Nigeria Times

Abubakar Gana PhD

Indeed these are interesting times in Nigeria. I am sad as well as happy for the revelations regarding the commitment of the Federal Government in the prosecution of the war against terrorism. For far too long, we have been fed with various tales from North-East Nigeria so much so that Nigerians do not know what to believe anymore.

This is indeed sad and an indication that something is wrong somewhere with regards to the actual state of affairs in that region. Being a development researcher with a particular interest in the North-East, I make bold to say that I have transverse the length and breadth of the region on various occasions in the assessment of the true state of affairs.

This piece is informed by a tour organized by the Global Amnesty Watch in the assessment of the efforts of the government in the restoration of normalcy to the once-troubled region. I had mixed feelings over the revelations that came about with the findings from the tour.

Initially, I was sceptical about this assessment tour given that I had previously sojourned the region on the invitation of an international Non-Governmental Organization sometime in 2014. I must, however, admit that it was such a huge risk in the sense that the environment was not convenient with the level of insecurity at that time.

This was also a period when the activities of the Boko Haram group were rife and occasioned with lots of killings and displacement of people in various communities. It was scary, and I must confess that I was fed with lots of misinformation and made to believe that the insurgency would last a minimum of 20 years before the North-East can recover from its effect.

I won’t say that we were deceived by the international NGO that organized the tour, though. Rather, they were brainwashed to believe a narrative and little did we know it was all part of a plot to justify their continued stay in the North-East and to attract more funding for their operations which has been questioned in several quarters.

Just like other researchers that were co-opted into the tour by the international NGO, we didn’t see the handwriting on the wall. We consequently went to town with all sorts of conjectures that suits the narrative of the group in their effort for the continued justification of their stay in the region.

Just like this international NGO misled us into believing that it would take Nigeria at least two decades to rebuild communities in the North-East fully, the same narrative was pushed towards donor agencies and countries. How was this possible? These NGO depicted a very terrible picture of the situation in the zone. Some went as far as organizing chaotic conditions in IDP camps, record and then send to donor partners and agencies.

That is not all. Some of these NGOs also went as far as bribing locals to comment negatively on the efforts of government towards alleviating their plight and protecting them from the Boko Haram scourge. It was that terrible. However, I must admit that my participation in the tour put together by the Global Amnesty Watch has indeed brought a lot of hard facts to the fore with regards to the actual state of affairs in the North-East.

As a first, I must give credit to President Muhammadu Buhari for his unalloyed display of commitment in the prosecution of the war against Boko Haram insurgency.

The revelations garnered proved that there is indeed a grand conspiracy against Nigeria in its efforts towards addressing the challenges posed by the Boko Haram terrorist group in the North-East.

This tour took us to Bauchi, Gombe and Yobe states. I must add that it was an eye-opener. Nigerians should not believe the propaganda planted in the media as regards the state of affairs in the North-East. I saw things for myself, unlike in the previous tour organized by the NGOs. I was not given video recordings to rely on; I was not given lengthy reports to read. Instead, we were allowed to take pictures and interact freely to form an objective opinion.

We were not under pressure to take a position; rather, we were encouraged to be as objective as possible with a view to putting issues in proper perspective. I must state that indeed tremendous work has taken place in North-East Nigeria after years of devastation by the Boko Haram insurgents. Aside from the efforts of the Nigerian Military which is essentially addressing the security threats, the government has indeed done all that is required towards rebuilding its economy through the provision of infrastructures and other conditions necessary for the return of normalcy.

It is my considered opinion that Nigerians would come to appreciate President Buhari more with the level of commitment he has displayed. Make no mistake, it takes a leader with a heart for the people to be this committed. It also takes one with an uncommon heart to govern with such passion as displayed by President Buhari.

The revelations from this tour of North-East Nigeria suffices and amongst the reasons why all Nigerians must continue to support this administration. And to think that all of these notable achievements have happened in the space of five years is quite commendable.

We must always give credit to whom it’s due, and it is my honest opinion that President Buhari is passionate about the growth and sustainable development of Nigeria. From my experience in the North-East, I can only imagine what is going on in other parts of the country. Yes, some might want to argue that the president hasn’t done much; I would understand such positions because we are in an era where there are lots of politically motivated conspiracies against the government in not just tackling insecurity, but other critical sectors of the economy.

The reportage of events in North-East Nigeria is one example. I am glad that at least I can now base my assessment of President Buhari objectively as a result of the first-hand experience and not hearsays, rumours, fairytale reports and propaganda.

It is consequently my firm belief that in the fullness of time, Nigerians would see through the conspiracies and come to appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari. I am glad that the tour is still ongoing and the revelations so far are pleasing as well as reassuring that Nigeria is indeed on a steady path to growth and sustainable development.

At the end of this tour, I firmly believe that more revelations would come to the fore and Nigerians would have no choice but to appreciate and support the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, giving him credit accordingly.

Gana PhD is a conflict resolution expert and wrote from Maiduguri

By Richard Murphy  

It was American author and philosopher, John Fuhrman who once stated that “Successful leadership comes from the willingness to, at first, do something incorrectly, face the consequences, make adjustments, and do it again – until you get it right.”

Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Zulum, as a good leader, has demonstrated a belief in dynamic leadership that learns from experience and brings out the better in him.
The governor may not have heard of the Fuhrman philosophy but going by the current cooperation he is giving the Nigerian military it could be said that Zulum may have decided to make adjustment to his earlier stance in order to bring quality leadership to his people.

Those who did not understand the dynamics of leadership had thought that going by the comments of the Borno governor on the military in the past, that he is one who sees nothing good in the institution and would always prefer to confront the military.

The governor had on few occasions challenged the military in what many have interpreted as his disposition to antagonize the institution. 
He had for instance accosted military men on check point  duties in Maiduguri in January and accused them of extorting commuters.
He also accused troops of abandoning the people and fleeing when there was an attack on Auno, near Maiduguri.

The height of it all was when he blamed the attack on his convoy on the military and threatened that after Sallah that he is going back to Kukawa and that if the military are not ready that he will use hunters to recapture Baga.

But lately,  the governor has shown remorse for his hot air vituperations on the military and has been accommodating and extending hands of cooperation with the troops.
His words at the Nigerian Army University Biu launching of the Buratai Centre at Buratai was captivating enough to show that he is a dynamic leader who wants to solve problems.
He was bold as a leader to apologize to the military at that occasion and even went ahead to praise their efforts. 

Zulum on another occasion at Ajiri village of Mafa Local Government Area while addressing hundreds of the newly returned IDPs,  called on unrepentant members of Boko Haram to lay down their arms saying  his government is doing everything possible to return all Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) back to their ancestral homes. The governor said the Boko Haram members should know that the IDPs who have returned or willing to return to their communities are directly or indirectly parents or relations of the insurgents that are eager to pick up their pieces and continue their normal lives.

He said, “I am using this medium to call on Boko Haram sect to lay down their arms for peace to reign in our dear state and the country at large.
“I am appealing to all of you to continue pray for the restoration of peace and cooperate with the security agencies in the fight against terrorism.” By these submissions, the governor can be said to be charting a new course for peace in Borno State.

His call on the terrorists to surrender and lay down their arms for peace to return is one of the ways experts have suggested for peace to return to the troubled state. This is because, as troops engage the insurgents in combat, there is the need to appeal to their senses of reasoning and persuade and convince the youths about the stupidity of their actions by people they know and respect. 

This is a genuine call that must be matched by actions and all the stakeholders in Borno State must come together to support him. 
The truth is, if every family in Borno State is calling their own to order and every elite in Abuja is calling out the terrorists, while every stakeholder is denouncing the terrorists as the governor has done, it will mark the end of the terrorists as they will also know that  Borno like other states in the Northeast east is no longer available for their evil ways. 

Experts have posited that once the terrorists are ideologically disarmed, the citizens will see the need to support the military and in less than no time the war would end. As the governor now accepts that the military is working and commends their efforts, it is sure bet that they will be encouraged to do more.

This is preferable to the earlier position of the governor that seeks to undermine their efforts. To be sincere, the military has given much to Borno that they deserve nothing less.

Between April and July this year, the military liquidated over 2,000 of the insurgents including not less than 20 of their top commanders while many of their informants were arrested. 
The military also made many of the terrorists to surrender and lay down their arms having come under superior fire power.

The efforts and sacrifice of the military since the insurgency began in 2009, cannot be over emphasized. The military since the coming of the current administration has been able to overrun the operational base of the Boko Haram terrorists at Sambisa forest and recaptured not less than 11 local councils in Borno State alone.

 The Nigerian military has made it possible for many IDPs to return to their communities and open up roads that were hitherto made too dangerous to travel on by the insurgents such that between 2015 and 2018 people do not need to cross check before setting out on any journey within or outside the state .

The Nigerian military had this year also been able to ward off attacks in so many locations in the state including the latest attempt to penetrate Maiduguri, the state capital. This is apart from the many interventions on the socio economic sphere like the building of universities. 

Of no less significance, is the call by the Borno State Governor on the terrorists to surrender. This is a big initiaitve coming from the governor as it would send the right signal to the insurgents that the political class that they are wary of is ready to accept them. This is Something that the political class in Borno have failed to do over many years ago. 
As Zulum has taken that initiative, it is not too late for others to follow as that would complement what the military is doing .

All Borno and Zulum’s kinsmen that want to support his administration must wake up to this call made by Zulum. They must support the Governor as he leads this politico-diplomacy engagement to end of Boko Haram in not only Borno State, but Nigeria as a whole.

Murphy is a security expert and wrote from Calabar.

By Lawrence Moghalu

Over the years maybe largely due to where I come from, I have had people tell me “these people are evil, those people are bad, they don’t like us, they are the reasons for our underdevelopment” etc. These words over time have built up feelings in me that had potentials to lead to hateful thoughts. However, in recent times, most of the things I have been seeing seem to negate these earlier thoughts. It is becoming more glaring to me that most people who peddle the heavily intoxicated hate message do so mainly from the point of ignorance, with barely any fact based reason but more of hearsay and falsehoods. And to think I was almost a disciple of this malicious doctrine at some point.
Latest events are changing my perspective for the better. The presentation of a 3-bedroom house to a retired warrant officer by the Nigerian Army at the instance of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai has really helped change my view.

The act by the COAS touched my heart greatly. The 85 year old retired warrant officer, Paul Ojo as the name implies is not from the same region nor religion as the Chief of Army Staff yet read what Lt Gen Buratai said at the presentation of the house to retired WO Paul Ojo “I was emotionally touched by your plight and consequently directed that an alternative permanent accommodation be secured for you and your family” These are the words of a caring leader.
For those not too familiar with the story. This is what happened, a retired warrant officer in the Nigerian Army, 85 years old Paul Ojo was evicted from his house by a state government and the house demolished. He was reported to have lost all his belongings in that process. You can only imagine what the man’s case would have been had there not been an intervention like this from the Chief of Army Staff.
Acts like that of the Chief of Army Staff are rare in Nigeria of today. We seem to be getting increasingly more bigoted. We have given too much room to ethnic and religious strives that we have little or no room left for love, care and harmonious living. It is the reason why I believe acts like this ought not to go without being celebrated.

Lt Gen Buratai has exercised his discretionary powers with great wisdom and that is the hallmark of a great leader. Leadership especially in public office is a position of trust where one is often times bestowed with many discretionary powers, what you do with those powers when in that position of authority ultimately defines you.

People who use such discretionary powers to look out for others are rare these days. Leaders who are passionate about taking care of the interest of those they lead are uncommon in this era of self-aggrandizement. Leaders that are committed to the welfare and well-being of those they lead are often more successful than those that are not. Commitment fosters camaraderie and trust between the leader and the led. This ultimately leads to unity of purpose which is one major ingredients required to get things accomplished.

Buratai has proven himself over the years as a leader who is committed and passionate about the wellbeing of those he leads. Lack of commitment to those that are led by leaders in this part of the world is one of our biggest challenges. Many who find themselves in leadership positions are mainly more concerned about themselves alone, and in the rare occasions they look away from themselves to reach out to others , it is to people within their clan and perhaps immediate family members. This short sighted approached to leadership has denied our country and perhaps the continent great leadership qualities required for rapid growth.

Society needs more men and women who are committed to the people they serve. Some may not understand how important this is but the reality is, leadership is everything. In countries or even organizations where things are working very well be sure that the key reason for that is because of the quality of the leadership available. Quality leadership is the difference between a succeeding organization and a failing one, same goes to nations.
Countries and organizations that have given good attention to recruiting and shopping for quality leaders tend to be more effective and more successful than the organizations bereft of such quality leadership. We therefore as a people must continuously build the culture of appreciation for quality leadership traits wherever we spot them. Once our society is built around appreciation for quality leadership skills, we can be sure that the demand for excellence in leadership will increase.

My appreciation for the person of Lt Gen Buratai has increased in the last few months, I equally took time to read about the work he is doing within the army, what I found shocked me. It became clear to me that for whatever reasons we have just been fed falsehood by some group(s), who are probably not happy about the reforms going on within the army.
After reading a few things , I decided to do my own investigations on what is true and not. It is shocking to find out that a lot of things shared about other people especially those in leadership positions are not true. The most notorious platform for disseminating these falsehood is the social media platforms.

I read online once that that soldiers at the theatre of war in the Operation Lafiya Dole were being fed only garri and groundnut and that their allowances are not regularly paid, some reports even claimed they were only paid 300Naira a day for feeding. I was very angry and sad at such rate of wickedness. I wondered why anyone will deny troops basics such as food, these are people fighting and in many instances laying down their lives for the rest of us to live and be secured.
I was worried because at the war front there is always little or no time for anything but to fight. At that point you need well-nourished and fit soldiers. They don’t only need the food to be fit they also need the nourishment so they can remain healthy while at the battle field.

By the time I made some effort to investigate deeper. I found out the stories were a pack of lies. What I found out was that the army actually makes available a thousand naira per soldier for daily feeding. I found out that they enjoy several other allowances for being a part of the Operation Lafiya Dole which is outside their regular salary. A friend in the army that I spoke with told me that there is no soldier at the battle front that gets any monthly allowance less than 50,000Naira a month. The interesting part he told me is that these monies go directly into their bank accounts on a monthly basis.
My friend mentioned something quite profound, he said before Lt Gen Buratai came on board as Chief of Army Staff, many of these operation allowances were paid as they call it “on the table” through commanding officers, unfortunately there were some complaints about some people being short changed. To avoid anything that will affect the morale or welfare of the troops at the battle front Lt Gen Buratai made sure that all of such kinds of allowances were now being paid directly into the soldiers’ bank accounts. That way there was no need for soldiers at the battle front to worry about their allowances any more. Unfortunately what you read on social media and in fact some other media platforms are different.
When I consider where the Nigeria Army was before the year 2015 and what it is now about 5 years after Lt Gen Tukur Buratai was made COAS, I am beginning to consider the appointment of Buratai as one of the best appointments the president has made so far.

I am now beginning to appreciate Buratai’s vision of building a truly professional army. His strategy of making the welfare of his soldiers’ paramount priority seem to be a very potent plan for boosting morale within the force. Pre 2015 morale must have been really down within the army as they lost territory to the terrorist almost on a daily basis. There were several allegations of corruption and troops being denied their entitlements.
However the speed of change as soon as Buratai took over is really fascinating. Within a few months territories lost were recovered , same army that fled a few months ago returned to take back the lost territories and decimate the enemy badly.
All of these are achievable because of a leadership that is committed to the needs and welfare of those under him. This is the type of leadership we should seek as a people. I have also read about the great works Buratai is doing in providing decent accommodation at the various barracks across the country for the men and women of the Nigerian Army, the several water projects in different barracks across the country. Many of these water projects are so large they not only serve the barracks but also the local communities around the barracks.
What about the health intervention projects like the world class military hospitals the army under the leadership of Buratai is building to meet the health needs of the soldiers and their families. Not forgetting the Nigeria Army University Bui, Borno State, a world class university that will also be available for the educational needs of the soldiers and their families.
These are only a few of the things Buratai has done to improve the welfare of the men and women of the Nigeria Army. Time and space will not permit me to say all that I discovered.
Consider this, If Buratai could affect soldiers so passionately and affectionately, then one will really not need a soothsayer to inform us how much of his troop’s welfare he will be concerned with. Lt Gen Buratai is indeed a General of welfare!

Moghalu wrote this piece from Enugu.

By Caroline Amanze 

I baffle at certain things happening in this country. It is clear that we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder and if utmost care is not taken, grave consequences beckon for the United Kingdom.  

This piece is as a result of an encounter on my way to work. I stumbled on some protesters carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Nigeria rejects APPG Report”, “The United Kingdom Must Rise to the Occasion”, and many others that I can not remember. However, what struck me was ‘APPG’ boldly captured.   
Upon getting to the office, I ran quick research on the APPG report on Nigeria. To my utter disappointment, the content seemingly justified the protest. I could not place the rationale behind such a document that was filled with half-truths. At some point, I questioned my identity as a Nigerian and wondered if it was ever possible that such would have taken place without a mention in the media or other public forums, only for a foreign association to blow off the lid. 

I am consequently duty-bound as a Nigerian to take a position on the report and what the African nation, as well as the United Kingdom, must do towards consolidating ties for more outstanding achievements. 

As a first, Nigerian is surrounded by Francophone countries, and it is a known fact that there has been no love lost with these nations right from time immemorial. The Boko Haram crisis has further validated this with the nonchalance of the ex-French colonies towards ending the scourge. 

A lot of instances buttresses this. I must add that the fact that the Boko Haram terrorists still find the nerve to carry out attacks in some parts of North-East Nigeria is a function of the ignoble role of the Francophone countries.

Unsurprisingly, however, these nations are acting the script of the French interest in the affairs of Nigeria. The Boko Haram crisis in Nigeria is indeed one big pointer to the role France has continued to play in the West African sub-region. 

It is also common knowledge that the European country is interested in the Boko Haram crisis for some motives that are ultimately aimed at the disintegration of Nigeria. This is the more reason why the United Kingdom must do all within its means to see that the French interest does not fully materialize.  

Sadly, however, the UK has instead looked away, forsaking considerable role played in the country’s colonization in which it rightly acted as the father under the Commonwealth of nations. This is also despite Nigeria growing to become one of its strongest traditional allies in Africa. It remains a blunder that must be corrected in good time and this era of Brexit. 

Brexit is here to stay and the United Kingdom must come to terms and realize that this period would require the strengthening of ties with its traditional allies like Nigeria. When the transition period ends, the UK will automatically drop out of the EU’s primary trading arrangements, the single market and the customs union.

The single market entails countries sharing the same rules on product standards and access to services. The customs union, meanwhile, is an agreement between EU countries not to charge taxes on each other’s goods. If a new trade deal is not ready to replace these arrangements, then tariffs (taxes) and full border checks would be applied to UK goods travelling to the EU. Tariffs would make UK goods more expensive and harder to sell in the EU, while full border checks could cause long delays at ports.

The reality today, though, is that the UK needs its allies more than her European neighbours under the new trade agreements. Consequently, the UK parliament must prioritize stability in Nigeria as a long term strategy that would be ultimately beneficial to both countries. It would thus be a great disservice for the UK to allow Nigeria disintegrate under their watch and the more reason why the APPG must be called to question as regards its report on Nigeria. 

It isn’t all doom and gloom, however. There are a couple of things that must be done as a matter of urgency by the UK government. One, it must quickly see how it can mobilize arms for Nigeria to decisively deal with the Boko Haram as well as other security threats in the country. The UK must also develop a long-lasting strategy towards lobbying the United Nations for international assistance for Nigeria in the prosecution of the Boko Haram war and other security challenges in the country. 

There is need for technological expertise from the UK to help Nigeria in its counter-insurgency operations in the areas of tracking the sources of arms and ammunition used by the Boko Haram group, also the sources of its funding and logistics supplies. The UK must probe the role of the various international NGOs that are present in North-East, Nigeria. All of these are not just necessary given the peculiarities of time; it would also ensure that the UK does not feel the effect of Brexit. This is aside from the fact that most countries are still grappling with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their economies. 

I would conclude that this is not best of times for anyone in the UK government or parliament to allow itself to be used against Nigeria as the country’s peace is crucial to the survival to the post-Brexit UK. The United Kingdom needs Nigeria more, and the activities of the All-Party Parliamentary Group against the nation must be addressed in good time.

Amanze is a freelance journalist based in the United Kingdom.