Nigeria Times

By Ssgt Gift Ogar

It is no longer news that the COAS as the leader of the counter – insurgency operations, belongs to what is called the “strong breed.”

Personally as an operative I do monitor various TV stations and each time the COAS appears on TV screens during interviews including the recent one he granted to educate the public on Nigerian Army operations on the nation – wide counter – insurgency operations, his infectious aura will invoke passions of love on him by anyone. He is soft – spoken, usually calm and calculative, blended with his gift of oratory.

It is no longer news that nature has gifted the COAS so generously. He has excelled as a very combatant Gen who has the unbeatable reputation of a military master strategist and tactician. He is an exceptional Gen who visits and lives with his troops in the trenches much like in military diplomacy. He is a historian and philosopher by academic training. For me, the COAS is a star personality of military history and deploys his intellectual arsenals to find solutions to the manifold contemporary security challenges.

A poet by hobby, the COAS verses are extraordinarily pungent and a gripping commentary on societal problems. Assimilating his poems only reminds one of the lord of romantic poetry, the English-born William Wordsworth. One is often tempted to think, Gen Buratai would have better excelled as an academic don but in all fields, he has come full measure.

In administration and leadership, he exudes uncommon excellence. The COAS has a knack for innovations and reforms. A workaholic and very respected senior officer to the core. He marshals out his plans, set his priorities with time frames and pursues them relentlessly and tirelessly until his targets are met.

With this, he had little difficulty in transforming the disorganized and disoriented NA he inherited into a professional, responsible, responsive and disciplined force. He gave the Nigerian Army a new face and portrait of excellence within months of his assumption of duty as the COAS. Let us not forget that the NA was running into a tattered Army with so many unnecessary dismissal of troops especially with 100% of those dismissal coming from the NE before his appointment.

In addition, as evidence of his innovative ingenuity, the COAS established two new Army Divisions within 3 years of his leadership. He has established 8 Division with Headquarters in Sokoto and 6 Division Port Harcourt in Rivers State. As a leader who is interested in legacies, he has erected modern residential and office accommodation structures in the new Army Divisions so fast. The COAS knows how to pull the right strings to get what he wants for the Army.

Also, remarkably endearing, the COAS has equally established a dozen of Army Brigades, Battalions’ and Forward Bases in different parts of the country especially in places with recurring issues of insecurity just to tackle such insecurity situations. I am happy to mention that he is still expanding in this direction because Delta State has just been given an Army Brigade and Battalion. It is a well known fact that the idea is to facilitate the quick response of troops to all emergency situation in order to smoothen operations against armed criminals for the protection of Nigerians.

With the present COAS handling the affairs of the Nigerian Army, it is so clear that taking a glance at the Nigerian Army today, one sees Nigerian soldiers actively involved overwhelmingly in counter-insurgency operations. Troops are quelling bile and violent insurrectional movements; extinguishing the fires of destructive militancy, quenching the madness of armed bandits and dousing the conflagrations between farmers and herders in different parts of the country.

This in reality shows that the deployment to troops to at least 33 out of 36 States of the Federation for these reasons is quite a bogus operational spread to manage and supervise effectively but our indefatigable COAS has no problems playing his supervisory roles. He is always found everywhere troops under him are deployed for special assignments by paying operational visits to them all the time. From my calculation, he has never spent complete one month on seat without going to visit his troops in FOBs.

Like a nomad, the COAS is a very senior and respected Gen who sits nowhere, but is constantly in motion, hopping from one State to another to oversee the work of his troops at various stations, FOB, Military barracks and operational areas. The COAS dreads failure and avoids it like a plaque. This is evidenced because each time he kick-starts a capital project for the Nigerian Army, he ensures it is completed as scheduled. He hates excuses adduced after failure with a passion.

It is on this spirit that our great COAS gave the Nigerian Army the first specialized conventional Nigerian Army University, Biu (NAUB). The idea of NAUB started like a mustard seed but it grew as the COAS persistently watered it. Based on his efforts, within two years the university became a reality dotted with gigantic and aesthetical edifices. It will interest you to note that students are already observing their second academic session.

The COAS is a visionary and focused leader who is also aggressively pursuing the idea of an aviation unit for the Nigerian Army to make air combats easier for troops in the trenches in the ongoing counter-insurgency operations. An aviation wing for the Nigerian Army has been on the cards of previous leaders of the Nigerian Army but it has dragged for decades without positive results. The present COAS in his characteristic manner is pushing it with an extreme force and tonic.

Foresighted as ever, the COAS first established the Nigerian Army Aviation Corps with Army pilots and technical crew members being trained both at home and abroad. He has established hangers for the Aviation Corps and is in the process of producing helicopters just like he did with the production of the Ezugwu MRAP.

The COAS as a trailblazer at every turn is again set to make history as the COAS who brought to fruition the Army Aviation wing and with this, the admirers of the COAS often times tease him with epaulettes such as “the itinerant Army boss,” or “the mobile General.” And his actions reflect such affectionate wisecrack on his personage.

It is very hard to pin the COAS down to a spot and he is not transfixed in any location. You recall that if you have been following the COAS events, on Tuesday last week, he was in Asaba Delta State to commission the headquarters of 63 Brigade Complex and to also officially authorize the operationalization of the brigade in the State capital. Equally as a COAS who is ever ready for success within another 24hrs, he was in Maiduguri with the troops monitoring the clearance operations of troops of Operation Lafiya Dole. It is no longer secret that with his presence to boost troops morale, Nigerians including the Governor and people of Borno State bear testimony to Nigerian troops decisive crushing of insurgents at Damboa and the destruction of their 19 vehicles the insurgents took to attack own troops. The Governor could not hold his praise for the troops over the success as witnessed.

Meanwhile my findings reveal the COAS is due for Kaduna to inaugurate other new projects and the circle continues on and on. With this, I am bold to say my present COAS is undeniably the restless Gen who wants his troops to win the war on the insurgency. He is a Gen who is always ready to lead and to bury all threats of insecurity in Nigeria. He is also that Gen who hates to sit in one place and merely bark directives.

Gen TY Buratai to me is an amiable Gen by birth from the obscure little town of Biu and an achiever by dint of hard work. He is a Gen by training, a very professional Gen by calling and by action. That is the hidden portrait of Gen. TY Buratai the nightmare and tormentor-in-chief of terrorists. I regard him always as the action-filled and result-oriented Nigeria’s COAS and ombudsman of counter-terrorism operations. Having mentioned all the above, this is the more reasons why some saboteurs and their agents want him removed but I am personally happy that Mr President who brought him to come and fixed the NA and to fight the insurgency knows better.

98NA/46/2456 Ssgt Gift Ogar wrote from NARC Military Intelligence Regiment, Abuja

By Elvis Attah

He is unassuming, unlike soldier. Nothing in his countenance betrays the brashness and ferocity of Army Generals. Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and leader of the counter-insurgency operations, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai belongs to what is called the “strong breed.”

Each time he appears on TV screens during interviews which he grants frequently to elucidate on Army operations on the nation-wide counter-insurgency operations, his infectious aura will invoke passions of love on him by anyone. He is soft-speaking, usually calm and calculative, blended with his gift oratory.

Nature has gifted Gen. Buratai so generously. He has excelled as a soldier and has the unbeatable reputation of a military master strategist and tactician. He is an exceptional soldier in the trenches much like in military diplomacy. A historian and philosopher by academic training, Gen. Buratai is a star boy of military history and deploys his intellectual arsenals to find solutions to the manifold contemporary security challenges.

A poet by hobby, Gen. Buratai’s verses are extraordinarily pungent and a gripping commentary on societal problems. Assimilating his poems, only reminds of the lord of romantic poetry, the English-born William Wordsworth. One is often tempted to think, Gen. Buratai would have better excelled as an academic don. But in all fields, he has come full measure.

In administration and leadership, he exudes uncommon excellence. Gen. Buratai has a knack for innovations and reforms. A workaholic to the core, Gen. Buratai marshals out his plans, set his priorities with time frames and pursues them relentlessly and tirelessly until his targets are met.

Therefore, he had little difficulty in transforming the disorganized and disoriented Army he inherited into a professional, responsible, responsive and disciplined force. Gen. Buratai gave the Nigerian Army a new face and portrait of excellence within months of his assumption of duty as the COAS.

As evidence of his innovative ingenuity, Gen. Buratai established two new Army Divisions within three years of his leadership. There is the 8th Army Division in Monguno, Borno state and the 6thArmy Division, Port Harcourt, Rivers state. As a leader interested in legacies, he has erected modern residential and office structures for in the new Army Divisions very fast. He knows how to pull the right strings to get what he wants for the Army.

Also, remarkably endearing, Gen. Buratai has established a dozen Army Brigades, Battalions’ and Forward Bases in different parts of the country, especially in places with recurring issues of insecurity. And he is still expanding in this direction as Delta state has just been given an Army brigade and Battalion. The idea is to facilitate quick response of soldiers to emergencies in order to smoothen operations against armed criminals for the protection of Nigerians.

At a glance today, one sees Nigerian soldiers actively involved overwhelmingly in counter-insurgency operations. Soldiers are quelling bile and violent insurrectional movements; extinguishing the fires of destructive militancy, quenching the madness of armed bandits and dousing the conflagrations between farmers and herders in different parts of the country.

The reality that soldiers are deployed to at least 33 out of 36 states of the federation for these reasons is quite a bogus operational spread to manage and supervise effectively. But the indefatigable Gen. Buratai has no problems playing his supervisory roles. He is found everywhere soldiers under him have been deployed for special assignments.

Like a nomad, Gen. Buratai is a soldier who sits nowhere, but constantly in motion, grasshopping from one state to another to oversee the work of soldiers at various stations and barracks. Gen. Buratai dreads failure and avoids it like a plaque. When he kick-starts a capital project for the Nigerian Army, he ensures it is completed as scheduled. He hates excuses adduced after failure with a passion.

It is this spirit that has given Nigeria, the first specialized conventional Nigerian Army University, Biu (NAUB). The idea of NAUB started like a mustard seed, but it grew, as Gen. Buratai persistently watered it. And within two years, the university became a reality, dotted with gigantic and aesthetical edifices. Students are already observing their second academic session.

A visionary and focused leader, Gen. Buratai is also aggressively pursuing the idea of an aviation unit for the Nigerian Army to make air combats easier for soldiers in the trenches in the ongoing counter-insurgency operations. An aviation wing for the Nigerian Army has been on the cards of previous leaders of the Nigerian Army; but it has dragged for decades without positive results. But Gen. Buratai in his characteristic manner is pushing it with an extreme force and tonic.

Foresighted as ever, the COAS first established the Nigerian Army Aviation School, where Army pilots and technical crew members are trained. The school has produced multiple sets of graduates. And he has sent some soldiers abroad for specialized training in aviation.

The Army Chief, a trailblazer at every turn is again set to make history as the COAS who brought to fruition the Army Aviation wing. So, the admirers of Gen. Buratai often times tease him with epaulets such as “the itinerant Army boss,” or “the mobile General.” And his actions reflect such affectionate wisecrack on his personage.

It is hard to pin Gen. Buratai down to a spot. He is not transfixed in any location. On Tuesday this week, Gen. Buratai was in Asaba commissioning the headquarters of the 63 Brigade Complex and the official operationalization of the brigade in the state capital. And within another 24hrs, he was in Maiduguri with the troops monitoring the clearance operations of troops of Operation Lafiya Dole. Nigerians can bear testimony to Nigerian troops decisive crushing of insurgents at Damboa and the destruction of their 19 vehicles.

And Gen. Buratai is due for Kaduna to inaugurate new projects and the circle continues. So, who is really Gen.TY Buratai? He is undeniably the restless soldier who wants his troops to win the war on insurgency. He is the Army boss who is out to bury all threats of insecurity in Nigeria. He is that General who hates to sit in one place and merely bark directives.

Gen. TY Buratai is an amiable soldier by birth from the obscure little of Biu and an achiever by dint of hard work. He is a soldier by training; a soldier by profession; a soldier by calling and a soldier by action. That is the hidden portrait of Gen. TY Buratai, the nightmare and tormentor-in-chief of terrorists; the action-filled and result-oriented Nigeria’s COAS and ombudsman of counter-terrorism operations.

Attah is a public affairs analyst and wrote this piece from Garki, Abuja.

By Ibrahim Abubakar

For so long, the Nigerian military has consistently raised alarm over the untoward role foreign media and some non-governmental Organisations, NGOs play, in collaboration with their local partners in the war against insurgency in the Northeast. The military has repeatedly spoken against the uncomplimentary activities of these foreign organisations which tend to undermine the efforts of the Nigerian military in its attempt to permanently put paid to the menace of terror and sundry terrorist uprisings in the country which have almost held hostage three states: Adamawa, Borno and Yobe since 2009. Some of the methods they use include frivolous, unsubstantiated allegations of humanitarian violations by the military and supply of food and other relief materials to the Boko Haram Islamist sects. This is outright blackmail and blatant intimidation just to undermine the huge gains so far recorded by our indomitable troops.

Consequently, the military has recently shut down regional offices of two prominent NGOs: Action Against Hunger and Mercy Corps. In December last year, following alleged espionage activities against Nigeria, the Nigerian military temporarily banned UNICEF operations in the Northeast. Also, Amnesty International has consistently been at daggers drawn with the military over alleged human rights abuses. This has compelled some concerned Nigerians to stage peaceful protests calling for the exit of AI from our shores. Obviously, owing to some hidden agenda, these foreign media and NGOs are deliberately overlooking the fact that the war against insurgency and Islamic State of West Africa Province is not a conventional war with defined territories and boundaries in which most of the insurgents are identifiable but rather a guerilla warfare where the terrorist do not wear uniform. Some of the insurgents go as far as donning even fake Nigerian military uniform in order to create confusion.

It is on record that some of these foreign organisations pamper the insurgents and terrorists with food, drinks and even drugs whereas the military sees hunger or starvation as a weapon of war. That is the kernel of the disagreement. An argument in certain quarters that the activities of the NGOs in the region help to highlight not only the scale of impact of the insurgency but also the humanitarian shortcomings of the Nigerian government is not only warped and mischievous. It is also an addendum of falsehood and propaganda which serves to massage the nebulous ego of the insurgents and terrorists. It is therefore preposterous for the foreign NGOs to inadvertently proclaim the state of imminent famine at the internally displaced people’s camps in the Northeast despite the avalanche of food and relief materials that government has been pushing to the IDPs.

What with the jarring report by the foreign NGOs that the military are high-handed in the prosecution of the war and had killed over 7,000 innocent civilians in the region! No government worth its onions can tolerate such magnitude of lies against it by foreigners whose interests in the crisis are less than noble. That a United States of America-based NGO had predicted the breakup of Nigeria in 2015 underscores the partisan waywardness of these foreign media and their NGOs in cascading Boko Haram insurgency and pockets of terrorists activities going on in the country. There is therefore no lack of conspiracy theories in the rampaging violent profile in our dear country. It is patently sad that the international community is keeping mute over this matter. If it is because the Northeast is not the Niger Delta where the multinational oil companies have strategic interests that has induced this disturbing conspiracy of silence, then the international community should not be exonerated from blame in the mass hysteria afflicting Nigeria.

There is, indeed, a thriving underground economy symbolized by a huge scale of illegal arms business in the country today as though Nigeria is prosecuting a shooting with another country. And everybody knows that the illegal arms are daily smuggled into Nigeria from foreign countries by undesirable elements. This sorry state of affairs has been reinforced by the duplicity of these foreign media and their NGOs in our country. We are of the opinion that there are some powerful forces mounting strident extenuating propaganda to prolong the war in order for them to sell their weapons to the insurgents. This relentless, sophisticated and surprisingly effective propaganda campaign through foreign media and the NGOs is to persuade the world into believing that the Nigerian government does not have the capacity to effectively prosecute the war against insurgency and terrorism in the Northeast. They have perfected the manipulation of these proxy bodies essential to the propagation of that all too widely plotted fantasy.

More tragic is the partisan meddlesomeness of the Western media that will stop at nothing to circulate fake and unguarded stories on Africa while leaving out more horrible and ungodly materials in their respective countries unreported. Even though we may intellectually dismiss as an essentialized concept, we still must take it into account when looking at social settings and interactions, as race still very much is a crucial and material social construct in everyday existence. The assumption is that when people speak of race, they are talking about some way in which the world of humans has been divided. The most apparent of the markers by which these divisions have been made is physical appearance. But it is unthinkable that at the dusk of the second decade of the 21st century, racism has continued to colour Western media coverage.

All said, the Nigerian press should probe into this trajectory and counter all residues of racism and unwarranted Western media manipulation of the situation in the Northeast. All the foreign NGOs operating there and their local agents should understand the predicament of the military in fighting a non-conventional war. If this is the country we have all willingly come to accept as ours on the face of the earth, then we must develop a new faith in it so that we can all come together to make it work. The concept of faith in patriotism comes with belief in oneself, one country and one people. The expression of a deep national loyalty by all Nigerians to the entity called Nigeria irrespective of tribe and creed is what we need to overcome all our challenges as a country. The war in the Northeast must be brought to its logical conclusion and every stakeholder must respect the legal maxim that , ” he who must come to equity must do so with a clean hand.”

Abubakar is the Executive Secretary, Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC).

By Anthony Obekpa

Nigeria is an unfortunate country on many flanks. There is nowhere this misfortune is expressed more pungently than in the National Assembly (NASS). The two chambers of national parliament have the penchant to engage in actions which are inconsistent with popular cause or mocks the national interest they are supposed to jealously protect.

Some members of NASS have spent upward of three or more tenures in NASS. But to say, they have acquainted themselves with the basic rudiments of legislation is expecting too much from members of this important arm of government.

The belief of the heavily populated NASS is that the legislature exists primarily to antagonize the executive arm of government to extract personal gains. They don’t think strategically for national interest. Every issue before the parliament is approached from the perspective of personal benefits, even at the detriment of the country. Once their personal desires are met, the country can go to blazes.

Therefore, NASS has consistently failed in legislation or oversight functions. Most times when NASS deliberates and passes national Appropriation Acts, tales of budget padding in billions reawaken national discourses. It reminds Nigerians of how badly the country has fared. Almost always, constituency projects funds end up in the drain. But NASS members loathe any investigation into it by anti-graft agencies. Attempt it, and they unanimously chorus political witch-hunt.

These Parliamentarians’ are more excited with driving posh cars as official vehicles and daily bargain for sumptuous allowances. And these cars must be imported at huge cost of FOREX to the country and so, they rejected vehicles from Innoson Motors as too inferior for them.

The NASS members feign the portrait of patriotism. But deep down their hearts, the opportunity of being in the NASS is for personal service and personal enrichment, instead of national interest. Each time they want to earn more objectionable allowances, lawmakers arm-twist and blackmail the President and his appointees.

The only notable emblem of members of NASS is that some are “distinguished” and others are “honourable” in the exact opposite of the prefixes attached to their names. But aside it, every other thing about them drapes with either incompetence or lack capacity to serve Nigeria.

So, Nigerians have entered the new church of saints and angels, who are more satanic in thoughts and actions than lucifer himself. That’s why in his days as President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo had consistent brawls with them, to the point of fisticuffs.

Once anyone who is President refuses to play ball with them, the legislators create crisis and threaten the soul of Nigeria. Yet, these are parliamentarians some of who sleeps throughout most plenary sessions. They only saunter from their trance to concord with motions which service their appetite for illicit money. They flaunt power like conquering emperors and dare anyone to challenge their impertinence to the same people they claim to serve.

National parliamentarians approach every issue upside down. It is doubtful whether some of them know their left from the right. When one listens to their debates during plenaries on national issues, the dullness disarms. Even secondary school debating competitions of those days were more energetic and stimulating.

Nigeria operates constitutional democracy, which is powered by the rule of law. And the powers to checkmate and sack an erring President is exclusively that of the NASS. But here, Parliamentarians told Nigerians President Muhammadu Buhari has failed the nation on insecurity. They claimed Mr. President is incompetent.

But what was their reaction? They rather told the President to resign. Who elected them to play advisory roles to Mr. President on decisions that are personal to him? One can only imagine! It means they were not sure of themselves and as usual, were out to blackmail Mr. President.

And thereafter, they delved into matters they are neither empowered by law nor within their operational jurisdiction. It mocks commonsense that parliamentarians will ask Mr. President to sack his Service Chiefs. It is laughable and only smacks of their confounding confusion.

One believes that NASS members don’t know that the power or decision to sack Service Chiefs is the exclusive prerogative of the President and Commander-In-Chief. So, the hilarious cacophonies like “sack the Service Chiefs or no, the President should resign” meaninglessly resonated in both chambers. Oh! They are really confused and in need of urgent salvation.

These Parliamentarians bury any bill that threatens their personal interests, especially in business and promote silly ones. Any appointee nominated by the President for NASS confirmation whose records demonstrates a flair of being a pain in the neck of NASS members is soundly rejected. No cogent reason is adduced for the rejection. They only crave the indulgence of Nigerians to believe in the supremacy of their decision whether good or bad.

This is the NASS which wanted the Acting EFCC chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu sacked because he was bold to investigate their Chairman over allegations of corrupt acts. Look at the speed they moved to amend the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) Act simply because the NASS chairman was facing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

Nigeria’s parliamentarians are very unique dramatists. Their altercation with Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), the Comptroller General of Nigeria’s Customs Service (NCS) was like a stage theatre. They summoned and harangued the customs boss, insisting that he must wear uniform before he appears before them or be sacked.

And his only offence was that he impounded an imported vehicle which the NASS chairman smuggled into the country and evaded payment of lawful tax levies. The NASS was livid with anger against Hameed Ali for refusing to share cash and impounded cars to them. But they met a brick wall, as the ex-soldier cum administrator stood defiantly against them.

What is unknown to them is that Nigerians are not fooled. Nigerians can’t be fooled by their antics anymore. They have overplayed this game and it has become too familiar. Each time they bark at Mr. President, it is not for national interest, but subtle blackmail for personal favours which he is adamant to approve for them.

The legislators want cars worth billions of naira to run assignments for Nigerians in the guise of oversight functions in a country majority of the citizens are living in penury. How did they arrive at the figure of N37 billion for the renovation of National Assembly Complex?

Even an entirely new NASS complex will not cost as much as N37 billion. Could it have been another subtle blackmail of the Presidency to pass the 2020 budget? Nigerians later heard that the parliamentarians endorsed the 2020 Appropriation Act without any inquest into it. What had a semblance that the national budget passed through NASS was its padding by over N163 billion.

But they pray Nigerians not think about how much they have inserted into the budget for renovation. The money is more than the total cumulative budget for health, defence and education sectors. However, it must be given it to them or there must be war. That’s the NASS Nigeria operates.

So, President Buhari, an upright and straightforward leader has always been in trouble with NASS members. If the ICPC is investigating some NASS members over allegations of corruption and President Buhari refuses to intervene, he runs into trouble with them. They cry like little babies that anti-graft agencies are “fighting” them, but the President is quiet.

And in vengeance they go for the President neck. If they can’t get him, they trouble and intimidate his appointees. After all, an Africa adage says, “once you grab the ears, the head will come.” Gbam… Yes, that’s the key. So, the battle has to go the President in another way. NASS members, how funny are thee in the new African shrine of hypocrisy?

Obekpa, a University don wrote this article from Bauchi.