Nigeria @60: APC Youths laud Buhari, military for leading country against terrorism

Ahead of Nigeria’s 60th independence anniversary, the APC National Youth Solidarity Vanguard has saluted President Muhammadu Buhari and the military for putting an end to Boko Haram activities. 

The APC youths, in a statement through its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Abdulmuminu Kabir, on Wednesday said President Buhari has kept his promise of securing the country and defeating the terrorist group. 

As a nation, the group reckoned that Nigeria has faced several setbacks but none was as “disruptive and destructive like the security challenge of the Boko Haram sect”.

The APC National Youth Solidarity Vanguard, however, noted that the tale is different now.  

While acknowledging the return of peace to the North-East and across the country, the group said the President and military chiefs deserve commendation for the successes recorded thus far, especially with the nation’s diamond jubilee on the horizon. 

Read the full statement below:

In a few weeks from now, our great country will be celebrating 60 years of independence from colonial rule. This is quite a milestone considering that several countries could not attain this landmark year in unity. Despite our diversity and several many challenges, the Nigerian spirit has always triumphed.

In the 60 years of self-rule, we have had our challenges and problems, which largely we have been able to surmount. A civil war, assassination of the head of state, coups and counter-coups, failed elections as well as successful ones. There have been civilian transition programs and very successful transition ones.

In all of these challenges, however, none could be as disruptive and destructive like the security challenge of the Boko Haram menace. It was indeed a challenge that tested the fabric of our unity to the thinnest shred. The Boko Haram crisis is/was indeed a massive challenge for the nation. The mismanagement in the early stages of the insurgency by the government in power then would later become costly for all of us.

At the early stages when the nation still had the opportunity to nip the activities of the terrorist group in the bud, this opportunity was missed by the previous government. Rather than envisage the awaiting disaster if the issue wasn’t promptly and carefully handled, they resorted to blaming games. They accused each other as sponsors of the terrorist group.

We won’t forget in a hurry how a top government official in the past PDP government accused the PDP of being behind the Boko Haram attacks. That was how disunited and disoriented the party was in its management of the Boko Haram crisis. It squandered all the opportunities to curb the spread of the terrorist in the early days before they became a fully-grown dragon.

We all here know the history, how that by the time the PDP government was chased out of power in 2015 through a very popular election. Several local government areas were already under the full control of Boko Haram terrorist. Never in the history of the country since independence had anything like that happened. It was really a sore point in our history.

Tens of thousands of lives were lost. Several millions of people were displaced from their homes. School children were kidnapped from their dormitories, young boys slaughtered in their school dormitories. Barrack was attacked and Abuja the federal capital was not even spared. Police headquarters, UN building, shopping malls, bus terminals etc were attacked even in the federal capital territory Abuja. It was simply a disaster on that day.

It is important sometimes to refresh our memories in order to appreciate where we are now as a nation. Today, there is no local government under Boko Haram control as we speak. President Buhari has kept his promise of securing the country and defeating the Boko Haram terrorist group. The president in his campaign promises had always been clear that without securing the country we can not talk of any progress which was why he took the issue of security as paramount.

One of his first foreign trips, when he became president, was to firm up discussions and support for the operations of the Multinational Joint Task Force MNJTF to help tackle cross border activities of the terror group. Next was the appointment of very sound professionals as service chiefs of the Armed forces. The careful selection of this great men to head the military was a great plus in the battle against insurgency as we will later see in the character and style of leadership of these men.

Within weeks of their appointment, we had started seeing changes in the security situation. The President ordered the relocation of the command and control of the theatre of operations to Borno state. With this arrangement, the newly appointed chiefs complied immediately. The chief of army staff specifically was on the ground with the troops for several weeks, working with them, strategizing and finding solutions with them. This brought about the great motivation for many of the soldiers who had been demoralized and were losing interest in the profession due to the several mismanagements of the security crisis by the previous government.

Within a few months of the APC administration coming to power, the story of the North East region began to change. The hitherto demotivated soldiers became super inspired, change in leadership within the army also help boost morale and gradually the army started fighting back taking back territories from the terrorist.

Life gradually started returning to normal in the northeast region of the country and people in the displaced communities were able to return back to their homes after several months and in some case years of fleeing the same place. The military cleared off the terrorist group from almost all the states in the North East. Of course, they still carry out some cowardly attacks like suicide bombings in some parts of Borno State once in a while but there is no doubt that Boko Haram has been badly decimated.

We commend the President for the successes recorded in tackling the security challenges of the Nort East Region. For those who may want to take this lightly, they should remember that there was a government that faced the same challenge but could not manage it but rather made the matter worse of than it was initially. We must therefore appreciate the effort put in by the APC led government that yielded this positive outcome.

The successes recorded has not just been in the North-East Region alone. The security challenges in the north-west region are gradually abating, especially since the army launched the operation Sahel Sanity, which has witnessed a lot of success stories in the short while the operation was launched. Several bandits have been neutralized, many more arrested. Bandits camps in Zamfara, Sokoto and Kastina states have been raided and cleared of the rampaging bandits. Normalcy is also gradually returning to the north-west states. States like Zamfara that were hotbeds for bandits activities are largely very peaceful now. We hardly hear of such bandit activities now.

The Niger Delta, despite initial crisis in the early months of the APC government, has now witnessed calm for about the longest period ever since the return to democratic rule. The adequate funding for interventions such as NDDC, Amnesty fund and other intervention programs have helped greatly to restore calm in the region. Also, the military operations such as operation Pulo Shield and later Operation Delta Safe have also helped to keep a good check on criminality in the Niger Delta area. We must also commend the men and women of the Nigeria Navy for the work they are doing protecting our marine resources.

The soul south-east region is not left out in the security arrangements. The initial violent agitations by vicious secessionist have been quelled by the operation Python Dance. Of course, without peace, there can be no talk of development. We thank you Mr president for quickly quelling the quest by some misguided element s to destabilize the south-east region. Our people in the south-estate is quite resourceful and enterprising. Definitely, their many businesses would be badly affected by any disruption of the peace there. We commend your prompt intervention to forestall break down of law and order in that region.

Security in the North Central region has greatly improved we have not forgotten the days of the several attacks in Plateau State, Barkin ladi, Bokkos etc. The many attacks in Benue State as well. The aforementioned places are now peaceful and normal life returned to the areas. All of these were not achieved by mere puffing around but by hard work and dedication to the course of restoring peace to these areas.

Mr President, one of the reasons why we campaigned for you in 2015 was because we believed in your ability to tackle the issue of insecurity headlong and we are glad and proud today that you have not disappointed. Though it was challenging and sometimes difficult be are glad you did not lose focus we are indeed happy that your efforts are now yielding positive results.

The Operation crocodile Smile has also helped the south-west region greatly, the bandits terrorising Ikorodu axis and some areas of Ogun State have also been tackled. The issue of kidnappers in some forest in the south-west has been greatly reduced.

We commend Mr President and the service chiefs for their dedication and commitment to the restoration of security across the country. W e encourage you not to relent at this time when normalcy is gradually returning. We hope the current efforts will be sustained so that the enemies of the country will not get the opportunity to return back to business.

We want to let you know that we and indeed many Nigerians are really behind you and we will remain so.

Fuel, Electricity: Suffer now, enjoy later, APC tells Nigerians

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has appealed to organised labour not to allow opposition narratives on the deregulation exercise and electricity tariffs to hoodwink them.

The party admitted that it was not unmindful of the financial strains brought by the increase in fuel pump price and electricity rates, but assured that with little endurance, Nigerians stand to enjoy gains soon.

Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the ruling party, Yekini Nabena made the appeal in statement shortly after the government-organised labour meeting was deadlocked Tuesday in Abuja.

According to the APC, “We urge stakeholders, particularly the organised labour such as the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) not to be hoodwinked by skewed opposition party narratives on the deregulation exercise and electricity tariffs.

“The same partisans have failed to account for and return trillions of naira stolen from national coffers in the guise of subsidizing fuel and the degrading of the electricity sector under their watch despite huge allocations and subsequent theft of the resources meant go improve the sector.

“The All Progressives Congress (APC) is not oblivious of the financial strains brought by the increase in fuel pump price and electricity rates. We urge Nigerians to endure now and enjoy gains soon.

“The reviews are crucial and hard thought decisions by government. On the positive side, the short and long-term benefits on the citizenry and our national life will become obvious and directly felt in critical sectors such as health, education, infrastructure and social services targeted at the poor.”

The party noted with shock the estimates by the Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research (NISER) which reported that the budget for fuel subsidies in 2019 was sufficient to enroll the entire population of Nigeria in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), adding that fuel subsidies took over N10 trillion of our national resources since 2006.

“At least, the generality of Nigerians and stakeholders agree on a thousand and one reasons why fuel subsidy has become unsustainable. The perceived benefits of fuel subsidies have long been overtaken by the previous corruption and drain on scarce resources that should be directed to other critical sectors.

“In line with the current administration’s deregulation drive and move to increase private-sector participation in the petroleum sector, the task before us now is to improve our local refining capacities which we are already on course to achieving and maintain a competitive, market-driven, transparent and accountable petroleum pricing template which meets global best practices, particularly in a developing country such as ours.

“While government works assiduously to solve the country’s electricity challenges permanently, it realizes that many Nigerians and businesses still rely on alternative sources for power supply to meet electricity needs, hence its current focus on improving electricity and service delivery while also protecting poor and vulnerable Nigerians from arbitrary and estimated electricity billing.

“As with government’s decision to increase Nigerian worker’s minimum wage and other social investments, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration takes the welfare of the citizenry seriously.”

The party then appealed for the understanding of the organised labour and civil socities by supporting government move at fixing the economy. “We call on all stakeholders — government at all levels, private sector organizations, labour unions, civil societies, students and youth groups to support governments decision on the ongoing deregulation exercise as the citizens will be the ultimate beneficiaries.

“We urge stakeholders, particularly the organised labour such as the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) not to be hoodwinked by skewed opposition party narratives on the deregulation exercise and electricity tariffs. The same partisans have failed to account for and return trillions of naira stolen from national coffers in the guise of subsidizing fuel and the degrading of the electricity sector under their watch despite huge allocations and subsequent theft of the resources meant go improve the sector.

“We urge all to support the current administration’s economic policies to uplift Nigerians,” the party concluded.

NCAC recovers Abuja land for Art and crafts village, unveils catering institute

Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, said his organisation has been able to recover about five hectares of land meant for Art and Crafts village which were illegally acquired by some Nigerians in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

Otunba Runsewe lamented that the country has left behind the biggest secret, which is the development of culture and tourism, adding that about 17 countries in Africa rely only on that to develop their economy.

Speaking as the chairman of occasion at the grand launch of the Masterminds Catering & Culinary Institute (MCCI) Tuesday in Abuja, the Art and Crafts boss said Art and tourism is the only sector that nobody is a failure, adding that even with F9 one can can be useful.

“The biggest secret this country is leaving behind is the development of culture and tourism. Over 17 countries in Africa today rely on this product. MCCI has done something that reawakening us to the reality of life. The sector is the only sector that nobody is a failure, even if you make F9 you are useful, you don’t need PhD to make Amala.

“So many graduates are at home doing nothing because we need people that have practical knowledge of what they are saying. That is why I am personally supporting MCCI for all of us to cash into it. It is a capacity building approach which we all need.”

Revealing how he recovered about five heaters taken away from Art and Crafts village, Runsewe asked: “How many of you know Yar’Adua Centre, Silverbird, all these places in Abuja, including the back were meant for the Nigerian Culture to promote Arts? But they cut it from 23 hectares to 3 hectares and sold the rest off.

“When I became Director General, they approached me that Otumba, don’t let your own be different, that is how we do and I said no, posterity will judge us. Do you know that some of you read it that Otumba was arrested. Nobody arrested me. They planned for me to intimidate me to withdraw my statement and a Judge pronounced me wanted to go prison. I called a press conference and I told the whole world in that land we met 26 stolen cars, four armed robbers living there, some AK47 guns, cocaine. That land I have recovered it back for the government.

“The whole land in that area is owned by Arts and Crafts village but it has been taken over and sold.

“I know some of them have been built but the ones that have not been built we must take it back and give it to Nigerians.”

When asked about the faith of Silverbird Galleria and Ya’Adua centre, Runsewe said: “Those ones are already built there’s nothing we can do about that, but the remaining ones, we have enough space to do what we can do.

“Now we are going to open it and all of you will be there and you can see that during the tenure of Otunba Runsewe something has been done.

We recovered the remaining 5 hectares to make the total 8 hectares. At least it is better than none. What is most important is that that property today belongs to you and me, it belongs to every Nigerian.”

Runsewe, however urged Nigerians to change their attitude toward development of Art and tourism in Nigeria.

Speaking earlier, the keynote speaker and former presidential candidate of the Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party of Nigeria (ANRP) Tope Fasuba, urged Nigerians to strive to add to the forward movement of Nigerian economy through hard and smart work.

“We must keep engaged, doing something, creating something, all the time. We must deploy, motive and empower ourselves,” he said.

Also speaking, the the MCCI Rector, Mrs Khadijat Fashina, revealed a plan to partner relevant government agencies to organise the first Taste of Abuja Festival.

The organisation said it is coming on board to alleviate poverty and bring about gender parity for men and women to learn the skills on the culture of how to be excellent and give excellent service delivery in the hospitality industry.

Fashina, said the Taste of Abuja festival will showcase local ingredients, local delicacies, local crafts and arts.

Fashina said: “There is a festival that happened all over the world and I was privileged to attend the taste of Abu Dahbi which was supported by so many hospitality industries all over the world and technocrats and I felt it will be very nice to replicate same here with the Taste of Abuja.

“We are here to close the skills gap in the hospitality and tourism sector.

“We believe and know that hospitality industry is one of the industries that provide the highest level employment anywhere in the world and we want to be partner in achieving the dream of putting Nigeria on the world map as one of the best hospitality destinations.

“We will use our knowledge and skills and facilities to make sure our learners get the proper skills set that will put them at par with their contemporaries all over the world.”

The MCCI Rector also revealed that the institute will empower about 500 individuals in the next two years.

“It is our target that in the next two years, mastermind catering institute would have trained over 500 enthusiastic individual in the hospitality in various sectors of the industry which are food and beverage production, food and beverage service, hotel accommodation and house keeping service.”

Gana: Youth Leaders commend Army Over killing of notorious criminal

….condemn the use of ethnic slant to glory evil in the land

Some youth leaders from Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States have commended the Nigerian Army over the killing of militia leader, Terwase Akwaza, popularly known as Gana. 

The group at a joint press conference at the Unity Fountain, Abuja, on Tuesday, expressed total confidence in the troops to “continue to defend our people from the other Ganas and their political allies that are still out there”. 

In a statement co-signed by three of its representatives, Comrade Ibrahim Kabir Dalla, Comrade Kifasi John and Comrade Agbara Thomas Abeda, the Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba Youth Fora said its delegation would visit headquarters of Operation Ayem Akpatuma III to appreciate the troops for all their efforts and commitment. 

The fora noted that the people of Benue, Nassarawa and Taraba will not forgive Gana in a hurry for all the atrocities that he committed such as killings, banditry, cattle rustling, rape and industrial-scale sacking of entire villages and farmsteads.

According to the group, the Benue State Government was insincere all along with its supposed amnesty program.   

“This militia warlord was not unknown to the Benue state government, which was the reason political leaders were packaging the one-sided amnesty to provide an easy exit for Gana at a time that government troops were closing in on his position. The shabby manner in which the amnesty was packaged within Benue state and poorly communicated to its neighbours and the Federal Government attests to the skeleton in the cupboard. The same goes for the level of contact that Gana had with traditional rulers in the areas in which he operated. The state government has contact with Gana, certain political leaders had contact with Gana and the traditional institutions were in constant touch with the now deceased militia leader,” the statement said. 

“Yet, all the aforementioned did not for once prevail on him to stop flooding their land with human blood. They only prevailed on him to seek refuge in the amnesty programme only when it was clear that the laser target of the military was irreversibly locked on him.

“Armed with this background, we, the youths from Benue, Nassarawa and Taraba States came together to review the circumstances surrounding the killing of the notorious terrorist, Terwase Akwaza aka Gana, who reportedly engaged the troops in a firefight.

” From our factfinding, the troops did not engage in any act of extra-judicial killing as it took professionalism to deliver the kind of precision strike that ensured that no other person than the wanted terrorist was killed while his fighters were arrested.

” We, therefore, make bold to exonerate the troops even as we vow to stand by the Nigerian Army and the troops of Operation Ayem Akpatuma III as they continue to defend our people from the other Ganas and their political allies that are still out there and are even angling to replace the killed militia warlord.  

” The fora resolved to send a delegation to the headquarters of Operation Ayem Akpatuma to appreciate the troops for all their efforts and commitment to the unity of the Nigerian state. Nigerians are proud of the troops and its leadership and will continue to urge them to stop at nothing until the last criminal is flushed out of the north-central and by extension the northeast”.

The group, however, condemned the use of ethnic slant to glory evil in the land. 

It said those who have expressed opposing views are evildoers, killers and mercenaries against the people of Nigeria.  

The group further expressed confidence that with the end of Gana politicians will no longer be able to visit the people they are supposed to protect with evil and peace and tranquillity will finally be restored to the once peaceful communities. 

Buhari, military efforts in North- east under-reported – Don

A University lecturer at the Kwararafa University, Dr Uzah Thomas, has observed the prevailing security situation in Northeast Nigeria and what has been reported in the media and concluded that efforts of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and that of the military in dealing with security situation in the region is grossly underreported.

Dr.Thomas who is also the head of Mass Communication Department of the University, said the percentage of progress by the Nigerian military in the fight against terrorism, insurgency and banditry far exceeds what the public has been made aware of.

“What I’ve seen has opened my eyes to so many things and I must say that President Buhari has lived up to his promise of tackling the security situation in the Northeast,” said Dr.Thomas who is on a tour of the Northeast east organized by an international NGO  with some local CSOs to ascertain the return of peace to Northeast Nigeria. 

He said, “Before embarking on this tour, I am one of those who have expressed reservations about any claim to victory by our troops.

“This is because the reports and comments on both the mainstream and social media on the fight against terrorism and banditry, have not been sufficient to convince me that the progress is being made.”

He said the under reportage could be as a result of two things: “either the military has not been blowing its horns enough or the press has refused to do the needful by putting the right and sufficient information across to the general public.” 

Dr. Thomas said either way, the low level media coverage is not fair to the military which have given everything including their lives to secure and defend the country. 

“These are men and officers who have given up everything; their comfort, families and even lives to be at the battlefield, yet we have not shown appreciation by projecting the right image of what they are doing at the battlefield,” he said.

The University Don said going by what he has seen in the tour of the Northeast, media houses should have in addition to on the spot reports,  written copious editorials and commentaries to commend the military.

He said in saner climes, apart from reporting what happens at the battlefield, media houses make it a point of duty to support patriotic causes and actions by adopting editorial policies that promotes their troops.

Dr. Uzah said he expects no less from the Nigerian press who are aware of the level of destruction by the Boko Haram in the Northeast before they were defeated by the Nigerian military.

He said the fact that no less than 20 number of local governments across three states of the federation have been recaptured by the military should have inspired copious verses eulogising the military. 

He added that from the point of view of a mass communication expert, it would appear that the terrorists are faring better in the media with their cheoa lies and propaganda. 

“Almost every day you hear that Shekau has either done this or that or that he has released a video clip on YouTube either claiming victory or threatening people.

“But reports about military conquests are done without follow-ups and accompanying features and editorials that would put the stories in their right perspectives.

“This is why many are of the opinion that not much has been achieved by the military despite the huge success recorded in the regard,” he said.

Dr. Uzah said he can confirm from the tour that peace has returned to most parts of the Northeast and that majority of the communities hitherto living under the threat of terrorists are now living in peace. 

The Don pleaded with pressmen and online journalists to shed more light on the President’s achievements in the six states in the Northeast. 

“I encourage to embark on similar tours to see things for themselves and confirm how roads, markets, worship centres and schools have been reopened,” he stated .

He said despite pockets of attacks on soft targets in some parts of Borno State, there are overwhelming evidence that President Buhari has done tremendously well in securing the Northeast. 

Dr. Thomas said if the people of the Northeast want the military to consolidate on its feat so far, they also need to contribute.

He said, “Boko Haram will be a thing of the past if the stakeholders in that area avail themselves of the strategies in other areas.

“These include cooperating with the military and giving the necessary information as well as encouraging the political leaders to engage the youths in productive ventures.”

He was full of commendation to the NGOs for initiating the tour saying they have set an agenda for the media.

Truthful words that make one proud of our military

By Emmanuel Kolawole

The role of the Nigerian Military in the preservation of democracy in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. This much has been stated in numerous forums due to her exploits in fulfilment of its constitutional mandate of preserving the territorial integrity of the country as well as its invaluable interventions in internal security operations across the country. The exploits of the Nigerian Military in the preservation of democracy in Nigeria dates back years, and in recent times it has become pronounced hence this piece.

Taking the past five years as a case study, one would indeed be confronted with exploits that speak volume of a military that has stood in defence of democracy in Nigeria. The case of Oyo State indeed suffices where the Governor of the State, Seyi Makinde paid glowing tribute to the Nigerian Army for maintaining an impartial stance during the gubernatorial elections in the state.

In his words “I could not have been the Governor of Oyo State if not that the Nigerian Army stood its ground and insisted on impartiality during the elections. I must, therefore commend the Nigerian Army for its impartiality and professionalism.”

These are indeed strong words to use in describing the Nigerian Army in its efforts towards the sustenance of our nascent democracy in Nigeria. And why Nigerians from all walks of life must see it as a national concern to support the operations of the Nigerian Army towards ensuring that the activities of terrorist and other militant groups do not thrive in any part of the country.

I know for sure that there has been an orchestrated campaign by some forces against the peace and unity of the country against the Nigerian Army. They have made wild allegations and attempted to malign its leadership led by Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai for no justifiable reason and forgetting the fact that indeed this is a different epoch in the life of the modern-day Nigerian Army.

They have also attempted to drag the Nigerian Army into the murky waters of politics by accusing it of taking sides in the discharge of its duties. But what the majority of Nigerians do not know is that the Nigerian Army of today is indeed a professional force that is committed to protecting our nascent democracy rather than get involved in politics.

I know for a certain that the coming of Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai as the Chief of Army Staff indeed changed the operational effectiveness and focus of the Nigerian Army. This much can be seen in the various innovations that he has introduced in ensuring that the Nigerian Army stays true to its constitutional mandate in the country.

Only recently, the Governor of Borno state, Babagana Zulum inaugurated the Tukur Buratai Institute for War and Peace as part of the concerted efforts to overcome the challenges of insurgency in the Northeast. The Governor stated that “the army is a reliable partner in progress and the state government shall work with the institute to design a template and programmes for peacebuilding, reconstruction and development of the communities.”

This is just an example of the commitment of the Nigerian Army in the entrenchment of democracy in Nigeria, and this much has been brought to the fore with the leadership strides of the Chief of Army Staff. Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai since he assumed leadership in 2015.

I recall some time in 2017, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai was conferred the Brazilian military order of merit award, which is the highest military honour in the country awarded to military officers, who had distinguished themselves in various military endeavours. The award was in recognition of Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai’s exemplary and world’s recognized leadership qualities and the Nigerian Army’s effort in the fight against terrorism and insurgency.

This is just one out of the numerous awards that have come the way of the Chief of Army Staff since he assumed leadership of the Nigerian Army. I think at this point I must state that the Nigerian Army of today is indeed a force to reckon with and a case study in counter-insurgency operations.

The Nigerian Army has indeed proved its mettle in ways too numerous to mention. And one of such ways was in the successful conduct of the 2019 general elections. Having observed the cycle of violence in our past electioneering processes, the Nigerian Army thus deemed it necessary to adopt a proactive and responsive posture that would allow a better response to early signs of insecurity before they could escalate into a major security challenge. It is in this light that it launched Operation Safe Conduct and also the establishment of a situation room for real-time monitoring of events across the country during the elections period.

This proactive step indeed paid off with the successful conduct of the 2019 general elections in the country, especially in post-election violence that has characterized previous elections in Nigeria. This is indeed commendable and portrayed the Nigerian Army as an organization that is indeed apolitical and one whose loyalty is to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not individuals, groups or political parties.

In all of these, one thing stands out, which is the fact that the Nigerian Army has proven to be a worthy partner in progress in the democratic experiment in Nigeria that all Nigerians should be proud of. Regardless of what some despicable elements want the members of the unsuspecting general public to believe, the Nigerian Army is indeed a professional force dedicated to ensuring that the unity of Nigerian remains sacrosanct.

Kolawole is former spokesperson, National Association of Nigerian Students and wrote from Akure.

Boko Haram: CSOs commend FG over resettlement of IDPs

Following an end to Boko Haram hostilities and restoration of peace in Gombe State, the Federal Government and the state government have been applauded for resettling Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) back to their communities. 

The Global Amnesty Watch (GAW) gave this commendation in a communique at the end of its assessment tour round the state alongside local civil society groups. 

In the communique signed by its team leader, Terrence Kuanum and released on Monday, GAW rated the state government high in its efforts to complement the successful clearance operation of the military. 

Gombe was at the thick of things during the peak of the Boko Haram crisis between 2013 and 2014, with hundreds killed and thousands rendered homeless.

In December 2014, a bus station bombing in Gombe city left more than 27 persons dead and over 60 injured. 

However, the state has witnessed a new lease of life in the last five years. 

The GAW said after transversing the entire state in 14 days, it observed that peace has returned and IDPs are now back to their communities, living normal lives. 

It added that the military through combat operations and surveillance effectively chased away the insurgents and secured the liberated communities. 

The group also showered praises on the state government for swiftly resettling IDPs. 

According to the GAW, the recent donation of land by the state government for the building of army barracks and others such gestures are welcomed. 

The GAW also commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for “freeing millions of people from the hands of terrorists and restoring their hope in Nigeria by returning them to their communities”.

It added that the ” Buhari administration has been a source of blessing to thousands of communities in Gombe State and the media and CSO’s should not fail to mention that as a way of encouraging the administration to do more.

GAW, however, suggested the need for global vigilance across the state to sustain the peace. 

It further called on other state governments having similar security challenges to learn from the Gombe. 

Security: Jubilation as Buratai extends Operation Sanity

By Subomi Adejare

The recent announcement by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai extending Operation Sahel Sanity for a further three months and expansion of coverage area to include states in North Central has elicited comments from stakeholders in states in North West and parts of North Central.

According to findings, it was observed that the news of the extension of the scope of Operation Sahel Sanity seems to have received the blessings of various community leaders, commentators, as well as religious bodies who have indeed commended the Chief of Army Staff for coming to their rescue in addressing the activities of bandits and other criminal elements terrorizing North-West Nigeria with their nefarious activities.

In close interactions with community leaders in parts of Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto states, they were full of joy for the efforts of the Nigerian Army in the restoration of sanity in their communities. According to the district head of Ungwa Shanu in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina state, he stated that since the commencement of Operation Sahal Sanity in their locality, bandits and cattle rustlers have been having a hard time.

“We now go about our various activities without fear because the Army has restored hope in our community. Since then, we have not experienced any attack in recent times, and we are very grateful to the soldiers for the great work they have been doing”

This view was also corroborated by a cross-section of market women interviewed across communities who expressed delight in the recent announcement of the extension of Operation Sahel Sanity till December. According to them, this is the best news for them because they would continue to experience peace in their communities.

“We thank the soldiers as they have been very cooperative with us. They ensured that bandits do not attack those people bringing farm produce from the farms to the market, and this has made food items available and affordable.”

A cross-section of cattle farmers that was interviewed stated that operation Sahel Sanity had indeed given them a respite from cattle rustlers who almost ran them out of business. According to a leader of one of the groups interviewed, he stated that before the coming of Operation Sahel Sanity, most of their members were almost in penury because they lost all their cows to cattle rustlers.

“I can’t remember the last time we experienced incidences of cattle rustling amongst our members since the Army launched operation Sahel Sanity. I can say for sure that indeed normalcy has returned to North West Nigeria because the soldiers gave the cattle rustlers a tough time. They stepped in when our source of livelihood was about being taken from us because of cattle rustling.”

In Zamfara state, it was a show of appreciation in communities visited. The various communities visited were bustling with commercial activities, unlike in times past where bandits and other criminal gangs terrorized the people. People were seen going about their normal businesses and upon interaction that sang praises of soldiers to high heavens.

The case of Zamfara state was instructive in the sense that the activities of armed bandits were at its peak that resulted in the loss of lives and the disruption of economic activities that elicited nationwide concern. Some commentators at the time questioned the efforts of the government towards the restoration of law and order in the state that was almost ravaged by the activities of armed bandits.

Religious clerics in the state were full of praises for the efforts of troops of Operation Sahel Sanity in the restoration of peace in the state. They stated the extension granted by the Chief of Army Staff is indeed a welcome development in the sense that it would enable the final restoration of normalcy in the state and other parts of North-West Nigeria experiencing security challenges.

Also a foremost social commentator in one of the states in North West, who didn’t want his name in print stated that the intervention of the Nigerian Army through Operation Sahel Sanity was indeed a masterstroke against bandits and other criminal gangs that hitherto made life unbearable for the people.

“Without mincing words, Operation Sahel Sanity is indeed a huge success within a short period. For those of us conversant with the situation then and now would indeed agree that a lot has changed. With the recent extension, all stakeholders in the region must come to terms with the reality that the only option left is to be partners in progress with the Nigerian Army if we are desirous of long-lasting peace in the region. This extension is indeed a welcome development.”

The views from Sokoto state also emphasizes the invaluable role of Operation Sahel Sanity in tackling armed banditry, cattle rustling and other criminal activities in communities in the state. This sentiment was echoed from a wide audience that consists of farmers, traders, artisans and others whose lives were once affected by the activities of bandits and other criminal elements.

The jubilation that has occasioned the recent announcement by the Chief of Army Staff is unprecedented, and it indicates that Operation Sahel Sanity was indeed a timely intervention in the restoration of peace in states in the North West region.
The views from some stakeholders gathered in parts of North Central also indicate the willingness to see to the success of Operation Sahel Sanity in the region. Various community and religious leaders interviewed were excited about the new development and commended the Nigerian Army for extending Operation Sahel Sanity to their domains which is fast gaining notoriety.

BANDITRY: MATTERS ARISING AS BURATAI COMES TO THE RESCUE

By Idoko Ainoko

When service chiefs were appointed in July 2015, like many people with keen interest in the polity especially security. I went further to dig into the profile of the newly appointed chiefs. They all seem to be great choices made by Mr President.

However one of them exceptionally caught my attention, Lt Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai. With a physically imposing figure, backed up with an equally impressive Curriculum Vitae. Buratai was already serving as the head of the MultiNational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) set up by countries within the sub region to help tackle the menace of the Boko Haram terrorist group.

I would imagine his performance at the MNJTF assignment must have earned him the opportunity to serve at a higher level as Chief of Army Staff (COAS). It seems Lt Gen Tukur Buratai more than anyone else understood the urgency of this President Buhari’s saying “We need to secure the country first before we can develop it”. Upon his appointment, Buratai moved straight into action. Within the first few weeks of his appointment he quickly grasped the task which was to get rid of the Boko Haram terrorist menace in the North East region of Nigeria. The core areas of emphasis were Adamawa, Borno , Yobe and some parts of Gombe and Bauchi States.

The group had become a menace in the North East region of the country, launching dare devil attacks on military formations, taking over whole local government areas and hoisting their Flags on Nigerian territory. It was a very sad sight to behold.

Then came the game changer, a few weeks after his appointment as COAS, the command centre of the theatre of operations of the Boko Haram war was relocated to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. Buratai as COAS practically relocated to Borno as well. He was not the general that would just fly over the battlefield claiming to inspect the troops, he was on ground with the troops at the theatre of war.

This must have been a great morale booster for the troops. This was a departure from the past where we heard that some chiefs were lodged in luxury hotels revelling away, whilst the country was losing territories. Buratai made sure that the issue of troop’s welfare was tackled to the root. He made sure allowances were going straight into the accounts of the troops at the theatre of war unlike what obtained in the past where they were paid through their commanders on the field and many were short changed,

Buratai, having worked as head of procurement in the Army at some point, moved quickly to streamline the procurement process within the army to ensure efficiency and transparency in the process. This action tremendously improved the supply of needed tools, gears and logistics to prosecute the war against insurgency.

Within a few months of his appointment as chief of Army Staff, the army under the leadership of Lt Gen Buratai had started taking back lost territory, Boko Haram that was carrying out dare devil attacks was now scattered and on the run. To some of us it was like a dream, to watch the same Army that fled a few months ago returning under a new leadership and taking back hitherto lost territory and almost everything changed.

Buratai upon assumption of office as COAS in 2015 had made it clear that the game was going to change and that was exactly what happened. He indeed changed the game. Buratai , made it a point of duty to continually spend considerable time with his soldiers at the battle front. There is nothing that boosts the morale of soldiers as much as seeing their commanders in the trenches with them. Buratai is a thorough bred soldier with many years of infantry experience, he even headed the Nigerian Army School of infantry at some point in his army career. His infantry operations knowledge must have rubbed off on the successful strategies deployed that helped decimate Boko Haram in the North east region.

With the success in most parts of the North East region, Boko Haram had been decimated and reduced to activities at the fringes of Borno State alone. The fleeing Boko Haram terrorist changed gear and moved into cowardly suicide bombing attacks and planting of Landmines, this was also tackled by our great Army under the leadership of Buratai. He, working with local partners empowered the Nigeria Army engineer to produce their own Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicle, this was a game changer as the army no longer had to wait for the long and tedious procurement process of getting this critical equipment abroad.

The general sure knows his onions, like he has always maintained the Boko Haram have been technically defeated. Nothing proves that more than the cowardly suicide bombing of the time, thank God the army has gotten on top of that now. Their remnants of the decimated terror group must have joined up with some other criminal elements to cause part of the banditry challenge in the North West region.

So, it wasn’t surprising when the Mr President gave the order to the service chiefs to end the menace of bandits in the North West region that Lt Gen Buratai was about the first to move in immediately. The operation Sahel Sanity was set up immediately to help tackle the crisis there. The idea behind the operation is to quell the activities of bandits and other criminal elements in the north east region.

Within few weeks of set up, the operation was already yielding results, clearance operations in Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina states successfully cleared out the camps of bandits in the forests in these states, several bandits were neutralized, many were arrested with arms and ammunitions recovered from them. The operation Sahel sanity has no doubt been a successful operation.

The establishment of super camps across the North West region has also helped tremendously to track down fleeing bandits. Many keen observers of the security sector have applauded and commended the Operation Sahel Sanity as very successful. With the level of success the operation is currently witnessing, I have no doubt that within a little time the issue of banditry will be a thing of the past in the North West region. It is always refreshing to know that the man in charge of a project is competent and committed and that is COAS Lt Gen Buratai for you.

Mr Game changer has left no one in doubt that he is on top of the situation and in a very short while banditry will be history in the North west , just as Buratai had proven himself in the North east, he will no doubt deliver in the North West region.

What is required now is the total support for the troops and the army. It is important that the local communities and indeed government at all levels support the Army in their bid to rid the region of bandits. The locals must be willing to expose those within them that are aiding and supporting the bandits with all sorts of logistics. It is very crucial to cut off these supplies of support with the help of the local communities.

Once this is done you can leave the rest to Buratai and his soldiers to handle, but the truth is that the army needs the support of local communities for speedy success.

Ainoko is a security analyst writing from Kaduna.

How Obasanjo, Atiku institutionalised national rot, APC tells Nigerians

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked Nigerians to ignore former President Olusegun Obasanjo, his former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) elements who allegedly midwifed national rot.

The APC said it is baffling that the same political actors that midwifed and institutionalised the national rot, corruption, impunity and eroding of value systems are the same posing as voices on the way forward in the country’s national life.

In a statement signed Sunday in Abuja by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of APC, the party said while it is within the rights of these political actors to write “skewed letters, spew empty, hypocritical, tongue-in-cheek and two-faced economic magic models in line with their Dubai meeting strategies, this administration is walking the talk with verifiable projects and people-centred interventions that is uplifting Nigerians.

“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo could start with telling us where the electricity is despite $16billion he spent on the power sector.

“Obasanjo’s deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar should account for the privatisation exercise under his watch which saw national assets sold off to friends and cronies with no benefit to the country. Successive Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administrations can also start by accounting for the trillions stolen from our national coffers in the guise of a fraudulent fuel subsidy regime.

“These political actors probably only listen to their own voices because Nigerians have long stopped taking them seriously as they simply lack the antecedents and moral credentials to guide Nigeria and Nigerians to the path of prosperity and progress.

“Instead of the “‘do or die’ lingo they introduced to our electioneering, votes are beginning to count as our elections improves steadily. Their abandoned projects which constituted drainpipes on national resources are being completed by this administration. The brazen culture of impunity and corruption which they institutionalised is being replaced by strong and accountable systems. The culture of roundtripping and the rested subsidy regime in the petroleum sector has been replaced by a deregulated and accountable petroleum pricing template. Instead of plotting how to sell of national assets, particularly the NNPC to friends, this administration is reforming public sector operations to ensure optimised service delivery.

“We are gradually eating what we grow. Our national emergency health response has earned global accolades and recognition as displayed by our COVID-19 response. Our defence capacity to respond and contain emerging security challenges is now tested and proven. How did Nigeria achieve this? A strong, people-centred and focussed leadership which the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration provides.”

Reacting to the ongoing debate on the removal of fuel subsidy, APC said “genuine patriots, reputable groups and organizations who are making honest contributions on the deregulation of electricity and petrol prices already see the decision as inevitable and the way to go.

“As it stands, Nigeria will save as much as one trillion naira ($2.6 billion) following the deregulation of the petroleum sector, the Petroleum Minister of State Timipre Sylva has stated.

“Nigerians trust that the freed up cash will be accounted for and be judiciously invested to develop other critical areas such as infrastructure, health care, education among others.”