneyed struggles for political power and the blame-game along ethnic-religious fault-lines to propagate these destructive campaigns of bloodbath. It is against every value and norms which have tethered Nigerians together as a people and a united nation.

Gen. Buratai, the leader of anti-terrorism operations in the country has also adequately discerned and decoded the diction of the detractors. On this one score like others, one senses that he is on the same page with Mr. President and his Commander–In-Chief. So, strategic thinking and actions have never been part of their official exhaustion.

Therefore, when Gen. Buratai released the aforementioned post on his Facebook page, it only reminded of his unshakeable resolve and promise to Nigerians never to let them down on security. Deep thinkers and believers of the Nigerian Project knew the Army boss was expressing his deep-seated empathy and passionate disquiet with the extent internal forces have gone to destabilize their own country.

At the same time, he offered a clue to Nigerians who are unmindful of the grand plots to make their country ungovernable, by serving as canon folders to haters of Nigeria.

From the very first day Gen. Buratai assumed duties in his present capacity, he was very honest and abundantly articulate and coherent to all Nigerians that he has been saddled with a nationally patriotic duty to secure Nigerians and his country from bile acts of terrorism. And that it’s either he succeeds or sacrifices his life in order to give Nigerians peace and security. This much was personally conveyed on his early Tweets and Facebook posts on his handles.

In such early social media interface with Nigerians, the Army boss did promised Nigerians and his fatherland, the defeat of Boko Haram terrorists; the fall of its factional leader, Abubakar Shekau and the liberation of all Nigerians held hostage by the insurgents. He has substantially lived up to his promises.

Insurgents have been weakened to the extent that even striking soft and obscure targets in the Northeast now is as difficult as cracking kernel nut with bare hands. Boko Haram terrorists have been decimated and defeated. They would have loved to do more than the once in a while strikes now. But its impossible.

So, Shekau has fearfully deserted his Sambisa forest’s Camp Zero home in Nigeria and only releases once in a long while, faint, and frustrated voice from the caves and forests of the Republic of Cameroun, where he has presumably relocated.

In his 2018 Democracy Day speech to Nigerians, President Buhari confirmed that.“Today,the capacity of the insurgents has been degraded leading to the re-establishment of authority of government and the release of captives including, happily,106 Chibok and 104 Dapchi girls, and over 16,000 other persons held by the Boko Haram.”

Even the most ardent critics of Buhari’s government, including the opposition have not contested these figures, which untangle the positives, inside government’s counter-insurgency battles in the last three years.

To this end, Gen. Buratai qualifies as a prophet in his own right and Nigerians must necessarily concede it to him. Whatever Gen. Buratai predicted from the outset on battling insurgency has come to pass and the final blow to terrorism and associated acts would also come to pass.

Undoubtedly, Gen. Buratai’s Facebook post streams from the mindset of a leader genuinely worried. Only Almighty God knows exactly what must have gone through the mind of this Army General in the course of the night, when he dissected the problems confronting the nation and came out on his social media handle in this manner. It is what he rarely does.

But it’s apparent that the consciences of Nigerians are being pricked by the Army General’s reflective post. The patriotic commitment of every country men and women to these festering internal armed insurrections is also being tasked.

It begs for innermost soul-searching to make a moral detour, where there are observable lapses. It prods Nigerians to put the interest of this potentially great nation first and forward. It is a call to go into alliances with security agents, even in their small hamlets to completely eliminate terrorism menace from Nigeria.

Until Nigerians think deep and act fast, it’s possible never to candidly appreciate the uncommon sacrifices of the military. And it’s same with the sister security agencies in terminating acts of terrorism and the peace presently savoured.

Unassailably, much more needs to be done in Nigeria’s vineyard of absolute security redemption. But the complete solution would only descend with the support and importantly, co-operation of Nigerians. Military actions alone have never proven anywhere to be an absolute panacea to these strangulating terrorisms and crises, unless it is garnished with the teamwork of the citizenry.

Kolawole PhD is a University teacher writing from Keffi.

Buratai, Nigerian Army And Trip Back To Roots

By David Onmeje

It is no exaggeration that the evolution of modern Nigeria is inextricably tied to Great Britain. As former colonial masters of Nigeria, the most populous black nation on earth, the influence of Britain on the country’s national life is visible in multiple aspects.

Some liberal thinkers conclude that whatever portrait Nigeria flaunts before the world today, it is essentially a reflection of the ideals and culture imbibed from Britain.

In warfare for instance, pre-colonial independent tribes in Nigeria raised and maintained communal warriors. But they were only concerned with fighting tribal wars or defending their communities and people against external aggressors.

However, Nigeria’s first experience of an organized and conventional Army was enabled by the British in 1863. A Royal Naval officer and the then colonial Governor of Lagos, Lt. Glover, a Briton, selected 18 Northerners and groomed them into a local force identified as the "Glover Hausas." They were mandated to protect British trade routes in Lagos hinterlands.

The "Glover Hausas" became regularized and morphed into the "Hausa Constabulary" in 1865 and structured to perform police and military duties for the Lagos colonial government. It progressed into the "Lagos Constabulary." The Lagos Constabulary transformed into the “Lagos Battalion".

There were several other progressions of the “force” and by 1889, The colonial Governor General of Nigeria, Lord Fredrick Lugard gave fillip to it by forming the emergent force, which in 1890, metamorphosed into the Royal West Africa Frontier Force, (RWAFF), in Jebba, Northern Nigeria. Several colonial transformations of the force occurred and by 1956, when Queen Elizabeth of Britain visited, the existing Nigerian regiment was renamed the Queens Own Nigerian Regiments (QONR).

It later became the Nigerian Military Force (NMF). And on June 1st 1958, the British Army Council in London relinquished control of NMF to the Nigerian Government.

At Nigeria’s independence in 1960, the NMF again changed it’s nomenclature to Royal Nigerian Army (RNA). And Nigeria assumed its republican status a nation, the RNA finally adopted the name of what is today known as the Nigerian Army, severing it from the colonial grip, with its independent organogram.

And in the last 58 years, the Nigerian Army has registered strong presence at the regional, continental and global levels, in warfare and peacekeeping missions. Not only that it is touted as the best in Africa, but its personnel have at different times excelled on military assignments on the global scene.

Therefore, the Nigerian Army under the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari has shocked the world by defiantly confronting and defeating Boko Haram terrorism. World- wide, terrorism has proven to be a scourge very difficult to handle.

But the Nigerian Army under the COAS, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai, who doubles as the leader of the counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria defeated Boko Haram terrorism in record time. The feat is a consequence of skillful application of experience, tactics and strategies in combating the Boko Haram terrorism. So, the Army Chiefs successful outing on insurgency is anchored on several factors.

He re-professionalized and re-organized the Nigerian Army, thus repositioning it for its noble responsibilities. In the leadership of the Nigerian Army, Gen. Buratai has opened his chest wide and exposed himself to a range of external experiences and partnership with world armies to enhance knowledge and performance.

The Army Chief is convinced that a respected military is first the signpost of a respected nation. It guarantees the territorial integrity and sovereignty of any nation. And with Nigeria’s permanent seat on the UN Security Council, the Army Chief believes, a properly groomed, professionalized, disciplined and patriotic Army cannot be compromised by Nigeria.

Consequently, Gen. Buratai does not ignore any opportunity for the exchange of military ideas and experiences with other leaders of the Army anywhere in the world, especially on combating terrorism, which is now a certified global security threat . Just recently, Gen. Buratai was in London to attend the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a British think-tank and assemblage of foreign relations experts in United Kingdom. The RUSI Land Warfare Conference 2018 held from June 17 – 22, 2018.

He also met with selected members of the House of Commons Committee on Defence for a mutual interaction on security and terrorism related issues.

Gen. Buratai’s consistency and zeal to update his skills with the ever changing global trends on terrorism and security has enriched his knowledge and experience. It is what he deploys in the effective leadership of the Nigerian Army and in combating terrorism in Nigeria.

His presence at the 2018 edition of RUSI Land Warfare Conference is the second in the last two years. Even in 2017, the Army Chief attended the RUSI Land Warfare Conference and addressed the gathering on the topic “Current Nigerian Army Operations and the fight against Boko Haram terrorists”.

The visit was also elaborate, as he met and interacted with Nigerian Army officers on professional courses at institutions in the United Kingdom. He also met and dialogued with Major Gen. Giles Hill, the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in the Ministry of Defence in the United Kingdom and visited the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS).

And even during the last RUSI conference, the Chief of Army Staff, also held a side meeting with selected members of the House of Commons Committee on Defence led by its chairman Dr. Julian Lewis. Other respected parliamentarians like Martin Docherty-Hughes, Mark Francois and Gavin Robinson graced the parley.

Gen. Buratai’s actions markets him indisputably as a wise man who keeps constant touch with his roots. He has elevated the Nigerian Army to enviable heights by partnership with other global military, where experiences and ideas are shared on global security and terrorism.

So, in the last two years, Gen. Buratai’s leadership of the Nigerian Army has exposed the institution to impressive external military experiences and world’s best military practices. Recently, the Nigerian Army Chief influenced the Nigerian Army’s co-hosting of the African Land Forces Summit with US Army Africa (USARAF) in Abuja, Nigeria.

Summit drew Military Chiefs from 40 African countries as well as allies from the United States Army, Africa Command, NATO and the African Union. And at the moment, Nigerian soldiers are part of the officers undergoing counter-terror training sessions between British and Nigerian troops in Kaduna.

In effect, Gen. Buratai is fulfilling his pledge to raise and bequeath to Nigerians, a professionally responsible, disciplined, loyal and responsive Army in the service of the nation. And he holds the British experience dear to his heart.

Onmeje contributed this piece from the United Kingdom.

Plateau Killings: Selfish Politicians Instigating Crisis To Blackmail Buhari, Lalong, Says Middle Belt Group

By Abu Duniya

The Middle Belt Conscience Guard (MBCG) has attributed the ongoing crises in Plateau State to some selfish politicians who are hell bent on blackmailing the state government and President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking on the ceaseless attacks, the middle belt group said some political players were only using the crisis to make the state and the country ungovernable ahead of the 2019 polls.

Prince Raymond Enero, National President of the group while reacting to the ongoing killings in the area, called on President Buhari to replicate the feat performed with the defeat of Boko Haram in the north-east by completely eliminating the so called unknown killers that are killing people in the Middle Belt to score political points

He said, “It is a known fact that there has been incessant killings in other north central states particularly Benue from which Plateau state was relatively spared. In recent days however, there has been a spike in the activities of such killers. The most recent is the killing of two children of a clergyman in Mangu Local Government Area by unknown killers. The incident resulted in youths acting in line with the expectations of those behind the heinous crime; they took to the streets in protest until security operatives successfully managed the situation.

“We said “expectations of those behind the heinous crime” because we have credible information that the killings spread to Plateau state as part of a plot to discredit the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, whose government has restoration of security as one of its cardinal agenda. While President Buhari’s government is being targeted at the centre, that of Governor Simon Lalong is also being targeted at the state level.

“The information at our disposal show that the plot is to indiscriminately kill innocent people to create the impression of ethnically or sectarian motivated attacks. People of the affected communities are then expected to turn on each other, their neighbours, government agencies or security personnel.

“The dimension was meant to cause same mayhem and instigate protesters across some selected communities in a bid for the plotters to achieve their aim. But for the maturity of the youths in Mangu Local Government Area and the professional conduct of the security personnel drafted to contain the protest things would have gone out hand.
“The Middle Belt Conscience Guard is therefore using this opportunity to appeal to the people of Plateau State not to fall for this wicked trick that is meant to set the entire state on fire. Given the devilishness of the plot, we urge the people of the surrounding states to Plateau to not take precautions but to also actively be on the lookout for suspicious people that could try to replicate similar crimes after they have failed to destabilize Plateau state.

“We acknowledge that Governor Lalong has done much within the limitations imposed by the Constitution on governors in handling security of their states, we however urge him to urgently liaise with the Federal Government before the killers that have set on the loose gain a foothold in the state. Our suggestion is that he should champion a summit of the governors of states in the Middle-Belt so that they can set aside political and ideological differences to get at the root of the problem so that the sanctity of life can again return to our lands.

“We appeal to the Federal Government of President Buhari to replicate the feat performed with the degradation of Boko Haram in the north east by completely eliminating the so called unknown killers that are killing people in the Middle Belt to score political points.

“Nigerians should consider this press briefing as a notice for them to disregard the agents of destabilization that are behind these acts of wickedness. The path to defeating these enemies of Nigeria is very clear. The first thing is not to react in panic and confusion as they want us to. The next is for the people to sniff such evil people out wherever they might be and alert the relevant law enforcement or security agency so that the law will take its course.

“We urge security agencies to step up surveillance in the entire area so that a truly preventive approach can kick in to ensure that killers are apprehended before they inflict damage, death and pain on the people. The security agencies should tap into the structure already built by Governor Lalong to provide adequate cover for the population.

“The people of Plateau state must further take the initiative to key into the cooperation between security agencies and the state government. The security efforts put in place by the state government should be taken as incentive to support the governor and other stakeholders to ensure that the state is spared of avoidable deaths.

“To those behind the killings, our message is clear: even if it takes time justice will one day be done to the puppets that bear the knives or pull the triggers and to the puppet masters that make them do it.”

Insurgency, Nigerian Army And A June Diary

By Prince Ugo

The decision to pen this article came to me impromptu. I stumbled on a news item on an online medium, The Sun (UK), published February 18, 2018, which flashed a blistering news caption. It boldly read; “Terror, Exchange Programme: ISIS Commanders Sneaking Jihadis Into Nigeria From Syria to Train Them for Possible Attacks on Britain,” a story written by David Willetts, the newspaper’s Defence Editor in Kaduna, Nigeria. At once my heart trembled. I quickly perused it and the chilling and startling revelations got me upset momentarily. The story also disclosed ongoing counter-terror training sessions between British and Nigerian troops in the country, all preparations to halt ISIS’ plots to consolidate its hold on the West African region.

And a statement credited to a senior Nigerian Air Force commander, Group Captain Isaac Subi, 46, said: “They (ISIS) come and train their fighters here and some of our insurgents too are granted access to their training in Yemen and Syria, after acquiring those skills, they come back to teach others. They have this exchange programme for fighters.”

Once again, my mind flashed back at the Nigerian Army. I took a deep reflection, reminisced on the severity of the insecurity situation in my country and, my fears further exacerbated by the contents of the news reports and looked at the gains made by the Nigerian Army in the counter-terrorism.

Gloomily, I recollected the casual manner some “thoughtless” Nigerians dismiss our troops or seek to disparage or mindlessly lampoon soldiers. I silently scoffed at the haters of Nigeria, the cynics and skeptics.

Then, I decided to scout for comfort by tasking myself to review what the Nigerian troops, led by the leader of the counter-insurgency war and Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai have done to curtail the monsters in the last few days. To my pleasant amazement, our troops were soaring higher and higher and they continued to deflate, suppress and subdue the unbending spirit of the terror monsters and allied armed local militias in Nigeria to give us the respite we savour at the moment.

What again struck me immediately was, the June rescue of over 148 civilians from Boko Haram's captivity in Modu Kimeri, an obscure village in Bama LGA of Borno, Nigeria’s Northeastern state. It happened during clearance operations launched by troops of 21 Brigade under “Operation Lafiya Dole,” assisted by Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) members.

The operation was expansive in rooting out remnants of insurgents, and it stretched to Modu Kimeri and Gulumba Gana to the Lake Chad Islands. The freed hostages, included men, Women and Children. While the victims were in captivity, females were sexually violated or used as sex slaves and men were subjected to forced labour.

The month of June in the same Northeast, saw troops of 153 Task Battalion, in alliance with the Cameroonian Defence Forces, deployed in Operation Lafiya Dole, engage scores of terrorists on horseback in a fierce gun battle at Ngelkona in Ngala LGA of Borno State.

And our gallant troops again, overpowered the insurgents, and at least 10 of them died in the battle, as arms and ammunitions were also recovered. And the same feat was replicated by troops of 82 Task Force Battalion of Operation Lafiya Dole, who attacked fleeing terrorists at Ngoshe in Gwoza LGA of Borno. An insurgent fell to troops bullets, while ammunitions and Improvised Explosive Devices(IED) were recovered.

I was impressed at the fact that, another hard tackle in the raids of Boko Haram terrorists camps by Nigerian troop of 27 Task Force Battalion of Operation Lafiya Dole, in Yaridiri forest in Geidam LGA of Yobe state, shattered the insurgents. Some escaped with gunshots wounds; abandoned various rounds of ammunitions, other items and a cash sum of N2, 280,000 in the camp they fled from.

Also, in Adamawa state last week, Nigerian Army repelled Boko Haram raids on Kaya village in Madagali LGA of the state. The timely intervention of our soldiers frustrated the terrorists from visiting the people with devastating destructions and deaths.

And somewhere, in the Middle Belt region, where herders/farmers clashes have been infiltrated by local armed gangs, the Nigerian Army’s “Operation Whirl Stroke” is also performing wonderfully in the aid of civil security. A few days back, troops of the Nigerian Army arrested a suspected professional assassin identified as Shima Sange-ve and many other criminals during operations along the Benue/ Taraba border.

The suspected assassin, Sange-ve confessed during interrogations, to have led the gang that brutally murdered Mr. Denen Igbana, a Senior aide on Security Matters to Gov. Samuel Ortom and also responsible for other assassinations, armed robberies, kidnappings and cattle rustling in the areas. The suspect confessed that he led three others who were paid N100, 000 each for a job by Terwase Akwaze, aka (Gana) a wanted killer.

Thus, the Nigerian Army is not resting on its oars, but constantly reviewing and updating its counter-terrorism strategies. It recently launched “Operation Last Hold” and according to the Chief of Training and Operations ( Nigerian Army) Maj. Gen. David Ahmadu, the new operation‎ will last for four months and will be injected with six additional maneuver brigades and other critical assets into Borno State. The operation has taken the insurgency combat to higher levels of exploits.

Therefore, it was not a surprise to me when for the first time in six years, over 2,000 IDPs in various camps, in the Northeast returned to celebrate the Eid-el-Fitr at the deserted Gudumbali town in Guzamala LGA of Borno state. Intensified raids by troops of “Operation Last Hold” under the Theatre Command, “Operation Lafiya Dole recorded this feat.

I doffed my cap for the Nigerian military, when about a fortnight ago, 68 insurgents surrendered to the Army. This followed the ceaseless and massive onslaughts on Sambisa area, within the last three weeks in an organized air and artillery bombardment of locations within the Theatre of operations.

I was excited that despite the unyielding spirit of terrorists and satanic sophistry, nourished by the Iranian ISIS, the Nigerian Army has remained undeterred. It has demonstrated signs and performances on the battlefield to reassure and restore confidence in Nigerians, their competence and acts of justice have solved the nagging insecurity problems in our country.

Soldiers deserve our little encouragement, to enliven their spirits to do more for us (Nigerians). I send my special accolades to Lt. General TY Buratai and our troops.

Ugo writes from the United Kingdom.

NASENI And PMB’s Endorsement Of Selfless Service To Humanity

BY ABIODUN ISRAEL

An irritating and resentful character of leaders in executive positions in Nigeria is to ridicule and despise Nigerians or politicians in rival political camps. For successor Presidents, their first official action in office is always to vengefully sack appointees of the preceding government.

Little attention is paid to commitment and performance in office. The only offence aligned to them, which leads to the callous depravity of an opportunity to serve their fatherland, is their affiliation to a party which has just been ousted from power. And a thoughtless President sometimes go to extremes by terminating appointments held by Nigerians whose tenure is statutorily fixed for no logical reasons.

But President Muhammadu Buhari has broken this spell. His demonstrable tolerance, endorsement and readiness to work with every Nigerian who has proven himself competent, incorruptible and dedicated to his official responsibilities is legendary.

Every Nigerian can attest, President Buhari retained and worked with even the cabinet appointees he inherited from his predecessor, former President Goodluck Jonathan for months before they were thankfully relieved of their appointments’.

Just a few weeks back, President Buhari admitted he was inundated with secret requests, advices and counsels from lobbyists to terminate the appointment of Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Mr. Godwin Emefiele. Instead, he overlooked the pressure mounted on him, by refusing to acquiesced to desires of partisan lobbyists. Mr. Emefiele was appointed by GEJ.

Buhari premised his refusal to sack Emefiele on his desire to sustain service to humanity, by allowing the CBN boss complete the healing process of the economy, Nigerians knew drifted into recession before the Buhari Presidency. He is more enthusiastic about healing the economy than pursuing partisan interests. To him, genuine leadership is unbowed by any sentiment whether party affinity; but about the progress of Nigeria.

And the President’s mindset on such issues has not been adulterated so long as the appointee satisfies his yearning of service to Nigerians and humanity. So, he has re-appointed the Executive Vice Chairman, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, (NASENI) Prof. Engr. Mohammed Sani Haruna.

The NASENI boss regaled in this special Presidential honour and recognition for hard work alongside five other heads Chief Executive Officers of Federal Agencies. It’s an exceptional conviction from a President whose first and last commitment is for the advancement of Nigeria.

Prof. Haruna’s leadership odyssey at NASENI also started under GEJ in 2012 in acting capacity , and his appointment was subsequently confirmed in 2013. He met an otherwise vibrant agency in the morgue and its mandate, which was tailored to drive the science and technological needs of Nigeria’s national development in all sectors of the economy were immersed in politics and submerged in bureaucratic strangulations.

Lack of a focused and foresighted leadership of NASENI compounded the problem and tactically deleted the agency’s name on the list of the over over 500 federal agencies in the country.

And rather than perceive it as a setback, Prof, Haruna, saw it as a surmountable challenge. He laid out his working framework and set out to work, deploying and judiciously applying the meagre budgetary votes to the agency for maximum results.

And in the last five years, Prof. Haruna has practically dragged NASENI from its obscurity to an agency that has earned itself national fame by rare indigenous technological innovations and products in major sectors of the economy.

A rundown of his achievements at NASENI in his first tenure spreads a score-sheet, which impresses his predecessors, staff and Nigerians. In transport, medicine, education, agriculture, water and power generation and supply, among others, the agency has displayed Nigeria’s science and technological endowments and competence. It has deposited enduring legacies for national development, which were hitherto mere dreams in the quest to fulfill the mandate of the agency.

It is unarguable that Nigeria imports all its automobiles and allied subsidiaries. But NASENI has superlatively invaded the transport sector by developing Nigeria’s first indigenous passenger vehicles and cargo tricycles. They are suitable and affordable for rural dwellers and low income earners.

The agency under Engr. Haruna has also developed Nigeria’s first motorcycle and all the aforementioned technological products have been tested and certified. With enough funds, the agency can mass produce it for domestic usage and export to African countries to earn Nigeria foreign exchange.

Correspondingly, NASENI under Prof, Haruna has broken the age-long myth about indigenous power generation technology. The agency has invented different, but tested and functional models of Small Hydro Power Turbines (SHP) as renewable energy source. The hydro turbines functions when either connected to the main grid or independently serve as a stand-alone/off-grid mode and they are working in some parts of the country.

Likewise, the agricultural sector has recorded inspiring improvements in the direction of President Buhari’s preachments on diversifying the economy through agriculture. NASENI under Haruna has invented and developed durable and efficient deep-well hand pumps model 3 and 4 for water solution.

Its reversed engineering drilling rig heads is already in use at the National Water Research Institute (NWRI), Kaduna, while it is in foreign partnership to expand the building of water drilling rigs in Nigeria. NASENI has sent into the markets deep-water well pumps and centrifugal pumps for irrigation purposes.

Nigerian farmers are now enjoying designed and developed crop threshers and harvesters. It’s being a harvest of easy working tools for farmers as table-top seed oil mill for extracting oil from seeds, like groundnut, cashew, palm kernel and others are already in use. Much as functional mobile cassava graters, rotary dryer and cassava chipping machine for Garri processing. Nigerian fish farmers are now using solar dryers and mobile fish smokers for drying or smoking of fish.

The NASENI’s boss has pioneered, designed, produced and tested multi-purpose Agricultural-Based Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (AB – UAV), to lessen the burden of dispensing herbicides or pesticides in farmlands among other uses.

Under Prof. Haruna, NASENI’s shadows are registered in capacity and human resources development in some Nigerian universities. It has sponsored the development of human and intellectual resources chattels. Disciplines seriously affected include Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, Nano-technology, and Advanced Materials Development of Virtual Manufacturing Laboratory.

And in partnership organizations’ and institutions, NASENI’s initiatives have provided state of the art hardware, software and intellectual capacity for design, engineering simulation, and computer modeling of engineering processes, plants, machinery, and spares parts. It’s the first the Nigeria ever experienced.

Prof. Haruna’s achievements’ in NASENI are inexhaustible. His good works at the agency were too glaring to ignore, as attested by staff of the agency who prayed day and night for his reappointment. Both staff and colleagues’ of the result-oriented NASENI boss, Prof. Haruna have loudly attested to his leadership efficacy, focus, uprightness, teamwork and incorruptibility. He has proven and demonstrated repeatedly to be a round peg in a round hole.

Therefore, it was not a surprise that President Buhari proved his love and passion for leaders at the lower rung, with his penchant and disposition of service to humanity by the renewal of Prof. Haruna’s appointment as the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI.

Haruna never lobbied for a second term, but his works and exemplary leadership, positively betrayed and fished him out. And a positive leader like President Buhari keenly interested in merit and excellence scanned him from the motley of appointees and decided to renew his mandate.

Frankly and in all fairness, Prof. Haruna truly deserves the renewal of his tenure at NASENI. He has performed splendidly and Nigerians hopes to see the best of his best, in a manner that would belittle achievements’ of his first term. It behooves on Haruna never to betray this presidential trust in service to Nigerians.

Indeed, President Buhari deserves some accolades for rewarding a subordinate who demonstrates his leadership traits. It’s a rare bolster from a Nigerian President.

Abiodun is a public affairs commentator, writing from Ibadan.

Sometimes, I get amazed at the thinking of some politicians who feel the electorate is unreasonable, and can always be betrayed, swayed, used and dumped at their whims and caprices. These leaders only find the people they have impoverished and exposed to devastating disasters as worthy partners during partisan times only.

Nigeria is facing another round of political dispensation. And professional politicians and selfish leaders have thrown themselves on the field, with sophisticated pranks, feigning artificial concern for the poor people. But it is nothing more than décor, to earn them undeserved votes from the same people they have ferociously traduced, neglected and abandoned.

I was bemused infinitely at the recent outbursts by Senator (Dr) Mohammed Abba Aji. While he granted audience to All Students’ Union and Forum of Tertiary Institutions in Borno state, led by Mohammed Bukar Ngala, Aji shamelessly proclaimed that, “The coming of President Muhammadu Buhari, was an answered Prayer to the people of the Northeast. It is my believe that, before the end of next year, Boko Haram terrorists will be thoroughly degraded and absolute peace restored to Borno and the Northeast.”

I consider this exclamation extreme limits of clowning by a supposed leader, whilst mocking the plight of the people of the Northeast and especially, our hapless victims of terrorism in Borno state. Such poor admittance, only explains the extent to which Sen. Abba Aji has forgotten the travails of our people in the hands of Boko Haram insurgents, only to embark on guesswork. And the latest half-hearted show of concern from Aji is ennobled by his interest in the 2019 governorship seat of Borno state. But our people are neither surprised nor excited at his artificial display of sympathy.

We all know that, Sen. Aji was part of the political leadership in Borno state that created and nourished Boko Haram insurgency in 2003. And in the desperation to grab or retain power at all cost, they nourished insurgency to despicable limits. And carelessly too, he lost track of its progression, before he went underground for the reliefs of the administration of President Buhari that were brought to the people.

Quite ironically, the adventure which exposed us to insurgency with its devastating and humanitarian problems was to the advantage of Sen. Aji and his political goons, as he ended up representing Borno Central Senatorial district in the National Assembly between 2003 and 2007.
It therefore, questions Aji’s level of sanity and leadership uprightness, to speak in a manner which lends credence to the fact that, he does not know that, President Buhari and the military have long degraded and defeated Boko Haram in the Northeast and Borno state in particular. It is demeaning and an unacceptable way of trying to undermine the sacrifices of the Nigerian military in quelling terrorism in the Northeast. It is unkind and callous. Yet, I think, Sen. Aji is one of the few persons in Borno state who have enjoyed the tremendous support of our people, to rise to leadership eminence at the national level. Apart from serving a term as Senator, Aji was a Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, on National Assembly Matters. But he knows nothing about our plight and tribulations because it is the least of his problems, insofar as he is safe with his family, nothing else matters, he continues to spew rubbish.

For past three years, Sen. Aji disappeared into a self-inflicted political oblivion. He has now bounced back because he is angling to succeed Governor Kashim Shettima in 2019, on the platform of the APC. I feel nothing is wrong with his decision, because everyone has the right to contest for any elective office. And he is welcomed. But what I deem unacceptable and irresponsible, is for Aji to contemplate an open insult and mockery of the plight of our people, to the extent of exploiting their vulnerability to poverty and misery caused by terrorism to service his political ambition. He detached himself from Borno State and abandoned the people to their fate for years, believing that Boko Haram which he conspired with other political leaders to impose on our people, and nursed into near untamable monsters could not be defeated.

However, President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian military, have proved him wrong and made us proud by finally decimating and defeating Boko Haram terrorism. Though, the pains, the sorrows, the agonies and scars of terrorism are still with us.

And leaders like Sen. Aji should be the last to stand up today to demand another round of leadership from the people and worse still anchoring campaigns on terrorism. I challenge Sen. Aji to tell us what he did to end the bitter terrorism in Borno state, even when he was very close to the Presidential aide in the capacity of an Adviser.

Sen. Aji’s verbal eruptions are unconscionable and completely in dissonance with common sense. It is strange for him to think that, we have forgotten this so soon, that he was an integral part of the clan of leaders who brought terrorism to us. They ensured that, we were rendered completely prostrate before terrorists until the Buhari’s Presidency came to our rescue.

May I remind Sen. Aji once again, that terrorists have not just been degraded, but also defeated. What we are experiencing in the Northeast, Borno inclusive is the fruitful clearance operations, to rout out remnants of terrorists, conducted by the Nigerian Army.

I have no doubt that Sen. Aji is now back, to politically benefit from the prevailing peace and woes of our people in Borno state, as well as other states in the region, which were formerly under the firm grip of Boko Haram. But it can only be sensible for Aji to use a new narrative to hoodwink the people during campaigns, than resort to the terrorism narrative. And to sufficiently underscore his ignorance about terrorism, Aji does not even know the new song in town on terrorism. He does not know that the focus now, is how to solve the enormous humanitarian crisis confronting our people occasioned by terrorism.

A sensible leader should be thinking of ways to launch and initiate schemes to develop the hundreds of thousands of unemployed youths. They are the people he abandoned after series of unfulfilled promises and a failed representation, which only catered for his personal gains.

Neglect of youths was one of the reasons that exposed them to the temptation and mercy of the recruitment machinery of terrorists, who freely recruited them for such evil and atrocious acts. He shall please himself to launch schemes that would keep the youths meaningfully busy and halt any further recruitment of the youths by insurgents.

Let Sen. Aji know that he is free to wake up from his slumber at any time, after dodging his own people, when they needed him most. But he cannot use Boko Haram to re-launch himself into political limelight. It is an old gimmick and it won’t work. It is distasteful and inconsistent with reality. Terrorism has been defeated by President Muhammadu Buhari and it will never rise again.

Abba wrote from Opposite Status Hotel, Lagos Street, Maiduguri.

Re-Upending Democracy in Bauchi

Musa Ismail Jahun

No doubt, with the 2019 general election inching closer as each day passes by, the good, the bad and the ugly sides of campaigns will certainly flood the media space. Already, the pages newspapers are inundated with articles and other write-ups by mendacious writers targeted at misleading gullible Nigerians.

A back-page column published on the June 4, 2018 edition of LEADERSHIP, one of Nigeria's most influential and widely read newspapers appears archetypal of what to expect from such media campaigns. In the article with the headline, ‘Upending Democracy in Bauchi’, the author, Mariam Mohammed, tended to be biased towards the Bauchi State governor, Mohammed Abubakar and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Even though it may be their own personal view, columnists are expected to do in-depth analysis on issues without prejudice. But in her column, Mariam misconstrued Governor Abubakar and misrepresented facts as far as Bauchi politics is concern.

It is worrisome that this misguided propaganda is appearing in a column that has not only shown a knack for objectivity but has constantly proven to be an avenue for enlightened analysis, with veritable sourced content. With this kind of bias inferred by the writer’s choice of words, are we to trust her column again? This, to me, is the height of prejudice on the part of a columnist considered as reputable.
Ordinarily, I won’t have glorified such a piece with a response but for Bauchi State indigenes who are in the know about the political happenings in the state and the good fortunes brought by the present administration of Governor Abubakar, it is indeed compelling to set the record straight.

Mariam made mention of the “emperor-like mien” of the governor without giving one instance of the display of such tyrannical tendency, either in the day-to-day management of the affairs of the state or the conduct of the just concluded ward congresses where she craftily hinged her attack. Unknown to her, the congresses in Bauchi received a pass mark from the validating authorities, the APC national leadership and different interests groups except for those who were busy working against the successful conduct of the congresses.

Although in the contest for political or partisan advantage there can only be one victor and one or many vanquished, it is instrumental to note here that those who felt lost out in the congresses have largely lost touch with the electorates and the party faithful. They have chosen to pontificate rather than get down with the masses that are the sole determinant of the political direction and destiny of the state or the nation for that matter.

In Bauchi State, those opposed to democracy and Governor Abubakar’s drive to move the state forward are well known faces and they could not hide under any guise to bamboozle us again. It is unfortunate that throughout his first tenure as a governor, M A Abubakar has been witnessing inexorable hostility from detractors who, instead of joining hands with him to move the state forward, are bent on pulling him down for no just reason.

In her article, Mariam listed a number of resignations from the Bauchi governor’s cabinet without giving us latent reasons for their leaving office. She also cited instances without giving cogent reasons for their occurrence. It is a known fact that many of the governor’s appointees have stepped aside given the fact that there is no more ill gotten wealth to amass in Bauchi Government House. Governor Abubakar does not believe in executive largesse or political patronage. Instead, he prefers to abide strictly by the tenet of equal-pay-for-work.

So, most of them who gad taken up cabinet jobs with the hope of recouping financially from their previous campaigns or activities, on behalf of the party may have resigned in out of frustration or disappointment, which is no fault of the transparent Bauchi State helmsman. If the truth must be told, Governor Abubakar has been running a government for the masses and not the few, a novelty in Bauchi State. Those who regard themselves as divine power brokers or godfathers in the state’s socio-political dynamics have found themselves holding the short end of the stick.

It is instructive to note that Mariam article did not point to one single infraction, abuse of power or financial impropriety on the part of the Bauchi State governor. It was merely a repetition of the unsubstantiated allegations levelled against him by his detractors.

Jahun wrote in from Bauchi

Dankwambo And The 2019 Presidency

By Jacob Moses

It is true and well said that, a golden fish has no hiding place; the professional, political and public service career of national and global leaders are always in the public domain. Their performance or the lack of it stands them out as the populace, public affairs analysts and social affairs commentators are wont to publicly and vocally assess their varied contributions to the socio-economic wellbeing of the citizenry at large. The above musing aptly describes the dynamic and highly resourceful Executive Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, within the backdrop of a higher calling that is currently tolling its bell on him ahead of 2019.

For the consummate technocrat, cerebral chartered accountant and super-achieving administrative helmsman par excellence, much has been written and chronicled on his superb and superlative infrastructural and developmental exploit as well as his groundbreaking reforms both in Gombe State as the incumbent chief executive officer and the office of the Accountant General of the Federation that have repositioned and recalibrated the said offices for a more credible, responsive and efficient service delivery to the people and the nation at large.

Much of the publicity has been unsolicited as the unassuming and largely self-effacing Talban Gombe believes in silent and unheeded achievements, with solid and indelible administrative reforms and infrastructural projects on ground to speak for themselves rather than engaging in undue media hype or sensational headlines that are theprovince of many a politician. However, much as Dankwambo might want to avoid the public limelight, his tremendous and all-encompassing performance at various levels of governance and administration has attracted unprecedented adulation and encomiums. At the moment, the vast majority of the nation’s citizenry are lining up, locked in step behind the fortuitous and auspicious candidacy of the Gombe political wonder who defied all imaginable odds to emerge the only re-elected PDP governor in the whole of the North despite the fact that the rival APC swept the region in a massive tsunami during the 2015 general election.

We recall without doubt, that the last man standing, as Talban is affectionately referred to, won in Gombe on the basis of merit, hardwork, competence and exemplary performance. He touched the lives of the people of the state in all material spheres, be it in road infrastructure, health, education, power, water supply, rural development, agriculture, manpower development and women or youth empowerment.

All these sectors have been decisively and positively affected by Dankwambo’s No-Citizen-Left-Behind policy. All the eleven local government areas of the state have felt the impact of the visionary leadership of the governor. For instance, immediately after the 2015 elections, the first set of roads that were constructed Dankwambo where in the enclave of his defeated APC gubernatorial rival, Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya.

This was in consonance with admirable mantra of Politics Without Bitterness of the Talban Gombe. Indeed, the infrastructural revolution embarked upon by the indefatigable governor has been unprecedented throughout the nation, dwarfing those of Lagos, Rivers, Akwa Ibom among others, on an income per capital ratio, given the fact that Gombe State receives a paltry N2 billion per annum as federal allocation compared to the over N15-N30 billion naira received annually by the aforementioned oil-producing states.

Tens of thousands of kilometers of urban and rural roads have been completed while a lot more are under construction. Hundreds of hospitals, maternity and health centres, primary, secondary and Arabic schools have been either constructed or rehabilitated with adequate supply of hospital equipment, drugs, desks, chairs and laboratory equipment respectively.

In the agriculture sector, tremendous progress has been attained with fertilizer, seedlings, farm implements, tractors, harvesters, planters, sprayers and many more supplied or leased to agrarian farmers at highly subsidized rates to boost agricultural production in the Jewel of the Savannah.

Dankwambo’s youth and women empowerment programme is also a complement to his development agenda for the state as tens of thousands of women and youths have been trained in fish farming, rabbit and poultry production, bee keeping, hair dressing, barbing, sewing, tying and dying, soap making, as well as confectionary skills.

All these are geared towards enhancing their income-generating and self-sustenance status. Thousands of graduates and other categories of staff have been employed in the Gombe State public service ever since the Talban Gombe assumed office on May 29, 2011.

Indeed, to catalogue the length, breadth and scope of the landmark administrative, infrastructural and developmental exploits of the Last Man Standing is beyond the breadth of this treatise, but it is fair to surmise that the nation needs, as a matter of urgency, the leadership sagacity of Governor Dankwambo, as well as his depth of experience, vision, vigour and fortitude to pilot the ship of the Nigerian State to safer and calmer shores come 2019. –

Moses wrote in from Gombe

Benue Killings: The Owl’s Howl And Shadows of Quislings’?

BY ALI AGADA

Literary Artistes hardly die. We know after the physical transmutation from life to divine communion with ancestors, their spirit lives, dines and wines with us, through legendary, timeless and impactful works.

The last few days have got me both sad and moody. What enlivened me were the fond memories of the lyrics of the Late Afro-beat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti about the death of Dele Giwa. The mysterious death of the ace journalist and co-founder, Newswatch Magazine, Dele Giwa, in 1986, sent jitters to every Nigerian and fear assailed every lip.

To even guess who was responsible for Giwa’s death was as difficult as the Biblical camel passing through the eye of a needle. The mysterious passage of this iconic reporter to eternity under the military junta of President Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) caused serious commotion in the country, as Nigerians were even afraid to publicly interpret the glaring circumstantial evidence alluding to his death. Anything could happen to you, the braggart. Silence was more golden.

But the prodigious Fela partially broke the silence with some insights with his lyrical composition. As youngsters then, we loved the song and innocently chorused the enchanting verses on play fields with mates, but never knew its connotations.

We constantly bellowed the soliloquy in the verse; “Na who kill Dele Giwa; na Baba. If you add Gida, na you sabi.” It was an artistic prophecy in its generic sense to soothsayers of the time. Only years later, would Nigerians discover the clue into the tragic incident Fela offered decades back.

Of course, we are aware of the secret killings in the Benue valley. We have also not forgotten the international attention it has generated in Benue state particularly, with the 2018 New Year Day massacres of peasant farmers and the state organized mass burial of 73 victims in Makurdi.

Since then, it has surprised Nigerians why the killings have defiled all cessation remedies. This is in spite of the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari, through the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to extinguish the fire of bloodbath or rage of fury.

The cacophonies of wailings have been loud and trenchant each time the killers come visiting. At the mass burial of the two catholic priests and 17 parishioners May 22, 2018, who were similarly attacked at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Mbalom in Gwer East LGA of the state, Governor Samuel Ortom reeled frightening statistics of the attacks and death toll. He pegged the cumulative number of deaths to about 492 victims and nearly 200,000 displaced persons, housed in IDPs camps within the state.

What has added to the mystery of the incessant attacks on farming communities and deaths in Benue state is the difficulty of ascertaining the attackers or masterminds. Most times, I stumble over commentaries on the tragically unfortunate crisis and it stuns me infinitely.

All opinions on the crisis, whether on social or traditional media, marketplaces, pubs and any other congregation of people in Benue, points to Fulani herdsmen’s heartlessness and cruelty. The idiosyncratic justifications and its linkage with “armed” Fulani herdsmen gain currency everywhere, the sermon is echoed.

It reminds me of the Sunday morning invasion of St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu in Ekwusigo LGA of Anambra State in 2017. In this instance too, unknown gunmen laid siege and opened fire on worshippers in the church during a morning mass. The tragic incidence claimed the lives of about 47 persons and critically injured several others.

Consistently, social and traditional media buzzed with discomforting one-dimensional conception of the identity of the attackers as Fulani herdsmen. It was convenient for majority of analysts to conclude that Fulani herdsmen on Jihadism mission perpetrated the attack on the church and the gruesome murder of worshippers. No one, neither allowed reason to prevail nor was patient enough to wait for security investigations to run conclusions.

But the truth eventually came out and it exonerated the much vilified herdsmen. Later revelations of the masterminds and independently confirmed by the community, pointed to a year-long drug war between two of the community’s sons operating in South Africa. It spiraled in the village and a rival camp hired an armed gang to eliminate the father of his opponent, who could easily be sighted in the church. The deal was done.

Nigerians hate the truth. So, once all credible sources exculpated the Fulani herdsmen of complicity in the Ozubulu church invasion and killings, the matter was nicely and silently handled indoors, as family affairs. The Fulani herdsmen so defamed were not deserving of a simple apology from their crucifiers even for decency or morality sake. It has shocked me that the beats of hate and hurt have to continued straddle in effervescent lights adorning more deserted wildernesses.

Back and nearer home, every soul, intellectual or expert analyst has tied the Fulani herdsmen on the cross of Golgatha as singularly responsible for the recurring gruesome bloodbath in Benue and around the Middle Belt. As usual, no one is ready to spare a thought or explore the possibility of other forces, such as armed robbers, cultists, kidnappers or traitors veiling on the already defamed name of Fulani herdsmen to commit unimaginable atrocities in Benue.

But a Police officer and Prosecutor, Edward Imo has opened our eyes to some other possibilities, which can only be discerned if dispassionately decoded. A few days ago, Officer Imo arraigned leader of the Benue State Livestock Guards, a Boko Haram member, sympathizer and escapee, Alhaji Aliyu (Tershaku) Tashaku, as he is popularly known in court, along with five others.

Gov. Samuel Ortom has advanced conflicting explanations on how and why Tashaku came to lead the state informal, but armed Livestock Guards. And we all know Tashaku is his kinsman from Nongov clan of Guma LGA of Benue.

In Gov. Ortom’s doublespeak on the matter, he claims inheriting Tashaku from his predecessor, former Gov. Gabriel Suswam, as leader of the Joint Task Force (JTF). But the Governor is suspiciously silent on why he has retained him, having upgraded the JTF or retained it as Livestock Guards.

We also know Ortom has discarded a lot of Suswam’s policies and even state projects repugnant to his convictions. He either cancelled or reshuffled everything inherited from Suswam which ran contrary to his beliefs, like the Chieftaincy Law and the first class chiefs Suswam appointed on the eve of his exit from office. But curiously, Gov. Ortom embraced wholesale and retained Tashaku.

Quite sadly, and conscious of prejudicial comments, the violent invasion and killings in the Catholic Church at Mbalom drew the ire of everybody, including pagans. To us, it was a direct affront on God and the church. So, the anger flowed freely in the land against Fulani herdsmen.

But the first suspects of six, including Tashaku arraigned by the Police at a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Benue and remanded in Makurdi Prison for the alleged attacks on St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Mbalom , where two priests and 17 worshippers met their untimely deaths posted fresh reflections. They were named as Husseini Manga, Ngyohov Shin, David Akenawe, Agada Tseaa, and Tarzan Orvanya, with Tashaku added.

Even an slowpoke would instantly detect through vernacular language registers that the names of home boys (Benue indigenous) are clearly five, including Tashaku or Tershaku outnumber the single alien in their midst. Tashaku was picked by security agents at his fortified abode in Kwararafa Quarters, a middle class settlement area in April, 2018.

But preliminary interrogations of Tashaku and others by security agents and discreet investigations unveiled a mindboggling sum in his private bank account. Some versions say its N1.4 billion or N1.6 billion. But the baseline is that Tashaku, with no known business investment to yield him profit, suspiciously boasts of such fat bank account, which would make even the children of Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, green with envy.

To my bewilderment, just a name of one of the suspects, “Husseini Manga” sounded alien to Benue and perhaps, the surname “Manga” could possibly emanate from the Plateau. But courts do not judge suspects on ethnicity. So, may I be excused to suspend further analysis of the identification nomenclature of the suspects.

Police Prosecutor alleged in court that the suspects all members of the Benue State Livestock Guards, “unlawfully and illegally secured guns… to terrorize and kill farmers.” Anyway, the Presiding Magistrate Isaac Ajim ordered that the accused persons be remanded and adjourned the case to July 17, 2018 for further hearing.

We wait with bathed breathe, as this yet another sordid drama, with semblance and tenor of the Ozubulu saga unfolds to finality as would be decided by the courts. I wish it should not be true that our own fraternal blood and kinsmen are the quisling shadows behind these agonies and sorrows on the land. Oh Lord! May this never be true, but let your will be done through your anointed Lords in the temple of justice.

Agada PhD is a Benue citizen and contributed this piece from 3rd Avenue, Festac Town, Lagos.

Benue Killings: The Owl’s Howl And Shadows of Quislings’?

BY ALI AGADA

Literary Artistes hardly die. We know after the physical transmutation from life to divine communion with ancestors, their spirit lives, dines and wines with us, through legendary, timeless and impactful works.

The last few days have got me both sad and moody. What enlivened me were the fond memories of the lyrics of the Late Afro-beat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti about the death of Dele Giwa. The mysterious death of the ace journalist and co-founder, Newswatch Magazine, Dele Giwa, in 1986, sent jitters to every Nigerian and fear assailed every lip.

To even guess who was responsible for Giwa’s death was as difficult as the Biblical camel passing through the eye of a needle. The mysterious passage of this iconic reporter to eternity under the military junta of President Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) caused serious commotion in the country, as Nigerians were even afraid to publicly interpret the glaring circumstantial evidence alluding to his death. Anything could happen to you, the braggart. Silence was more golden.

But the prodigious Fela partially broke the silence with some insights with his lyrical composition. As youngsters then, we loved the song and innocently chorused the enchanting verses on play fields with mates, but never knew its connotations.

We constantly bellowed the soliloquy in the verse; “Na who kill Dele Giwa; na Baba. If you add Gida, na you sabi.” It was an artistic prophecy in its generic sense to soothsayers of the time. Only years later, would Nigerians discover the clue into the tragic incident Fela offered decades back.

Of course, we are aware of the secret killings in the Benue valley. We have also not forgotten the international attention it has generated in Benue state particularly, with the 2018 New Year Day massacres of peasant farmers and the state organized mass burial of 73 victims in Makurdi.

Since then, it has surprised Nigerians why the killings have defiled all cessation remedies. This is in spite of the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari, through the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to extinguish the fire of bloodbath or rage of fury.

The cacophonies of wailings have been loud and trenchant each time the killers come visiting. At the mass burial of the two catholic priests and 17 parishioners May 22, 2018, who were similarly attacked at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Mbalom in Gwer East LGA of the state, Governor Samuel Ortom reeled frightening statistics of the attacks and death toll. He pegged the cumulative number of deaths to about 492 victims and nearly 200,000 displaced persons, housed in IDPs camps within the state.

What has added to the mystery of the incessant attacks on farming communities and deaths in Benue state is the difficulty of ascertaining the attackers or masterminds. Most times, I stumble over commentaries on the tragically unfortunate crisis and it stuns me infinitely.

All opinions on the crisis, whether on social or traditional media, marketplaces, pubs and any other congregation of people in Benue, points to Fulani herdsmen’s heartlessness and cruelty. The idiosyncratic justifications and its linkage with “armed” Fulani herdsmen gain currency everywhere, the sermon is echoed.

It reminds me of the Sunday morning invasion of St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu in Ekwusigo LGA of Anambra State in 2017. In this instance too, unknown gunmen laid siege and opened fire on worshippers in the church during a morning mass. The tragic incidence claimed the lives of about 47 persons and critically injured several others.

Consistently, social and traditional media buzzed with discomforting one-dimensional conception of the identity of the attackers as Fulani herdsmen. It was convenient for majority of analysts to conclude that Fulani herdsmen on Jihadism mission perpetrated the attack on the church and the gruesome murder of worshippers. No one, neither allowed reason to prevail nor was patient enough to wait for security investigations to run conclusions.

But the truth eventually came out and it exonerated the much vilified herdsmen. Later revelations of the masterminds and independently confirmed by the community, pointed to a year-long drug war between two of the community’s sons operating in South Africa. It spiraled in the village and a rival camp hired an armed gang to eliminate the father of his opponent, who could easily be sighted in the church. The deal was done.

Nigerians hate the truth. So, once all credible sources exculpated the Fulani herdsmen of complicity in the Ozubulu church invasion and killings, the matter was nicely and silently handled indoors, as family affairs. The Fulani herdsmen so defamed were not deserving of a simple apology from their crucifiers even for decency or morality sake. It has shocked me that the beats of hate and hurt have to continued straddle in effervescent lights adorning more deserted wildernesses.

Back and nearer home, every soul, intellectual or expert analyst has tied the Fulani herdsmen on the cross of Golgatha as singularly responsible for the recurring gruesome bloodbath in Benue and around the Middle Belt. As usual, no one is ready to spare a thought or explore the possibility of other forces, such as armed robbers, cultists, kidnappers or traitors veiling on the already defamed name of Fulani herdsmen to commit unimaginable atrocities in Benue.

But a Police officer and Prosecutor, Edward Imo has opened our eyes to some other possibilities, which can only be discerned if dispassionately decoded. A few days ago, Officer Imo arraigned leader of the Benue State Livestock Guards, a Boko Haram member, sympathizer and escapee, Alhaji Aliyu (Tershaku) Tashaku, as he is popularly known in court, along with five others.

Gov. Samuel Ortom has advanced conflicting explanations on how and why Tashaku came to lead the state informal, but armed Livestock Guards. And we all know Tashaku is his kinsman from Nongov clan of Guma LGA of Benue.

In Gov. Ortom’s doublespeak on the matter, he claims inheriting Tashaku from his predecessor, former Gov. Gabriel Suswam, as leader of the Joint Task Force (JTF). But the Governor is suspiciously silent on why he has retained him, having upgraded the JTF or retained it as Livestock Guards.

We also know Ortom has discarded a lot of Suswam’s policies and even state projects repugnant to his convictions. He either cancelled or reshuffled everything inherited from Suswam which ran contrary to his beliefs, like the Chieftaincy Law and the first class chiefs Suswam appointed on the eve of his exit from office. But curiously, Gov. Ortom embraced wholesale and retained Tashaku.

Quite sadly, and conscious of prejudicial comments, the violent invasion and killings in the Catholic Church at Mbalom drew the ire of everybody, including pagans. To us, it was a direct affront on God and the church. So, the anger flowed freely in the land against Fulani herdsmen.

But the first suspects of six, including Tashaku arraigned by the Police at a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Benue and remanded in Makurdi Prison for the alleged attacks on St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Mbalom , where two priests and 17 worshippers met their untimely deaths posted fresh reflections. They were named as Husseini Manga, Ngyohov Shin, David Akenawe, Agada Tseaa, and Tarzan Orvanya, with Tashaku added.

Even an slowpoke would instantly detect through vernacular language registers that the names of home boys (Benue indigenous) are clearly five, including Tashaku or Tershaku outnumber the single alien in their midst. Tashaku was picked by security agents at his fortified abode in Kwararafa Quarters, a middle class settlement area in April, 2018.

But preliminary interrogations of Tashaku and others by security agents and discreet investigations unveiled a mindboggling sum in his private bank account. Some versions say its N1.4 billion or N1.6 billion. But the baseline is that Tashaku, with no known business investment to yield him profit, suspiciously boasts of such fat bank account, which would make even the children of Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, green with envy.

To my bewilderment, just a name of one of the suspects, “Husseini Manga” sounded alien to Benue and perhaps, the surname “Manga” could possibly emanate from the Plateau. But courts do not judge suspects on ethnicity. So, may I be excused to suspend further analysis of the identification nomenclature of the suspects.

Police Prosecutor alleged in court that the suspects all members of the Benue State Livestock Guards, “unlawfully and illegally secured guns… to terrorize and kill farmers.” Anyway, the Presiding Magistrate Isaac Ajim ordered that the accused persons be remanded and adjourned the case to July 17, 2018 for further hearing.

We wait with bathed breathe, as this yet another sordid drama, with semblance and tenor of the Ozubulu saga unfolds to finality as would be decided by the courts. I wish it should not be true that our own fraternal blood and kinsmen are the quisling shadows behind these agonies and sorrows on the land. Oh Lord! May this never be true, but let your will be done through your anointed Lords in the temple of justice.

Agada PhD is a Benue citizen and contributed this piece from 3rd Avenue, Festac Town, Lagos.

Boko Haram: What Global Amnesty Watch Said About Activities Of Nigerian Troops, IDPs In North East

By Abu Duniya

The Global Amnesty Watch, GAW, an international human rights organization, has spoken on activities of troops of the Operation Lafiya Dole currently fighting Boko Haram terrorists in north eastern part of Nigeria.

President of GAW, David Falt, while speaking during a visit to the headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole, called on other international bodies to come to the aid of the country.

According to Falt, GAW decided to visit Nigeria in order to witness activities of the troops and condition of the Internally Displaced Persons in the region.

In his speech, the GAWA boss said, "The Global Amnesty Watch has been in town for sometimes now and having worked extensively to examine the war against terror in Nigeria, it will be out of place not to visit the theatre of operations to pay our complement to the Nigerian troops."

"The reality however is that I am here after an extended field trip of affected areas and attending the International Conference on Terrorism here in Nigeria. Participants and experts at the conference assessed the war on terrorism in the past three years, which incidentally covers the period the present administration has been in office."

"This is a method of evaluation I recommend experts in conflict monitoring and resolution to return to, on the ground assessment. Advancement in technology has internet connectivity means that international organizations are able to remotely monitor conflicts, conduct interviews and exchange documents and other information.

“But these are fraught with downsides, with the greatest minus being the ease with which they can be easily manipulated for mischief – satellite images that have been doctored, interviews with composite personalities that do not exist but were created to mislead researchers, videos, pictures and audios that have been edited to alter the contexts are few of the pitfalls that have compromised the reports of organizations that otherwise see themselves as reputable."

David, while expressing his reservation on the recent reports against the Nigerian Military by an agency, stated that the limited number of staff deployed as human intervention to mediate technology used on the field have proven even less reliable than the process they are meant to moderate.

The Global President applauded the Nigerian Military saying "One must commend the Army leadership for instilling the highest level of respect for rules of engagement and human rights in the course of fighting terrorists.

“Nigeria has done well in this fight. The kind of destabilization in other places with ISIS and al-Qaeda has been averted for Nigeria because the Army at some point did the right thing by adopting a Nigerian approach to a global problem that surfaced in your country. It is working, even though there are forces that prefer things turn out differently."

Falt charged the Army not to relent or else things will degenerate again, especially in the case of groups in their formative stages of becoming terrorist organizations.

"The world is looking up the Nigerian military. This is why the Nigerian military must shun every form of distraction when carrying out their duties.

“You must continue to ensure that troops comply with rules of engagement and respect human rights so that those working to place obstacle in the way of the war on terrorism would not have substantiation for their allegations. This much is owed to the civilian populations that have come to rightly depend on the military for protection from terrorists. We commend your protection and appeal that you do not let them down for any reason."

In his response, Commodore Aminu Hassan, the Deputy Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, said it was their pleasure to see credible organisations to always come and cross check facts for themselves in the theatre.

#NotTooYoungToRun: Bill Signifies Youth Readiness For Leadership, Political Reforms -- ANN

The leadership of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), has described the recent signing of the #NotTooYoungToRun Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari as an indication of the readiness of Nigerian youths to access leadership positions in the country. The party also guaranteed that it was the surest platform for the youths who are willing and ready for elective positions.

In a statement signed by the Chairman of the party, Dr. Jay Osi Samuels, he praised Nigerian youths’ doggedness “in joining in the quest for good leadership and structural reform of the political space” The statement reads: “The National Working Committee, Board of Trustees and the entire membership of the Alliance for New Nigeria ANN, are happy to felicitate with the Nigerian Youth on this milestone in the signing into law of the Not Too Young To Run Bill by the president.

“This once again demonstrates the doggedness and readiness of the Nigerian youth in joining in the quest for good leadership and structural reform of the political space in the country of which the Alliance for New Nigeria, ANN stands for. “The ANN as a political party committed to a new order that would engender greater participation of new breed politicians of which the Nigerian youth is the fulcrum, wishes to assure all Nigerian youths of the readiness of ANN to provide a level playing ground that would promote greater youth participation at all levels of the electioneering process come 2019 and beyond.

“We are therefore pleased to request all Nigerian youths, to embrace this unique opportunity and ensure they register and obtain their permanent voters cards (PVCs) from their respective INEC polling centers, while also identifying with ANN party membership at all wards across the nation, as we strive towards building a New Nigeria of our dreams”.

Breaking: IPOB Disowns sit-at-home order, Tells Ndigbo To Ignore Chika Edoziem Group

Igbos across Nigeria and beyond have been called upon to ignore the May 30 sit-at-home order by a character purportedly acting on behalf of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB led by Mazi Chika Edoziem.

The National Secretariat of IPOB in a statement on Tuesday distanced itself from the recent order asking Igbos not to go out on Tuesday in the interest of the symbolism of the 30th Remembrance of the defunct Biafra.

According to them, the day represents an enduring epitaph that recalls many great feats, struggles and tribulations.

Speaking on the development, however, Anayo Mbakwe, Director, Strategic Communication, IPOB National Secretariat, called on Igbos to disregard the order and go about their business on the said date.

Mbakwe, affirmed that the statement emanating from the Mazi Chika Edoziem-led faction should be disregarded in its entirety, insisting that the order did not have the blessing of its supreme leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu..

He said, “We received with utter shock and amazement, the laughable buzzing news both in the traditional and social media,   signed and circulated by one Mazi Chika Edoziem, purportedly claiming to be Head, Directorate of State of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra  (IPOB).

“The National Secretariat of IPOB  in Nigeria wish to state clearly and in unmistaken terms that the said press statement emanating from Mazi Chika  Edoziem  should be discountenanced and disregarded in its totality. We strongly condemn it, as dubious, treacherous, unacceptable, illegal and a mockery of the grandeur ideology of  our Supreme leader,  Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, whose aspirations and target is to achieve a peaceful and rancor-free independent  Biafran state.

“Please permit us to put it on record that our secession struggles are henceforth not anchored on coerciveness, violence, breach of public peace, deaths and such allied criminal acts.  Those conversant with the new inclination of our Leader, Mazi Kanu, would have known that we have adopted a persuasive and non-violent diction and approach to our separatism agitations.

“Therefore, Mazi Chika Edoziem and his co-travellers are imposters and strangers in our midst who have always sabotaged and exploited the activities of IPOB for personal gains. The faction has  again  dubiously  usurped IPOB’s   platform to cause confusion, in order to  extort and dupe unsuspecting members of the public, especially Southeasterners’ in the pretension of Remembrance Day for Biafran  fallen heroes and Heroines of the Nigerian civil strife of 1967-70, by issuing the illegal sit-at-home order.

“For the avoidance of doubt now and in the future, may we plead the understanding of Nigerians on these in-house betrayers.  We wish to document that any genuine and authentic press statement,   media or publicity engagement of the public from IPOB’s national secretariat on such a serious issue, which is duly authorized, with the stamp and seal of our Supreme Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu  is released to the public and signed by Mazi  Emma Powerful, IPOB’s media and publicity secretary.

“The designation, office of Head, Directorate of State of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra as flaunted by Mazi Chika Edoziem in the said public statement does not exist in our organizational organogram. He is simply and plainly, a renegade, cheat, an impostor and a criminal who has prepared his armed hooligans’ and miscreants to violently invade the Southeast on May 30, 2018, maim, loot and abduct scores of our kith and kin in demand for ransom to enrich themselves.   

“The statement does not originate from us and it is a betrayal of the cause,  our Supreme leader, Mazi Nnamdi  Kanu has placed his life on the line these past years.  We cannot allow the glaring attempts by selfish and frenzied individuals in our midst to truncate or jeopardize the Biafran cause or derail IPOB’s focus in pursuing the interest of Igbo nation on the secession struggles.

“We remember with much sadness that the same Mazi Edoziem’s faction  has  clandestinely and consistently  worked with the Federal Government  to sabotage, undermine  and truncate this noble agenda of IPOB. They were the conniving shadows with our “enemies” which led to the forceful invasion of Kanu’s village in order to scar and put permanent fear in the minds of even our diehard loyalists of the struggle. 

“All of us know what transpired thereafter and there is no room to allow these same antagonists humiliate our Supreme Leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu for the second time.  We completely reject any attempt by our enemies to re-enact that inglorious saga and we are prepared to fight it conclusively.  They are incompetent to either stab us on the back or ride on our backs to the inglorious fame they are seeking.   

“We therefore,   request security agents to immediately apprehend, interrogate and possibly arraign Mazi Chike Edoziem in court on charges of   imposition and acts of treason against the Nigerian state.

“We urge all Ndigbo in the Southeast or domiciled anywhere in Nigeria to go about their normal activities tomorrow, May 30, 2018 without the fear of harassment or molestations. The sit-at-home order grounds   the economy of Igbo nation and does not in any way develop us a people.”

Boko Haram: Terrorists Now Know Nigeria, Not a Country without Capable Military- Global Amnesty Watch

The Global Amnesty Watch (GAW) has posited that Boko Haram terrorist group and other outlawed or proscribed groups in the country, have in the last three years of the war against terror, learnt that Nigeria is not a country without a capable army.
The organization made the disclosure even as it regretted that the approach in fighting the war on terrorism was still being seen as a war between the security forces and the terrorists rather than a war between Nigeria and terrorism.

Country Director, Global Amnesty Watch in Nigeria, Prof. Shuaibu Ahmed Danfulani while speaking at the International Human Rights Conference on Local Armed Conflicts in Nigeria held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, on the theme: “Assessing Nigeria’s Response to the Global Security Threats and Its Implications for World Peace,” also called for a home grown Nigerian approach to tackling the war on terror as has been seen in the cases of France, Britain and Russia noting that as long as rules of engagement are observed this approach should see the light of day

Prof. Danfulani said, “It is now a given that some things around how Nigeria responded to Boko Haram and other proscribed or outlawed groups changed about three years ago, which I believe is the basis for which this conference is concerning itself with assessing only those three years that terrorists were made to realize that Nigeria is a country, and one with a standing and capable Army.

“The terrorists have since learnt that this is not a no man’s land where they can brag about holding territory. That repulsive ambition died once Generals who know what they are doing stepped to the plate.

“The euphoria of the successes recorded in the war against terrorism notwithstanding, and without prejudice to the costly sacrifices being made by members of the Armed Forces, we must in our intervention today be bold to rankle moods and step on toes.
“Whatever is found wanting must be identified and proclaimed so, as that is the only way for the country to be able to take steps that will rid it of the last vestige of terrorism.

Things that Nigeria should have done differently.

“That is the overall approach to the war on terrorism. Please note, this is not to say a lot has not been achieved but it is rather to point out that much more could have been achieved and attained faster than we did.

“What I find to be missing in this regard is a failure to evolve a fully Nigerian approach to dealing with a global problem that mutated a Nigerian strain; for that is what Boko haram is.

“Take a quick study of France – the number of terror attacks it has had in the past ten years and the number of arrests it has made in those instances.

“What you will find is that a higher number of the terrorists that carry out attacks in France do not live to wear handcuffs neither do they ride police patrol cars, their corpses usually make the trip from their stand-off with law enforcement to the city morgue because they always invariably end up dead.

“The latest attacker was a mere 16 days ago and that was the fate that befell him even though his weapon of choice was what some would refer to a mere knife. So, the terrorists know France is not a playground for their twisted ideology.

“Former French colonies in Africa – take note of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger – have adopted a similar approach and terrorists know not to go fooling around in these places.

“Russia has even lesser tolerance and a thinner finesse to dealing with terrorists. Russian President Vladimir Putin quoted in a Brooking Institute article that made reference to a 2000 interview for his biography said of his brutal suppression of terrorists in Chechnya, “If we did not quickly do something to stop it, Russia as a state in its current form would cease to exist…. I was convinced that if we did not immediately stop the extremists [in Chechnya], then in no time at all we would be facing a second Yugoslavia across the entire territory of the Russian Federation — the Yugoslavization of Russia.

“Putin also does not want Chechnya that has fought alongside ISIS terrorists in the Middle East to export terrorism back to Russia; it is a cheaper and more effective approach, to deal with the problem before it arises.

“Britain is arresting, trying and jailing its nationals that have gone to Syria to support ISIS. In fact, even contemplating or planning to travel to join ISIS is a crime for which some convicts are serving time.

“United Kingdom Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson asserted that Britons who have fought for ISIS should be hunted down and killed to ensure they never return to their country.

“Perhaps, British that fought on the side of ISIS are fortunate to only be imprisoned for their crimes; an American citizenship could have guaranteed them death right in the Middle East by Hellfire missiles fired from Predator drones simply to ensure they do not live to return home with their terrorists’ ideology and build terror networks in their homelands.

“Incidentally, these are all countries that some of us have been brainwashed to regard as the benchmark for strict adherence to human rights.

“Yes, they adhere to human rights and follow rules of engagement but they always make sure that the collective interest is above those of individuals that have gone rouge.

“For these countries, it appears failure to remove threats to the larger population is what constitutes violation of human rights. Their governments and military see themselves as being responsible to the civilian population that would be harmed if terrorists should successfully hijack their countries.

The media and civil society in the aforementioned countries in their reactions do grumble, they may criticize but they in the end join in managing the situation so that their people see the common and greater good in the steps taken to curtail terrorism.

“At no time have international human rights organizations been able to hound them or their militaries. If anything, reports that have recriminating titles, have texts that praise the valour of the troops that kill menacing terrorists.

“We should by now be asking ourselves what the Nigeria model is. What is the Nigeria model? The reality is that there is no Nigerian model in the true sense of things. What we have instead has been a Nigerian Army that has been excelling in the face of impossibilities.

“The same human rights activists and international NGOs that see nothing wrong in the way these other countries keep themselves safe expect Nigerian troops to approach terrorists with gift offerings so that they can be talked into giving up their evil ways.

“Once troops kill terrorists, it would become a matter of human rights violation and threat of being dragged to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“I invite you to note again that the military from France, Russia, United Kingdom and United States are not threatened with ICC when they kill terrorists, instead they get medals. So, the question is why is Nigeria different?

“At a different forum, people told me it is because they want Nigeria to fail. But even this answer only provoked more questions. If you were to give me the same answer I will then ask: why do they want Nigeria to fail or collapse?

“Other questions are: who are these people that want Nigeria to fail? How do they plan to make Nigeria to fail? What have they done so far to set Nigeria on the path of failing? Who are they using to make Nigeria to fail? Who benefits if Nigeria should fail? What is Nigeria doing to prevent itself from failing?

Whatever answers we get to these questions, they will point to the centrality of the Nigerian military, notably the Nigerian Army as the institution to counter these threats.

The Armed Forces cannot safeguard the country against conspiracies of such magnitude if it has to adopt a different set of rules to the ones other Armies use to protect their country.

The Army cannot be fighting Boko Haram only for agents of countries that do not allow terrorists breathing space to dictate what must not happen to known terrorists.

I hope this conference to review the conditions under which the Nigerian Military achieved its successes over Boko Haram with a view to making suggestions that will empower military personnel to do even better.

You should identify groups that are being used to undermine the military’seffort to eradicate Boko Haram and make useful suggestions on how to manage such organizations.

My hope is that you will be able to come up with a template that will help the Nigerian military develop its own approach to dealing with terrorists in a manner that ensures that the safety of Nigeria is not jeopardized.

In his address, David Falt, Global President, Global Amnesty Watch, a Swiss National, decried terrorism and its destructive impact of human lives and property as well as displacements of the citizenry saying, “Terrorism creates victims, victims deserve justice and justice delayed is justice denied”.

He said Nigeria as a nation should concentrate on and develop what units it in a terror war rather than engage in advocacy battle using transparency international and other bodies to scuttle the march towards eradicating the menace of terror.
“The military should help the police and the police should help the government in ensuring that the terror war is won. But simple rules of engagement should be observed on the battle ground by the security forces and they can then get out.”

Security Under Buhari’s Watch

By Kolawole Anthony

The first official covenant a leader makes with the people, on the first day of official function is security of lives and property of the citizenry. It is neither negotiable nor subject to compromise under any guise.

A law abiding and peaceful nation is the panacea to uninhibited development and prosperity. It is the primary essence of governance. And the capacity of the Armed Forces anywhere in the world is gauged by its capacity and competencies to assist the President to defray internal and external aggression against its country. But the military abdicated on this basic constitutional responsibility under the last administration.

And the consequences were quite grave. No Nigerian can agree less that Nigeria was on a precarious cliff of total breakdown of law and order, by May 2015, when President Muhammedu Buhari took the reins of office.

Nigeria was literally and practically handcuffed by subsisting, budding, consuming and persistently explosive acts of terrorism, local armed conflicts, militancy, violent separatists’ agitations, ethno-religious conflagrations and other insurrections. They did not only disturbingly assail and crippled Nigeria, but had morphed into threats to regional insecurity threats.


Burdened by an extremely weak Military, prior to the ascension of the Buhari Presidency, Nigeria replaced its peaceful soul with almost everyday violence, deaths and agonies from terrorism. Dominantly at the home front, Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) obstinately pulled the cord of disunity and disintegration of Nigeria. It went paranoid and regrettably unchallenged in the organized atrocious acts and heinous crimes against Nigerians. But Buhari has smothered the fire.

Also, an existing discontentment in the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria, unleashed very acerbic militancy, greased by greed and an insatiable appetite for dubious wealth by the elite. Very wild and bitter splinter militant sects emerged, with separate agendum and modus operandi, surprisingly, all pointing to an obscure reason-impoverishment of the Niger Delta, the proverbial cash cow of the country.

Militants competitively registered resentments through bombing of oil installations or facilities, abductions of oil workers, oil theft and bunkering and other sublime acts of terrorism. Nigeria bled uninterruptedly under the fangs of militancy, as crude oil exploration dropped incredibly from 2.3 million barrels a day to 1.2 million barrels.

Much more, the fear of constant violence, kidnappings and payment of ransoms on oil workers compelled the relocation of headquarters of International Oil Companies (IOCs) outside the Niger Delta to Lagos and other safer locations in Southern Nigeria. But President Buhari has laid the ghost of militancy to permanent rest.

The general dreary insecurity portrait of the Southern region of the country was further amplified in the Southeast region. An assemblage of disparate armed gangs found a comfortable haven is the now outlawed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB). Led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, an abrasive bloodsucker, the armed gangs tormented and terrorized innocent and law abiding citizens, killing and maiming opponents who expressed aversion to their style of secession agitations. They severally created conditions favorable to looting and perpetrating all acts of criminality with impunity. Again, Mr. President has castrated the terror sect into oblivion.

Elsewhere in the North, the narrative was the same. The foreign and Iranian backed Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) or the Shiites in Nigeria, led by Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, operating under a bizarre religious ideology, antithetical to all known Islamic norms or doctrines, held dozens of Nigerians captive in cities and villages.

The Shiites killed Nigerians at sight, including security agents, during their weird or irreligious processions and brooked neither opposition nor resistance from any quarters. The Shiites have just discovered they cannot penetrate Nigeria under a Buhari Presidency.

The pride of the nation was completely buried with the tempestuous rage of armed bandits and cattle rustlers in the Northwest. The deadly criminals sacked whole villages and communities, much as they prevented farmers from accessing their farms or traders and local businessmen from patronizing markets.

Major highways became unsafe, as they ambushed passenger or commercial vehicles and murder commuters in cold blood and dissipate unmolested. But the region is now, a persona non grata for these armed criminals.

The more than a decade’s violence on the Plateau raged with renewed vigor, expanding to unimaginable frontiers. In Plateau too, several communities were sacked and it was a celebrated killing mines for both indigenes and visitors to this once enviable tourist’s destination in Nigeria. Life largely became meaningless for most Nigerians. But peace has berthed on the Plateau.

And specifically in Southern part of Kaduna state, old ethnic rivalries were resurrected and the strengths of feuding parties tested in bloodbath. The scenario has been duplicated in the Middle Belt region with the herders/farmers crisis, equally claiming hundreds of lives and causing awful destruction of properties. President Buhari has set the ball rolling to clear the last vestiges of these criminals.

Glaringly, the capacity of civil security agencies could not contain the widespread anger on the land. Therefore, President Buhari, who immediately restructured and re-organized the Nigerian Military, deployed the military in aid of civil security. They were saddled with the onerous of quelling the burning fires of bloodbath across Nigeria and to restore peace and security to the people.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and leader of the counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai hit the ground running. He started by re-professionalizing and re-organizing the Nigerian Army, inculcating in Army personnel the virtues of discipline, loyalty, patriotism and commitment to their constitutional and professional duties.

Gen. Buratai’s first assignment saw him facing the conflagration of the Abubakar Shekau led Boko Haram. By December, 2015, barely five months of his action on the battlefield, Boko Haram insurgents were weakened and decimated. His troops also began the speedy recovery of nearly 24 LGAs under terrorists control in the Northeast and incredibly restricted the insurgents area of operations to just the Northeast, where they originated.

By mid-2016, Nigerian troops had reclaimed all Nigerian territories under the captivity of Boko Haram, an action which was executed simultaneously alongside freeing of Boko Haram hostages enslaved in remote camps and caves.

At the last count, the Nigerian Army had directly or indirectly rescued nearly 5,000 Nigerians held captive by insurgents, including a substantial number of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted in April 2014 and all the recently abducted 110 Dapchi schoolgirls. Among the rescued are children, women and the aged.

Having effectively and courageously decimated Boko Haram terrorists, the Nigerian Army moved and defeated terrorists by the demystification of Sambisa Forest in Borno state. It was terrorists’ most fortified haven, where they retreated for shield, recuperated and planned fresh attacks on Nigerians. Sambisa is a shadow of its former dreary self, as the Army has transformed it with infrastructure.

Soldiers penetrated Sambisa forest up to camp zero, killed scores of insurgents in the exchange of gunfire. Abubakar Shekau was fortunate to escape, but soldiers recovered his copy of the Holy Koran and the Boko Haram flag, a sign of absolute defeat.

The Army has engineered the voluntary surrender of dozens of Boko Haram top commanders and hundreds of their foot soldiers. Soldiers have also blocked avenues hitherto at the disposal of Shekau for the easy recruitment of fresh Nigerian foot soldiers. So, when Shekau yelled publicly about his frustrations with the war and preferring to surrender, soldiers had severely castrated him.

Additionally, the Army under Gen. Buratai’s watch has expanded its infrastructure and amenities. He has influenced the establishment of the first Nigerian Army University in Africa, located in Biu, Borno state; there is the Nigerian Army Aviation School and several others. The Army Chief has renovated and refurbished Army barracks and formations across the country, as well as railroaded the establishment of new military formations in Kaduna, Rivers, Zamfara, and the Northeast region among others.

The Nigerian Army under its current leadership is the first to execute Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects to host communities, anywhere soldiers are deployed on special assignments. And it covers free Medicare, water supply, electricity and roads projects all over the country.

Therefore, in three years of battling Boko Haram by the Nigerian Army and other security agencies, it’s now an joy unspeakable that Nigeria has come out of its troubled insecurity waters. It is safe and rightly too, to haughtily thump the chest and echo loudly that the Army has steered the ship of security to safety. And that it is still under the same leader who decades back conquered the Maitatsine insurgency, is unspeakable and the exhilaration is indescribable among Nigerians.

He is the ever calculative and focused President Buhari. He is the singular reason, every Nigerian and indeed the entire nation is proud to regale in the prevailing security in the country. He has remained a worthy guardian, an inspiration and protective shield to Nigerians and the Nigerian Army under Gen. Buratai. It is responsible for the marvelous results and victories over either internal or external terrorism acts against Nigeria.

Kolawole PhD is a University lecturer and wrote from Keffi.

Amnesty International's Evil Sainthood

By Moses Olaitan

It is not usual to score an army, any army in the world, one hundred percent positive especially during an operation. The scores plummet significantly when that operation is during wartime, it gets worse when the war is unconventional as in when battling terrorism.

Even under such conditions the Nigerian military has fared well. It self corrected early enough to align with global best practices. It went steps further to institutionalize its commitment to playing fair with the Nigerian Army for instance setting up a Human Rights Desk where members of the public can lodge complaints if they feel abuse has been committed. In other instances, personnel have been court marshalled with those found guilty appropriately sanctioned.

In addition to these, constant trainings and briefing sessions are taking place to expose personnel to the contemporary operations environment and the standards expected of any army internationally. All these are being done to prevent incidents of abuses of any form.

The foregoing is to provide context for evaluating the image that Amnesty International constantly attempts to paint of not just the Armed Forces but Nigeria as a nation. It is most unfortunate that the damage being done by this organization spills beyond its intended target, the military, as it is now damaging the psyche of citizens, who are made to think of themselves as living in an unworthy country. Some of them in the local NGOs created by Amnesty International have been reduced to being criminals that are monetarily induced to subvert their own fatherland.

Leveraging its credential as an NGO of human right activists, Amnesty International has been publishing reports that border on the criminal as it distorts facts to arrive at conclusions that indict the military, sometimes for atrocities that the local population holds Boko Haram responsible for. The timing of these reports is something that several organizations have had course to condemn since they are always primed to inflict maximum damage on the psyche of soldiers and the image of their institution.
Lying against the military is thus a stated mission of this NGO.

Rather than being the exception it is the norm as this organization is in the habit of claiming to be saintly yet it continually acts as a promoter of terrorism by always rising to Boko Haram's defence when it is on the verge of being beaten. It is most appalling that the sanctity of reports on human rights could be abused towards attaining dubious ends as this organization did with its claim that military personnel sexually exploited and abused women that they help liberate from Boko Haram.

The impression one gets is that Amnesty International would rather these women were still in Boko Haram’s captivity. Their rescue riled the NGO so much that it had to concoct stories to rubbish the Army. It went the additional step of indicting the military for crimes allegedly committed by locals operating as Civilian JTF. The implication is that even opportunistic crimes would be blamed on the army.

Since these crimes are blamed on the army to blackmail the military into inefficiency, it is enough proof that Amnesty International derives pleasure in the killing of civilians yet it preaches human rights. Who is fooling who? Can anyone fool Nigeria on that scale? How much more of these harassment can the country tolerate?

It is a well known fact that the armies of other countries, whose conduct Amnesty International find acceptable, are no better than the Nigerian Army. The reality is that the Nigerian military has done much to avoid descending into the kind of monsters that some troops become under war conditions. This is something for which troops should get accolades and not to be needlessly vilified for protecting civilians.

The people have become wiser. They now know that organizations like Amnesty International allowed terrorism to spread in Nigeria for several years until an administration with spine stepped in to turn the tide. The people should not leave it at the level of just being wiser, they should move a step further to tell the NGO in clear terms that it’s activities in Nigeria have become offensive and unacceptable.

If Amnesty International is discerning, it would have realized by now that its capacity to achieve its stated mission of destabilizing Nigeria is a wasted effort. The only thing that has been destroyed is its own reputation, which currently flops in tatters: the world knows that it lies without remorse while the client states that assigned it briefs are now aware it can no longer deliver as it did in the Middle East or other parts of the world that it has helped transformed into living hells.

Where things stand is obvious. It cannot continue to be our lives according to Amnesty International; it has to be out lives according to what we know to be true and right. Amnesty International does not have that template to tell us that when it has serially failed to do that with certain countries.

Olaitan Esq is a legal practioner based in Ibadan.

AI and Nigeria’s Triumph Against All Odds

By Prince Ugo

It takes strong determination and focus to deflate enemies unleashed from the pit of hell against a nation. It is a patriotic task for both the leaders and the governed. It can only work when both are in one accord and have an unbreakable resolve to triumph over these hardened enemies.

Nigeria is one lucky country. It is fortunate to have had the privilege of its leadership by President Muhammadu Buhari at this point in history. Very dreary and fearful internal and external forces were unchained against Nigeria to cause the country’s destabilization and eventual breakup.

The Boko Haram terrorism was the kernel of this pot and plot. It has internal and external sponsors, who have been spending fortunes in hard currencies to cause crises of varying dimensions. Boko Haram leaders in Nigeria publicly confessed their sponsorship from the Republic of Iran, a nation globally identified as the deadliest terrorism destination in the world.

A member of the United Nations (UN), but Iran displays consistent recalcitrance and disloyalty to UN unrestrained. The elusive Islamic State militant sect (ISIS) leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi branded Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria led by Abubakar Shekau as the West African Province of ISIS. That was the fathom of Nigeria’s insecurity dilemma.

So, with ceaseless funding and a dozen paid internal agents scattered all over Nigeria, Boko Haram insurgents were on the verge of capturing the entire Northern Nigeria by 2015, before President Buhari emerged to quench the fire. The Islamic extremists and fanatics mindlessly attacked, killed thousands, destroyed, abducted, displaced millions of natives and dehumanized its captives.

While Boko Haram terrorism raged to suffocating points, a demonic separatist movement by the identity of Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) led by a delinquent, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu budded from the South eastern region of the country. The assemblage of miscreants, touts, daredevil cultists and hoodlums who operated under the banner of secession agitations propagated violence as their central ideology.

They were fearless, crude and barbaric in the execution of their separatism agenda. IPOB members were incensed to the level that they could wake up any day and seal up the entire South east for days, looting, committing armed robbery, kidnappings and summary execution of scores of innocent people opposed to the struggle.

They flagrantly attacked and killed security agents without qualms and challenged the state to a combat duel. They fruitlessly toyed with the idea of operating an independent state within a sovereign Nigeria, by declaring the “Republic of Biafra”; constituted a cabinet and launched its own security apparatuses it tagged “ Biafra Security Service (BSS) and Biafra National Guards (BNG)

As the dust whirled, the irritant and ferocious Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) popularly called the Shiites in Nigeria, led by a demented Islamic cleric, Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky staged their own onslaught against law abiding Nigerians in the ancient of Zaria in Kaduna state. They enunciated a bizarre religious ideology, which centered on bloodletting. It was yet another budding terrorists’ sect sponsored by Iran.

With enough weapons at their disposal, the Shiites recklessly terrorized residents during their so-called religious processions; attacked and killed innocent souls, including security agents. Each time the lawless Shiites stepped out on their irreligious procession, Nigerians in that part of the country would experience a saturnalia of violence and bloodbath.

However, determined to extricate Nigeria from the manacles of these terrorists in accordance with his oath of office to protect lives and property of Nigerians, President Buhari commissioned the Nigerian military to aid civil security in halting the menace of these satanic sects.

The Nigerian Army, led by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and leader of the anti-terrorism campaigns went to extremes to tame these destructive sects and forerunners of the foreign sponsored destabilizations plots against the country. But as hard as these terror sects attempted to overrun the country, the Nigerian troops suppressed their might and conquered them to triumph.

When the voice of victory of the Army against these foreign backed insurrectional sects became apparent and irreversible, it angered some foreign organizations clearly in oblique connivance with these sects. And one of such international organizations’ piqued by the actions of the Nigerian Army and sister security agencies stood out clearly. Amnesty International (AI) failed to conceal its emotions and suspected affinity to foreign forces funding these sects against Nigeria by its official stamp.

It is an organization which lay claims to humanitarian mandate and assignment on human rights abuses and violations in Nigeria. But Nigerians found it curious and irreconcilable that AI was only interested in publicizing what it deemed was bruises to members of these terror sects during violent encounters with state security forces. And in most cases, the organization fabricated claims or twisted the truth in favour of the sects.

AI made no pretenses about its indifference to what the terrorists neither did to vulnerable innocent and law abiding Nigerians nor to security agents, who are also human, with rights more pathetically and inhumanly abused by these sects.

These various sects killed Nigerians wantonly in bombings; could cut-off the throats of victims and sometimes, killed slowly through mutilation of body parts of hapless victims. But series of released official reports or commentaries by AI, it only preoccupied itself with presumed rights abuses and violations of the violent members of the sects.

AI completely ignored the rights violations of Nigerians by the terrorists. And each time AI released such despicable reports or commentaries, it bolstered the subdued terrorists, who would launch fresh strikes or protests, understandably from the sympathy extended to them in the reports by their suspected ally, the AI.

But AI exposed their unclothedness and betrayed their concealed espionage mission in Nigeria when they released a report in 2016/2017, christened “State of Human Rights in Nigeria.” The organization chronicled cooked lies and spurious allegations against the Nigerian military and other security agencies on human rights abuses in the counter-insurgency operations in the country. AI shamelessly alleged extra-judicial killings and mass burials in secret graves, torture, and prolonged detention of suspects without trials, disappearance and starvation of detainees against Nigerian military.

The report shocked Nigerians when it alleged soldiers killed and mass buried over 300 Muslim Shiites and about 2, 000 pro- Biafra activists in Southeast. The fake claims provoked national outrage from Nigerians against AI, who staged protests for days, demanding the eviction of AI from Nigeria by the Federal Government.

But while AI was excited to publicize the skewed report and phantom allegations to promote foreign interests, it recoiled when the time came for it to officially prove the authenticity of the claims. First, it was through a Special Military Board of Inquiry inaugurated by Gen. Buratai and secondly, through a Presidential Panel on the same matter commissioned by President Buhari.

AI declined, even with pleadings to clear its name and hold its reputation proudly and impeccably. It thus, dawned on Nigerians, the organization could probably be one of the many silent and masked forces working in a ring with foreign forces in emboldening terrorists sects against Nigeria.

But hard as AI tried, it failed to break the resolve of Nigerians to defend their country against terrorists and the determination of the Nigerian Amy to free the citizenry from terrorism.

AI’s covert operations to support or strengthen the festering of terrorism, extremism and separatism were courageously deflated by a Nigerian military, that is more committed to humanity and security of Nigerians than any other in the world. Nigerian Army realized that to win the war against Boko Haram terrorism and other insurgencies, it must win the minds of the people.

This has accounted for the popular support the Army enjoyed during the tough times it battled the multifaceted monsters to earn victory. The Army’s victory has weakened AI upon the discovery that neither the terrorists nor their paid agents have succeeded against the Nigerian people with the ruination project.

Haughtily today, the Nigerian security agencies have triumphed against AI and its foreign allies. The Nigerian Army has risen above conspiracies and the war on terrorism is irreversibly won.

Ugo, a mediapreneur writes from SwissCottage, London.

APC Youths Slams Dogara Over Bauchi Ward Congress

An All Progressives Congress (APC) youth group under the auspices of Bauchi APC Youths for Transparency has faulted Speaker Yakubu Dogara’s stance on the outcome of the party’s local government and ward congresses in the state.

The youth group said it was unfortunate that the Speaker of the House of Representatives and his cronies would challenge and absolutely reject results of the ward and local government congresses they conspicuously stood aloof from in their odious attempt to truncate and frustrate the APC-led government of Governor Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar in Bauchi State and the nation as a whole.

Chairman of the group, Yusufu Usman, who made the position of the APC youths known at a media briefing on Friday in Abuja, said it was quite regrettable that Dogara is undermining and frustrating the democratic process just because it does not favour him and his supporters.

“We had the most transparent, all inclusive widely accepted local government and ward congresses in Bauchi State but we woke up today to confront a nauseating headline that Dogara and his hirelings have gone to court and has written to the party’s headquarters in Abuja challenging the process and its outcome. It is laughable because the same Dogara was comfortably posting pictures of him in his farm in Nasarawa State the same day the congresses were holding’’, Usman stated.

He noted that the facts are clear that Dogara has been sponsoring rebellion in the party for his selfish gains, which explains why he has connived with his allies to disdain the burgeoning fortune of the APC and that of Governor Abubakar in the state.

According to Usman, the Speaker has been engaging in politics only on the pages of newspapers and shunning all legitimate and appropriate platforms provided by the party to effectively resolve internal party disputes through democratic means.

Accordingly, he urged APC leaders and the people of Bauchi to disregard what he described as “obvious scheming by Dogara and his motley group of acolytes and cronies who have lost political relevance in their constituencies and have resorted to shadow chasings in the form of ill-advised and fruitless litigation in the court.

“They only serve to divide and disunite the APC rank and file to the advantage of retrogressive and reactionary forces of the other opposition parties, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its hirelings and hangers-on where Dogara seemingly belong and is acting their script to perpetuate their designed political treachery.’’

The youth group further condemned the legal action instituted by Dogara, describing it as “an abuse of court process and a reckless and wanton disregard of the will of the people to freely choose their representatives at the ward, local and state levels.

“It is inconceivable that Dogara can turn around to undermine and frustrate the democratic process when it does not favour him or his acolytes” Usman added.

AI As Obstacle To Nigeria’s War On Terrorism

By Adah Ocholi

Before the Iraqi War of 1991 there was a report of Iraqi soldiers ‘throwing Kuwaiti babies out of incubators’. That story was a fabrication of no other than Amnesty International, an international non-governmental organization (NGO) that says it is "campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all". Amnesty International's star witness in that sordid saga, 'Nurse Nayirah', who turned out to be the daughter of the Kuwaiti Ambassador to the US at the time. Nayirah's testimony before the US Congress was instrumental to the authorization of the Gulf War, the precursor to the hell that the modern-day Iraq is.

Amnesty International issued a correction to distance itself from Nayirah only after the damage has been done, when the first Gulf War was over there was no evidence to back up the testimony of its star witness. The war and its chain reactions, which are still ongoing, has however provided AI with raison d'etre, it exists to profit from war, helping willing hostile nations start war and blaming the victims (targeted countries) for the hell unleashed on them.

The trail runs longer and farther afield than Iraq. The whole of the Middle East is practically on fire and the fingers of Amnesty International shows through the gloves in all instances. The NGO has honed its skills to a point where its template is easily adapted to destabilize any nation of its choosing. It sets up a local franchise in the targeted country, recruits citizens of that country who who are unable to resist the allure of comparatively large pay checks and set a foreign slave master to direct them on how to destroy their own country under the guise of defending human rights and the cookies crumble from thence. Yemen, Iran, Syria, Libya, Egypt and other countries in that axis are just a few of the places where its goods are delivering destruction as intended.

There is however a limit to how long and how far a fire would burn once it has consumed the incendiary materials available to it. The Middle East, whose peoples have erroneously walked their legitimate struggles into the Amnesty International trap, is in most part a waste land; its population have in some cases been completely uprooted while in some areas there is nothing left to destroy. Amnesty International is therefore compelled to source a new set for the horror show it is addicted to – the new location must have viable economies, resources and large population whose death and displacement would be tear jerking enough to present Amnesty International as a messianic organization that is committed to eradicating human suffering while its sponsors pillage the resources of the doomed nation.

Unfortunately, Nigeria happened to fit the bill as it met all the criteria for the kind of nations that Amnesty
International select for destabilization; the country has great economic potential, abundant resources and a large population. Tragically, Nigeria also has a population that are awake to demanding for their rights, which is an added bonus for Amnesty International as it is exploiting this to actively recruit Nigerians free of charge to destroy their own fatherland without realizing that they risk becoming refugee. (This of course does not include the compromised Nigerians on AI's staff as these ones have been confused by the relatively higher pay).

Now that Amnesty International is all but done in the Middle East it is increasingly turning its attention to Nigeria. The groundwork of lies it has been building in the past one decade are now being activated for what may yet be its greatest onslaught, one that would define whether Nigeria descends into the Middle East kind of chaos or emerge to keep waffling along, depending on what the citizens decide as being in their own best interest.

As is the case everywhere else that Amnesty International has ever sold its lies, the target has been the Federal Government of Nigeria even though the NGO's attack is through the Nigerian Army, which has the constitutional role to prevent what Amnesty Internatinal wants to happen to the country, render it into a failed nation-state – a no man's land where its corporate clients can come to exploit raw materials without having to pay prevailing global rates to a legitimate government. If allowed, this questionable organization will present the Nigerian Army as a criminal outfit that is not deserving of international support and one whose leadership should be punished for daring to defeat the terrorists that were commissioned to take the nation apart.

These apparent intentions perhaps explain why the achievements of the Nigerian Army or military in defeating terrorists – Boko Haram, IMN, IPoB separatists, militants and other criminals while operating within global best practice of human rights observance is never acknowledged. Rather, the NGO engages dozens of Nayirahs, male and female, faceless witnesses and victims, whose testimonies cannot be trusted to accuse the military of atrocities that exist only in movie scripts written by Amnesty International staff. The organization, of course, usually ignore how these criminal elements maim and kill security personnel and innocent Nigerians because that does not fit its agenda.

The success of the Nigerian Army in degrading Boko Haram terrorists and other security threats to Nigeria has made Amnesty International's work difficult in Nigeria. Troops are endeared to citizens who never stop singing the praises of their country's military for keeping them safe. This makes rubbish of the manufactured stories that AI peddles as reports and brings it under increased pressure to deliver to those that have paid it to manage Nigeria into chaos.

The NGO has recently resorted to another of its tricks, which is to outsource its lies to other international NGOs to increase the prospect of Nigerians believing such and the international community acting on them. The open support for Boko Haram by these lies easily give the agenda away and the NGOs that have been so contracted are easily outed as liars, which means they will beat a retreat faster than Amnesty International.

Notwithstanding that the Nigerian Army has been able to ride above the muck laid out for it by Amnesty international and its allies, it must be noted that the organization's unrelenting sabotage of the efforts to root out Boko Haram and other terrorists is a drain on the country. Its support has made Boko Haram persist longer than it is capable of without outside help. It is for this reason that Nigerians must hold Amnesty International responsible for whatever they have suffered in the hands of Boko Haram as long as it lasted. This would be a first step to Nigerians mentally preparing themselves to deal with Amnesty International the way country that enjoy stability dealt with the NGO and that is to give it no space to operate as an agent of instability.

Ocholi is a Peace and Conflict Resolution Expert based in Abuja.
[adahocholi@outlook.com]

Benue, Ortom and Governance Failure - By Ali Agada

Certainly, Nigerians now know there is a serious leadership deficit in Benue state. Since Governor Samuel Ortom assumed the mantle of leadership of this agrarian state in May 2015, peace and progress have eluded the 42-year old state very pathetically.

Whether it is by fate, ill-luck or design, what is incontestable is that Benue has wobbled from one calamity to another, in the last three years under Gov. Ortom. The people are tormented, traumatized and oppressed in multiple ways by a government which is overtly very insensitive to the feelings of the masses.

And the afflictions are multifarious. If flood is not displacing thousands of people in the state; armed militia allegedly sponsored by the state are visiting the people with mass killings or deaths resulting from months of unpaid salaries and pensions. Before the pain is absorbed, workers who are alive are branded ghost workers and sacked.

At every point, Benue peoples have found themselves groaning under the leadership of Gov. Ortom. Even the burden of the Israelites under King Pharaoh was not as heavy as what Ortom and his cohorts have inflicted on the people of Benue.

Unfortunately, the people cannot point to any development project initiated by the Ortom administration in the three years of his government. But what has arrested his mind is how to retain power beyond 2019 and he has indulged in very subterranean destructive plots against his own people.

And to complete the circle of evil of Benue, Gov. Ortom until, yesterday, he planned the sale of the few surviving government companies and industries under some phoney deals. It took the sustained pressure of the people for him to rescind the decision. But his mind is still on it, as he said, the decision is suspended to allow for wider consultations with stakeholders.

But of all the tribulations of the state, the herders and farmers crisis appear to be the most stubborn fly to kill. And it has steadily assumed the character of terrorism. But to the less critical mind, especially Gov. Ortom’s acolytes, the official rehearsals’ and veil provided by Governor in the guise of the implementation of the anti-open grazing law is enough justification to trumpet his innocence.

But beyond the veneer, the shadows in the prolonged herders/farmers crisis unearth very frightening images of state complicity and even sponsorship of the mass killings of its people.

The Army’s arrest of a Boko Haram suspect and leader of the Benue State Livestock Guards Aminu Yaminu or Aliyu Teshaku is gradually divulging some vaunted secrets on the spate of killings imposed on Benue state.

It is still a mystery why Gov. Ortom would find anybody with Boko Haram links worthy of appointments as his special aide. So, preliminary investigations by security agencies indicate that Aliyu Teshaku is the mastermind of the recent killings in the state, including the attack on a Catholic Church in Mbalom, Gwer East LGA of the state, in which at least 16 worshippers’ were killed, including two catholic priests.

And security agents have further established that before Teshaku’s unexpected arrest, he had completed plans with his terrorists kingpins in Bauchi, Borno , Yobe and Nasarawa states to visit t Benue with more severe carnages. More chilling and baffling is the speculation that N1.6 billion is allegedly found in Teshaku’s personal account. This cannot be ordinary co-incidence.

Nigerians who are keenly interested in what is happening in Benue state would recall that despite the stagnation of development in the state and Gov. Ortom’s failure to pay salaries and pensions. He has always explained it as paucity of funds. But the EFCC is trailing him and some of his aides over the alleged withdrawal of N18 billion from the treasury for no apparent reason.

The EFCC is reportedly investigating the Governor and some of his aides over the withdrawal of N18.830 billion deposited in GTB, UBA and First Bank accounts’ by Messers Oliver Mtom, Aorga Emmanuel and Ochoga Peter. And the report further alleged that the three aides confessed to the EFCC of undertaking the withdrawal of the stupendous amounts on behalf of the Governor.

And suddenly, Teshaku who is arrested in connection with the Benue killings is alleged to have a colossal sum of N1. 6 billion in his personal account. Teshaku has no known business or source of income. And his total emoluments as a Governor’s aide cannot allow to accumulate such fortune in his bank account. So, one can conveniently guess the source of his funding.

Agreed, other states in the federation are also under the spell of killings. But the case of Benue is exceptional and it is safe to guess that the anti-open grazing law and mindboggling corruption thriving in the Ortom government are the prime reasons oiling the killings.

Before the arrest and confessions by Teshaku, others had alleged that Gov. Ortom has initiated killings, hired and armed militia. But it was not taken seriously

The arrest of the nine JTF members in January offered the first clue. The suspects confessed during interrogation that they were hired by Gov. Ortom and indeed, paid monthly stipends by the same government. It explains why the killings’ have refused to extinguish because people are making huge political capital out of it.

Therefore, Ortom merely used the anti-open grazing law as a spark or cover to keep the state in perpetual conflagration and torment to divert attention from his irredeemable failures. But the arrest of Teshaku and his confessions’ have again lent credence to the allegations.

Herders and farmers have always had crisis or disagreements which are settled amicably between the parties without external interferences. It is curious that the current crisis rocking the state, which started in December 2017 has refused abate.

In the recent revelations by Teshaku, it can reasonably be inferred that the state actors, led by Gov. Ortom know their complicity in the crisis. And it appears they are working day and night to upscale the drama of mass killings, to permanently sway attention away from their inadequacies in governance.

But nemesis is a deafening conqueror, which comes knocking when one least expects. Gov. Ortom is shocked that Teshaku could ever be arrested and the confessions he is making would certainly unveil the whole truth in due course.

With the exposure of Ortom’s seeming complicity in the killings, it is only wise for the Governor to surrender himself to the International Criminal Court of Justice (ICC) for prosecution for allegedly instigating mass murder of innocent people. He should not wait to be told. The time to quit office and do the needful is now.

Agada PhD is a Benue citizen and contributed this piece from Festac Town, Lagos.

SOURCE: THE NATION