₦airaland Forum

Amid increasing allegations of violation of interstate travel restriction by the federal government, the South East Revival Group (SERG) has commended all the 17 local government chairmen in Enugu State over their commitment to measures aimed at curtaining the spread of Coronavirus disease in the state.

The group particularly gave a passed mark to efforts by the council chairmen at the state boundaries for enforcing the directive by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi that they mobilise to man their land borders, urging governors in the region to construct lockable barriers manned by local vigilante groups to stop defiant interstate travellers violating federal government directives.

In a statement signed by its President/National Coordinator, Chief Willy Ezugwu, the national pan-Igbo pressure urged other state chairmen in the South East to emulate Enugu State council chairmen and increase their policing of their boundaries to check interstate movements, particularly the influx of the South East by Almajiris the northern part of the country.

"The deliberate efforts of all the local government chairmen in Enugu State to stem the spread of Coronavirus disease in the state in line with Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi's directive that they mobilise and man their boundaries to reduce interstate movements is highly commendable.

"We believe that the Anti-Coronavirus measures by the federal government can only produce the desired results if there is a buy-in by all citizens, particularly grassroots leaders and influencers at the local levels.

"At this stage of the war against COVID19 pandemic, the need for grassroots leaders to do more in area of sensitisation, enlightenment campaigns and palliatives distribution to vulnerable families affected by the impact of the anti-COVID19 measures cannot be overemphasised.

"Therefore, we urge all local government chairmen in the South East to emulate their counterparts in Enugu State to ensure that returnees to their domain observe the prescribed protocol to ensure we win the war on Coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world and causing mass deaths globally.

"We equally urge all South East governors to erect gates or lockable barriers at all their interstate entrance routes and empower local vigilante groups and youths to man them day and night until the pandemic is over to put an end to interstate movements by defiant travellers.

"This has become very needful following reports of continued violation of both curfew imposed by the federal government and non-adherence to interstate lockdown directives, which not only poses health challenges but also security risk", the SERG stated.

...As CNPP Says It's Time National Assembly Members Got a Dose of the People's Wrath

The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has strongly lashed out at Nigerian legislators who it accused of working to impose a forced vaccination law on the country, warning that “it's about time for the National Assembly got a dose of the Nigerian people's wrath”.

The CNPP in a statement issued by its Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, accused the lawmakers of hiding under the lockdown measures to engage in impunity.

The umbrella body of all registered political parties and political associations in country also accused Nigerian legislators of taking bribe from vaccine producers.

"We have watched with uttermost dismay the speed with which the lawmakers are working on a bill to use Nigerians as guinea pigs for the forced testing of Coronavirus disease vaccines and endanger the lives of over 200 million citizens.

"If the lawmakers want to truly justify the bribe they have taken from foreign producers of COVID-19 vaccines, they should make a law that will provide for compulsory vaccination of all the legislators in the  country as a way of proving their patriotism to the Nigerian federation. Let them volunteer to be the guinea pigs.

"It is even more shocking that the Nigerian legislators have not thought of a law to force electricity distribution companies in the country to compulsorily install prepaid meters in households across the country but can force citizens to be vaccinated.

"We recall that Bill for the unbundling of the NNPC, the cash cow of the nation and Bill to end gas flaring in the country are there laying fallow in the achieves of history, yet, because of insatiable appetite for wealth propelled by uncommon greed for mundane things of life, the lawmakers want to turn Nigerian citizens into testing animals for vaccines producers now and in the future.

"Why is the lawmakers opting to work against the interest of those who elected them? Why will Nigerian legislators chose to fulfill the desires of those who cultured and infected the world with Coronavirus disease for economic gains? Are the national assembly members telling us that they are not aware that COVID-19 virus ravaging the world is not natural?

"Why not a Bill for an Act to compel Federal Government of Nigeria to fund research for local production of infectious disease drugs and vaccines? Are we lacking experts in any field as a country?

"Many Nigerians have long claimed to have developed cure for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, where are the inputs of the National Assembly members towards ensuring that every Nigerian with a claim to a cure of any infectious disease gets his or her claims verified by relevant authorities and certified rather than selling the country wholesale to western nation and their multi-million dollar corporations? They won't because such local inventors cannot afford millions of US dollars with which to grease the filthy palms of most lawmakers.

“The Republic of Madagascar recently dared the World Health Organization (WHO) and their collaborators by developing locally made COVID Organics (CVO) for cure of Coronavirus. Right now, the use is expanding to other countries after Madagascar had only 149 cases of COVID-19 with zero death record.

“In addition to the COVID Organics (CVO), already being marketed in the form of herbal tea in Madagascar, a new injectable solution of the same product is under clinical trials in the lying off the country southeastern coast of Africa with a population of just 27 million people.

"It then beats the imagination of any sane person that the Nigerian legislators will be this greedy for material acquisition, even at the expense of the Nigerian people who elected them.

"All Nigerians, the media, and all civil society organisations with good conscience should immediately stand up against this evil legislation in the works because everyone will become their guinea pigs and a tool for testing vaccines for deadly all ailments, now and forever if the bill is passed.

“May be Nigerians have forgotten so soon how a secret trial of a pharmaceutical drug in Northern Nigeria killed several children. The company involved, Pfizer, was sued after 11 children died in the clinical trial when the northern state of Kano was hit by meningitis epidemic in 1996. But Pfizer only paid compensation after 15-year legal battle for illegal clinical trials.

“The intolerable Bill for an Act by the Nigerian legislators to make such killing of citizens a legal act must be resisted now or we will all die in like manner someday soon", the CNPP warned.

SOURCE: [url]StreetReporters.ng[/url]

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots;” - Marcus Garvey.

Everywhere in the globe, great nations, societies and communities have had their today elegantly defined by history. History is today’s teacher and tomorrow’s fortifier against the mistakes, pitfalls and inaccuracies of the past. History is kind to everyone and very silent, but speaks a thousand immutable words of wisdom to a whole generation.

But mischievous persons seek to destroy history and there are no limits of perpetrating this act. It’s easy for people with such mindsets to twist history and everything under the sun insofar as it serves the purpose of damaging a noble cause. It is to such debased minds Marcus Garvey; a famed Jamaican publisher is warning in the insightful caution.

In an article by Charles Ogbu, titled, “Re: The legend of Buratai; Memo to the Army Chief,” the author sought vainly to vilify and demean the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and remarkable ombudsman of the counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria.

Ogbu attempted so generously to amputate historically time-tested and incontrovertible facts about the current leadership of the Nigerian Army and the stout battles Nigerian troops have launched against Boko Haram Terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria in the past three years.

Unmistakably blinded by an inexplicable self-consuming anger, the author went on a senseless and apparently envious, but unrewarding voyage against the Army Chief. Freedom of expression in Nigeria is a Constitutional right; but it precludes the spewing of gibberish, spurred by a clannish or sectional anger or some personal grudge.

The author’s angst is instigated by the planned presentation of a published book on Gen. Buratai, titled "The Legend of Buratai,” to school children at the Federal Capital Territory library, Abuja. The contents of the book mainly about the exploits of the Nigerian Army over insurgency and insurrections in Nigeria under the leadership of Gen. Buratai in a fictional style narrative of children’s literature, authored by a renowned scholar, Dr. Abubakar Mohd Sani.



Ogbu faulted the book and its presentation to school children by seeking to falsely re-write the history of Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria under the previous regimes and what is obtainable now under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.



The namby-pamby article saw the author displaying a pathetic and eclipsed knowledge of the success story of the three-year counter-terrorism battles under the Buhari Presidency. He further sought to undermine Gen. Buratai’s leadership of the Nigerian Army and the successes Nigerian troops have recorded at the warfront against Boko Haram insurgents.

The obviously dazed, the article author gleefully forgot yesterday’s history on Boko Haram in Nigeria. He is experiencing the difference today, but lacks the competence to interpret or blend it with history. So, he decided on an easy escape by dissolving the cherished history of triumph and defeat of Boko Haram with his wayward idiosyncrasies’.



It is his type former American President, Dwight D. Eisenhower counsels that “Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.”



The author betrayed his mindset by crafting and peddling visible lies on this simple conviction of inappropriate timing. But facts are sacred and history cannot be obviated by a mere wish. First, the article author is devoid of procedural knowledge of the deployment of soldiers. So, he failed to understand that it is not the primary duty of the Army to jump into quelling insurrections; but that of civil security agencies.



The Army is only concerned when the proper approval has been granted by the President and Commander-In-Chief. Thereafter, soldiers launch specified operations in the areas concerned, but do not remain in such areas forever.



But irrefutable records have shown that across Nigeria where the Army were drafted to quell insurrections, they have posted positive results. The article author deliberately failed to understand that the Army tackled the armed banditry and cattle rustling in the Northwest region at different times with “Operation Sharan Daji” and “Operation Harbin Kunama I.”



These Army operations ended the reign of armed banditry in the region and it only resumed a long time after soldiers were withdrawn to other places and political leadership failed to sustain the peace and security. The Army has been re-ordered back to Northwest for a month’s battled tagged “Operation Harbin Kunama III” and results also speak for itself in pluses.



Soldiers also conducted “Operation Harbin Kunama II,” “Exercise Ayem Akpatema” and now, “Operation Whirl Stroke” to arrest the menace of herdsmen/farmers clashes in the Middle Belt region. Ogbu should research or investigate properly, Governors of Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa and Plateaus have made public statements in the media thanking Mr. President and the Army for the prevailing solace over herdsmen killers in their states.



There were similar problems in the South-South with bile militancy and the illegal/ armed secession struggles in the Southeast spearheaded by Nnamdi Kanu’s IPOB. But the different operations of the Army in these regions have ended such “madness,” as peace and security have been restored courtesy of the Nigerian Army. Seeking to blight this history of the Army under the leadership of Gen. Buratai cannot annihilate the facts.



To use the wishy-washy contents of the article to berate and malign our soldiers over the nebulous and criminal activities of its assembled armed gangs under IPOB who embarked on extra-judicial killings of those opposed to their ideology is very uncharitable and a disservice to Nigeria. It is not surprising all together that Ogbu generously sided armed criminals masquerading as secession agitators, because it is innate with some Nigerians to support evil against their country.



The article author continued with the historical distortions and falsehood when he exhumed the treated and buried attacks on the convoy of the COAS by armed Shiites in Nigeria in December 2015 in Zaria, Kaduna state. It is completely standing against logic and somewhat silly for quoting isolated accounts of submissions during Public hearings of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry(JCI) set up by the Kaduna State Government, instead of the official report or its White Paper. It implies this armchair analyst is merely scouting for dark spots to blame Gen. Buratai and the Army.



Likewise, the author feels defaming the personality of Gen. Buratai or tainting the image of the Nigerian Army as an institution would be believable by forcing the stale belief that whatever Amnesty International (AI) reels out is gospel truth. But AI is suspected to be foreign agents supporting terror sects or groups to destabilize the country and cause its disintegration. Year after year, AI has been unable to substantiate or provide evidence against numerous allegations it keeps levelling against the Nigerian Army at lawful probe panels.



The author of the worthless article dabbled into the Boko Haram insurgency, which by all ramifications of his accounts are strange to him. He disgraced himself as someone who is ignorant of the intensity of insurgency in 2015 and the impacts the Gen. Buratai led troops have brought to bear through the counter-insurgency operations.



But where were his likes who feign ignorance now when Gen. Buratai stepped into the trenches with troops to know Boko Haram had full control and foisted their Jihadi flags in 17 LGAs and had partial control of another seven LGAs in the Northeast? Under Buratai’s leadership of counter-terrorism operations, all the LGAs have been reclaimed. The feared Sambisa forest has been demystified and has assumed the status of an international tourists attraction site. Can this history be distorted or countenanced by Ogbu too?



Aside the 276 Chibok Schoolgirls in Boko Haram captivity, over 20, 000 Nigerians, comprising the young, the old, women and children were under Boko Haram hostage in various insidious camps in the Northeast. They were subjected to forced labour, sexual abuse and other dehumanizing treatments. Under Gen. Buratai’s leadership of the Army, over 105 Chibok schoolgirls; 107 Dapchi schoolgirls and over 16,000 Nigerians formerly under terrorist’s captivity have been rescued. Is this fact too controvertible?



To advertise the author’s ignorance, he convicted himself by claiming Nigerian troops are poorly equipped yet, they have been able to reclaim all Boko Haram seized territories, confine their activities to remotest parts of Lake Chad Basin and halted terrorists’ atrocities in other parts of Northern Nigeria.



And about two weeks ago, troops successfully repelled the insurgents attempted attacks on Damaturu, at Maiduguri, where scores of insurgents met their waterloo and weapons confiscated by Nigerian troops? It means this sort of “poor” equipment of Nigerian troops as hyped by the article author is best for Nigeria.



Perhaps, to Ogbu and his co-travellers, it is important to know Nigerian Army or troops have never protested over unpaid salaries and allowances under the Buhari Presidency or Gen. Buratai’s leadership. The only time soldiers attempted a protest at Maiduguri airport some two years back was spurred by the incitement and hesitation to redeployment to other areas by some soldiers. May be, the article writer should wait, when he becomes the COAS, he can allow his troops dictate to him preferences in posting locations for official assignments.



It’s understandable that in Nigeria, everybody is an expert in every field, but master of none! The writer misplaced his thoughts with the claim that Gen. Buratai “…has continued to grant suspicious pardon to "repentant" Boko Haram terrorists amidst reports of secret recruitment of these so called "repentant" terrorists into the Army.”



This is thoughtless propaganda. From the outset, Gen. Buratai made it public his adoption of the “stick and carrot,” approach in dismantling Boko Haram. It has seen the voluntary surrender of hundreds of Boko Haram foot soldiers and top commanders, who are de-militarized and de-radicalized over a period of time in designated military camps.



It is some of these repentant and de-radicalized insurgents that are absorbed into the Army and it is done openly, with the media buzzing with the news. A popular axiom says, sometimes, you use a thief to catch a thief. Why would this split anybody’s head?



No matter how hard the efforts to unfairly excoriate Gen. Buratai , the records will exonerate him. Its senseless to claim a COAS who probed and dismissed soldiers on election duty for professional misconduct and compromise of the electoral process will turn around to promote same. In the 2019 general elections, soldiers on election duty in some parts of the country rather resisted the temptation of financial inducement by politicians.

Gen. Buratai, a leader who has made these priceless sacrifices and accomplishments for his country is not qualified to be dubbed a Legend, who else on his present seat, stretched this far in the past? Unknown to the likes of Ogbu, a prophet has no honour in his village, but Gen. Buratai is celebrated both at home and abroad, as he has bagged the Brazilian highest military award for his daring punches on terrorism in Nigeria.


Another former American President, Harry S. Truman, reminds the likes of the bewitched critic the embodiment of history in Gen. Buratai thus; “Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better”.


Agbese is a researcher in international humanitarian laws and wrote this piece from the United Kingdom.[i][/i]

Basically, it’s not in the character of most Africans to appreciate merit and excellence, but warmly hug mediocrity. In Nigeria, this tendency is almost a national plaque.

The best hands in public service are undermined and unfairly criticized, so very sensationally. And it is sparkled for laughable and sentimental reasons in such region, ethnicity or even religion. So, performance becomes an ass in the eye of the critic, insofar as the target is outside his favoured lenses.

But very many clear-headed Nigerians appreciate and applaud the few best performers one can find in the country. Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and leader of counter-insurgency operations, Lt. Gen. TY Buratai is a rare breed, performer per excellence and military juggernaut.

He speaks and acts with an uncommon splendor. It’s doubtful whether President Muhammadu Buhari had any inkling about the exact quantum of the professional treasures implanted in Gen. Buratai when he appointed him in 2015 to preside over the total dismantling of terrorism and allied insurrections in Nigeria.

It’s possible that the President himself must have been pleasantly shocked or marveled at the extent of Gen. Buratai’s dexterity in executing the national assignment assigned him. And surely, and in contrast too, most Nigerians are oblivious of the complexity and intricacies of battling and degrading insurgency.

When you read some withering commentaries from critics about Nigerian Army’s warfare with terrorists in Nigeria, it strikes you instantly of a pathetic gulf in knowledge. It informs instantly, these critics are unknowing on what it really entails to quench terrorism.

To some of these critics, quelling terrorism in Nigeria or anywhere in the world is akin to a distress call; a call inviting the Police to crush armed robbers in the neighbourhood. It’s far from such token of assumptions.

In fact, striking a superiority edge on insurgency, like Gen. Buratai and his troops have done in Nigeria in less than three years is a hefty task. It’s not all about the military’s intelligence of organizing, training and equipping troops to descend on terrorists. It’s beyond the sound of boots and guns or the worth of armoury or even competence of the field Commanders.

It demands much more! Those in doubt should ask America how tough it has been to rout out terrorists in the Middle East in the past 16 years, with thousands of American troops.

They should research into the history of terrorism elsewhere, like in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Britain, Kenya, and hordes of other countries around the world. It is not an easy task; it is a tedious adventure to battle terrorists.

Pre-war strategies and tactics are very essential. The intelligence of appropriately decoding the shrewd strategies and tactics of terrorists, which is ever dynamic as well as harvesting it to victorious advantage are the real recipes for victory in the battle against insurgents.

It was the revered Chinese war veteran Sun Tsu who echoed that a battle is won and lost at the preparation stage of troops. It means careless lacunas at the stage of preparation could make the best of armies lose the battle to enemy forces so easily.

But Gen. Buratai is an embodiment of this art of war. He is not just a fighter of terrorists, but a military scholar and expert in terrorism strategies and tactics. He exudes it; he acts it in the trenches; reels it out to his Special Teams on Terrorism, at training grounds and dazzles the academia in breathtaking lectures on terrorism.

Days back, at a lecture, Gen. Buratai delivered at the Centre for Contemporary Security Affairs, Igbinedion University, Okada, in Edo state, he reaffirmed his worth.

The lecture titled: “Military and Democratic consolidation in Nigeria, Appraisal of the Nigerian Army Counter-Terrorism And Counter-Insurgency Operations,” the Army Chief for the umpteenth time, proved to Nigerians that President Buhari made no mistake in appointing him leader of counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria.

The Army boss gave rare insights into the complex security challenges, unknown to many Nigerians. He was insightfully blunt that insurgency is not tackled with boots and guns alone.

It also inherently requires the infusion of political and security solutions, if Nigeria plans to secure its democracy and good governance. Only this can make the country emerge stronger after the multiple crises. It was a prophetic vision into the future.

Gen. Buratai shocked security dons in the academia by releasing what is known in Nigerian parlance as “expo,” when he gave a link to the success of Nigerian troops over terrorists. He bellowed, “One of the silent but radical changes in the operations was changing the orientation and mind-set of troops from a defensive to an offensive posture.”

To illustrate he is a leader, in touch with the tinges of his assignment, the Army Chief exposed the leakages prolonging the final defeat of terrorism in Nigeria. He does not consider himself a sit-com Army General, but a field defender of his people and so, quite conversant with where the problem lingers in the ongoing clearance operations by Nigerian troops.

That security is a collective responsibility is an overbeaten cliché. And Gen. Buratai pricked the conscience of Nigerians and stakeholders to wake up to some concealed realities.

The Army boss was articulate that porous borders, cross-border insurgency, and insufficient international support in terms of equipment and large space of operational environment for troops are the hindrances for a quick extinction of Boko Haram insurgency.

Buratai, the Generalissimo of the counter-insurgency operations again assured Nigerians of triumph over terrorism. He allayed the fears of skeptics that with him as direct overseer on counter-insurgency, insurgents neither have might nor energy to hold Nigerians hostage again.

He assured, “Success recorded so far is an indication that for Nigeria’s democracy to be consolidated, the military must not only play its part but must also fulfill the constitutional roles assigned to them.”

And those thinking Gen. Buratai has forgotten about the rescue of the remaining Chibok schoolgirls and other Nigerians still in the captivity of Boko Haram were reminded of it as the Army’s topmost priority. It means Boko Haram factional leader Abubakar Shekau who has been forced underground into the Cameroonian mountains will also not escape the swords of Nigerian Army, with President Buhari’s latest refunding of the MNJTF with $100 million.

It is pertinent to recount the history of Boko Haram terrorism in the country. Nigerians familiar with it since the 2009 resurgence and progression would attest to its ever expanding tentacles. Nigeria also experienced its manifest embryonic plots to make incursions to the Southern part of the country before the Buhari Presidency and the emergence of Gen. Buratai.

But that Gen. Buratai has defiantly led troops to confine Boko Haram atrocities to the Northeast and specifically to the Lake Chad Basin axis and the large Sambisa forest is significant. The heart of Sambisa forest-Camp Zero has already been conquered by the Nigerian Army and deserving of eulogies.

And it happened in less than three years. So, when President Buhari extended Gen. Buratai’s tenure of office, some Nigerians who cannot discern beyond the periphery staged out in dishonest and unpatriotic remonstrations. The remonstrators jealously overlooked Gen. Buratai’s splendous performance qualifying him for retention.

But the President, a military tactician himself, knew exactly the treasures in the “wonder boy,” Gen. Buratai in the trenches. And that’s why President Buhari feted him with tenure extension.

By Gen. Buratai’s depiction, routing out insurgency in Nigeria means both the security and political leaderships utmost agreement, which must snowball into the endorsement of a common agenda. President Buhari and Gen. Buratai share same concerns. And it explains why life has been animated in the Northeast currently.

At the moment in the Northeast, particularly Maiduguri, the hub of Boko Haram terrorism, local and foreign journalists, UN officials, philanthropic organisations, the Red Cross and special delegations of countries across the globe now freely visit and unmolested by insurgents to ascertain the extent of the defeat of terrorism in Nigeria.

Interestingly, in spite of the enormous pressure and stress on Gen. Buratai, he is not fatigued. He knows he covenanted with Nigerians upon his appointment as COAS and leader of counter-insurgency operations to end terrorism anywhere in Nigeria.

He renews this covenant in his heart, every day he wakes up, thinking about Nigeria. Gen. Buratai knows, Boko Haram terrorists will not have peace in this country, until Nigerians first reclaim their nation to savour the same peace.

Jonathan is a security expert based in the USA.

The Coalition for Nigeria Movement has called on security agencies to apprehend Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State over various cases of propaganda attacks against the Nigerian military and treason on the entire nation.

Mr Wike was reportedly at the centre of a desperate attempt to rig the just concluded general elections, going as far as arming thugs in military uniforms .

In a bid to enjoy a smooth sail, the governor requested for the withdrawal of military personnel in the state which apparently fell on deaf ears.

The Coaltion for Nigeria Movement, in a press conference, Wednesday, in Abuja, believes Mr Wike formally declared war on Nigeria by setting up his own military and launching physical and propaganda attacks on the Nigerian military.

According to its president, Sabo Odeh, by setting up a parallel military, Wike has committed treason for which he must be immediately arrested and put on trial, irrespective of his immunity.

“The first inkling that Wike has a hand in the instability bedevilling the state was his sponsored resistance to the deployment of the military to provide cover for the elections. This opposition to military deployment was made to appear like a popular demand but we now have evidence that the state governor sponsored the resistance because he was aware that he has his own horde of fake military men on the prowl all over the state such that he did not want the Nigerian Military to discover that they were being impersonated.

“ During the conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly Elections, Rivers State was the only state where gunmen attacked troops that were on election mission and killed one officer in the process. That confrontation led to troops gunning down six attackers. This failure on the part of the armed militants did nothing to discourage Wike to relent. Instead, he amped his evil strategy.

“By the time the state elections were holding, Wike has activated another layer of his evil plot. His militants, operating under the innocuous appellation of 'Neighborhood Security Watch', had failed to deliver the level of violence and voter intimidation he desired. Wike thus decided to arm these same militants and kitted them in Military uniform. They were unleashed to destabilize the elections in Rivers State while violence was directed against citizens on an epic proportion.

“ The essence of this strategy was soon made known as the United Kingdom latched on the manufactured videos to accuse the military of attacking staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). We have however been able to establish that the military the United Kingdom was referring to were the militants kitted and armed by Wike. He used this strategy to rig the election and at the same time make Nigeria appear bad to the international community.

“ The aforementioned are however mild compared to the long term security risk that Wike has created for the country. It is apparent that he has no record of the militants he gave uniforms and weapons to so it is impossible to track, apprehend, demobilize and rehabilitate them for re-integration into the society. These youths that have been armed will soon form new militant and terrorists groups that will engage in kidnap for ransom and attacking economic interests in the Niger Delta.From the viewpoint of the Constitution, what Wike has done is to create a parallel Military Service since the people he gave weapons to were once Neighborhood Security Watch members. Taken against the background of his utterances, Governor Nyesom Wike has formally declared war on Nigeria by setting up his own military and launching physical and propaganda attacks on the Nigerian military. We have seen how this unfolded in states like Benue and Taraba where the governors empowered militias to embark on genocide so it is important that steps are taken to urgently arrest the situation.

“ The Coalition for Nigeria Movement has concluded that Wike’s action, in setting up a parallel military, amounted to treason for which he must be immediately arrested and put on trial, irrespective of his immunity. Where the Federal Government fails to arrest Wike, it must direct, on the strength of evidence on ground that INEC does not conclude elections in Rivers state so that the governor’s tenure can end and his immunity lifted.

“ Only when Wike has been arrested can Rivers state have the peaceful environment that will make it possible for credible elections to hold.We call on the military to go beyond alerting the public to the kitting and arming of militants to pose as its personnel in Rivers state. The military should step in with the necessary and permissible force to arrest all those impersonating it in Rivers state as this is a critical step to preventing the resurgence of terrorist groups in the Niger Delta. "

President Muhammadu Buhari's swashbuckling victory at the presidential election is already bridging the religious divide among Nigerians.

This was evident as Christian and Islamic leaders, under the aegis of Inter-faith clerics, joined forces to celebrate the president’s overwhelming triumph.

Mr Buhari was returned by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of main challenger Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In recognition of this remarkable feat, several renowned religious heads, Monday, led thousands of their followers to the Unity Fountain in Abuja to begin a three-day praise and worship program.

Majority of these clerics similarly organized a 40-day prayer and fast for the president’s re-election.

Sheik Usman Mohammed, co- Chairman, NIFROP, in his remark revealed that Mr Buhari is God's choice, calling on Nigerians to back the president with their prayers.

“ I warmly welcome you all faithful to this thanksgiving service dedicated to the victory of president Muhammadu Buhari at the recently conducted presidential elections.

“ As you all might know, we as a group converged at this same venue to pray in unity for 40 days for the success of the president at the elections and also for God to grant him good health throughout the electioneering campaigns.

“ I recall that after the 40 days’ prayers, we solicited the support of Nigerians for President Muhammadu Buhari as he is God sent to deliver the country from evil.

“ We also prayed that those with intent to cause trouble to be put to shame and their evil intentions comes to nuts. And we thank the Almighty God for his mercies upon us as a country and as a people.

“ Brethren, the elections have come and gone, and Nigeria is still standing as one united and robust country. The elections have come and gone, and it is evident that the forces of darkness have all been defeated by the almighty God, the ruler of humanity.

“ We are gathered here to express our gratitude to the Almighty Allah for his show of love for Nigeria, and also for putting the enemies of Nigeria to shame through the outcome of the presidential elections.

“ My dear brothers and sisters, now that we have a President with a new mandate of 4 years, it, therefore, behoves on us not to relent on our prayers for a peaceful and successful tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari as he pilots the affairs of the country to greater success.

“ We also have to pray for Allah the Most Merciful to grant him good health as he governs the country for the next four years. Whoever intercedes for a good cause will have a reward therefrom, and whoever intercedes for an evil cause will have a burden therefrom. And ever is Allah, over all things, a Keeper.

“ We must come together in this period to lend our support to him as always to succeed for he needs our prayers and support.

“ We also call on all well-meaning Nigerians regardless of their political inclinations, religion or ethnicity to extend their support to President Muhammadu Buhari for Almighty Allah has destined him that he would lead Nigeria to the promised land.

" My brothers and sisters, we all know “ that God indeed loves Nigeria for giving us this rare breed human in President Muhammadu Buhari. A man that exudes integrity and selflessness. A man that God has chosen to lead the people of Nigeria to the promised land. A man whose heart is so transparent.

“My brothers and sisters, we are indeed grateful to Almighty Allah for the great things he has done for us, and that is why we are gathered here to show appreciation and gratitude.

“ We must know that we are duty bound to continue to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari from our various places of worship when we leave here. This is a task mandated by Almighty Allah on us to ensure that he, President Muhammadu Buhari succeeds.”,

A group of Nigerians under the auspices of Better Nigeria Group (BNG) has declared its readiness to mobilise citizens to demand for what it described as the restorarest of the people's mandate following the declaration of President Muhammadu Buhari as elected for a second term of four years by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the February 23, 2019 presidential election.

The group in a statement after its meeting in Abuja on Monday.

The full statement signed by Mazi Dickson Nnamdi Iroegbu for Better Nigeria Group (BNG), reads:

The Better Nigeria Group, BNG, following the Presidential and National Assembly elections on the 23rd of February, 2019 and its aftermath, is convened this day by well meaning patriotic Nigerians who truly want nothing but a better Nigeria.

Following hours of deliberation and consultation with relevant stakeholders and sampling of opinions of Nigerians BNG resolved and wishes to state the following:

1. That the outcome of the presidential election which took place, on the 23rd February 2019, does not reflect the choice and the mandate of Nigerians. The spate of deliberate irregularities aimed at tilting the results toward the incumbent and the candidate of the All Progressive Congress and the subsequent declaration of victory for same candidate is an assault on our democracy. It is no news that this declared results does not reflect the mood of the citizens and how they voted.

2. That this brazen impunity should not be allowed to stand unchallenged otherwise amongst other things, our democracy will be dead forever. The electoral process is the beacon of democracy and remains so. Elections must not only be credible, but must be seen as credible. The sham of an election which took place on the said date and the subsequent declaration leaves so much to wonder about credibility.

3. In a country that already is struggling with severe erosion of societal values, it will be its greatest undoing to allow such broad daylight electoral fraud to stand unchallenged. Nigeria as a nation would have lost all moral standard required to try anyone for fraud or even overt robbery. It will be rewarding everything wrong that a society that wants to make progress should stand against.

4. The death of innocent citizens who have set out to perform their basic civic responsibility, in the hands of agents of government, whose primary responsibility is to protect them, is highly condemnable. We mourn with the families of those who lost their lives in the violence marred event and assure them that those responsible for their demise shall face the consequences of their action in no distant time. This blood letting will never go unpunished. We shall amongst other things continue to demand for justice for all who died.

5. Fellow Nigerians the following questions beg for answers: How are we able to imbibe into young people that it is more honourable to fail than to cheat when the government cheats brazenly? How are we able to curb examination malpractice in our institutions if government cheats? For the good of society, it is important that the necessary institutions enshrined with the responsibility to look into these complaints must do so and the right thing be done. This daylight rape on our hard earned democracy, if allowed to stand, shall signify the end of hope for a better society.

6. We therefore wish to support the candidate of the PDP, His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to immediately resort to approach the court for redress as this strengthens our democracy..in a bid to claim the mandate which the people overwhelmly gave to him through the ballot box. We frown seriously at the perceived contemplation that going to court means reneging on the peace accord, for we understand that the courts are a part of a democratic process and reaching out to them for perceived grievances, does not in any way mean war. It is important that the PDP candidate realises and consistently keeps in his memory, that it is not about him but those who have given him the mandate. While we understand that he may be under tremendous pressure not to approach the court, we want to remind him that anything short of that shall be tantamount to abandonment of the people's mandate and shall be a huge disappointment.

7. We are disappointed at the seeming cowering of some of the International observers and the international community in rushing to congratulate the President, we are surprised at their action aimed at trying to give some legitimacy to the charade the whole world witnessed on the 23rd of February. We will like to remind them that there really cannot be true peace in the face of so much injustice. Not to ask for justice so that there may be peace, is only a short term measure and can be likened to dressing a dirty wound. It will never heal. The possible long term impact of allowing this to stay unchallenged, is so huge that the country may never recover from its impact.

8. Nigeria has struggled to keep the confidence of her citizenry on the electoral process and her democracy. Sadly, before, this election, a large chunk of the population had always resorted not to vote because they think their votes will not count. Another chunk, merely came out to vote hoping that their votes may count. Of course, this trend will worsen and grind our democracy to a halt if this charade is allowed unchallenged. The accountability of those in power comes from the power of the electorate to determine who leads them. Once this is taken off, dictatorship thrives and tyranny becomes the order of the day.

9. Let us all be reminded of the possible impact that this sham may have on our already very fragile unity. An election where certain ethnic nationality was denied the right to vote because it was believed that they will be voting for the opposition candidate, only feeds the bigotry tendencies of these unpatriotic elements and gives energy and sympathy to such calls for referendum and secession. The least required to be done to curb this and prevent it from occuring again, is to not allow this charade to stay.

10. We also want to draw the attention of the world and all relevant stakeholders to the incessant harassment of citizens perceived not to be supporting the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government.

11. Lastly, we call on all stakeholders of project Nigeria to keep faith and rise to the occasion to defend our democracy and the processes that sustain it. Most especially, we call on the judiciary to consider this case for its merit. The people shall be watching keenly as the events unfold. Hence the destiny and future of Nigeria shall now be in the hands of the judiciary.

In conclusion, the Better Nigeria Group shall not relent in mobilising all Nigerians in demanding for a better Nigeria through the restoration of the people's mandate and subsequently restore their confidence on our democratic institutions.

Signed:
Mazi Dickson Nnamdi Iroegbu for BETTER NIGERIA GROUP (BNG)



Source: http://www.streetreporters.ng/group-moves-to-mobilise-for-restoration-of-peoples-mandate/

(SBCHROs, Nigeria: 4th March 2019)-The Southeast Based Coalition Of Human Rights & Democracy Organizations, SBCHROs; a coalition of 24 human rights and democracy organizations based in Southeast Nigeria are set to reply or respond within coming days to recent utterances of Messrs Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, Femi Falana, SAN, Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, and other lawyers including the so called “human rights” lawyers, who have launched coordinated, sustained and well oiled media campaigns, in the name of “expression of legal opinions” against the solid resolve of the Presidential Candidate of the PDP; also the undeclared winner of the 23rd Feb 2019 Presidential Poll, Mr. Atiku Abubakar; to approach Nigeria’s Presidential Election Petitions’ Tribunal or Court over the armada of fraud called “2019 Presidential Poll”.

Our resolve to reply the senior legal practitioners within coming days follows deep shocks and concerns from citizens across the country over such utterances deemed unbecoming of those who also parade themselves as “conscience of the nation” and “human rights lawyers”. Within coming days, therefore, the Coalition shall speak and throw more light into whether the named have reached the saturation point of their social calling or careers and caught up by the law of diminishing returns; couching their nowadays utterances and expressions in languages and demonstrations strange and alien to apostles and disciples of social conscience.

For: Southeast Based Coalition of Human Rights & Democracy Organizations (SBCHROs)

Special Reps:

· Emeka Umeagbalasi-08174090052

· Aloysius Emeka Attah-08035090548

· Jerry Chukwuokoro, PhD- 08035372962

· Prof Justice Chidi-Chidi-08039100804

· Chidinma Udegbunam Evan, Esq.-08103244902

All hail the reformed and disciplined Nigerian Army. Even those who maliciously hated you in the past have keenly observed both your private and official actions in the last three years and Nigerians fete you with accolades as venerated institution. The phrase drops on every lip and everywhere in shocking pleasantness.



The Army has proved skeptics wrong; it has triumphed over masked enemies who plotted and set booby traps on their official paths to cascade the failure of soldiers to erupt in indiscernible joy. Unfortunately, these esteemed soldiers have not fumbled in all national engagements as anticipated by the anti-progressive forces. Instead, they are soaring higher with each given opportunity.



The Army’s deployment to assist civil security secure the country to conduct peaceful, free, fair and credible presidential and national assembly elections in Nigeria has also been performed with exceptional splendor, in spite of the initial upbraids. Army personnel exuded unquestionable patriotism and loyalty to their country, by keeping faith with their creed of service.



Soldiers dispensed this assignment in a manner which has further conferred palms on it as an institution or intensified the respect earned from Nigerians previously. Today, Nigerians and indeed, the international community are regaled that the country has successfully gone through the first round of the 2019 general elections without any major setback. The Army played a significant role in preventing the elections from degenerating into free and unbridled violence.



Much thanks to the COAS and leader of counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria, Lt. Gen. TY Buratai. He is a leader, who does not just bark to his personnel. Each time he shouts, there is an urgent national problem, worth solving with the active backing of the Army. He sleeps and eats patriotism for his country and constantly evolves way to restructure the Army in accordance with global best practices. When he steps out with his foot soldiers on any special assignment, brooding enemies of Nigeria take cover and allow peace to reign.



The Army Chief cherishes peace infinitely, but does not brook the effrontery of armed gangs who are out to violently destroy and ruin the security and peace of Nigeria. The peace and unity of Nigeria is always uppermost on his mind at all times.



So, consistently, Gen. Buratai pictures national interest at heart. And when he scowls, it is not intended to harm the innocent, but to squeeze the juice out of hardened armed gangs and militias tormenting the peace loving and law abiding Nigerians. That’s why, he has adopted the “carrot and stick,” approach in his engagement of the Nigerian people. Armed criminal gangs only incur his wrath when they ignore the carrot of peace dangled at them. It is what defines his official posturing in all assignments.



Gen. Buratai again spoke to Nigerians endearingly in the aftermath of the presidential and national assembly elections. This was a ballot which stirred some uproars from the opposition over the drafting of soldiers for assistance. The e Army Chief for the umpteenth time, tasked the conscience of Nigerians on a dispassionate appraisal and an unbiased perception of military participation in the electoral process.



Rather than see it as an aberration, Gen. Buarati persuaded Nigerians to view the Army as apolitical and or neutral and their deployment for election duties was only part of a core constitutional responsibility of securing the nation. It becomes expedient where civil security fails or is likely to fail.



Gen. Buratai yelled in his post-election assessment, “ When a General Speaks on national issues, he speaks strategy, not politics. It is a way and a means to an end. Therefore, the end result will be national defence and security. It is also to foster national unity, peace, development and protection of human rights.”



And truly, Nigerians can verify that after the general elections, the end result is the sustenance of national security and defence. And this is the spirit that guided the operations of the Army throughout the duration of the general elections. They were after national security and defence alone; they never brooked those who attempted to compromise it.



Soldiers were not part of the gangs intent of conniving with politicians to compromise elections or truncate democracy. Since Gen. Buratai assumed leadership of the Army, he has persistently preached to Army personnel about absolute subordination and obedience to civil authority, respect for the dignity and human rights of Nigerians. These tenets have always been observed religiously by Army personnel under his watch.



And the Army Chief spares no disciplinary action on any soldier, who engages in unprofessional or unethical conduct, while on special assignments’, no matter how highly placed or “connected,” in the military. Many have been penalized by Gen. Buratai for such professional misconduct.



It explains why, even after the general elections, the most loquacious or acerbic of critics have never raised eyebrows or accused soldiers of indulgence in compromising the electoral process. Those initially opposed to the deployment of soldiers to ensure national security and peace for the electorates to cast their votes are dead quiet after the ballot. There is no modicum of misdemeanor which can be traced or labeled on the Army. Rather soldiers arrested many electoral fraudsters and handed them over to prosecuting authorities.



The excellence performance of the Army is not in anyway, an indication that they never faced such temptations’ or were never induced into such dishonorable acts on the field. But they resisted the antics of politicians to smear their reputation. Such cases were replete in scores of places all over Nigeria.



One of such instance is the prominent case between the Rivers State Gov, Nyesom Wike’s alleged attempt to financially induce soldiers on the February 23, 2019 election duty as publicly attested in a press briefing by the Deputy director, Army Public Relations, Col. Aminu Iliyasu of the 6 Division Nigerian Army.



But the soldiers refused to bow to Gov. Wike’s satanic actions to lure the Army officers into compromising the electoral process. They rejected his cash and performed their duties, in consonance with their conscience, loyalty and patriotism to the nation.



It is an exemplary conduct by the Army officers, who have made Nigeria proud. In field operations, the soldiers have demonstrated or replicated the orientations and disposition of the leadership of the Nigerian Army under Gen. Buratai. He is a no nonsense, strict and disciplined officer.



It is an indication that the present breed of Army personnel have harkened to Gen. Buratai’s teachings on patriotism, selflessness and discipline in all their national assignments’. With a Nigerian Army which has redefined itself on the path of discipline, truth, honesty and selflessness, Nigeria is surely on the route to recovery and national progress on all fronts.

Onmeje wrote this article from the United Kingdom.

Igbos in Nigeria Movement has urged the people of the south-east states to be discerning in their choices in the general elections saying that strategies that have failed the region in the past must not be repeated again since they will yield the exact same results.

The movement, which spoke through its President, Maxi Ifeanyi Igwe in Abuja on Friday also urged Igbos to cooperate with the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in ensuring that the elections are not hijacked by thugs that hide under agitation to foment trouble.

Igwe called on Igbos to disregard the call by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu for the boycott of the elections even as he noted that such demand can only be made by someone that is interested in getting the Igbos to be labelled as anti-democratic elements that did not support the entrenchment of democracy.

He stressed that “The Igbo states, being peaceful, would not have needed the Army’s nationwide Operation Python Dance had IPOB and other divisive elements not engaged in a needless sabre-rattling that created the impression that war is afoot. But this is not who we are in Igboland, we are pro-democracy any day and we will not allow history to misjudge us as a people because of a few recalcitrant renegades.

“Every other geo-political zone has been agitating for restructuring and what we have seen them doing is getting candidates across the spectrum to commit to pursuing this agenda. The people of these other geo-political zones have in essence made a strong statement that the agitation for true fiscal federalism will pick up pace once they have elected candidates that are favourably disposed to restructuring.

“The south-east cannot, in this sense, be different by trying to achieve the same objective through violence and calling for the disintegration of the country as IPOB and Kanu are doing. The region must also not make itself unnecessary enemies by being abusive of other ethnic nationals and directing hate speech against them as we have seen from Kanu since he resurfaced from hiding,” he noted.

Igbos in Nigeria Movement’s president counselled against bloc support while asking that Igbos should freely vote for candidates of their choice without feeling coerced.

According to him, “Past experience has shown that Igbos are singled out for undesirable special treatment each time they vote as a bloc for a candidate, something that the other ethnic nationalities do not do. Other geo-political zones allow their people to vote for candidates of their choice, which ensures that whoever emerges the winner will not feel than an entire geo-political zone or ethnic group voted against them.

“This is why we advise those creating the false impression that the entire Igbo nation has endorsed any one particular candidate to desist from the unwholesome act as it would be unfair for them to set up the entire south-east for victimization when a wrongly endorsed candidate loses the election as happened in the past.

“We also urge our people to shun violence and other political actions that inimical to the growth and development of Nigeria. This appeal becomes necessary given the worsening instances of threats and counter threats that politicians are issuing against each other. Our people need to read between the lines and appreciate that the ancestral homes of these candidates and cities where they have huge business investments will at no time record political violence even if we allow impassioned support for the them to ignite Igbo land.

“Not only must the people refrain from violence we urge our people in Igboland to support the Nigerian Army and all security agencies that have deployed to maintain the peace during the elections.

"The support to the army and other agencies is to ensure that thugs that have been hired to unleash violence on the political opponents of their paymasters do not succeed. The people must also be careful of the incitement from IPOB and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who is now clearly acting out a script that does not accommodate the interest of the Igbos,” Igwe charged.

A traditional ruler in Osun has called on a group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) led by Nnamdi Kula threatening to cause crisis in the eastern party of the country to desist from daring the strength of the Nigerian Army as the general elections for 2019 get closer.


This was disclosed during a press conference by Oba Hammed Adekunle Makama ,Tegbosun III with newsmen held at the palace of the royal father, Kuta Osun State.

The Oba described the Nigerian Armed Forces as an institution above ethno-political and religious ills adding that Nigerians should learn to show respect to the soldiers.

The traditional ruler appealed to political parties going to the poll on February 16 and March 2, 2019 to stop politicizing security issues being addressed by the Nigerian armed forces with politics in the interest of their parties in order to gain political mileage .  

He also appluaded the troops stressing that “I can not but award a credit mark to our armed forces their journey so far in taming the hydra-headed monster known as Boko Haram terrorists’ “Our troops need our individual support and concerted support through prayers and positive comments” explaining that “A situation whereby their efforts are greeted with scornful remarks would naturally kill their morals and also incapacitate their spirit to fight and get desired results”.

The traditional leader further urged his counterparts in the eastern part of the country to live  up to their fatherly role and advice Nnamdi Kalu and his IPOB members to stop their unlawful activities against the Nigerian state saying” His regular inflammatory statements against the country are not needed at this critical time of our national life”.

The Yoruba monarch said traditional rulers in the south-east should let Nnamdi Kalu see reasons to stop his call for boycott of the election as a huge disservice to the people of the southern region and an effort to provoke the country.

By David Onmeje

The story of the Nigerian Army is such that invokes memories of exploits, especially in the Sub Saharan Africa. In times past, the Nigerian Army won countless laurels in its operations so much to the envy of other nations. At a point, the Nigerian Army was adjudged one of the best professional armies in the world.

Nigerians were indeed proud of the Nigerian Army, and it became a thing of pride for one to be enlisted as either an officer or a soldier in the Nigerian Army. This euphoria continued until the advent of democracy in Nigeria in 1999. And that era saw to the gradual and steady decline in the operational effectiveness of the Nigerian Army for some strange reasons.

We didn’t notice the decline until we were confronted with the Boko Haram challenge from 2009. So much that the Nigerian Army has lost its footing on the threats posed by evolving warfare such as cyber warfare, insurgency, terrorism, nuclear warfare and other forms of unconventional wars. It was so apparent that the Nigerian Army was still leaving on past glory. And this gave rise to the casualties it suffered during the early stages of the Boko Haram crisis.

The Nigerian Army was at its lowest ebb. The morale of the fighting troops was at an astonishing low. And Boko Haram continued to gain grounds so much so that over 16 local government areas in North East Nigeria fell under the control of the Boko Haram terrorists. Other parts of the country too were not safe including the federal capital territory that witnessed scores of Boko Haram attacks. This was as recent as 2015. It was such a bad tale to recount in the annals of Nigeria and the Nigerian Army.

But all of that has changed for the better as we are now witnesses to the return of the Nigerian Army to the path of glory in the past three years. In my opinion, there is no way one can talk about the return of the operational effectiveness of the Nigerian Army without mentioning two people. One is the president and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari and also the dynamic Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai.

How the Nigerian Army has achieved total peace for Nigeria is still what observers and researchers are still battling to unravel despite the security threats posed by the Boko Haram terrorists and other militant groups such as the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), the Niger Delta Avengers, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). This is mainly on the heels of the fact that before the coming of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigerian Army was a shadow of its self. In truth, we had a Nigerian Army that was just some kilometres away before its final disintegration. But not anymore.

I am of the opinion that God truly loves this country. If not for the intervention that saw the coming of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and the subsequent appointment of a dexterous general as the Chief of Army Staff, I wonder what would have been left of Nigeria with the ferocity with which the Boko Haram terrorist carried on. The terrorists and other militant groups would have overrun Nigeria.

That the Nigerian Army under the leadership of Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai was able to turn the tide against the enemies of the country is indeed an indication of capacity and strategic intelligence. I stand to be corrected. For the Nigerian Army to carry out operations simultaneously across the country and was still able to maintain peace is an indication that the Nigerian Army has been repositioned for operational effectiveness by none other than Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai. Little wonder the avalanche of awards that have come his way? Worthy of mention is the award of the Brazilian Military Order of Merit Award, which is the highest military honour awarded to military officers that have distinguished themselves in various military endeavours.

The likes of Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai should be a topic of research for military historians on how he was able to take the deplorable Nigerian Army to an effective operational force in a record three years. In my opinion, the topic of the research should read “Army Leadership in Nigeria and operational effectiveness: a case study of Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai.”

In so doing, other upcoming officers and commanders would have something to chew on when the lot falls on them. In truth, this is what is obtainable in western climes ass it is done to the likes of General David Petraeus. It is indeed a record feat for Nigeria to have turned the tide against the Boko Haram terrorist. And it explains why the war exploits of Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai should be subject to a robust academic pursuit.

One of the landmarks of the operations of the Nigeria Army in North East Nigeria is the creation of the Special Strike Force that has continued to lead the onslaught against Boko Haram terrorists in North East Nigeria. In my opinion, the establishment of the Strike Force was the game changer and in conformity with the famous quote by General David Petraeus that says “Life is a competitive endeavour. And there's nothing more competitive, obviously, than combat.”

And I could not agree less. It takes a whole lot of thinking outside the box when fighting an unconventional war. You must be prepared to assess the psychological state of the terrorist to be able to formulate an effective counter-strategy. This much I have noticed was deployed by the Nigeria Army in the fight against Boko Haram terrorists and other militant groups in Nigerian from 2015 to date. And with the present state of the Nigerian Army, it is just a matter of time for the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists to be wiped completely. Need I say more? Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai is indeed a study in warfare.

Onmeje is a media strategist based in the United Kingdom.

[right][/right]Kill Coruption

While a small chunk of Nigerians are yet to come to terms with President Muhammadu Buhari’s courageous suspension of embattled Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen, their counterparts in the diaspora have lauded the move.

In the United Kingdom, in particular, Nigerians welcomed the removal of the judicial chief as it is a clear deviation from the several years of impunity.

It is for this reason, Nigerians under the auspices of Arise For A New Nigeria, stormed the streets of London, exactly No10 Downing street, close to the Prime Minister’s Office, to show solidarity with their country's leader.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Theresa May, the group’s President Andrew Kobani, speaking on behalf of his countrymen, urged Britain to support the anti-corruption fight of Mr Buhari, especially concerning Mr Onnoghen's removal.

*Read the full press statement below.*

The Rt. Honourable Theresa May, Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London SW1A 2AA
Madam Prime Minister,

SOLICITING FOR THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE UK GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR THE MUHAMMADU BUHARI ADMINISTRATION IN THE WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION

Madam Prime Minister, may wish to note that Nigeria is experiencing a turbulent period in the fight against corruption as initiated by the administration of Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

They are sufficing to note that since 2015, the present administration has initiated measures aimed at reducing corrupt practices in the conduct of government business at all tiers of governance. This effort has yielded positive results to the admiration of the bulk of Nigerians and the consternation of a select few that have benefited from the rot in the system.

Undeterred, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has carried on with enthusiasm and a determination to see that structural defects are fixed to curb the rot in the system for the betterment of Nigeria as a country.

Madam Prime Minister may also wish to note that the bane of underdevelopment in Nigeria is as a result of the lackadaisical attitude of previous governments in the fight against corruption that has resulted in the wanton disregard for accountability and transparency in the conduct of government businesses and by extension governance in Nigeria.

Since 2015 when the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari took over the affairs of the state in Nigeria, Nigeria has recorded tremendous progress in governance evident in the dividends of democracy trickling down the ladder.

Madam Prime Minister however, the present administration has encountered numerous challenges from individuals and organisations that have subverted the system through nefarious ways and means all in the quest to portray the Muhammadu Buhari administration in poor light in an attempt to pitch the populace against the government to fulfil their personal agenda of causing unrest and disaffection in the country.

The recent case of the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen who violated the law in declaring his assets as stipulated by the law has further emphasized the level of rot in the system.

A particular segment of the Nigerian society has cried wolf where none exist and painted a picture of political persecution, forgetting that Nigeria was on the brinks of imminent collapse due the activities of a few that have benefitted from the rot in the system.

Madam Prime Minister, we are through this medium soliciting for assistance from the United Kingdom in the war against corruption in Nigeria as initiated by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in recent times.

A vivid example can be seen in the instance where the Chief Judicial Official in Nigeria, either by omission or commission failed to declare a part of his assets running into millions of dollars.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria as the number one judicial officer in the country for inexplicable reasons did not declare a part of his assets before the Code of Conduct Bureau in Nigeria. The CJN cited “forgetfulness and mistake” as the reasons for the non-declaration.

Madam Prime Minister, the non-declared items are bank accounts with balances that runs into millions of pounds sterling and dollars. This is too much to be right in our considered opinion. As the number one judicial officer in the country, it is wholly untenable for such an excuse, unless for deliberate reasons.

This untoward display of acts inimical to the progress of Nigeria has necessitated the kind, and timely intervention of the Prime Minister and the British government is assisting Nigeria in the war against corruption. If, not, corruption will kill Nigeria at this rate. And that would not happen under the leadership of Madam Prime Minister.

Madam Prime Minister,may be aware that political jobbers and ethnic champions have given the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria ethnic and religious actions, but in truth, it was a timely intervention aimed at saving the judicial arm of government in Nigeria further embarrassment as a result of the unethical conduct of the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

This letter is an SOS, as well as a reminder to Madam Prime Minister, Theresa May and UK Secretary for African Affairs Mrs Harriett Baldwin that Nigeria would return to the brinks if steps, just like this are not taken to arrest the cankerworm of corruption that has eaten deep into governance in Nigeria.

It is our considered opinion that the United Kingdom as an ally of Nigeria cannot afford to watch as Nigeria goes to the brinks. It must render that assistance to the government of Nigeria that has made substantial inroads in the fight against corruption.

I have the honour to be, Madam, Your humble and obedient servant

CC: Mrs Harriett Baldwin
UK Secretary for African Affairs

The Save Humanity Advocacy Centre has given an insight on the real reason behind suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.

The human rights group said the controversy trailing the ousting of Onnoghen was needless because the Constitution of the country was clear on the crime committed by the ex-CJN.

According to SHAC, the United States of America, European Union and the UK government did not have full insight on why Onnoghen was asked to step aside.

In a letter addressed to the Ambassador of the United States of America and signed by Patrick Akpokwu, Director of Communication, SHAC urged the diplomatic communities avoid unguarded public statements that could incite the general public given the peculiarities of the time we have found ourselves.

The letter reads:

Please note that The 1999 Nigeria Constitution, as amended, is very clear on assets declaration by public officials. Declaration of assets by public officers in Nigeria is not a voluntary exercise. Instead, they are mandated by the law to do so before and after occupying public offices.

The Constitution in Section 172 states, “A person in the public service of the Federation shall observe and conform to the Code of Conduct.”

Paragraph 11 of the Code of Conduct (Ethics of Work for Public Officers) stipulates that, “Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, every public officer shall within three months after the coming into force of this Code of Conduct or immediately after taking office and thereaftera) at the end of every four years; and (b) at the end of the term of office; submit to the Code of Conduct Bureau a written declaration of all his properties, assets and liabilities and those of his unmarried children under the age of 18 years.

And that “Any statement in such declaration that is found to be false by any authority or person authorized in that behalf to verify it shall be deemed to be a breach of this Code. Any property or assets acquired by a public officer after any declaration required under this Constitution and which is not fairly attributable to income, gift or loan approved by this Code shall be deemed to have been acquired in breach of this Code unless the contrary is proved.”
Hence public declaration of assets is best recommended so that both the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) together with its Tribunal (CCT) and the general public may work in agreement.
Our Grouse:

Your Excellency may wish to know that there are stipulated penalties for violation of the CCB law in Nigeria regardless of the position the individual occupies as the law is no respecter of persons.

The case of the Chief Justice of Nigeria presented us a very challenging circumstance wherein the Chief Law Officer in Nigeria for inexplicable reasons decided to act in a contrary and morally bankrupt manner by not declaring parts of his assets. This act he attributed to “forgetfulness.”

Your Excellency, such an act cannot be condoned in a sane clime, and even in America, Britain, and France.
Consequently, we are at a loss as to the way, and manner statements have been credited to your esteemed persons which we firmly believe echoes’ the views of your home countries. It is, therefore, our considered opinion that such statements were not fair and maybe as a result of a lack of understanding of the issues at hand.

For the Records:
The Chief Justice of Nigeria is standing trial for false declaration of assets, and he was consequently advised to step aside pending the determination of the suit. But he refused and instead used all manners and means to frustrate the law from running its course.

He was also advised on moral grounds that he cannot continue to denigrate the office he occupies because he is standing trial for an offense he committed and not an allegation. This much he confessed to in a written statement.

What we expected:
We expected some decorum in public statements from members of the Diplomatic communities in a case as sensitive as this.

This is on the heels that it was public knowledge that on infraction was committed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria. We also expected that members of the Diplomatic community would be sensitive enough to know that Nigeria is a sovereign country bided by a Constitution.

We also expected that members of the Diplomatic community would not join the select few that have given some form of political interpretation to the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria from office.

We expected that the members of the Diplomatic communities would exercise restraint in public conduct given that the general elections are around the corner so as not to send the wrong message to the voting public.

We also expect that members of the Diplomatic community would at some point appreciate the efforts of the present administration in sanitizing the system.

Our Prayers:
Nigeria is a sovereign country, and as such, that must be clearly understood and appreciated by all, including members of the Diplomatic community in Nigeria. Respect for our people and values are sacrosanct. Unguarded public statements could incite the general public given the peculiarities of the time we have found ourselves. And so they should be minimized or avoided if possible.

The fact remains that the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria violated the law and not a case of witch hunting or political persecution. And there are penalties for breaking the law the world over, Nigeria inclusive.

Nigerians on Monday stormed the United States Embassy to register their grievances over the interferences of the country in the nation’s domestic affairs.

The massive crowd drawn from various groups and organizations totaling over 10,000 heads threatened that next time they will be forced to shut down the embassy if that is what is required to take back the country.

The protest letter was delivered at a rally at embassy of the United States of America, Abuja on behalf of concerned citizens .

Recall that the United had last week condemned the suspension of embattled Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen over issue bodering on corruption.

Speaking at the well attended rally, Princess Ajibola urged the countries to support the Nigerian government war against corruption .


She said, "The recent happenings in the country with regards to the Judicial arm of government has indeed caused Nigeria untold embarrassment especially with the admittance of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen that he forgot to declare some aspects of his assets as mandated by the law.

"It is such a despicable act for the number one law officer in the country to act in such a manner. The implication of this is that the hopes of the common man on the street have been dashed because the Judiciary which is supposed to the hope of the masses has indeed turned to the nemesis of the masses.

"The rot is the judicial system is such that would take the grace of God for sanity to return to the judiciary in Nigeria due to the level of corruption in the system that has resulted in money induced judgments from the magistrate court up to the Supreme Court.

"In Nigeria, judges live above their means and see themselves as mini-gods. They give judgments to the highest bidder in most instances not minding the consequences of the actions. The judiciary in Nigeria also sabotages the war against corruption by issuing injunctions to shield corrupt persons from facing the wrath of the law.

"It became typical of Nigerian courts to delay proceedings and convictions of suspects brought before it for prosecution and later handed them soft judgments after monies must have exchanged hands.

"In Nigeria today, judges live flamboyant lifestyles that one wonders if they are not supposed to serve as role models in the society.

"For long Nigerians have yearned for that leader who would confront the all-powerful judiciary in the country and God in his wisdom and mercies sent us President Muhammadu Buhari.

"We wish to state that President Muhammadu has the total support of Nigerians in the fight against corruption in the judiciary. We are solidly behind him now and always because if we do not join hands to fight corruption, we might wake up one day and realize that we do not have any country again.

"The action of President Muhammadu Buhari against the Chief Justice of Nigeria is an action for reclaiming the soul of Nigeria back from the fold of the devil and returning it to the masses who labour on a daily basis for their daily bread.

"We can boast to high heavens that the majority of Nigerians are in support of this bold move that previous governments have shy from because they too also are beneficiaries of the rot in the judiciary.

"God will bless President Muhammadu Buhari for toeing the path of the just in tackling the rot in the judiciary. And how else can we show our appreciation? The only way we can to show our gratitude is to continue to support him all the way.

"Make no mistakes, the action of President Muhammadu Buhari is just, moral, constitutional and in the overall interest of the generality of Nigerians. But they are still crying wolf where none exist.

"They are saying President Muhammadu Buhari suspended the Chief Justice because he is not a northerner. Some also say it was because he is not a Muslim. But Nigerians say it was because he betrayed the trust of the public bestowed on him by failing to declare his assets, which in a way proceed from corrupt acts.

"Going by the wages and income of judicial officers in Nigeria, there is no way the Chief Justice of Nigeria would have in his accounts millions of dollars. That is impossible. We know that such monies could only be proceeds of corrupt acts ass evident in the manner of deposits.

"If that is not the case how can the most senior ranking judicial officer in the country claim that he forgot that he has accounts that run into millions of dollars? Nigerians are not fools to believe such childish story.

"We are by this medium letting the world know that Nigerians are 100% in support of the action of our president. If our president does not do it for his country, is it America or Britain that would do it for us?

"If our president acts in the best interest of the country, is that not a good thing? Are we supposed to crucify him or support him? Or are we to pretend that all is well in the judiciary while the fat cats continue to grow fatter and the citizens’ leaner?

"The time has come for the liberation of Nigeria, and there is no going back because it’s forward ever and backward never.

"Nigeria and indeed Nigerians owe President Muhammadu Buhari a lot of gratitude for this bold step. We encourage him to continue his good deeds towards freeing Nigeria from the claws of the cankerworm called corruption."

By David Onmeje

In Nigeria, most leaders often present themselves as the Greek philosopher kings of ancient times. They brandish themselves as all-knowing, and untouchables. They are people who cannot be counseled, and most times elevate themselves in magisterial eminence, cast in the shades of the likes of King Pharaoh. Outside their personal interest, nothing else obsesses the mind.



Challenge for any deprivation, means a hounding path to doom. Such leaders are happier when those they lead grumble and wail. They display a puzzling detachment from the led and cast themselves in the shadows of Princes and Princesses. Nonetheless, genuine leaders place the ruled first and themselves last.



Nigeria’s biggest insecurity challenge since 2009 has been Boko Haram insurgency. There are pockets of other security challenges all over the country, but insurgency has remained the most daunting problem. True Nigerian leaders are committed to it as observable now.



Therefore, since the appointment of Lt. Gen. TY Buratai as the COAS and leader of the counter-insurgency operations, soldiers have sauntered on a new plane of leadership of the Army.



The welfare of troops has remained paramount in Buratai’s leadership of the Army. So, before his troops, the Army Chief de-robes himself of mastership and assumes the role of a loyal servant, in the mould of “Man Friday,” the character in Daniel Defoe’s novel, “Robinson Crusoe,” cast in the setting of an Island, usually lonely and forlorn.



Much like “Man Friday,” Gen. Buratai is not influenced by the language, ethnicity or habits of his troops. He places himself in a position of service at their disposal, by elevating their welfare above his personal interests. What affects his troops, shadows in him directly. He shares in their pains, joys and sorrows. And with each passing day, Gen. Buratai thinks of the comfort and pleasure of his troops in the battlefield.



If troops are facing hard tackles in the warfront from Boko Haram enemy forces, Gen. Buratai does not retreat into his shell in the comfort of his luxurious office in Army Headquarters, Abuja. He angrily steps out in laced boots to the battlefield, fighting the enemies together with his troops.



Since Buratai became the COAS, it’s difficult to remember which Sallah , Christmas or New Year celebration he has ever observed in the company of his lovely family. He spends it in the dark caves, and dreadful forests with the troops in the Northeast.



The Army Chief eats together, drink from the same pot and dance to the music of chirruping birds. Leaders of his ilk would mount a live music orchestra band erected in Abuja’s most secured environment. They will dance in stupor and wild celebrations, in pomp and pageantry to the pleasure of family and friends.



But in the Northeast, especially Sambisa Forest, where troops keep strict vigilance, Buratai and his troops, celebrates any of these festivities, in the line of duty. They know there is no reason to renege on the covenant with Nigerians to secure Nigeria from terrorists.



Like “Man Friday,” whose relationship with “Robinson Crusoe” the main character in Defoe’s novel is touted as the father-son type of intimacy and the former genuinely caring for the welfare of his circumstantial lad, “ Man Friday,” so also is Gen. Buratai to his troops.



Gen. Buratai , who is an ardent believer in the principles of the Chinese war veteran, Sun Tzu, he has adopted his wisdom of treating his troops in the same manner and passion of a personal family in his interactions with them.



So, though, Buratai is the overall master of the Nigerian Army today, but the Army Chief has reshuffled the roles and the aura surrounding his office upside down, to the favor of his troops to innately earn their loyalty for best results. A foresighted war leader knows, it is necessary to place yourself in the dungeon of your subordinates’ to solve any problem. And Buratai has mastery of it.



So, practical application, Buratai has reversed the roles and he thinks, the troops are his masters and he is not hesitant serving them faithfully and loyally at all times. he leaves no room for any barrier to affect interpersonal relationship just like “Man Friday” with his boss, Robinson Crusoe marooned on the Island off the coast of Venezuela, where “Boy Friday” as he is otherwise called by some literary analysts found a master, friend and companion.



Gen. Buratai remains the only Army Chief in Nigeria’s history who thinks the wives and children of troops in the warfront deserves special attention. He does not mind who is your spouse, but renders himself generously to their problems and dispensing instant solutions.



Consequently, Gen. Buratai has ensured salaries and allowances of troops are remitted to their accounts promptly. He has prioritized renovation of Army barracks, most of which were in dilapidated conditions, due to years of neglect. Almost every Army formation in Nigeria today wears a new look. The Army boss is not only concerned with residential quarters of soldiers, but also, the offices they sit to run administration of the Army.

Just last year, the Nigerian Army under the leadership of Gen. Buratai signed a N7.5 billion MOU for a housing estate in Otukpo and Ohimini LGAs of Benue state for both soldiers and civilians in partnership with Betonic West Limited.



Before it, the Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, Borno state; Elele Army Barracks, Rivers State and headquarters of the 331 Artillery Tactical Forward Operation Base (FOB) at Buratai in Biu local government area of Borno state among others from an inexhaustible list have both residential and office accommodation reliefs.



There are also a Forward Operation Base, military barracks at Okene, in Kogi State; and in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, new army cantonment, named Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri; the Nigerian Army School of Artillery in Kachia, Kaduna State and Office of the Military Secretary at the Army Headquarters Abuja. Gen. Buratai’s transformative relics in Army welfarism are everywhere in Army formations in Nigeria.



In essence, Gen. Buratai strikes special attention and stands tall in the midst of some Nigerian leaders because having sworn the oath of allegiance to his country to discharge his professional duties faithfully and dedicatedly, he has not slacked a second of a minute.



The funds committed to the development of the Nigeria Army and the welfare of Army personnel as practically verifiable could have been diverted by an uncultured leader for personal gains. But Gen. Buratai has proved to be different by signifying exceptional enthusiasm for the welfare and development of the Nigerian Army, in loyal service like Defoe’s “Man Friday.”

Onmeje contributed this piece from the United Kingdom.

As the campaigns continue to heat the polity, we must be careful about the choices we make because our options can be our albatross, as well as our Messiah. I say this for two reasons, one is because of the empty promises flying around like promissory notes and the other is the attempt to put a veil on the eyes of the electorates by politicians who are advancing causes they know too well they cannot deliver on. I am from Plateau State, and as they say, charity must begin from home.

I recall I asked myself a couple of questions when Simon Lalong came on-board as governor of the state, questions like, is this going to be different from others? Would Plateau experience peace and tranquillity, would workers have a reason to smile? Would Plateau experience any form of infrastructural upliftment? Would pensioners have a reason to smile? And many more that I can’t recollect.

I also promised to keep a tab on the workings of government regarding the delivery of the dividends of democracy to the people of Plateau State that have seen and experienced the worst of governments since 1999. Indeed, Plateau had been unfortunate; my friends used to taunt me. But today, I am not sure anyone of them can tease me as regards governance in Plateau. And I say this with all sense of humility and sincerity of heart.

To say Plateau has experienced a change would be an understatement. And to also say Governor Simon Lalong remains one of the best things that happened to Plateau would also be uncharitable. What would be charitable and most appropriate is to say Simon Lalong was God’s plan for Plateau state because of the remarkable improvements experienced in all aspects of life on the Plateau. From the prompt payment of salaries to clearing the backlog of pensions. Generally, governance was delivered at the doorsteps of the people.

Anyone conversant with the happenings in Plateau under governor Simon Lalong would agree with me that God indeed heard the cries of the people when he delivered Simon Lalong to us as governor. It is incredible to state that despite the cash crunch that hit the country and the inability of most states to pay salaries, it was only Plateau state that was paying wages even before the end of the month. It felt like magic to many other governors on how Governor Simon Lalong was able to achieve such feat.

If one takes an opinion survey of civil servants in the state to ascertain whether there has ever been a time salaries were delayed under Simon Lalong, the response would be an overwhelming no. That has never happened since Simon Lalong assumed leadership of the state. From what I gathered, the governor vowed that never again in the history of Plateau state, would workers be denied their wages given the fact that the state is mostly a civil servant state. And when you have the bulk of the people in the public service what is the rational thing to do? To ensure that salaries are paid as at when due.

In my opinion, doing such would also have a multiplier effect on the economy of the state in the sense that there would be a movement within the ecosystem that would, in turn, generate activities that oil the wheels of progress, which is the case in Plateau state in the past three years of Simon Lalong.

It would be tantamount to questioning God should the people of Plateau make the mistake of casting their votes for those that have been making empty promises. And the curious part is that these people that are making those empty promises were part of the rot experienced in Plateau state. The difference is that they only changed their clothing’s. Would the people of Plateau allow themselves to be so deceived?

I am not sure the people of Plateau would want to trade Simon Lalong for anyone else. I am not sure the workers and pensioners have forgotten how God has used and still using Simon Lalong to better their lives through the numerous interventions in the state. Let me add this for free. It only takes a man that is upright and with the fear of God to do what Governor Simon Lalong is doing in Plateau state. He came on-board at a time that depression had enveloped the cloud and hopelessness was the order of the day. But undeterred he set out for impactful governance that has put the state on the path of glory once again.

Governor Simon Lalong is an upright man with the fear of God, unlike past governors that ruled like they were gods themselves because how could one explain a situation where a governor can go to bed and sleep when the people that elected him are hungry and dying of starvation. These same people also divided the state along ethnic and religious lines. It was so bad in the Plateau that at some point some ethnic groups see themselves as superior to all other ethnic groups in the state. This was how unhealthy the atmosphere was in the Plateau before the coming of Simon Lalong. But all of these have indeed changed for better.

There is now mutual respect amongst the various ethnicity in the state. There are no superior or inferior groups, so much so that it has translated to an improved relationship that has brought about lasting peace in the state. I will say this without fear, if not for the coming of Simon Lalong, I am not sure there would have still been a Plateau state because all the indices for disintegration were in place and it was just only a matter of time before its manifestation. Most of us residing in Plateau had perfected plans to move elsewhere with our families.

Indeed, Plateau state has never had it this good before, there has been lots of infrastructural development across the state, despite the lean resources coming to the state. In my opinion, what people do not understand is that Governor Simon Lalong has been able to do all of these because he placed the interest of the people above his interest. And I am not sure people, including him, could dip their hands in government coffers to embezzle funds meant for the people. I make bold to say that embezzlement of government cannot be associated with the present administration of Simon Lalong, if that was the case, I doubt if he would have been able to pay salaries promptly, settle the backlog of pensions and pensions payment up to date in the state and many more.

Like a messiah, he came to set the captives free. Today, Plateau state under Simon Lalong is an example of how to work for the people. I have assessed his administrative style using different parameters as a development expert, and the result of my assessment is the reason for this piece. Some could say that I am excited, some could also say I am elated. But I would say and I ecstatic with what is happening Plateau state. And I am not sure the good people of Plateau would want to leave the known for the unknown. That would be the height of ingratitude to God. Governor Simon Lalong is indeed Gods plan for Plateau state. This much the people know, and this much they are willing to go with as the elections approach.

Pam is an advocate of the masses writing from Jos.

By Sunday Garuba

The elections are around the corner, and again, the hysteria that usually greets such exercises has rented the air. There has been lots of politicking going on around the country. Political strategists and analysts are at their best-giving situations and scenarios that would shape the outcome of the elections. In all of these, I know for a certain that indeed 2019 is the year of greatness for Nigeria.

As usual, clergies have made all manners of positive predictions as regards the future of the country. And this is coupled with the relative peace that has permeated the nook and cranny of Nigeria indicates that something good is about to happen in Nigeria. So far the few prophecies that have been released suggest that Nigeria’s greatness might be around the corner.

I am happy as well as sad for two reasons; one is the fact that since the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, a lot has changed in the way we do things as a people and as a country. And I am sad for the fact that those that contributed to the downfall of Nigeria have all ganged up against a man that believes so much in Nigeria and they are hell-bent on undermining him and all the efforts he has put in to set Nigeria back on track. Now, this is the irony of life that calls for serious concern from all well-meaning Nigerians.

I am of the opinion that one of the best things that happened to Nigeria was the providential coming of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. What many did not understand then was that God indeed heard the cries of Nigerians who had been subjected to all manner of abuse by those saddled with the task of governing us. They took us all for a ride and stole our commonwealth. And they did all of these with so much impunity. The way and manner President Muhammadu Buhari won the elections indicated that God indeed loved Nigeria and would never allow the disintegration of the country.

This was on the heels of the various predictions on how Nigeria would not remain as a country after 2015. But God used President Muhammadu Buhari to thwart the plans of evil ones against Nigeria. And this much can be verified with the way and manner the president has carried on since he assumed leadership of the country. He has put the interest of the country first and above his interest. For him, the wealth of Nigeria belongs to all and not for a select few. And this has been his undoing and why the hawks that have held this country down for years are all gathered to ensure that he is voted out so that business, as usual, can resume. But they will fail. Just like the holy bible says in Psalms 91 vs. 7 “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.” The evil plot against President Muhammadu Buhari shall not come near him if God is on the throne.

I am not one of those that would be blinded by religion or ethnicity and shy away from realities of life. And I would also not hide under the umbrella of faith to deny the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari has impacted positively on the lives of the average Nigerians on the street. Take it or leave, President Muhammadu Buhari was God’s will for Nigeria in 2015 and he remains God's will for Nigeria in 2019.

If not for anything, let us admit that he has freed our commonwealth from the hands of looters and for this singular act, they have vowed to take him out. But if God is for him who can be against him? No one. Also, but for his intervention, the Boko Haram insurgency would have engulfed North East Nigeria and by extension the whole country. Should we not be grateful to a man that has shown an unalloyed commitment to the Nigerian cause? Should we not appreciate God for this rare gift to humanity? Should we not stand up in unity and defend a man that is clearly on the side of the masses? Do we need a soothsayer to tell us that if not for President Muhammadu Buhari, the entity called Nigeria might have disintegrated?

All of these are questions the intelligent minds should ask if we must be honest with ourselves. We should not be deceived by the narrative bandied around by people with questionable characters. We should not fall for their gimmick that would take us back donkey years. I want to believe that we have gotten to that stage of our existence where we can decipher between good and evil.

President Muhammadu has indeed not failed in the discharge of his duties as president of this great country. This is evident in the numerous people-oriented projects that are ongoing around the country. And what do we owe this great and selfless man? It’s simple. Nigerians must unite with the voice of God to ensure that we defeat the evil ones at the elections. Nigerians must come together with one loud voice to say enough is enough to those that have milked us dry.

Nigerians must vote massively for President Muhammadu Buhari in the coming elections because here is a man that has not failed and his words to the citizens have been a strong bond. I am of the opinion that in the very least if we do not know or remember where we are coming from, we should at least know where we are going to. And with a man like President Muhammadu Buhari, we know he has been destined to take us to the promised land. Let us make no mistakes about this. For Nigeria, it is forward ever, and backward never. Enough is enough.


Bishop Garuba is the President, national inter-faith and regious organization for peace.

By Princess Ajibola

I struggled to find another word for clueless. As I was struggling, the word ingrate came to my mind. Clueless and ingrate are the best words to describe Najatu Mohammed who in her wisdom attempted to cast aspersion on the personality of President Muhammadu Buhari and by extension the Service Chiefs.

When I read her piece titled “All the President’s men on national (in)security” I could not help but burst into a round of laughter for very obvious reasons. Everything she wrote was figments of her imaginations. Even though she attempted to sound like an intellect, and one conversant with the operations of the Nigerian Military, you could quickly notice the deficiency in her plot, choice of words, and execution.

She went to town mentioning what is not and what has never been. So much so that I marvelled at the way and manner she churned out half-truths that could cause an earthquake in Sabon Gari in Kano state. She took her tirade too far when she assumed that the Chief of Army Staff does not have the necessary combat experience as he allegedly dodged ECOMOG and all local operations throughout his career in the lower ranks. And I said what nonsense to that. It was arrant nonsense that could only come from a retard. Whoever it was that advise her to pen such an ignoble piece must be senile too. And the chap that wrote on her behalf was also uncharitable to her by using her “hard earned” name as the author of such gibberish.

Who is Najatu Mohammed to comment on military exploits or strategy? What is her pedigree? What has been her contributions in the intellectual space? I did a google search, and I got absolutely nothing.

The closest I got was that she is a Nigerian politician, which she rightly is, and the “first woman to win a Senate seat in Kano state.” That is all about her asides her usual political rants here and there, like someone who has Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD). For the records, individuals suffering from HPD exhibit excessive emotionality and are attention seekers. People with this disorder are uncomfortable or feel unappreciated when they are not the centre of attention.

I want to assume that was the case with her that she so decided to put her name on an amalgamation of lies titled “All the President’s men on national (in)security.” It is indeed legendary for someone to sit down and concoct stories, incidences, and timelines on things that were never in existence. She also went further to arrogate to herself as a key stakeholder in the Police and the National Security Establishment. And I asked in Nigeria or another country? What has been her contributions to national security in Nigeria? How has she impacted on the National security debate in Nigeria? Excuse me; we are not talking about rendering “escort services.” We are talking about National security madam, and not because she sits on the board of the Police Service Commission.

Looking at it from a rational perspective what credential does she have to have been so appointed as a commissioner in the Police Service Commission in the first place? Aside from being a graduate of History with no known public or private career, there is nothing about her that qualifies her for such an appointment. I think the posturing of Najatu Mohammed is very typical of politicians wanting to increase their market value. She sits as a commissioner in the commission representing women. Now tell me, how does this translate to Najatu Mohammed being that expert of security that she is now questioning the operational style and effectiveness of the Nigerian military in the fight against insurgency. If this is not purely mischief, I do not know what else to call it. Needless I remind her that it was the same President Muhammadu Buhari that out of his benevolence so appointed her, and not because she parades an intimidating CV. This is ingratitude. You can’t bite the fingers that fed you. This is very typical of politicians like her.

This is quite an anomaly. It is either for mischief purposes or out of ignorance. But I would instead go with the mischief school of thought. If not for mischief purposes, I wonder how someone would be so daring to spread lies with so much impunity. I won’t be shocked if she also has some proposals not receiving proper attention somewhere and so she decided to resort to ill-mannerism to drive home a selfish point. But in all, what she failed to realize was the fact that she attempted to portray President Muhammadu Buhari in bad light as regards the fight against the insurgency.

She is from Kano state and has also forgotten how Kano was once under constant attack from Boko Haram terrorists. She also forgot how the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was also under constant attack. The question I would like to ask her is, has there been a substantial difference in the fight against insurgency from 2015 to date?

To help her out, I think I need to furnish her with intellectual materials on Nigeria’s fight against insurgency from 2015 to date. But this would be dependent on whether she can process intelligent information. I stand to be corrected. If she has such capacity, I am not sure would want to be associated with the nonsense she conjured. This is on the heels of the fact that she is a misfit to criticize the war against insurgency, but it is to help her in the least to supply some oxygen into her occluded brains.

When issues of National security are discussed, Najatu Mohammed should not blink an eyelid, because it is not the bedroom matter she is used to from Kano to Kaduna and all the way to Abuja. National security is a different terrain that requires a high level of intellectualism to decipher what constitutes gains and setbacks. It is also definitely not an emotional issue.

I could go nonstop in addressing her tirade, but that would somewhat amount to falling victim to her Histrionic Personality Disorder. But in a bid to help her out though, I challenge her to an open debate on National Security so that she could further expose her crass ignorance and mischief to the same members of the unsuspecting public she wanted to hoodwink. I patiently await her acceptance of the debate challenge — good riddance to bad rubbish.

Ajibola is Vice President, Africans in Diaspora writing from DR Congo.

A pro-democracy group, Democracy Support Coalition lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his sterling performance at the Town Hall meeting organized and broadcast by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) tagged ‘The Candidates’.


President Buhari, who appeared on the programme with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, highlighted some of his achievements since assuming power in 2015.

The group said Buhari during the programe clearly demonstrated his clear understanding of the issues militating against the progress of Nigeria as he responded to germane queries from Nigerians.


Rotimi Adeyemi, Esq, Executive Director, noted Bubari in the course of the programme was able to move away from theoretical and textbook posturing to demonstrate with real life project execution what he has done for the country and what he would be able to do when given another four years in office.


He said in a a statement that "No other debate can be more brutal given the candour with which Nigerians interacted with President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo yet they were able to satisfactorily sell their vision for the country in a way that completely convinced the electorates that voting for the other candidates would amount to wasting ballot papers.

"All what these other candidates have offered from their other engagements pale in relevance to what the APC candidate has promised.

"We encourage Nigerians to accept President Buhari as the best choice for the country especially when the short and long term solutions to the problems of the country can only be found in the template he has presented. He has the kind of courage needed to address these problems.

"Some other candidates might have presented rosy solutions but a deeper assessment of their promises clearly show that they are busy trying to impress their fans even when it is obvious that their proposals are unworkable while they themselves lack the will and experience to implement such assuming their solutions are practical in the first place.

"It is impressive that the President subjugated his candidacy to the needs of the nation as he did not shy from saying the truth in response to the questions of Nigerians during the Town Hall Discussion Program.

"Other candidates would have, out of desperation to win, lie their way through the entire programme in the hope of deceiving voters. Their lies would have been propelled by their being addicted to manipulating facts to appear saintly when they had never for once in their lifetimes harboured any good intentions towards the country.

"We congratulate President Buhari for seizing the opportunity provided by the programme to engage with the citizenry, which he has done at all times the chance presents itself to engage with Nigerians. His habit of stating matters the way they are without hiding behind deceptive words is responsible for his ever growing following amongst the masses that form the support base that will hand him another term of four years in office.

"The contents of the shallow promises being made by other candidates are well known to Nigerians. They range from those that have concluded on how they will sell national assets to their friends to those who want to use Nigeria as the guinea pig in their next economic experiment and to those that want to officially commission the country as a drug hub.

"President Buhari on the other hand has rendered a satisfactory account of his under four years of stewardship, which gave the assurance that another four years will make the plants he has sowed to begin yielding fruits.

"We are therefore able to conclude that the results are in already and President Muhammadu Buhari is the winner in the round about convincing citizens on how Nigeria should proceed in the next four years."

By Sani Dikko

I know the pains and challenges of leadership. A leader who is genuinely concerned about the peace and welfare of his people, but faced with seeming intractable problems on this path, agonizes every day and night pondering a solution.



But I also absolutely believe that positively deploying the potency of past experiences in leadership is very rewarding. It assists the leader immensely in avoiding pitfalls of yesterday to package today’s governance demands in manner that provides durable solutions to etch his name in history’s gold books.



The two-tenured Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kashim Shettima regrettably finds himself in this dilemma at the moment. His nightmare is the sudden resurgence of Boko Haram insurgency in his state.



I vividly remember when he roared at former President Goodluck Jonathan about the raging, uncontrollable fires of insurgency in his domain; and the government’s docile and complacent posturing in arresting the ostensible drift of Nigeria into a failed state.



I love Governor Shettima. At least, he got the desired relief when President Mohammadu Buhari reinvigorated and re-energized the Nigerian military and directed the Nigerian Army to lead the counter-insurgency operations in the country.



It was sweet respite for Gov. Shettima and his people, when the military was rejigged and forcefully chased out all the insurgents and rescued the 20 LGAs under the captivity and Caliphate administration of Bolo Haram .



I was glad that he truthfully recounted this progress last week, when he led a delegation of a broad spectrum of respected Borno leaders to President Buhari. Except, I am wrong, but Shettima is divulging this secret for the first time under President Buhari.



Shettima said; “Mr President, Sir…Borno State suffered it’s worst times between 2013 and 2014. In that period, Boko Haram abducted our children, attacked and took firm control of 20 out of the 27 local government areas of Borno. In these 20 local government areas, they established caliphates and put in place, sovereign administrators who strictly enforced tax systems and violent laws. They abused our young daughters.”



He purged himself of a concealed truth. Thereafter, our Governor broke down in tears, in public glare of reporters and blistering cameras. I feel for him.



Our military had extinguished whatever were Boko Haram’s fires. Normal life had predictably returned to 98 % of Borno territory. And all of a sudden, the insurgents are trying to bounce back, violently to cancel the peace and security. These insurgents are attempting to flatten the joy and happiness of several families and communities in Metele, Baga and Guzumala among others. It’s a tale of blood, pains, sorrows and agonies assailing the Governor’s psyche.



Even as Chief Security Officer of the State, Gov. Shettima has no inkling on how the reversal of soldiers victory against Boko Haram insurgents has come to again afflict his people. So, when he wept in the presence of President Buhari, some Security Chiefs and top government functionaries, it filled me with empathy for him and the people of Borno.



At this point, it became clear to me this emotional leader has lost his composure; it was evident he is no longer in control of his right faculties of thoughts as a leader of his people. And my suspicion proved me right when he presented a 10-point memo to Mr. President at an executive session.



And rightly, it is not every security matter that is thrown to the public for consumption. But a reliable security source which confided in me free returning back to Maiduguri, mentioned some points that ought not to have constituted part of the 10-point demands in the memo to President Buhari by Gov. Shettima and his team of elders and leaders from Borno. If it is true, the Governor goofed terribly.



Surprisingly, our Governor wants members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) to carry automatic weapons. And perhaps, operate as a parallel force battling Boko Haram terrorists together with the Nigerian Army, Nigerian troops or other security agencies. I do not doubt the assistance the CJTF has rendered to the winning streaks on war against insurgency, not just in Borno, by the Northeast.



Even the military leadership has publicly acknowledged efforts of the CJTF and appreciated some members of the group by automatically absorbing them into the Nigerian Army to obtain proper military training to become formal fighters for the liberation of their caged people. But the request of arming the generality of CJTF members to operate alongside conventional security agencies to battle insurgency is weird and outrageous.



I don’t know what influenced Gov. Shettima and his other leaders to adopt this decision to boldly present to the presidency. But it sounds to me more convincingly that they never wore their thinking caps. (no insults intended).



I don’t want to believe these leaders have forgotten this soon, how Boko Haram started in 2002 in the build-up to the 2003 general elections and it has become a monstrous national insecurity problem.



Has Shettima and his bands of elderly leaders forgotten how the then serving Borno state Governor, Sen. Ali Modu Sherriff who was desirous of his reelection in 2003 by hook or crook under the Obasanjo Presidency recruited these youths from neighboring Chad and Niger Republics? Sherrif armed them to prosecute his second term bid, which they succeeded by clamping down on his perceived enemies?



After achieving the purpose for which Sherriff brought these armed political “thugs;” that resentful politician abandoned them, without retrieving the arms. From 2004, these political thugs, led by Mohamed Yusuf became hungry because their principal abandoned them.



And with sophisticated guns, and other deadly weapons in their possession, the instincts of survival, naturally pushed them into kidnapping for ransom and eventually armed robbery. And they made great success of this evil trade and survived on it.



That government (Governor) never took any step to recall these armed boys. They morphed into the strange sect, we now know as Boko Haram, when security agents began to challenge their despicable activities. But my Governor, Alhaji Shettima and his clan of elder/leaders have forgotten this history and excitedly sought permission of Mr. President to arm CJTF again!



The reasons Shettima gave for the justification of armed CJTF are funniest. Shettima claimed armed CJTF would be in a better position to fight terrorists; that they know it more than armed Nigerian troops? And that the CJTF knows everything about terrorists in their midst, more than trained security personnel?



I don’t find this amusing in any nuance. It’s just a display of official brainlessness and unfounded desperation. I now understood why he wept openly.



I could not discern the rationality of why a state Governor who said in public that under the Buhari Presidency his state and the people have enjoyed greater freedom from Boko Haram after Nigerian troops reclaimed 20 LGAs seized from terrorists? And he thinks the Nigerian military have failed to a point only armed CJTF can rescue the state? This is a huge joke of the year.



And after thoroughly disgracing himself, Shettima and his elders requested for the redeployment of all Borno State Indigenes in the military, the Police and other security agencies to be posted to the state to fight for him and insurgency. The message to Mr. President is that he no longer trusts the current Nigerian Military or their troops on the warfront in his state.



Again, we can excuse Gov. Shettima’s thoughtless request for the nepotic posting of military officers to Buhari.



But when he admitted publicly in the media that President Buhari rescued 20 of his LGAs from Boko Haram Caliphates, the theatre Commander of ‘Operation Lafiya Dole,” headquartered in Maiduguri was Major Gen. Lucky Irabor who led the onslaughts. Gen. Irabor is from the South-South. I just can’t understand how some Nigerian leaders think!



Shettima evidently can’t effectively govern his state, as Chief Security Officer. But feels he can dictate how the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Buhari or the Nigerian military should run its internal deployments.



I am sure Shettima now knows how difficult it is to administer a state, much more an entire country. Leadership self-discipline should now restrain him from making fluid and embarrassing requests on security.



If Gov. Shettima wishes to create another wing of Boko Haram to add to the existing four, its entirely his business. But I don’t think President Buhari is that lame to grant such potentially dangerous requests on security.



If Gov. Shettima after nearly eight years as Governor has suddenly realized himself, let him learn some lessons from his obscure predecessor, Ali Modu Sherrif. These frivolous requests on security are apt testimony that Shettima and Borno elders have not learnt enough lessons from Sheriff.



Or probably, they have ulterior motives on some fresh agenda they want to execute in connivance with a set of political actors who are walking hard to truncate and reverse the victory against terrorism. Are they the promoters of the resurgence of Boko Haram terrorism in the Northeast? But President Buhari is ready to deflate them in words and actions.



Dikko is a public affairs commentator based in Abuja.

A Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Good Governance and Change Initiative has reacted to the recent face-off between Daily Trust Newspaper and the Nigerian Army over a report published by the media outfit.



Daily Trust had published a story about the army preparing to take over Baga, Borno State from Boko Haram, a story the military authorities tagged as insensitive.



Irked by the development, some soldiers stormed the Maiduguri office of the media house and picked up its regional editor, Uthman Abubakar, alongside a reporter.



They have since been released.



Reacting to the development, the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations for Good Governance and Change Initiative chided the newspaper for betrayal of trust and working for the terror groups.



Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi,

National Coordinator of the coalition; tasked the Nigerian media on the need to uphold national interest.



According to Okpokkwu, leaking sensitive security plans to members of the terrorists group would rather cause more harm than good to the nation.



Okpokwu said, “As some analysts have questioned, why has Daily Trust/Sunday Trust never published exclusives that alert the Nigerian Army to impending Boko Haram attacks. Why has the publication never provided information on Boko Haram/ISWAP on scale that corresponds to what it has published about the military?



“Their failure to publish these kind of details about terrorists, which would have been a patriotic thing to do, is a clear indication that something is fishy somewhere since they can give out the kind of information they gave out about the army. Taken against the pro-Boko Haram stories that had been published by this organization, there is ground for a deeper suspicion.



“The publication of these classified details by Sunday Trust has gotten us reviewing past attacks on military posts by terrorists in new light with the benefit of hindsight. It will appear that there are reporters in the employment of Media Trust that are ardent members of Boko Haram and ISWAP.



“These disguised terrorists must have been regularly passing information received in trust as journalists to Boko Haram and ISWAP hence the sustained leak that has made it possible for the terrorists to ambush military convoys and attack military posts with deadly consequences. What we do not know at this point is if Media Trust as an organization has it as a policy to deploy its publications to provide information terrorists. The rapprochement it will reach with military authorities would confirm or disprove this.



“We had wished that the Nigerian military had not visited the premises of Media Trust in Abuja and Maiduguri to invite the journalists and editors that committed this breach. Had they not been invited yet we would have been having a citizens’ action against that organization because in the long run it is the citizens that have been put at risk by that publication. But the step taken by the military has stayed our hands while the intervention of the Presidency has reminded us of the need to revert to dialogue in seeking redress from Media Trust for this breach of trust on its part.



“Our coalition has monitored the response to the failure of the Sunday Trust publication to respect the ethical consideration needed for handling security related classified information. We see that efforts are being made by a vocal minority to obscure the core issues involved in this matter. Sentiments are at play when the focus should have been on how to set applicable benchmarks in handling information related to the war against terrorism so that troops are not unnecessarily placed in harm’s way and for them to be able to in turn protect Nigerians.



“The issue has also become fodder for politicians that want to play the populists card by insinuating that the invitation to the media staffers that breached ethics is a clamp down on free speech. The heating up of the polity is therefore another of the negative consequences of what the newspaper has done.



“In all these, we recognize the place of the liberties guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution. Among them is the empowerment of the media to hold the government accountable, which is also at the heart of freedom of expression or press freedom. But these freedoms are moderated. Basic journalism textbooks teach the need to be considerate of national security, which does not appear to have been the case in what was published in the Sunday Trust. So when the issues of press freedom and the war against terrorism are taken in the proper context and from the proper perspective then Media Trust betrayed public trust.



“Leaking troops’ movement in the name of news stories, special reports and exclusive stories has become the hallmark of some media organizations in Nigeria. This development is highly uncalled for in view if the risk it poses to the country. We further appeal to the media to understand when the misuse of the power of the pen becomes a danger to society.



“The Nigerian Army should work with the nation’s intelligence agencies and the Department of State Services (DSS) to review the accreditation for journalists covering the defence beat and the war against terrorism since the prospects now appear strong that persons impersonating as media representatives are among those passing information to terrorists.



“We appeal to the Army to be magnanimous in accepting an apology from Media Trust, agree on corrective and remedial steps and put this matter behind it so that it can return to focusing on clearing out the terrorists from Nigerians soil.”


http://www.thedrumonline.net/2019/01/armydaily-trust-face-off-nigerian-media.html?m=1

By Rotimi Adebayo

The dictionary defines esprit de corps as “a feeling of pride and mutual loyalty shared by the members of a group.” It is not unusual for some drivers to intone “esprit de corps” when they get to a police checkpoint in the hope that it will afford them faster passage in the belief that the officers on duty would not like to delay one of their own with intense search and documents check.
The concept extends beyond the military and para-military services. Each professionals in each industry or sector are mentally programmed to acknowledge and defer to their own as per “esprit de corps”. Bankers will not allow fellow bankers queue up to be attended to by the cashier, medical workers and their relations would never be denied of bed spaces or medicine on account of shortages, just as policemen will not put their colleagues through the rigours of screening at checkpoints. In the media, it manifests as a tendency for journalists to protect fellow journalists, including being less critical of the write-ups submitted by colleagues and declining to publish contents that are critical of colleagues.
But it comes to a point where colleagues know that esprit de corps will not cut it. This could be on the account of the risk to society from cutting a colleague unnecessary slacks. A doctor or lawyer will not waive situation for a colleague to the point that their own licences would be in jeopardy. Policemen would not give a free pass to a colleague that has left the fold and joined armed robbers or bandits.
Why then do the journalists and the entire media industry continue to extend esprit de corps to Ahmad Salkida, who from all indications has long renounced journalism as is not more of the chief propagandist for the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) with occasional freelance work with Boko Haram? It is dangerous situation that has to be addressed because of the risk it places the entire country into. But the media continue to publish his terrorists’ propaganda and even make the injury more grievous by labelling his poison as “special report”.
It is true that Salkida once worked as a journalist. But his tendencies to be sympathetic for the extreme and wicked pitched him against those with the interest of the country at heart. Irrespective of him winning some “awards”, which have turned out to be facilitated by the same axis of evil sponsoring Boko Haram, the reality is that Salkida could not endure the rigours imposed by the need for journalists not to take sides. So he deviated, got himself into untenable situations and eventually fled the country.
Salkida has since then lost touch with the noble objective of the pen profession. He graduated from being a journalists to being a vested interest in the activities of Boko Haram and later ISWAP. His support for these terrorists not just as a member but also as a negotiator. His contribution to the insurgents is legendary. Going by his antecedents, his interest is to see blood flow and more blood, enough to form a crimson flood.
It is interesting that he usually surfaces when a decisive military onslaught against his group is in the offing. His modus operandi has been to write so called exclusives and special reports that are practically his own way of passing cryptic messages to ISWAP and Boko Haram. In these his reports, he violates the counter-terrorism legislation of any country on earth as he constantly admits his deep level contact with internationally designated terrorists.
This makes it surprising that media organizations, in the bid to identify with a former journalist, fall into the trap of becoming accessories to supporting terrorists by publishing or syndicating Salkida’s propaganda material. If he were a soldier or police and desert his work to support terrorists will he still be accorded the fraternal consideration given to fellow military officers? The continued tolerance and support for this one time journalists falls short of expectations on this score.
It is interesting to note that international media organizations that once quoted him as a respected source are beginning to drop him from their stories. Their reason, while not stated, could not be unconnected with the realization that they would be breaking the law in their own countries by identifying with a known terrorist. It is baffling that the media in Nigeria are yet to respond appropriately to this danger.
By continuing to give him their platforms to pass information to Boko Haram/ISWAP members the media expose the entire country to risks, particularly since his articles have been adjudged as instrumental to the terror group’s recruitment drive and fund raising through ransom negotiation for abducted persons.
The logical thing is to suggest that media organizations immediately distance themselves from Salkida and his poisonous merchandize. But some will resist this call on account of their affinity with him in the wrong belief that “once a journalist always a journalist” not realizing that he ceased being that long ago and is now a full-fledged terrorist propagandist. Those that wish to keep publishing his work must therefore exercise the necessary caution, get those that are knowledgeable to vet the work before publication. But the safest bet is to shun content from Salkida to escape the risk of working for terrorists.

Adebayo is a forensic psychologist, writing from the University of Lagos.

Source: http://www.streetreporters.ng/salkida-time-to-thread-with-caution/

By Richards Murphy

In the numerous years, I have been a researcher; I haven’t come across a disjointed research work as the one released by the International Strategic Studies Association, ISSA on how corruption amongst the top brass of the military is fuelling Boko Haram war. The report was more of conjectures than facts. Its conclusions were also legendarily defective. And to put succinctly, it was indeed an abysmal job, both in plot and execution.

I recall I took the pain to peruse the report for fresh insights into the Boko Haram insurgency given the fact that I have written extensively on the phenomena and gaining more insight into it would not have been a bad idea. But I was disappointed so much so that I had to pen this article to raise concerns on why the relevant authorities in Nigeria should not allow organizations or individuals to make a mess of the psychology of Nigerians.

As mentioned earlier, the ISSA report falls short of a quality research work and also capable of misleading members of the unsuspecting public. I think the report was released ostensibly to cause disaffection among Nigerians in the build-up to the general elections. And what I found curious was the attempt by the writers to paint the Muhammadu Buhari administration in a bad light by making a string of accusation on the death of Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh and Major General Alkali. They also touched on former NSA Sambo Dasuki. It was such a weak plot in my opinion.

I stand to be corrected; there is more than meets the eyes in that report released by the ISSA. There is every reason to believe it was a hatchet work by those that are desirous of seeing to the disintegration of Nigeria. Just as I have mentioned in numerous forums, the Boko Haram dynamics has transcended the borders of Nigeria. The level of external support it garners is mind-boggling. And one of such external support is in the deployment of propaganda.

The ISSA report can thus be classified as propaganda for Boko Haram. I drew this conclusion because, in the opening paragraphs, it stated thus “The present situation is that the Nigerian Government has completely and comprehensively lost control of the engagement with Boko Haram and can show no instance when the Government presently has tactical, theatre, strategic, or information dominance of any aspect of the conflict. Moreover, the insurgent groups grow stronger, and the Government forces grow weaker and more beset by morale collapse.”

I could not come to terms with such and wondered how the ISSA could be privy to such information. Some questions needed answers in my mind. Questions such as do they have an office in Nigeria? Do they have researchers on the ground in North East Nigeria? How qualified are these researchers if any? And how long did it take for the ISSA to put the report together? Needless I add that the report which was released on 28th December 2018, quoted an incident that happened the previous days. Yes, it was that bad a report.

This is a disaster Nigeria must avoid in its totality. Nigeria as a fact must rise against such agents of destabilization. If this is not the case, I wonder what else should be the case when organizations hide under the umbrella of for the good of humanity to perpetuate evil.

I think some of these organizations that pride themselves as international organizations have outlived their usefulness. They have also lost focus and made itself available to agents of destructions in return for monetary gains.

The ISSA is a disaster Nigeria must avoid as there is no iota of truth in what was published as a report. The insinuations, the half-truths, the hastiness, the lack of coherence, the poor execution of the plot, the missing links, and the plenty question marks all point to the fact there is an ulterior motive. The ISSA is no any different for the likes of Amnesty International that has continued to spread falsehood in Nigeria especially about the Boko Haram war. As it stands, it seems the easiest way for some of these organizations to get funding for their activities, is when they create a narrative on Boko Haram that negates the gains recorded by the Muhammadu Buhari administration since it came on board in 2015.

To make matters worse, the report by ISSA didn’t have footnotes or references. What it had were quotes lifted from some newspapers. And this is supposed to be a report by an international organisation. Is this what Nigerians should take seriously? Doesn’t it further state the obvious that it might be one of those hatchet jobs? Whichever way we look at it, the truth remains that the report was very uncharitable and of poor taste meant to discredit the present administration as well as the hierarchy of the Nigeria military, and also in a way dampen the morale of the troops fighting Boko Haram terrorist in North East Nigeria.

As it stands, it behoves on all well-meaning Nigerians to resist such groups from destabilizing our country. Members of the fifth estate of the realm must also play a part by refusing to do the bidding of these organization by promoting their propaganda against Nigeria. And not just that, they should also go the extra mile by exposing some of the half-truths contained in the report. Nigeria is home, and there is nowhere else to go, and as such we must remain and salvage it together.

Murphy wrote this piece from Calabar.


Source:
http://www.suncitynewsng.com/opinion-issa-the-disaster-nigeria-must-avoid/

By Amos Badeh

Let me begin by extending my heart-felt sympathy to the family of former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd), who was in December 2018 gunned down by the bullets of suspected assassins on the Keffi-Kaduna road while returning from his farm. I also commiserate with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and Nigerians over the unfortunate and sad demise of the former Air Chief, a brilliant officer.

Ordinarily, the death of anyone is sad enough regardless of the circumstance leading to his death. It is not supposed to become part of public polemics, discourse or analysis. But we are in partisan era and the proclivity to politicize every matter or incident and even, twist its facts is very prevalent especially by members of the opposition PDP in the country.

In PDP’s reaction to the assassination of Alex Badeh, very inciting innuendos have been adopted to point accusing fingers at the FGN led by President Muhammadu Buhari as responsible for the brutal murder of the Air Chief. PDP has dropped a masked hint that it knows the killers of Badeh even before security agencies could conduct investigations to unravel the truth.

PDP’s National Publicity Secretary and Director, Media & Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Organization, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan excitedly trumpeted that the death of the Alex Badeh occurred, just weeks before he was scheduled to open his defence, in the N3.9 billion alleged fraud preferred against him by the FGN. It is insinuated unambiguously that the government could have been responsible for his assassination.

Other PDP apologists like former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani Kayode (FFK) also scribbled a lengthy, but meaningless treatise also reinforcing the extrapolation that Alex Badeh could possibly have been murdered to by government to cover up some “hot” revelations of the arms probe case against him in court. I couldn’t get the nexus as preached by PDP minions and prophets.

Alex Badeh is standing trial over alleged corruption, which was committed under the expired government of the PDP. So, how could the ‘dreary” facts in the custody of Badeh implicate President Buhari to the extent of seeking to terminate the life of the former CDS?

There is no plausible connection in this bemusing theory; outside its propaganda value played in public domain against the incumbent government by PDP over the Air Chief’s assassination.

But PDP is pushing this veiled narrative with gusto and venom in its illusion to weaken the rival camp. I cannot expect anything less from an association and assemblage of unconscionable men.

So, PDP has become both a political party and criminal investigators of high profile crimes. Therefore, they are also offering possible “clues” to high profile assassinations. The party has usurped the official responsibilities of the Police; the DSS and other arms of security agencies.

The manner PDP members celebrate the unfortunate deaths of Nigerians, with stylish the comments is indication that there is something beneath the coating. Its not mere coincidence to me listening to them vomit such implicating gibberish each time a tragedy or dark clouds hovers on Nigeria. The message the party and its members are circulating clearly is that they are happier when Nigeria boils or mourns.

These vituperations from the PDP’s supposed leaders over any calamity which bedevils Nigeria at any time is not strange. It gives me the impression that these band of power mongers plot and knows the target of what they want to achieve.

Last December, the 2019 PDP’s Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar came to the fore with what the demigods in his party have been perpetrating against Nigeria. It was like an exam “expo.” Atiku shamelessly declared that herdsmen killings would continue if Nigerians fail to vote out President Buhari or the APC government in 2019.

What such outbursts means to a lot of Nigerians is open to varying dimensions of interpretations. But what I have not found sufficient grounds to dispute is its bad intentions. What followed Atiku’s repulsive comments were the resurgence of the herdsmen attacks or armed banditry attacks in Zamfara, Katsina, Plateau, Kaduna, Adamawa, Taraba, Benue and scores of other states.

The PDP presidential candidate’s utterances blends with the renewed actions of enemies of Nigeria or the killers, who have sworn an oath to make the country ungovernable for President Buhari. It is designed to portray him as incompetent and helpless in order to bargain for 2019 electoral victory in favour of PDP. No leader who truly loves his country would speak in the manner Atiku articulated no matter the persuasion.

There is every need for all Nigerians to begin to ask the PDP some basic questions. As discernible from their dispositions’, its clear they work behind the scenes and know why Nigerians cannot have respite from herdsmen terrorists, kidnappers, assassinations, armed banditry, armed robbers terrorizing us on our highways; the other façades of killings and violence across the land.

The PDP knows why Nigeria cannot have peace from union strikes. If President Buhari decides to increase the pay of civil servants by introducing a new national minimum wage, I find it difficult to reconcile NLC’s threats of industrial action to compel its implementation.

The same national leadership of NLC has not called for strike to enforce full payment of the old minimum wage in states that have refused to adopt or opted for strikes to compel State Governors indebted to workers and pensioners by months of unpaid salaries to do so. When I analyzed and rationalized these actions, it told me clearly that PDP is the shadows behind every restiveness in Nigeria.

An African adage says, if the owl, (the evil bird) cries at dawn and a little baby dies at break of day, you do not need to search far for the killer, (paraphrased). PDP leaders and members know exactly what is happening to Nigeria; I have every reason to believe they are the veiled instigators and sponsors of the violence, attacks, carnages and massacres of innocent and defenseless Nigerians for political reasons.

And lastly, since the PDP knows the killers of Alex Badeh, let them be bold enough to publish the identities of the assassins and their sponsors. Anyone who is sure of his facts or armed with the truth does not hide his mouth to speak. I challenge PDP to redeem its name now or stop speaking in parables and allow security agents do their job.

Badeh wrote from Mubi, Adamwawa State.


Source: http://www.streetreporters.ng/badeh-questions-pdp-must-answer-before-its-too-late/

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has been accused of sponsoring a fictitious report through International Strategic Studies Association (ISSA) to mock the families of late Chief of Defense Staff, Alex Badeh and General Idris Alkali.

The Convention for Democracy in Nigeria, popularly known as CDN made this claim on Thursday, urged the relevant authorities to call the PDP to order over its “lust for the blood of innocent Nigerians.”

CDN said one ISSA is being used by the PDP to churn out mischievous stories just to heat up the polity ahead of the 2019 general elections in Nigeria .

Abraham Uke, the National President while addressing a press confer on the development, described as insensitive the politicization of the murder of Badeh and Alkali by the opposition party as a tool for propaganda.

Uke said, “Unfortunately, what the PDP has succeeded in doing is to mock Nigerians with the death of some patriots in recent times. This habit is consistent with the party’s history of insensitivity to the pain it has inflicted on citizens, which has continued to echo as the insecurity that the country continues to deal with till date. It is this same insecurity that is responsible for the deaths of the various gallant commanders that the report now attempted to read meanings into.

“Politicising the deaths using the report is insensitive and the PDP’s attempt to malign the Nigerian government with the killing of Badeh and Alkali is irresponsible even for a group of people that were long ago described as a nest of vipers. This desecration of memory of the departed is purely a prop for the purpose of elections. The intention is to instigate crisis in the polity and cause ethnic and religious strife that are all geared towards destabilizing the 2019 General Elections.

“Proof has started emerging that the whole report is one huge scam especially when PDP’s arrowhead, Senator Bukola Saraki (Senate President) and Mr. Uche Secondus (PDP National Chairman) could not resist the temptation of being in a selfie with one of the talking heads they had financed to go on a television network to defend the lies in the report. Evidence have equally emerged that it paid premium rates to promote the report so that it has an extended play in media circles. It is no coincidence that someone that has been on television justifying the tales by moonlight document also met the men that have been making political capital out of the lies told in the report.

“Our worry is that as the elections draw nearer there would be more lies that could cost the life of Nigerians. The party that has been responsible for the killing of innocent Nigerians under various guises like herdsmen/farmers crisis, Boko Haram insurgent, bandits and other crises will strike again and find a way to blame it on the incumbent government. The PDP is addicted to the strategy of packaging crises and gifting them to “Nigerians so that they can turn around to claim they alone should be entrusted with solving the problems they created in the first place.
As a non-partisan platform, Convention for Democracy will not sit down and watch any Nigerian or group of persons destroy the peace of the country. No one’s ambition is worth destroying Nigeria for and PDP should know this better with the benefit of experience.

“We therefore warn the PDP in the strongest terms to desist from using the misfortune of some Nigerians to promote disunity and hatred against the federal government, the military or any other agency. The accusation against the federal government may make the PDP feel like it is gaining political millage but the reality is that the suspects arrested for the killing of these former military chiefs and other Nigerians will simply plead innocence in court and point to the PDP report as indicting different people for the crimes.”

Source: https://dailygazettengr.com/2019/01/03/pdp-sponsored-fictitious-issa-report-to-mock-badeh-alkalis-deaths-cdn/

Perry Brimah is raising funds on GoFundMe with the claim that the money is meant for feeding Nigerian troops fighting Boko Haram terrorists in the northeast of the country.

As of the time of writing this, the page has raised $25 of the targeted $45,000 with some interesting things about the campaign started on December 31, 2018. Brimah donated $20 of the $25 so far received while only one other donor has given $5 to the campaign, “Food For Nigerian Soldiers”. The poor response does not mean the mischief that is afoot should be ignored.

Three things come to mind here. One, Brimah’s fundraising is the product of mischief, a political statement – a parody, another of his antics to irritate the military leadership. Secondly, the brain behind ‘Every Nigerian Do Something (ENDS) is broke and is stylishly extorting good natured international donors so that he can raise some money to cover his personal expenses and possibly make up for his inability to effectively join the looting class in Nigeria. Thirdly, Brimah could be frontally attempting to raise funds that he will make available to extremists, pocket the balance for his personal use, and get under the skin of the military leadership while at it.

In the first scenario, for some unexplained pervert reason, Perry Brimah had made it his life goal to oppose everything that stands for order and peace in Nigeria. The Nigerian military, as with other nation, is symbolic of the country’s ability to deal with threats and keep citizens safe from security threats. Brimah has consistently stood against this so he always finds a way to attempt irritating the military. The GoFundMe campaign is therefore possibly a continuation of his earlier misinformation and lies about starving troops. Some accounts had it that the brain behind ENDS went as far as getting actors in military costumes to depict starving soldiers scrambling for food. His social media associates then tried their best to make these videos trend until their lie was found out and the tale of starving troops fizzled out, even though these associates of Brimah’s continue to refer to their fake news as basis to accuse authorities of not caring for troops.

The second possibility of a financially broke Brimah is equally plausible. After all, the campaign he ran for the Islamic Republic of Iran to deliver propaganda content in favour of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) has largely failed. If a disappointed Iran is not willing to fund Brimah in 2019 owing to the gross failure from the preceding year, it is only logical that he finds another revenue stream to accommodate his lifestyle of opulence.

In this regard, one must credit him for being a savvy investor who trended the faked video of starving Nigerian soldiers ahead of time knowing that it will one day come in handy for defrauding unsuspecting donors. This possibility becomes even credible knowing that Brimah will not be so magnanimous to finance the same troops that subdued his IMN clients.

As for the likelihood of running the GoFundMe campaign to covertly finance terrorists and extremists, that too is not far from the truth whether the money eventually goes to IMN, Boko Haram, IPoB or any other extremist and terrorist group that Brimah is sure can help destabilize Nigeria.

Like the fundraiser, IMN is by now enjoying limited goodwill from Iran after it is unable to show appreciable returns for the years of financing other than the shambolic violent protests in Abuja in the latter half of 2018; Brimah’s efforts could help deliver the needed financial lifeline that will buy IMN time before staging spectacular attacks that will revive Iran’s interest in their affairs. Boko Haram has possibly not earned much from kidnap for ransom and robberies in recent months so this overnight philanthropist may in reality be trying to collect money from the trusting public to ensure the terrorists do not run out of steam given the recent escalation in their attacks.

There is the catch-22 of how Brimah will get the raised fund to the troops. Is he going to hand over the money to the same military leadership he as severally accused of corruption without basis?

Even if he were going to hand the cash over the military top brasses there are no precedents for such. He cannot buy the food and distribute to the troops since this is fraught with risk to the soldiers – Brimah could be out to poison them en-masse with such food item so that he can achieve in one fell swoop what his terrorists-clients have not achieved in ten years. The mere fact that he is raising a fund that cannot be delivered to the intended beneficiaries is a red flag that all is not right with his latest venture.

Whichever of the foregoing is true, all of them may be true, there is need for concern and certainly action to shut down the GoFundMe account with the prospect of prosecuting Brimah in any court that has jurisdiction. The first concern has to do with abusing the trust of the donating public. The Nigerian Army has denounced the campaign with proof that its troops have the logistics and welfare they need. GoFundMe should take note of this and that a fraud have been committed. A random vagrant cannot be raising funds to finance the troops of a sovereign country that has budgetary provision for the same purpose. The fundraising therefore violates GoFundMe’s provision that prohibits the use of the platform for perpetrating fraud.

Where the fundraising is proven to be actually meant as an irritant to the leadership of the Nigerian Army, to the extent that the funds are raised offshore from nationals of other countries, it will constitute an act of aggression against Nigeria. This has implications for international relations among countries so those contributing to the fund should truly understand the implications of what they are doing. They must be exceptionally cautious because of what the antic is meant to achieve, which is distract the Nigerian military from effectively tackling terrorists.

The other possibility of raising funds for extremists and terrorists goes beyond immoral into the criminal territory. It places donors at risks of violating international anti-terror conventions, violates the anti-terror legislation of the donors’ home countries and clearly runs contrary to Nigeria’s anti-terrorism legislation. It is trite to assume that GoFundMe will not be proud to be used for financing terrorism and extremism anywhere on the face of the earth. The campaign must thus be shut down before further damage is done.

It is reassuring that the Nigerian Army says it is working with Interpol to declare Brimah wanted for this global fundraising. But it should go more than declaring him wanted. Additional steps include using the tools available on GoFundMe site to report Brimah’s campaign as a fraud, following up with a detailed petition to GoFundMe and sensitizing the world as to the dangers of given their money to this individual.

The fundraiser is a reminder that one aspect being overlooked by Nigerian authorities in the fight against terrorism is the sources of financing of the terrorists. It is a really bad situation if a character like Brimah can openly source for funds to give terrorists and not much can be done about. This should be a test case in how the country stops illicit financial flow to terrorists.

Kolawole PhD, a University teacher wrote from the Keffi, Nasarawa State.


Source:
https://www.thegeniusmedia.com.ng/2019/01/03/perry-brimahs-new-low-gofundme-fraud/

Borno State stakeholders have called on Governor Kashim Shettima to come out clean on what he knows about the unrest in the state.


The Borno Stakeholders Foundation, the umbrella group for concerned stakeholders from the three senatorial zones in Borno state, made this call on Tuesday.

The stakeholders were reacting to a recent statement credited to Governor Kashim during an extraordinary security meeting to discuss the state of insecurity in Borno state.

The group said it was unfair for the governor to mention that the Buhari administration hasn’t done its best in area of security in the state.

Shettima Ali Adamu, National President of the group, who made this observation in a widely circulated press statement on Tuesday , said Shettima has refused to make life meaningful for the people of the state, despite the availability of resources at his disposal.

He said, "For instance, the issues of unemployment have consistently remained on a high, thereby giving the hungry youths more and more reasons to pitch the tent with the Boko Haram group.

"The governor also failed to admit that his government has not deemed it fit to provide the much needed necessary infrastructure in the communities that were liberated from the Boko Haram strongholds.

"While it is understandable to members of the unsuspecting public to believe hook, line and sinker, the narrative of the governor, the Borno Stakeholders Foundation rebuffs and challenges Governor Shettima Kashim to have the courage to tell the people of the state how, he alongside the political elites have been of disservice to the people by the reckless manner funds meant for the provision of social amenities were spirited to private pockets.

"The Borno Stakeholders Foundation also challenges Governor Shetima Kashim to tell the whole world what he did with local government funds in the past seven years and why the Borno State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) threatened to go on strike over unpaid gratuities to workers in the past five years.

"The Governor might also wish to tell the whole world how he has been mismanaging funds meant for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state in the past seven years.

"Given the stated facts, the Borno Stakeholders Foundation wishes to call to order the actions of Governor Shetima Kashim which could be best described as the “Voice of Jacob and the Hands of Esau” as there is more than meets the eyes in the various security threats currently experienced in Borno state.

"The Borno Stakeholders Foundation has over time advocated for transparency and accountability in governance in Borno state, given the resources at its disposal, it should in the least be able to provide for its citizens especially in the areas of necessities of life. But ironically, this hasn’t been the case of governance under Governor Kashim Shettima.

"Instead, Governor Shettima Kashim has carried on in such a brazen manner that defeats common sense and unlike someone whose roof is on fire through his insensitive actions and inactions in the governance of the state.

"The Borno Stakeholders Foundation, as critical stakeholders in Borno State wishes to state empathically that Governor Shetima Kashim has failed the people of Borno state as regards containing the threats posed by the Boko Haram terrorists because it is unthinkable for a supposedly elected governor to ignore security advice, to misappropriate funds meant for victims of Boko Haram’s cruelty and also to be able to misrepresent facts in public domain all in the name of politics."

Source: http://www.streetreporters.ng/boko-haram-stakeholders-want-shettima-to-come-out-clean/

Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant Gen. Alani Akinrinade (rtd), has cautioned the media on false reports on happenings in the war against Boko Haram insurgency.

Akinrinade gave the advice at the 81 Division West African Social Activities (WASA), at 65 Battalion parade ground, warning that, “the exaggerated and sometimes entirely fabricated falsehood on the social media and the possible repercussion on the morale of our troops are incalculable.”

He urged the military to persuade the media to go to the front lines, to have first-hand information, pointing out that, “the media can be persuaded to have some of their experienced field operators to be attached to some of the forward headquarters.”

The former army chief said this was necessary to enable such capable hands in the media “to bring us authentic information as to happenings on the front-lines, to reduce the mischief that is pervasive on the social media.”

He commended the entire armed forces for their exploits in the past few troubled times, particularly in West Africa, where the flag was hoisted with pride and valour.

“I salute you all for the efforts you have exerted.

” I believe I speak for all our citizens when I say we recognise and lament the irreparable losses in both military and civilian lives and property. That  has been the hallmark of our lives in the past few years.

“Our hearts go out, especially during this festive season, to our men and women on Operation LAFIYA DOLE.

“I know the feeling, having spent three consecutive Yuletides in the swamps, mangrove and creeks of our country and the disparities then were not as stark as today.”

Earlier, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Musa Yusuf, in his opening remarks, said that WASA was aimed at celebrating the end of a successful operational year.

He said: “It is in keeping with this age-long tradition that we are here gathered today to witness yet another WASA.

“There is no doubt that 2018 was characterised by numerous security challenges, such as insurgency, farmers/herders clash, kidnappings, armed robbery, pipeline vandalism and other criminalities.

“To overcome these challenges, the division requires a high degree of professionalism by personnel which is achieved through realistic training.

“In this direction, 81 Division has conducted and implemented all training activities consistent with the vision of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and in line with the Nigerian Army Training Directives.”

He said the division would redouble it efforts toward ensuring that troops were adequately given mission and specific training.

The GOC said this was necessary, especially in anticipation of likely tasks the Division would be expected to carry out in the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

“I, therefore, urge all personnel to remain focused, professional and apolitical in carrying out their constitutional duties during the elections,” he said.

The Universal Watch Network has alerted Nigerians to be wary of a recently-launched ‘Terrorists Politically-aided Propaganda’ (TP2), which is meant to advance the cause of the terrorists that have been disturbing the peace of Nigeria.



The United State-based agency claimed the propaganda first surfaced as a report by Washington-based group, International Strategic Studies Association (ISSA) in the United States, which has now been repeated by many indigenous media organizations in Nigeria as intended by the originators of the report.



Dr. Roberts Gordon, Vice President, Political Affairs in an electronic release on Monday, observed that a deeper look at the document, however, revealed it to be a treatise that is filled with rehashed information, innuendos, half-truths and outright lies.



According to Gordon, “The report pushed the lie that the Nigerian government has lost the control in engaging Boko Haram while the country’s intelligence community is no longer sure of what faction of the terrorist group it is fighting. Nothing can be further from the truth since Boko Haram has not been able to achieve what its foreign sponsors had intended for it to achieve in Nigeria.



“Nigeria is no stranger to doomsday reports like the one issued by ISSA.

"The United States National Intelligence Council once issued a report that Nigeria will not exist beyond 2015 as it would disintegrate into smaller enclave states along ethno-geographic fault lines.



“Even when much was done to destabilize Nigeria to achieve this evil objective, the political maturity that produced the government of President Muhammadu Buhari in the same year and the patriotic disposition of his administration with a committed Nigerian Armed Forces frustrated the projection of Nigeria’s demise.



“It is most unfortunate and condemnable that the authors of this most recent report sat in meeting rooms of some plush hotels, far away from Nigeria, to insinuate that instances of random crimes that led to the deaths of highly placed Nigerians were masterminded by the state or its agencies.



“We know for a certainty that neither ISSA nor its allies could have gotten away with such criminal claims here in their own country of origin.

The conjectures presented as definite facts by ISSA could have been ignored as the product of ignorance steeped in imperial arrogance but the political connections they brought into their propaganda has exposed this organization as being propelled by an inordinate goal to achieve regime change.



“This is a reality that was corroborated by the similarity in the language style adopted in the report and the one in use by the main opposition in Nigeria in addition to parroting the position of opposition elements. Attempts at regime change that jeopardizes the safety of citizens is totally unacceptable and have no place in this age after the fiasco resulting from many such enterprise in other countries.





“We challenge ISSA to publish an objective report that acknowledges the role being played by western powers in arming, training and funding Boko Haram and its variants in Nigeria. We further task the group to fair disclosure on the nature of its relationship with the main opposition in Nigeria while also revealing the source of its funding. A failure to do these would confirm our assertion that ISSA is a terrorists supporting group hiding behind the garb of respectability and international label.



“In the meantime, we are alerting Nigerians to beware of ‘Terrorists Politically- aided Propaganda (TP2) like the ISSA report, which is calculated to do damage to the country. We envisage that more of such reports will be released in the coming days and they bound to become tools in the hands of politicians that will cite such report to vote against a government that has laid the foundation to giving Nigeria back to Nigerians as is the norm in other democracies.



“We urge the Federal Government of Nigeria to explore diplomatic means of calling ISSA to order since that organization’s activities directly threaten the wellbeing and security of Nigerians. The government must treat the report as a threat to the country and must not treat it with indifference.”

Dource: http://dailypost.ng/boko-haram-beware-political-terrorists-us-agency-warns-nigeria

The sustained efforts of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and as well as the political will exhibited by the President Muhammadu Buhari upon the assumption of office in 2015 was primarily responsible for the inroads the Nigeria military attained in the fight against Boko Haram in Nigeria.

This was contained in a report by the Centre for International and Strategic Studies (CISS) titled “The Battle Against Terrorism in Nigeria 2013-2018) which was released by CISS in December as part of its annual research work on critical sectors in Nigeria.

The report which was signed by Professor Ahmed Danfulani, stated that the CISS undertook the research with a view to dissecting the trend of insurgency in Nigeria, its dynamics and sophistication of its operations and how the apparent invincibility of the sect have raised fundamental questions not only about military roles on national security but also on governance issues as well as on Nigeria’s corporate existence.

The report revealed that, in spite of the setbacks the Nigeria Military had experienced in the battlefield, the Nigeria Army had made a significant breakthrough in breaking the ranks of Boko Haram fighters from 2015 with the advent of the Muhammadu Buhari Administration.

The report stated that “The Buhari led administration has shown tremendous political will towards protecting lives and properties in Nigeria. The Nigerian Military has engaged the Boko Haram Terrorists in a battle for the soul of Nigeria. In the process, phenomenal successes have been recorded as indicated in the Global Terrorism Index. It is, therefore, sufficing to state that all the remarkable successes recorded by the Nigerian Army under Lt Gen TY Buratai occurred between 2015 to date.”

The five themed report captures the emergence, activities, mode of operation, ideology and the international dimension of Boko Haram. It also focused on the counter-insurgency attempts of the Nigerian military under former President Goodluck Jonathan and President Muhammadu Buhari. Emphasis was on Civil-Military relations in Nigerians North East, as well as the response of Buhari led administration in curtailing the Boko Hara threat.

“The state’s response to Boko Haram since 2009 has been characterized by extreme complexity, especially in regards to the relationship between federal, state, and local government levels, and the inevitable institutional tensions between security services – military, police, the State Security Service (SSS), and other governmental agencies – and civil society groups including traditional and religious institutions.”

“The turning point of the Boko Haram insurgency occurred in 2009 after a four-day battle between Nigerian security forces and Boko Haram members in Bauchi, Kano, Yobe, and Borno state, all in northern Nigeria.

"The confrontation led to the death of over 800 suspected Boko Haram members including its leader Mohammed Yusuf and other high profile supporters of the sect including Alhaji Buji Foi, a former commissioner in Borno State, and Baba Fugu Mohammed, the 72-year-old father-in-law of Yusuf.”

As regards government response to the Boko Haram threat under President Muhammadu Buhari, the report stated that “among his earliest acts in office was to replace the heads of the army, navy, and air force. The new army chief and the commanding officer in charge of operations against Boko Haram both hail from northern Nigeria, and by many accounts they have taken a more proactive approach than their predecessors toward countering the group. For example, they moved the army’s operational headquarters from Abuja to Maiduguri and had deployed more long-range patrols in the region.

"Experts suggest that the army is now conducting more strategically-focused operations, such as those that target Boko Haram’s logistics routes.”

According to the report, morale within the army has improved under the new leadership, and suitable conditions for the safe return of the more than two million people displaced by Boko Haram’s violence has been ongoing since 2015.

“the Muhammadu Buhari administration has achieved much when pitched in direct comparison with the efforts of the former regime to manage the insecurity menace in the North Eastern region of the country where the insurgency has thrived over the years.”

This is however in contrast to the defense and foreign affairs report published by the International Strategic Studies Association. The report blames “corruption among higher-ups in the military high command for the faltering war against Boko Haram, and also that the Nigerian government had completely and comprehensively lost control of the engagement with Boko Haram and could show no instance when the government presently had tactical, theatre, strategic, or information dominance of any aspect of the conflict.”

However, the CISS report counters the position of the ISIS report, which appeared hastily put together due to some factual inaccuracies and illogical conclusions noticed in its analysis. This was the case as it is evident that the present government had responded to the overwhelming activities of insurgency through soliciting international assistance to get rid of the domestic terrorism posed by the sect.

“President Buhari also sought for greater support from other friendly nations to combat the challenges posed by the sect and also calling for the support of developed countries to assist in the area of intelligence gathering on the sect’s movements, training and sources of arms and ammunition.”

The CISS report further stated that President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda against corruption has ultimately resulted in more transparency and accountability in the persecution of the War against the Boko Haram Insurgency.

“The administration started by replacing the upper echelon of the military, investigated the misappropriation of security funds by 300 companies, military officers and security personnel and even individuals connected to corrupt practices during the former administration. This “crackdown” encouraged the US to offer military aid to the country amid reluctance due to fears of human right abuses and widespread mismanagement of the Jonathan administration.

“In a bid to strengthen trust and transparency in executing the War against terrorism between the military and the general public, the command center of Operation Lafiya Dole conducts a media briefing on the progress and setbacks of the operation.”

A top security officer who pleaded anonymity stated that ISIS report might have been a sponsored work done by some sympathizers of the terrorist network to smear the image of President Muhammadu Buhari and by extension the service chief so it can lose the international appeal it has garnered since 2015.

“Interestingly, we know where the report emanated from. For a start, the supposed organization is not based in Nigeria and could not have been privy to the details it claimed in its report. And you cannot use days to research and produce a report, as evident in the report that was supposedly released in 28th December and was quoting an incident that happened the previous day, 27th of December” the source stated.

Another top military source who didn’t want his name in print gave credence to the report by The Centre for International and Strategic Studies (CISS). He stated that though there are a few noticeable lapses, in the long run, the report conveyed facts in a most professional manner worthy of commendation.

Source: https://issuesinngr./2018/12/31/report-gives-details-of-how-buhari-administration-gained-control-of-boko-haram-phenomena-since-2015/