Nigeria Times – Page 563

Ohaneze youths back Gov Umahi on call for retention of ‘performing’ Service Chiefs

The Ohanaeze Youth Assembly (OYA) has thrown its weight behind Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi over his call for the retention of “performing” Service Chiefs.

The South-East youths said it aligned with the governor as his recommendation is without any bias and remain the best so far in the country.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Nigeria Army Reference Hospital, Abakaliki, on Friday, Umahi urged President Muhammadu Buhari to increase funding and logistics for the Nigeria Army, rather than contemplating sacking the Service Chiefs.

He noted that the assignment of the Army was not an easy task and as such, needed the full cooperation of Citizens at all levels to succeed.

In a statement signed by its president, Henry Chukwuemeka Udeh, on Saturday, the Ohanaeze Youth Assembly said Umahi’s counsel is the “most brilliant” and represents the popular view of Nigerians.

The group further stated that it is happy with Umahi’s commendation of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai from whom, it added that the region has benefited immensely.

According to the youths, the new medical facility is another ” hallmark of the Nigerian Army under the leadership of the current Chief of Army Staff which to us, comes as a deep reflection of Buhari’s love for the citizens of the Southeast.”

OYA, however, urged Nigerians still in doubt o take Umahi seriously, describing him as a “deep and passionate leader who knows the dynamics of leadership and what is best for the people of this country”.

Read the full statement below:

As the issue of how to tackle the security challenges in this country remains the dominant theme in public discourse, the Ohanaeze Youth Assembly, (OYA) wishes to align with the best recommendation so far in the public domain for effective security and wellbeing of our nation.

Many including the National Assembly, have in the recent past offered sundry suggestions on how the security challenges in the country can be tackled, with some giving very useful advice while others only succeeded in uttering preposterous standpoint on the matter.

But so far, the counsel offered by the amiable governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi, has been the most brilliant and germane recommendation on how best to address the problem.

Umahi without recourse to ambiguity has called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to contemplate sacking the Service Chiefs as some have suggested saying such recommendations are not only shallow but borne out of selfishness.

He said rather than succumb to such shallow viewpoints, the President should increase funding and logistics to the military as he noted that the tasks ahead of them are enormous.

The Governor, who stated this during the ground-breaking ceremony of Nigeria Army Reference Hospital, Abakaliki, also stated that the military needs the full cooperation of citizens at all levels to succeed in defending the territorial integrity of the nation as well as to ensure peace as he totally disagreed with members of the National Assembly over their recent call for the sack of the nation’s Service Chiefs.

His words: “One thing I have realized in this country is that we like to change too much. We want everybody to test every seat. That is not what we need at this crucial time, the country is facing security challenges.”

The Ohanaeze Youth Assembly (OYA) notes with happiness the suggestion by the governor that what the military needs is cooperation and information as it is difficult to do anything without information because, that is what we as a group, have been harping on as one of the solutions to the problem of insecurity in Nigeria.

The Ebonyi Governor then added that he will be suggesting to Mr President not to consider removing the Service Chiefs at all, “But, we should increase their logistics, we should increase the funding of their armed forces. We should increase the programs that will bring information to the security agencies.”

The OYA also notes that the Ebonyi Governor had also taken time to commend the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai for the good work he is doing for the country.

We, as a group, see his commendation of the Chief of Army Staff who he described as a very big committed person, and very friendly with the civil society as apt and his assurance to partner with the Chief of Army Staff as in order.

The OYA wishes to add its voice to commend the Chief of Army Staff for the building of the Army Reference Hospital at Abakaliki as this project will be beneficial to all the 5 states in the region as well as to others.

We wish to state that a medical facility like the Army Reference Hospital is what the region needs at this time when health issues have become very sensitive as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We also wish to point out that we have observed that this kind of gesture has become the hallmark of the Nigerian Army under the leadership of the current Chief of Army Staff which to us, comes as a deep reflection of Buhari’s love for the citizens of the Southeast.

The Nigerian Army despite the numerous roles it is playing in countering insurgency and terrorism in the Northeast had done much to ensure peace, security and development in the Southeast.

We recall how the Chief of Army Staff rescued Nigeria from criminally violent groups in the Southeast who were seeking to dismember Nigeria.

The Southeast, we dare say, has benefited immensely from the army under Buratai.

The Nigerian Army had in the last five years, done much to provide basic social amenities and services like potable drinking water, construction of bridges, the establishment of health centres, provision of clothing and food items to communities in the region.

The OYA notes the renovation of schools in different communities in the Southeast, the installation of solar-powered water projects and the everyday contribution to health and educational services and the settling of disputes among warring communities in the zone.

We are happy that the commendation on the Chief of Army Staff, is coming from no less a person than from a governor who is also an achiever and who in the last five years has done much for his state.

For want of space, let us mention a few of Governor Umahi’s works which include the construction of 20 roads within the state capital, Abakaliki; construction of the Afikpo-Abakaliki and the Nkalagu federal roads.

He has also equipped schools and approved the promotion of the state university staff, declared an emergency in the health sector and began the reconstruction of general hospitals in the state and built the first virology centre in the south-east from scratch, to reduce Lassa fever and invested billions of naira into the agric sector as soft loans to farmers, which tripled rice production in the state.

The commendation and recommendations from Governor Umahi should therefore not be taken lightly as it is coming from a very deep and passionate leader who knows the dynamics of leadership and what is best for the people of this country.

Insecurity: Understanding the Power of Divine Intercession in Warfare

By Bishop Sunday Garuba

The issue of insecurity in Nigeria is such that should elicit concern from all well-meaning Nigerians. It is a statement of fact that the Nigerian authorities have been relentless in their efforts towards addressing the various security threats in the country.

As a start, I must add that the task of securing a country like Nigeria is daunting for obvious reasons. Nigeria is a plural state with diverse ethnicity that makes things more complicated. However, our diversity that is supposed to be our source of strength has now become an albatross that is rocking the foundation of our country.

I have been in the vanguard of praying for peace and stability of Nigeria from time immemorial. This I have been consistent with alongside a great man of God that has gone to be with the Lord, Bishop Musa Fomson. Bishop Musa Fomson and I share a very long affinity in intercession for Nigeria right from the regime of the late General Sani Abacha.

We were in the vanguard of prayers for the country, always beseeching God for a leadership that will come from him that would lead Nigeria on the path of greatness and sustainable growth and development. And to the glory of God, our prayers were answered, and Nigeria overcame its challenges. When Bishop Musa Famson passed unto glory, the mantle of leadership consequently fell on me to lead the National Inter-faith Religious Organizations for Peace. And to the glory of God, I have led by the wisdom and guidance of God to the benefit of humanity.

Back to the crux, this piece is as a result of the security issues experienced in the country that is of great concern to me. I recall that I have stated in numerous forums on the strategic importance of the power of divine intercession in warfare. My position is hinged on worthy examples in the bible when God gave his people victory over their adversaries in warfare.

In the Book of Psalms 18:50, the bible gave us a promise of victory over our adversaries. “God gives great victories to his king; he shows constant love to the one he has chosen, to David and his descendants forever.” I must add that this bible passage was a revelation I received from God during one of our prayer and fasting programmes for God to bless Nigeria with a David sometime in 2013.

We did not relent. As a fact, I recall that sometime in 2014, I also had a revelation from God where he told me that he was sending a helper to Nigeria to redeem it and that helper would indeed take Nigeria back to where it rightly belongs.

I shared this revelation with our members, and we prayed for the fulfilment of God’s purpose for Nigeria. It was during this prayer session that God indeed revealed to us that a man of integrity would lead Nigeria. But many would attempt to discredit him because of his tough stance, but at the end of the day, he would triumph over his enemies.

And that marked the beginning of our prayer and fasting sessions for President Muhammadu Buhari when he was running for President of the country. But before then we had known Buhari, and I recall that the late Bishop Musa Fomson and I visited him a couple of times and prayed with him the while he was contesting for elections.

We noticed his strong and burning desire to lead the country, and we also saw his disappointment with the way the country was drifting. I recall that we always encouraged him to see the outcome of the elections as God’s will and that in due time and season, the will of God would manifest in his desire to lead the country. And today the rest is history.

The buildup to the 2015 general elections was a tensed one. When Muhammadu Buhari signified interest once again, we organized a fasting and prayer session for God’s will to be done for Nigeria, and for God to bless Nigeria with that credible leader that would lead with the fear of God and to the benefit of humanity. It was during that prayer meeting that God revealed to us that indeed Muhammadu Buhari is the chosen one to lead Nigeria.

I recall that I paused for a while and shared the revelation with our members, and there was a pin drop silence. It was such that almost tested the faith of our members that consisted of Christians and Muslims. But to the glory of God, there was unity in spirit, and we thanked God in praises and prayed fervently for the candidature of Muhammadu Buhari.

I also recall that I led a delegation to him to give him a message from God on His expectations once elected as President of the country and how God told us not to relent in prayers until the President delivers on all that God has asked him to do for the country. And today again the rest is history and the National Inter-faith Religious Organizations for Peace has been fervent in our prayers and supplications for President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

This brings us back to the role of divine intercession in warfare and how we have been praying for our troops to overcome the various security challenges in the country. The exploits of King David in the bible gives us this reassurance.

In the Book of 2 Samuel 8:1-6, we saw how God helped David to win battles “While David was king of Israel, he won many battles over the Philistines. He brought them under his control. He took Metheg Ammah away from them. David also won the battle over the people of Moab. David also fought against Hadadezer, the son of Rehob. Hadadezer was king of Zobah. He had gone to repair his monument at the Euphrates River when David captured 1,000 of Hadadezer’s chariots, 7,000 chariot riders and 20,000 soldiers on foot. He cut the legs of all but 100 of the chariot horses.

The Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, the king of Zobah. But David struck down 22,000 of them. He stationed some soldiers in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus. The people of Aram were brought under his rule. They gave him the gifts he required them to bring him. The Lord helped David win his battles everywhere he went.”

This can also happen in Nigeria if we elect to join forces to pray for our troops, the commanders as well as all the others that are involved in the war against all forms of criminalities in Nigeria. I must add that, but for God’s wisdom in the life of President Muhammadu Buhari, things would have been worse in this country.

All those that have been criticizing the Service Chiefs are doing so out of ignorance or for political gains. They do not have an idea what these Service Chiefs go through daily. If they had an idea, they would join hands together and pray for God to grant our President wisdom in leading the country.

For us at the National Inter-Faith Religious Organizations for Peace, our commitment to interceding on behalf of this country is unflinching. We have been praying, and we shall continue to fast and pray for God to grant our troops great victory. Our country Nigeria cannot be defeated because God has promised us great victory over our adversaries. We shall continue to intercede on behalf of our President in our quest for the Nigeria of our dreams because we understand the power of divine intervention in warfare.

All those that are fueling the crisis in the country should have a rethink because the wrath of God would come upon them because in the Book of Psalms 105:15, the bible states that “Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets.”

Garuba is National Coordinator, National Inter- Faith and Religious Organisations for Peace.

PMB, Buratai get kudos for establishing Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Abakaliki

President Muhammadu Buhari and Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai have received plaudits for siting a state-of-the-art Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

Describing the president as a “friend of the south-east”, the Igbos in Nigeria Movement (INN) said he has once again shamed his naysayers and rubbished all their narration of hatred with this act.

According to the group, indeed the COAS’ several security interventions and projects in the region were for good and for the betterment of the lives of the people.

Recall that the groundbreaking ceremony of the ultra-modern army health facility took place at Nkwagu Cantonment on Friday.

At the event, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi expressed support for Lt. Gen. Buratai and other security chiefs, adding that “what these people need are cooperation and information”.

In reaction through a statement signed by its Director of Publicity, Anthony Igbokwe, on Saturday, the Igbos in Nigeria Movement admitted that this is the latest in a long list of developmental projects initiated by both the Buhari-led administration and Army under Lt. Gen. Buratai.

Among others, the group recalled the water treatment plant in Enugu, partnership with Innoson Motors and indigenous shoemakers in Aba as well as several ongoing FG projects including airports, roads and Niger Bridge.

On behalf of all its members worldwide, Mr Igbokwe expressed gratitude to the president and the COAS for achieving another milestone despite the wholesome propaganda.

While throwing its weight behind President Buhari and the Army chief, Mr Igbokwe, however, urged them to continue the giant strides in the region and across the country.

Read the full statement below:

The Army and indeed the military remain a major pillar of stability for our great nation, Nigeria. The army is one institution that has paid and continues to pay a huge price to secure and keep the nation united. Even though they have had to pay the ultimate price sometimes, yet they remain unrelenting in their resolve to achieve this goal.

The Army though mainly charged with the duty of securing the country against foreign aggression, has not limited itself to that alone but has also had to join in internal security operations to help defend the sovereignty of the nation. Though totally stretched and operating under lean resources, they continue to give all of their best to secure us all, yet they barely get the credits they deserve.

For those who do not forget quickly, they may recall the times before the emergence of the current chief of army Staff (COAS) LT Gen Tukur Buratai, the southeastern part of the country was battling several criminal onslaughts such as kidnapping, armed robbery, ritual killings and all sorts of criminality.

Upon coming on board, the COAS in collaboration with other security agencies swung into action. Operation “ Exercise Egwu Eke” was set up to tackle all sorts of criminality in the south-east. This was later named “ Exercise Atilogwu Udo”. The successes of these operations are evident to the residents of the South East as they witnessed the quick and steady reduction in criminal activities in the region. Many robbers, cultist, kidnappers etc. were apprehended. The operations were no doubt a success.

The Army under Lt. General Buratai beyond providing security in the south-east has also made it a point of duty to continue to support the provision of developmental projects across the southeastern part of the country. One of such laudable project is the water treatment plant in Abakpa, Enugu State capable of supplying over one million litres of water daily. This is a great intervention for residents of this community who have suffered years of the perennial water problem.

While thanking the COAS for this laudable project, we feel it is also important to acknowledge the Lt Gen Buratai led army for its partnership with Innoson motors. This partnership is a sign of a sincere commitment to the unity of the country by the army. The partnership no doubt will help provide more jobs for the people of the south-east.

Also very commendable is the partnership with shoemakers in Aba, Abia State to produce shoes and boots for the Nigeria army. Some may not grasp the significance of these partnerships immediately, but we at INM see further than the initial gains of these partnerships. We see the multiplier effects on the economy of the region.

We see the new jobs that will be created from the workers in the factory to the suppliers that will build a living around these partnerships to the communities that will benefit from the improved economy of these transactions.

To crown it, we would like to appreciate the Nigeria Army for the recent groundbreaking ceremony of an Army reference hospital in Abakaliki Ebonyi State. This world-class hospital project when completed will meet the medical needs of both the army personnel in the south-east and civilian populace in the region.

This is despite the narration by champions of division and propagandist who continuously attempt to poison the mind of the good people of the south-east against the federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari and the Army. The citing of world-class projects like the army reference hospital in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State has shamed the naysayers and rubbished all their narration of hatred.

Contrary to the propaganda by those who want to continue to hold the south-east hostage under a false guise, it is now clear that the security interventions in the south-east region were for the liberation of the region from the shackles of criminals parading themselves as social crusaders. The truth is that these operations by the Nigerian Army have actually helped to secure the south-east from criminals and miscreants who hide under secession propaganda to perpetuate their criminal activities. There is no doubt that the majority of the populace appreciate the peace and tranquillity the region now enjoys.

With the several laudable projects by the army in the south-east, we have no doubt that the army, and indeed the government of President Buhari are friends of the south-east. The level of physical infrastructural development ongoing in the south-east at the moment is a testament to this fact. The airports, roads, Niger bridge etc are unprecedented by any government before now.

We use this opportunity on behalf of all our members worldwide and indeed all the good people of the south-east to thank Lt. Gen. Buratai for his unflinching support for peace and security in the south-east.

We also thank President Buhari for the rapid deployment of quality infrastructural projects to the south-east. We encourage the President as the father of the nation to see all critics from the region as his children and treat them as such. We assure him that the majority of the good people of the south-east see all these good works and appreciate them.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Disparaging military efforts in Borno act of ingratitude to Buhari, Youth Forum tells Zulum

The Unity Youth Forum ( UYF) has warned Borno State governor and his officials that any attempt to disparage the military is an act of ingratitude to the troops on the frontlines as well as President Muhammadu Buhari.

The group expressed disappointment with Zulum over his incessant outbursts targeted at the military despite being a major beneficiary of its various operations since 2015.

Recall that the governor had lashed at the troops following a reported attack on his convoy after a visit to Monguno last week.

President of the forum, Comrade Isah Bello Isah, in a statement on Friday, said Nigerians are fed up with Zulum’s persistent show of emotions without putting in place the necessary strategic actions.

According to Isah, Zulum by his utterances has not shown appreciation for the efforts of Mr. President to rid the nation of insurgency.

He added that the governor has lost touch with reality, especially after joining forces with ” unscrupulous elements to undermine a leader like PMB who has given his total best to the war against insurgency through constant attacks on the military”.

On behalf of the forum, Comrade Isah, however, advised: ” Zulum to stop acting like a sophomore undergoing training in leadership and learn to show more maturity”.

The Unity Youth Forum stated that there is ” more about governance than playing to the gallery”, urging the governor to give respect to whom it’s due.

Read the full statement below:

After years of monitoring the coordinated efforts by the current administration via the Nigerian Armed Forces, to dislodge Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists in the Northeast and particularly Borno State, the Unity Youth Forum (UYF) is saddened by recent developments involving the military and the Borno State governor, Prof.Babagana Umara Zulum.

The Borno State governor was captured on camera trying to vilify the military by accusing them of being behind the attack on his convoy at Baga while returning from a duty tour of Monguno LG in Borno State.

Prof. Zulum, after the incident, was seen in a widely circulated video, challenging the military and querying how possible it is for Boko Haram to launch an attack in Baga when according to him there are over 1200 military personnel there.

His conclusion which was not as a result of any known investigation but basically made out of emotion has however come as the unkindest cut of all past and present attempts by a few to disparage the military.

This is because Borno, and by extension Zulum, has been the greatest beneficiary of military operations in the Northeast such that ordinarily, it should have been the last to join in any attempt to mock the military institution in Nigeria.

Since the Nigerian civil war which ended in January 1970, no state in the country has tasked the military and benefitted in terms of combat and defence operations like Borno State.

You will recall that it was the killing of some soldiers and civilians in communities bordering Nigeria and Chad in Borno State, that led then General Muhammadu Buhari to order a military operation that almost overran Ndjamena in the early 80s.

In the early 80s also, the military was deployed to Borno State following civil unrest and violence occasioned by the remnants of the Maitatsine sect that had taken refuge in Bulumkutu, a suburb of the state capital, Maiduguri.

During the reign of Col. Buba Marwa as governor when crime peaked in the state, it was the military that was used to flush out the criminal elements terrorising the state.

It was also in Maiduguri that the first confrontation between the police and the Boko Haram members occurred and when the conflict went out of hand, it was the military that was invited to intervene and it dutifully did that and even arrested the sect’s leader, Mohammed Yusuf, and handed him over to the police.

As the sect took up arms against the Nigerian State and made Borno the launch pad of their insurgency, the military more than any institution, has been at the forefront of trying to liberate the state and return normalcy in the entire Northeast region.

This has come with a heavy price on the part of the military as many of its personnel have been killed, many maimed and many of their families shattered due to the dislocation of their breadwinners.

Many young and vibrant officers, some of whom had just married have been dispatched to early graves all in the bid to secure the lives of citizens.

Though the military is not complaining as these incidences happened in the course of discharging its statutory function of defending the territorial integrity of the nation, it would be the height of ingratitude for anybody in Borno to raise voice against the military like the Borno State governor and some of his officials have been doing lately.

The Borno State governor has, without basis, in the recent past, accused the military of extorting money from motorists on the Maiduguri- Damaturu road.

He has also accused the military of abandoning their duty posts for people to be slaughtered by terrorists at Auno even though the allegation was not correct.

The military also clashed with Borno State government officials led by the deputy governor of the state, who insisted that people must be tested for Covid-19 before being allowed to enter the state against security advice.

Then the recent unfortunate outburst of the governor in Baga and his threat to use hunters instead of the military to fight Boko Boko Haram.

In all these occasions, the Borno State governor and his officials had come down heavily on the military without showing appreciation for the much it has done to save the state.

The Borno State governor has forgotten that were it not for President Muhammadu Buhari who ordered that theOperationall Headquarters of the fight against insurgency to move to the theatres of operations in 2015, that the insurgents had captured almost the entire northern Borno senatorial zone and were making attempts to take the state capital.

He had forgotten that were it not for the sustained military operations and the appointment of the current set of service chiefs, that many local councils in Borno would have still been under the control of the terrorists.

He has also forgotten that if not for the military intervention and the opening of a Situation Room for the Northeast in 2019, that the election which brought him into office would also not have been possible.

We, therefore, see the attempt by the Borno State governor and his officials to disparage the military as an act of ingratitude not just to the military, but to President Buhari who is doing his best to secure the nation.

Governor Zulum by his utterances has not shown appreciation for the efforts of Mr. President to rid the nation of insurgency.

By joining forces with some unscrupulous elements to undermine a leader like PMB who has given his total best to the war against insurgency through constant attacks on the military, shows a disconnect from reality.

This is totally unacceptable and condemnable.

We call on Zulum to stop acting like a sophomore undergoing training in leadership and learn to show more maturity.

There is more about governance than playing to the gallery.

True leadership is also about giving honour to whom it is due.

Much has been done by President Buhari and the Nigerian Armed Forces to sustain the peace Borno State is enjoying now.

The Borno State government should not in the bid to gain applause scuttle it with careless and reckless statements.

Foreign Interests and the new terror propangada against Nigeria

By Richard Murphy

There is nothing wrong with holding a media briefing, like the one held by the Commander of the US special operations command for Africa (AFRICOM) Dagvin Anderson. The United States’ military top brass warned that al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province now have presence in the northwest of Nigeria and that they are spreading their reach to the southern parts of the country.

But when viewed against the backdrop acceptable behaviour, Anderson’s action, which in reality is United States’ action, is wrong on more than one level. The US has advantage to glean intelligence on terrorists because sometimes these killers are its puppets, carrying out orgies of destruction while thinking they are in charge when in reality, they are implementing US programs. If the US became aware of al-Qaeda or Boko Haram incursion into southern Nigeria because of its participatory advantage, the responsible thing to do is called intelligence sharing. This involves making contact with the corresponding officials or desks on the Nigerian side.

This did not however happen. Rather, apparently as part of a grand script and conspiracy, the US – as represented by Anderson, rushed to a media briefing to disclose its finding. This action is not a mistake but a premeditated and calculated move to undermine Nigeria as can be seen from the automatic consequences that are already trailing the media reveal.

The most prominent consequence has been the terror sown in the mind of Nigerians, who erroneously place misplace confidence in the capacities of the US as a superpower. The thinking is that if the United States said it then it must be accurate but that is a fallacy. The Council for Foreign Relations, the destabilizing think tank through which the US undermines sovereign nations, had predicted that Nigeria will unravel in a 15 years timeframe, which lapsed five years ago. The Council has become livid over the failure of its projection and its marketing officer for Nigeria, John Campbell, a former ambassador to Nigeria, has been on the offensive in the past few months; knowing that CFR uses implanted operatives and deep state strategy, it will not be surprising that Anderson’s media briefing was crafted by the Council to advance its agenda following Campbell’s dismal failure at gaining traction in the quest to wreck Nigeria. So, sowing terror among the population was a major intent of that media briefing.

For a country that practically exploited local discontent to create first the Taliban and later al-Qaeda, the US update about terrorists’ push into southern Nigeria is more of a strategy for nudging their operatives and their terror cells in the direction their next round of crimes against humanity should take. There is the outside chance that the terrorists were not thinking of southern Nigeria short term, mid term and even long term but that briefing by Anderson has now put innocent people living in these areas within the cross hair of the terrorists. By the way, we should all be concerned about the nomenclature, “al-Qaeda” which is not an active brand name for the killers operating in Nigeria. If Africom is talking about the spread of a group that is not currently dominant in Nigeria, then questions should be asked whether the plan is to import them from Somalia or Egypt.

The Media briefing is a false flag operation, one that is intended to initiate the process of conferring legitimacy on the scums that the US plans to export into Nigeria to continue and expand the terrorist acts at which Boko Haram had failed. A rebranding into ISIS franchise, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), had also failed given the recent outcomes of their engagements with the Nigerian military. If the US plans to replace them with a repackaged terror group then it is natural that it resorts to al-Qaeda, its creation over which it seems to have better control than Boko Haram and ISIS.

Nigerian authorities should read the danger signs well. In all its decade old insurgency, Boko Haram and its ISWAP variant, have been more of consigned to the Lake Chad Basin and Sambisa Forest, which means it is not able to do much damage to infrastructure – the towns and caught in the orgy of destruction are usually rebuilt in short time. Hinting the terrorists to go south is asking them to go into the parts of Nigeria with the economic infrastructure and population density that will hurt the country badly if attacked. Is this big brother turning the screw on Nigeria for spurning its request to headquarter Africom on Nigerian soil?

The desire to see the terrorists move south has further disadvantages for Nigeria. The more built up southern Nigeria will be a major challenge for the military since that will call for urban warfare, something that few armies in the world have experience with. It must be noted that opening up a new frontier in the anti-terror war will spread the military thin in addition to throwing up human rights issues if such an unprecedented operation is allowed to become necessary.

It would have been reassuring to see Anderson, Africom and the US deny these possibilities. Unfortunately, other engagements of these entities have only gone further in lending credence to the possibility that the plot against Nigeria is being accelerated. Campbell’s meddling for instance has proven to be a part of a larger operation to promote discontent, which will create the distraction necessary to provide cover for the terrorists to move around undetected – like them travelling with those supposedly mobilizing for anti-government protests being organized by his associates. The onetime American Ambassador to Nigeria recently took part in a virtual conference where the dissent that is now being used as cover to ferry terrorists across the country was planned and agreed. He is also leading these so-called activists to run propaganda that targets government troops for demoralization while new pro-terrorists’ allies are being recruited into the cyber arm of Boko Haram. There has thus been a consequent spike in the number of articles and posts that attack the military as corrupt and incompetent.

By now, these foreign interests that are trying to spread terrorism across Nigeria should have learnt vital lessons. The first is the chain of unintended outcomes that accompany the destabilization of other countries over petty geo-strategic interest. There is the tendency for things to spread beyond what the plotter anticipates. We have seen that much in the Middle East where the terror grown by foreign interests is again exported to the countries that sought to destabilize others. There is also the risk that the puppet terrorists will eventually disown their masters and then get out of control as is the case with ISIS and those that sponsored them.

But since Nigeria’s detractors will not relent, the responsibility falls on the government to take precautions while citizens must rise up to defend their land from invasive forces that are sabotaging their country from afar.

Murphy is a security expert based in Calabar.

Don’t sack service chiefs, increase army funds, Umahi tells Buhari

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, Friday, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to increase funding and logistics to the Nigeria Army, rather than contemplating sacking the Service Chiefs.

The Governor who stated this during Ground Breaking Ceremony of Nigeria Army Reference Hospital, Abakaliki, praised the Army for their gallantry and dedication towards securing the Territory of the Nation.

He noted that the assignment of the Army was not an easy task and as such, needed the full cooperation of Citizens at all levels to succeed.

“The Chief of Army Staff needs cooperation and information so that they can do their work. We should increase the funding and logistics of the Army to aid their performance, rather than changing them. They should increase their funding. The Army is very crucial for the Nigerian people.

“Let me thank the President for finding Ebonyi fit to site this project. Ebonyi is very lucky with the Army. We will continue to partner you. we expect him, the Chief of Army Staff to Commission the internal roads we did for the Army.

“The new GOC is more like a brother. We want to thank you and appreciate you for being an Ebonyi man. Thanks for choosing this State for the citing of this project.”

Earlier, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Yusuf Buratai stated that the Nigeria Army had made tremendous progress in its fight against insurgency, terrorism and different forms of criminality in the Country.

Represented by Lt. Gen. Lamidu Adeosu, the Chief of Army Staff expressed optimism that the new Hospital upon completion will be able to render services to patients across the Southeast, South-South and other geopolitical zones of the country.

“The new Hospital will provide effective and efficient health care delivery to the people of the Southeast. it will provide medical care of our soldiers. It is a 200-bed capacity hospital to handle healthcare for our troops and the Nigerian populace in Cross River, Benue and south-east and South-South. It will take care of our troops and host communities.

“I am particularly happy that we can make it here despite the pandemic. We have made remarkable progress against insurgency and other forms of criminality. Our gallant troops should keep it up. May the gentle souls of those that have departed rest in perfect peace.”

Edo: Campaign should be about Ize-Iyamu not Oshiomhole, PGF boss warns

…Lauds Akeredolu’s reconciliatory moves in Ondo

The Director-General All Progressives Congress (APC) Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Moh. Lukman, has warned that should the party allow sacked party’s national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to lead campaign for the party’s candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, APC may not win the September 19, Edo state governorship election.

In statement issued Friday in Abuja, titled, ‘Progressive politics –which way APC? the PGF DG cautioned that Ize-Iyamu must be very visible and seen as the face of the campaign if APC wants Edo people to vote for the party’s candidate.

“It is important that immediately following the resolution of APC’s internal leadership crisis with the emergence of Mai Mala Buni Caretaker/Convention Planning Committee, internal party debate is promoted on issues of strategies to bolster our electoral viability. This should not be taken for granted. The test for all of this is Edo and Ondo governorship elections.

“How our leaders are able to work as a united front and the messages of hope and how determined we are as a party to inspire citizens into voting our candidates should be the focus. In other words, our campaigns and our candidates must project the aspirations of the people and the feature our party offers.

“Without any doubt, the signal coming from Governor Rotimi Akeredolu SAN of Ondo state after emerging as the candidate of the APC is very encouraging and clearly consistent with the kind of progressive politics APC leaders should be promoting.
Immediately after the July 21, 2020 APC primary, notwithstanding that Governor Akeredolu won the primary election convincingly with 2,458 votes with his closest rival Olusola Oke who came second polling 262 votes, Governor Akeredolu has been going round, meeting all those who contested the elections with him and negotiating reconciliation.

“This demonstrate that governor Akeredolu is magnanimous in victory, at least within the party. With this, it should be expected that Akeredolu will approach the campaigns for Ondo governorship election based on a strategy of winning the votes of Ondo people. The message he seems to be conveying is that he respects the rights of the people of Ondo state to make their choice and he is offering himself as a worthy consideration to be the choice of the people.

“The reverse seems to be the case in Edo state. As opposed to reconciliation, it is loud drums of war that has taken over the airwaves in Edo state. Comrade Oshiomhole has relocated to Edo state and taken over the APC campaign and the campaign is proceeding in a manner that suggest the Edo state governorship election is an extension of the personal battle between the Governor Obaseki and Comrade Oshiomhole.

“The APC campaign is personalised around Comrade Oshiomhole and the candidate of the party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is an onlooker. The soundbite from the Edo APC campaign is so offensive to the point where Comrade Oshiomhole appear to be disowning almost every APC in Edo State between 2016 and now. To that extent, it simply means Oshiomhole is disowning himself, which may be why he went on his knee begging Edo people for forgiveness.

“We need to appeal to Comrade Oshiomhole to ‘calm down’. This campaign is not about his person. More importantly, we need to stress the point that part of the political vision of any progressive is that once elected into government, we commit ourselves to issues of agricultural development, jobs creation, education, health, infrastructural development, poverty eradication and rapid technological development.

“APC has ruled Edo state since the time of Comrade Oshiomhole as governor of the state. Up to today, whatever achievement Edo State experienced under Governor Obaseki, between 2016 and now, APC must own it, just like we should be able to accept some of the setbacks. Anything Governor Obaseki is able to achieve must be credited to APC as a party. Our Edo campaign should be able to raise the awareness of Edo people that had Governor Obaseki been in PDP, it would have been impossible for him to record any achievement.

“Based on the personalised way the APC Edo State campaign is being carried out, PDP all of a sudden is coming out very strongly to campaign for votes. If the Edo State APC campaign is to go ahead this way, when APC win the election who will run the affairs of the state as Governor? Is it Comrade Oshiomhole or Pastor Ize-Iyamu? If our party want Edo people to vote for our candidate, Pastor Ize-Iyamu must be very visible and be seen as the face of the campaign.

“Comrade Oshiomhole should take a backseat and play the facilitatory role our leaders play in all similar circumstances. Lagos state governorship election since 2007 present a good model. Without any doubt, our leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may be argued to be very influential in the emergence of candidates, from Babatunde Raji Fashola, Akinwumi Ambode to our current Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. But once a candidate emerges, the responsibility of executing the campaign largely belong to the candidate on account of which the particular candidate become the face of the campaign.

“It is important that Oshiomhole endorse a situation where the party is able apply the Lagos model to the Edo State governorship campaign especially because we want the Edo people to be able to have confidence on our candidate, Ize-Iyamu and believe that when they elect him, he will be the one that will govern the state. The responsibility for ensuring that this is done rests with the Mai Mala Buni Caretaker/Convention Committee.

“Good enough, they have setup a National Campaign Council under the leadership of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Governor of Kano State. Governor Ganduje’s National Campaign Council should be able to assume leadership and take the necessary steps to redirect the Edo State APC campaign to have a clear progressive bearing. As part of those steps, it should ensure that APC campaign messages appropriate all development achievements recorded under the APC administration of Governor Obaseki.

“In addition, we must take steps to also cut the oxygen supply to PDP campaign, which is presenting our party and our candidate as promoters of violence. Our campaign for the Edo election should therefore amplify messages of peace and what we need to do to achieve that.
“Having come out of a very difficult crisis, our leaders and all our party members must be vigilant to ensure that our politics is not recklessly managed as to reduce us to the level of just working to win elections by all means. That is far from progressive politics. Our leaders did not make all the sacrifices they made to achieve the merger of 2013 and resolve our last leadership crisis just because we want to win elections by all means, including violent conducts.
“As progressives, our commitment to winning elections must be about earning the confidence of citizens. If anything, President Buhari should be our model at all times, especially when it borders on conducting political campaigns. It is to his credit that he never associates his political campaigns with violence since 2003, which is partly the reason he could host his political campaigns with mammoth crowd running into millions without any violent incident,” he noted.

Banditry: Masari expresses gratitude to Nigerian Army, others for restoring normalcy

The Katsina State Government has expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Army and other security forces for degrading the activities of bandits and restoring normalcy in the state.

Governor Bello Masari gave this commendation in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Security Matters, Ibrahim Katsina on Friday.

Hundreds of people have been killed in the last year by criminal gangs carrying out robberies and kidnappings in the northwestern state.

With the final clearance operation in the northeast almost completed, the troops switched attention to Katsina in June under the code name ‘Operation Accord’.

Since then, however, the Army, in collaboration with other security agencies have launched multiple lands and air offensives, killing hundreds of bandits, leaving many others injured.

And according to Ibrahim Katsina, the various operations are “achieving the desired result of dislodging the bandits from their hideouts and giving hope to the people to go back to their normal lives”.

He added that the “Katsina State Government is happy to note that the general security situation in the state is gradually returning to normalcy.

“The current security operation by the combined efforts of the military and other security forces in achieving the desired result of dislodging the bandits from their hideouts and giving hope to the people to go back to their normal lives”.

The statement further stated that with the new lease of life, farmers have now gone back to their farms while others go about their normal duties without fear.

While describing the efforts of the military as satisfactory, the state govt urged the military to sustain the momentum to flush out the remnants of bandits.

“In this regard, we wish to acknowledge with satisfaction the efforts of the military and other security forces in the restoration of gradual peace and security in the affected areas. We hope that the tempo would be sustained so than expected banditry will be a thing of the past in the state,” Katsina said.

“As you can observe, in spite of the pockets of challenges to the security operations, most of the affected communities have gradually gone back to their farms and gone about their normal duties.”

Katsina, however, appealed to citizens to avoid the temptation of joining the criminals and rather extend support to the troops to complete the good work they have started.

“We are therefore calling on members of the public to shun all forms of inducement to go into crime, as it does not pay,” Katsina said.

“Rather they should team up with the government and security forces towards sustainable peace and security.”

Army, Airforce renewed war room will extinguish Boko Haram within 90 days – Kuanum

The strategic war room collaboration between the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar, officially signposts the final end of all acts of terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria, a security expert, Mr. Terence Kuanum has said.

Kuanum , in a chat with media practitioners in Abuja, said he decided to comment on the security issue in Nigeria after a short break due to the development within the armed forces of Nigeria which is of strategic importance to the ongoing war against insurgency, banditry and terrorism.

He said the development has to do with the war room collaboration among the service chiefs especially between the airforce and the army to wipe out criminal elements in Nigeria and stated that if sustained, would see to the end of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorism in Nigeria within 90 days.

“It’s not that the armed forces have not been collaborating before, no; what is happening now which is of strategic importance to the ongoing war against terrorism and the other crimes is that the engagement has been enhanced at the highest level for an almost seamless interaction with the aim of emphasising results and the elimination of excuses through the shifting of blames.

Kuanum said unlike in the past, when there were noticeable elements of inter agency rivalry, the two men at the helm of affairs of the army and airforce have through the war room collaboration, being able to forge a common bond that trumps results at the theatre of operation rather than concern about which arm carried out the operations.

“Most of the operations are usualy joint in nature and the current strategy is deliberate to enhance efficiency through harmony. This has been highly successful in the recent past and promises better result in future because it mitigates trivialities and unhealthy competition,” he stated.

The security expert said if the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists have any form of intelligence, they should know that the time has come for them to surrender as there is no way they can escape defeat this time.

Kuanum said while the army Chief has brought innovations to combat operations which have been used to dislodge the insurgents in the past, the chief of air staff has brought finese to air operations which have resulted in precise air strikes without casualty.

“Buratai’s coming has highly motivated the army especially with his presence at battlefield and the combat ideas he brought,” the security expert explained.
According to him, “Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai is one of the best in the continent today having been able to lead the Army from ground zero to achieve successes that no nation has ever achieved in the global war against insurgency.”

He further said the air chief on the other hand has also done much to enhance the efficiency of the force in so many ways.

“That is why recently, you don’t hear of insurgents launching revenge attacks on the military as they are want to do in the past. This is because the operations from both land and air exert heavy tolls on them and exterminates their capacity to respond,” he explained.

Kuanum said both the Chief of Army Staff and the Chief of Air Staff have added value to military operations that cannot be ignored.

“In the past, you hear of aircrafts being shot down by insurgents and air officers being captured while in operations, but the current chief of air staff has eliminated all that with the purchase of sophisticated ultra modern aircraft and high level training for personnel.

He said when the CAS was appointed, he ensured the reactivation of 19 aircraft, three helicopters while reactivatimg most of the hitherto, unserviceable aircraft in the NAF fleet.

“He has also acquired 18 new aircraft, 12 Super Mushshak trainer aircraft, four Mi-35M helicopter gunships, two Agusta 101 helicopters, as well as two Bell 412 helicopters, which have been retrofitted to perform light combat functions,” he said stressing that these have fully equipped personnel to go on operations successfully and the work of the joint efforts has been enhanced.

He said Nigerians have high expectations of the military which they must live up to saying the war room collaboration is one of the best ways of achieving that.

He commended the recent success of military operations in Katsina which dislodged a great number of bandits adding more of such instant actions are required to send strong warnings to criminals that they can no longer get away with such crimes.

The security expert said for the service chiefs to achieve better results however, they should like the President said, review their operations and overhaul their strategy against the terrorists.

He said with that, they would deliver better results that will not only secure Nigeria but also make the people happy once again.

Borno Insecurity: Group urges Zulum on passion matched with strategic action

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has been urged to match his passion and emotions with strategic action if at all he wants a lasting end to the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorism.

This was contained in an open letter addressed to the governor on Thursday by a certain Alhaji Sherif Bulama, who simply described himself as a concerned native of Gubio Local Government Area of the state.

Alhaji Bulama, while admitting that the governor has exhibited a “burning zeal and eagerness to confront terrorism and insurgency as evidenced by your passion and commitment” noted that a lot more needs to be done, one of which is a change in strategy.

According to the Borno indegene, a stakeholders’ dialogue involving Kanuri elders, elites and top government officials is crucial as youths would be educated after such session.

Instead of portraying the military as adversaries, he further charged Mr Zulum to sustain his earlier efforts of cooperating with troops and desist from castigating President Muhammadu Buhari at the slightest instance.

Alhaji Bulama, however, advised the governor to restrain from ” impulsive outbursts as every word you say is potent and has far-reaching implications”.

Read full letter below:

Permit me to, first of all, felicitate with you on the occasion of the Eid-el-Kabir which was peacefully celebrated in our dear state.

Your Excellency, I dare say that nobody who has followed your activities since you became governor in May 2019, would be enchanted by the passion you’ve shown in not only developing the state but in ensuring the security of lives and property of citizens.

Sir, your escape from harm after an attack on your convoy on your way back from Baga where you had gone to distribute relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, has further confirmed that our affections for your charisma are rightly placed.

Your Excellency, as an indigene of Borno State, Gubio to be precise, I felt ashamed that my governor would suffer the kind of embarrassment you went through in the course of ensuring the distribution of relief materials to IDPs and I wish to assure you of our full support in the course of providing good governance to fellow natives and inhabitants of Borno.

Sir, for you to achieve the goal of developing and securing our state, permit me to as a well-meaning citizen, offer my candid advice and suggestions on some of the ways the security challenges in our dear state can be better eliminated.

Why Passion Alone Cannot Suffice

Your Excellency, much as you have shown burning zeal and eagerness to confront terrorism and insurgency as evidenced by your passion and commitment, permit me to say that these emotions alone cannot be sufficient to take us to the promised land.

I have noticed also Sir, that in the course of trying to prove you’re on the side of the masses, that you’ve thrown caution to the wind and have been attacking the military and even the President.

This, Your Excellency, is a path that you must avoid despite the initial cheers you’re receiving as it is both uncharitable and counterintuitive for you to continue on the route given the level of sacrifice the military has put to protect citizens and defend the territorial integrity of our nation.

Like you stated in one of your speeches, the efforts and sacrifice of the military since the insurgency began in 2009, cannot be overemphasized.

At the risk of sounding pedagogical, let me remind Your Excellency, that the military has achieved a lot in the fight against insurgency and terrorism and are largely responsible for the current normalcy in the state. This is a well-known fact that no one on earth can ignore.

Why the Military Should be Appreciated

Apart from what they have achieved in the past, 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. This is why it is possible for many of our people to return home again.

The Nigerian military has made it possible for many IDPs to return to their communities and opened 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.

Your Excellency, between April and July this year, the military also intensified its operations in Borno with the relocation of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, a proud indigene of Borno, to the state and in the process, killed more than 1500 of the terrorists including 30 of their top commanders while also arresting more than 40 of their informants. This is also another fact too glaring to ignore.

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.

The Peculiarity of the Borno Situation

Much as these have been achieved through combat operations, Your Excellency must have observed that while the activities of the terrorists have been curtailed in other Northeastern states of Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi and to a large extent, Yobe, it has continued to worsen in Borno.

At first glance, this may appear to be so because of the proximity of Borno to Chad, but on a second look, this reason appears untenable as some of the states mentioned equally share large swathe of their borders with other Boko Haram infested countries.

What makes the case of Borno peculiar is that there are certain factors that exacerbate and fuel the crisis.

The Real Problem

Your Excellency, after more than a year in office, you must have noticed that the Boko Haram issue is not religious as it was initially made to appear.

The truth Sir is that there are people who are making money off these terrorist activities and there are top politicians from our state who for selfish interests, do not want the insurgency to end.

The elites, elders and stakeholders from our state are perpetrating this violence and benefitting financially from it and that is why this group of people hardly condemn the atrocities committed by these terrorists.

Sir, I’m sure you are well aware that our people know these terrorists but have for reasons best known to them, failed to take the necessary actions against them.

Other factors militating against the successful clean up of terrorism in our state include the thriving but illegal smuggling along Bama axis, the turf war at the fishing business in Baga and other places and due to high wired politics.

Need for Change in Strategy

Your Excellency, I make bold to say that if we desire to see the end of this insurrection as quickly possible, then you must change your strategy due to the following reasons.

As you must have noticed, the majority of the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists are our Kanuri brothers and sons.

Due to that, I will suggest here Sir that you should initiate a stakeholders’ dialogue and invite our Kanuri elders, elites and top government officials to discuss frankly among ourselves and find ways of getting the message across to these youths.

I’m sure Sir, that once this is done, the youths will see our seriousness and sincerity in ending the crisis and would have no problems withdrawing from their turfs.

Secondly and very important Sir, you must sustain your earlier efforts of cooperating with the military and desist from castigating Mr President which you started in the early days of your administration and discontinue this attitude of portraying them as adversaries.

Your Excellency, you must as a leader restrain yourself from impulsive outbursts as every word you say is potent and has far-reaching implications.

Let me in conclusion, Sir, remind you that the Boko Haram conflict is in its 11th year now and has claimed the lives of several thousands of people, displaced more than 2.3 million and has left at least 7.7 million people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance and created deep social and psychological wounds which cannot be allowed to continue.

It is my belief and that of many indigenes of Borno, that given your track record, these measures are not beyond you to take to achieve complete elimination of terrorists and insurgency activities in our state and Nigeria as a whole.

I thank you and trust this will get your desired attention.

May Allah guide you on the right path.