Nigeria Times

By Itodo Ikongbe
 
Though America can loosely be referred to as a crazy country, with its endearing epaulet of “God’s Own country, “notwithstanding.  Some even derogatively call them “Yankees.”
But I admire the political cum leadership maturity and national patriotism of Americans in positions of authority. It is consistent with the disposition of Americans that national interest is elevated first before self-interests. American parliamentarians especially, have imbued it with canonical powers.
Except for a slight stroke of destiny, which locates Nigeria in the African geographical axis of the world, we are supposed to be like Americans and replicated their might. Our leaders would have been acting like Americans in leadership and private lives.   
It amazes me why we are so miles apart from Americans despite the similarities we share. In keep wondering, while the gulf between us and Americans in perceptions, character and conduct. It’s worth brooding because America has crude oil and we have crude oil too. What else?
If America prides itself as “God’s Own country,” we also have our own symbol of such reverence, though of a smaller scale than America. Nigeria has its own version as a state. There is “God’s Own state,” we call Abia state.  In worse case scenarios’, we shall use our small status of affinity with God to compete with Almighty America, the global policemen.  

But we are a hapless race either by divine proclamation or by our own greedy designs. Therefore, from our own state of Abia in Southeast Nigeria births some of the most repugnant and black-hearted men, who either have ordained themselves as leaders or grab leadership or are simply anointed by unsuspecting people to lead them.
It is in Abia we have encountered a debauch by the identity of Nnamdi Kanu, who regales in leading a band of outlaws under the canopy of IPOB. When they operated freely, they were like cannibals. They could devour their own kith and kin once engulfed by slight, but unrestrained furiousness.
He has an elder uncle, who has supplanted himself in the upper chamber of the National Assembly (NASS) representing Abia  South Senatorial district.   He is identified as Sen. Enyinnaya  Abaribe and Senate minority leader.
Many mistook him as matured and so, could exhibit tendencies of maturity in character and utterances. But they were disappointed when Abaribe,   while  debating  a sensitive national  issue such as renewed spate of attacks and killings in parts of the country in Senate plenary last week condescended to personal emotions and partisanship.
He is a PDP senator, so, condensed the nucleus of the debate into an emotional partisan affair.  He threw tantrums, daggers and swords at the ruling APC government of President Muhammadu Buhari under the guise of expressing anger over the resurgence of insecurities. But we alI knew, it was not from his heart.  He was only playing the partisan emotions and sentimental card of the opposition PDP against the “failed,” APC national government.  
So, Sen. Abaribe straightforwardly asked President Buhari to resign from office or be stoned by Nigerians in accordance with his promise during electioneering campaigns, since  APC pledged to be stoned on account of failure upon assumption of office. And childishly, he mouthed that “stones” should be thrown at the party, following the insecurity realities in Nigeria now. He narrowed a national debate into infantile and imbecilic vibrations.
Abaribe’s utterances nevertheless provoked the ire of some Senators. And Sen. Abdullahi  Adamu, representing Nasarawa West Senatorial district. He has to call for sanity to be restored into Sen.  Abaribe’s  thinking faculties.  Adamu bellowed “I take exemptions to the contribution by the minority leader. Abaribe should be called to order. His call for the use of stone means weapon against the ruling party”.
Such was the only fecundity Sen. Abaribe infused into a sensitive national debate on security. And he had apostates in and outside the chambers who cheered him for speaking the “truth;” a truth only known to the clan of the  Abaribes.
I expected no less or anything better from him as elder brother of the eccentric Nnamdi Kanu. Both hails from Abia state.   I think the Almighty Creator visited partiality on Nigerians when He contemplated creating the two races-Americans and Nigerians. I guess, He was fair to America; but very unfair to Nigeria, as with the existence of “God’s Own state” in our country, we are faring worse.
To my utmost surprise, the debate was sustained on such trivialities enmeshed in emotions and the aggressive pursuits of personal or regional interests.  Some Senators rebranded the insecurity problem with dictums such as  “over-personalization” of security personnel. Whatever the phrased meant, only the Senators could decode.
Sen. Mrs. Betsy Apiafi of Rivers West’s only mania was the overstayed tenure of Service and Security Chiefs (SSCs) and its “illegality.” It was unarguably the dumbest contribution on the topic.  
In the Southwest, a voice resonated. Sen.  Ibikunle Amosun, representing Ogun Central Senatorial district was a bit tactful. But at the same time, exuded such emotions and personalized regional interests. I sensed subtle campaigns for Senate’s official seal of Amotekun, private security outfit baptized as Western Nigeria Security Network.
He said;  “…the best thing to do is to allow every state to have their police but we will still have federal police.”I cannot laugh enough! The majority of Senators in this apparently deceptive games and clowning, at best  were rewarded with a decision on the motion which a Senate resolution, passed  a vote of no-confidence on the military, police and other security outfits in the country. This was their wisest panacea to the spate of renewed attacks and killings in Nigeria. Quite hilarious!
At the lower chamber, representatives played similar emotions, and personalized interests, while wittingly creeping into pretenses of debating national security interest. It was the funniest session ever, portraying lack of vision, focus and purpose, outside what the hunter caged in the hole for his personal family.
The motion sponsored by the Majority Chief Whip, Hon. Mohammed Monguno and 14 other lawmakers, very few Reps demonstrated the true Nigerian national spirit. Incidentally, Hon. Monguno is from the Northeast zone, ravaged by Boko Haram/ ISWAP terrorists.
 I couldn’t discern whether he had personal scores to settle with any of the SSCs. But he instantly dropped the bombshell, by frowning at their failure of Service Chiefs to sustain the achievements recorded in tackling the insurgents’ activities particularly in Yobe and Borno states.
 At least, he was a bit frank by his veiled insinuation that the SSCs appointed since July 13, 2015, at least harvested insurgents or did something worthwhile some time ago, in crushing insurgency. What an insightful testimony.  But the overwhelming discordant voices of his colleagues never averred his words deep contemplation on this angle because it aligned or bowed too much to truth on SSCs from minds fixated on their disparagement.
Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Hon. Jimi Benson, animated the emotions of hatred and mockery of the SSCs and Mr. President. He said, “the National Security Adviser is from the North East and cannot get to his village. The Chief of Army Staff is also from the North East and cannot get to his village. The Chief of Air staff too. That speaks volume of their ability.”
Benson irately thundered; “ I don’t know why he has kept them since 2015 when they were first appointed. He (Buhari) should decide whether to continue to keep them or not. I believe the resolution here will prick his conscience.” It never occurred to him that the issue of national security was not confined to Mr. President or the SSCs alone, but he had an active role to play as a national lawmaker for impacts.
Both Hon. Francis Waive and Hon. Abubakar Fulata flawed on same idiosyncrasies.  In their warped wisdom, since all the SSCs have overstayed and have lost efficiency, all should be withdrawn and replaced with fresh hands. It was their only antidote. I wondered whether they ever know the implication of pulling out all security personnel from a warzone simultaneously for whatever reason.
How is elongated service of SSCs affected efficiency and they explained, as “tiredness.”  How could anybody for any reason argue for a soldier’s fatigue in the frontlines and withdrawal on such lame excuse? Its unheard off. May be, the legislators had relations in the Military, whom they enlisted into the forces through the backdoor and now deployed to Northeast. Perhaps, they secretly clamoured  to their elder uncles in the corridors of power like the legislators to influence their  come back home. So, Waive and Fulata discreetly argued to push  this possibility.
 
And to Hon. Tobi Okechukwu, it was an undisguised resort to the 2019 campaign slogans of the PDP, castigating the APC. “Why invest heavily on “trader-moni” instead of adequately funding security agencies,” he seemed to whine. But the power to reverse this perceived negative indulgence also rests in the hands of the legislature, his official constituency.
Initially, Minority leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu staged out perfectly. He assessed the problem of insecurity from nationalist lenses, gunning for more investments in equipment for security agencies, but floundered midway.  
He thereafter, toed the footprints of the crowd of ungifted legislators, lashing out at the SSCs as devoid of good example. But a warfront is not a monastery, where the etiquettes of morality constitutes part of tutorials. What exactly was on his mind?   
Not long thereafter, he blow out his emotions thus; “the best thing for them  (SSCs)to do is to take a bow and go. If you don’t know when to leave, then you will be eased out…. People are stealing money and not doing what they are supposed to do.”
But if people are allegedly stealing money voted for counter-insurgency operations, who should be the whistle blower? It is  the same Rep and other colleagues’ through oversight functions. So, have they reneged on duty?  He craftily escaped without touching  the actual setbacks of gross underfunding of Security agencies in the age of insurgencies. And the blackmail of SSCs ricocheted on the initiator, one might say.
An overhaul of the motions, the debates and resolutions by NASS over insecurities, leading to calls for the resignation of President Buhari; voluntary retirement of SSCs or their sack by Mr. President never answered to any genuine interrogation of the insecurity quagmire.  It notoriously pandered to emotions, partisan, regional and personal interests of the national parliamentarians.    
 
It inextricably left me with a poisonous killer hole in a weakened heart already gasping for breath. The tenor on the motion on national security debates clearly indicated a perfect example of a people fighting their emotions at one end; while others fought to illuminate or deepen their pockets.
I remember sometime recently that an  Honourable member   declared being a breadwinner to a family of four wives and 27 children. That is already nearly the size of three football teams and enough to make up a federal constituency in a place like Bayelsa state. One can therefore understand that the family and neighbours definitely need money which must flow from the parliamentary chambers. 
Insinuations were rife that lawmakers were lobbied with $3,000 each to sponsor and serve Nigerians the motion. I was really shocked to watch all the  plenary gibberish on TV, as  if  some of those who made up the  majority members of the blackmailing resolutions are  not from the Northeast  or severed from this world or were not in this country in 2015. 
 But the concern of lawmakers is not with the  time a university is being built in the local government area of one of the Service Chiefs, the plots to diminish his leadership aura are thick.
 Is God really not wonderful? That under President Buhari the Police college at Gwoza is preparing to take off again after the Army renovated it? Ah! Maybe, it will be a sort of miracle to also remind these legislators that whilst many of them were chasing the mermaids in Wuse 2 at nights, and thereafter, instigating the police to arrest them for prostitution, our military were busy holding their annual sporting event in the demystified Sambisa forest hitherto dreaded by soldiers and civilians alike.
If all these are not miracles enough, let me also point out another shameful aspect of their lives as parliamentarians. Whilst they were busy calling for impeachment signatures at a lounge in Maitama, our military were busy rescuing women and children from the Boko Haram/ISWAP captivity in the Northeast, with backing from  the police, DSS and even Civilian Joint Task Force members.
I make it abundantly clear to NASS that though the debate hinged on the  ntional sensitive topic of insecurity and killings, it  still never obfuscated  the fact that parliamentarians were more emotional and  personalized interests antithetical to issues centered on national security.
 It explains why, NASS never gave attention to the ingenuity of the minority members  who constantly voiced out on poor funding of security agencies; inadequate personnel, lack of standard equipment; poor officially approved welfare packages for troops at the frontline and absence of incentives to security personnel. But with time, every one would carry his cross.

Ikongbeh is a parliamentary staff and wrote from the National Assembly.

By Idoko Ainoko

I am one of those that have expressed reservation when some supposed social commentators castigate the administration of President Muhammdu Buhari as having failed in the protection of lives and properties in Nigeria since he assumed leadership of the country.

I recall in numerous forums I have vehemently disagreed such posturing, which in my opinion cannot be substantiated because I know for a certain that the Nigerian situation of today with regards the security of lives and properties cannot be compared to what we had pre-2015, where scores of deaths were recorded in the country, where it was a routine for policemen and soldiers to be deployed to churches and mosques to protect worshippers.

We are also quick to forget that in the Federal Capital Territory, some major roads were closed to traffic because of heightened insecurity; media houses also deployed extra security measures as well as other critical government institutions within the Federal Capital Territory.

This was indeed a period of the mass exodus of people from the Federal Capital Territory for fear of the unknown because nobody was sure of when the next bomb was going to be detonated. But fast forward to today and be the objective judge.

Still using the FCT as an example, that we can go about our normal businesses is a testimony of the great effort by President Muhammadu Buhari in ensuring that the security of lives and properties takes center stage in his administration. This much has been stated in numerous forums and has also attracted accolades from wide and far.

I dare to say that in the history of the democratic dispensation in Nigeria, I do not think there has been a president that has demonstrated an unalloyed commitment to the development of the country as well as the security of lives and properties. I stand to be corrected on this because, as a historian, I have had cause to examine the various administration in the country using different indices and trust me President Muhammadu Buhari came tops in all ramifications.

Taking the example of the Nigerian Army. Some might say the noticeable changes within the operations of the Nigerian Army are simply because President Muhammadu Buhari himself was a former Army General. As such, it is expected that he would give the operations of the Nigerian Army special attention.

I somewhat agreed with this postulation and also disagreed because no right-thinking and serious-minded president would allow such a revered institution as the Nigerian Army to become politicized. And one lacking in professionalism, which has been the case in times past.

This is on the heels that the capacity of any nation to defend her territorial integrity is always a function of its military strength, manifest in professionalism, military hardware as well as the morale of the troops at all times. And interestingly, this is the case of the Nigerian Army of the present, where total and absolute professionalism has been entrenched.

If this is not the case, have we wondered why the Nigerian Army had been called upon to always provide cover for the civil police in times of crisis? Have we taken time to understand the reason why the Nigerian Army conducts military operations across the country simultaneously? Have we forgotten the invaluable contribution of the Nigerian Army in the recently held general elections in the country?

There are indeed many more instances where the Nigerian Army had indeed risen to the defense of the country, even in areas that are outside its operational purview. And they have carried on with finesse to the admiration of all and sundry.

Coming down to the Boko Haram insurgency, we must admit that before the coming of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Boko Haram terrorist had indeed made a feast of our troops in North-East Nigeria. Daily, scores are killed, and properties destroyed. The morale of the fighting troop was at its lowest ebb, which was mostly due to the absence of credible leadership.

In some instances, we were witness to situations where soldiers of the 7 Div. in Maiduguri opened fire on the convoy of its General Officer Commanding. That was how hopeless the situation was at the time. This is aside from the fact that over 16 local government areas were at the time under the control of Boko Haram and their quest for the establishment of their caliphate was increasingly becoming a reality.

We must admit that the coming on board of President Muhammadu Buhari changed this narrative, and our military was able to make substantial progress in the war against terrorism. Today, there is no single Nigerian territory under the control of Boko Haram. The operational headquarters of the Boko Haram group- Camp Zero in Sambisa forest was taken over by the Nigerian Army. And many more gains recorded by the Nigerian Army.

I can go on nonstop on the great commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari in this regard, and it must be stated that indeed the exploits of the Nigerian Army of today under President Muhammadu Buhari are just a tip of the iceberg. The commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari towards the Nigerian dream is unflinching. Nigerians owe him every form of encouragement in this arduous task at hand.

I believe that there is more to come from the stable of President Muhammadu Buhari, and it is advised that those detractors should allow the president to concentrate on the task at hand.

Ainoko is a public affairs analyst based in Kaduna.

By Opeyemi Ola

In Nigeria today, it can be safe to say that the Nigerian Military has been stretched beyond its constitutional recognized mandate. It is interesting to note that for every internal security operation in the country, there is always the input of the Nigerian Military and which in most cases, provides the needed solution to the situation.

The list is endless and replete with acts of bravery and an infectious commitment to protecting and preserving the territorial integrity of the country, regardless of location, so long such places fall within the Nigerian space. This feat has elicited accolades from home and abroad for the Nigerian Military for its high display of professionalism in the task of protecting Nigeria from threats of terrorism and other criminal activities.

However, there is an irony that has pervaded the public space so much so that it is depicting a comical situation. As humorous as this might sound, it is what it is and somewhat a comic relief for some of us that are stressed from the hustle and bustle of our everyday life.

It is on the strength of this that I believe that the members of the National Assembly have not committed any sin against Nigerians by calling for the sack of Service Chiefs in the country. Maybe they also need some comic relief from the tedious task of legislative affairs, given the fact that the Nigerian legislatures are amongst the busiest sets in the world. Those in favour say Aye and those against say no. The Ayes have it, gbam.

This also explains why they were compensated continuously with all manners of allowances, including sleeping during plenary allowances in times but not anymore with the renewed accountability and transparency drive of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. I am sure this grudge is responsible for the comical acts emanating from the nook and cranny of the National Assembly, as evident in the call for the sack of Service Chiefs.

Money has stopped going to the National Assembly members. I gathered that some were even angry that the paltry sum given to them for Christmas wasn’t enough to travel home. Yes, everyone understands the new era that PMB is not sharing. I think PMB is quite stingy. Sai Baba, please temper justice with more money to the members of the National Assembly. For we would not agree with your excuse that Ghana Must Go Bags have not been able to come into the country with the closure of our borders.

I think the Service Chiefs are also stingy because they have somewhat refused to patronize these distinguished and honorable members with the much-needed family support programme. Please, I make a passionate appeal to our Service Chiefs to retrace their steps and do the needful in the interest of doctrine of necessity.

But in all, I won’t wholly blame the Service Chiefs because most of them spend their time in the trenches and theatre of operation. So it’s understandable when you go to the Armed Forces Complex to look for patronage, and they are not found on seat. Please let us beg our parliamentarians’ to forgive President Muhammadu Buhari and the Service Chiefs. They will not stay beyond 2023 after they must have ended the scourge of terrorism and other militant activities across the country.

In all of these, I am aware, as most parliamentarians’ in the country know that the Nigerian Military has done well. That the Nigerian Military has been awarded home and abroad for its sacrifices to humanity is a known fact. It is the fault of the new system.

To go back to the crux of this piece, retaining the Service Chiefs to finish the good work is a doctrine of necessity. No one can advise the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria better than the Commander-in-Chief himself who rose to the rank of a Major General in the Nigerian Army.

To do otherwise would be like a mechanic advising a surgeon in the theatre. Well, in Nigeria, anything is possible. But not everything that is possible is right under the Muhammadu Buhari lens. Have you ever seen President Muhammadu Buhari without his glasses? It is for the reason that it is aimed at scrutinizing everything that concerns national interest.

This is a hard fact, and there is a need for the commissioning of research on why the thinking pattern of a General always differs from that of your everyday politician and why he has indeed elected to retain the Service Chiefs. I am sure the research work would indeed reveal to them why President Muhammadu Buhari has retained the Service Chiefs. Please, I beg to give an expo; don’t change horses in midstream and don’t fix it when it isn’t broken. I hope this expo helps a great deal. Please don’t thank me for this; it is my little contribution to unraveling the mystery.

If not for anything, I am convinced the outcome of the research work will reveal to them that the Service Chiefs have done well, and there is still more to be done. And in parliamentary parlance it is called “doctrine of necessity” and if they want to find out more, they should dial the numbers of former Senate President David Mark or Senator Bala Muhammad.

In conclusion, it must be stated that what is being experienced in Nigeria is a manifestation of a resolve to leave Nigeria in good stead for socio-economic development where all Nigerians would be proud of. Are we familiar with the famous word on marble that states that “These generations of Nigerians, and indeed future generations, have no country other than Nigeria. We shall remain here and salvage it together.” Remembering the author of this word on marble is a first step to understanding the doctrine of necessity. Those in favor say Aye and those against say no. The Ayes have it. Gbam!

Ola is a former member of the National Assembly and wrote this piece from Ekiti State.