Television Nigerian

By Linus Ojoko

“ (Military) is not only the force that should be used, what about the non-kinetic approach? What about development? So many places don’t have roads, several places don’t have schools. There is low level of education, high illiteracy. These are what breed insecurity and criminality”- Gen. TY Buratai (rtd) in an interview with ThisDay and Arise TV in Maiduguri, February, 2020

Nigeria, like other countries of the world has been enmeshed in multi-dimensional terrorism for years. The nation has incurred unimaginable losses in precious human lives, destructions, waste of critical national resources on curbing insecurities and the overall instability it has birthed in the country. The pains, sorrows and agonies terrorists inflict on the people is another pain in the neck.

And in Nigeria’s efforts to contain the plague of terrorism, the country has adopted multiple measures, at different times, including anointing crack and seasoned Military Generals to lead the counter-insurgency operations. But the army officer who has demonstrated the clearest vision and discerns the matrix of insurgency deeply, is Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd). He is now Nigeria’s Ambassador to Benin Republic. He broke new grounds, set global records in battling terrorism and recorded countless success stories while he led counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria.

Even in his diplomatic assignment, His Excellency, Ambassador TY Buratai has continued to trumpet his convictions and perceptions on how best to tackle terrorism, which is now domiciled its tentacles in the West African sub-region, Africa and a nagging nightmare to the entire globe. While still in active Military service, Ambassador Buratai sermonized on the inadequacy of Nigeria’s over reliance on kinetic approaches to resolve the terrorism conflagrations.Some people maliciously classified him a prophet of doom. But reality and truth and unchangeable human phenomenon.

However, Buratai never relented in preaching the adoption of wholistic and collective efforts to tackle Boko Haram terrorism, armed banditry and its numerous variations or mutations. He canvassed for the use of the non-kinetic approaches in blighting terrorism fires in the country. Ultimately, Ambassador Buratai believes that terrorism will not just disappear from Nigeria simply because armed soldiers engage insurgents in brutally crippling combats in the war trenches or fighter jets drop missiles on terrorists camps, exterminating them in numbers.

But Gen. Buratai (rtd) keenly studied and grasped the sociological and psychological character of Boko Haram terrorists; their recruitment styles and baits in luring innocent Nigerian youths into the sect as footsoldiers. The youths easily subscribe to Boko Haram ideology because it assures them of ending an existential ennui.

Mainly, Buratai believes gross underdevelopment, awful deficits in infrastructures, near zero empowerment of Nigeria’s productive population, festers Boko Haram terrorism and also frustrates or impedes the needed Military actions to completely blight operations of the sect, especially in the Northeast region.

Ambassador Buratai has remained appalled at the level of underdevelopment of the Northeast region, the hotbed of Boko Haram terrorists campaigns. Its unbelievable, but some Local Government Areas in the Northeast are inaccessible by road. But they receive monthly allocations from the federation account.

A few days back, His Excellency, Ambassador Buratai again drummed the same message at Yola, Adamawa state, when he spoke as the Guest Lecturer at the of the 24th, 25th and 26th combined convocation lecture of Modibbo Adama University. He bemoaned loudly that the Northeast lacks development and it is incredibly fuelling insurgency and insecurities in the geopolitical region.

Ambassador Buratai pricked the conscience of leaders and the influential, as he declared; “ Any country that does not ensure the development of its people would have security challenges. We should not rely on the military option as the only way to resolve our security challenges. We must address the ideological, economic, social, and political factors. My recent diplomatic foray has further sharpened my views on the urgent need for military, as well as non-military solution to the lingering and needless conflict.”

 

Gen. Buratai (rtd) has lived with this mindset even while he was in active Military service and actually took profound steps, by using the platform of the Nigerian Army to berth desperately needed succour Thus, while he rendered patriotic service to his country, Gen. Buratai (rtd) manifested in policies and actions that embraced both the kinetic and non-kinetic measures to battle Boko Haram terrorism. He introduced the “stick and carrot” approach; and activated the Nigerian Army’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) component in host communities.

The CSR initiative, which was the first ever in the history of the Nigerian Army, funded from its meagre budget, impactfully bridged development gulfs in all Army host communities’ or anywhere soldiers conducted special Internal Security (IS) operations. It to the credit of the Nigerian Army and the excitement of Nigerians who are beneficiaries of the Army’s CSR projects in roads construction, bridges, water supply, health, agriculture, education , electricity and many others. The Army through the CSR platform, even reached communities which have never experienced the presence of government in the history of their existence.

By his recent outbursts and emphasis on the poor development base of the Northeast, Ambassador Buratai for the umpteenth time, has persuaded a synergic approach to this challenge. He has persuaded the commitment of government at all tiers, as well as the needed actions from political leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders, individuals and all stakeholders to assist the Military in ending the terrorism conflict in the Northeast through development initiatives.

The singular dependence on the Military and weapons alone would only momentarily blight the fires of terrorism. The people must be lifted from their gross underdevelopment, poverty and penury to embolden them to abandon the allures of terrorism. Very often, Boko Haram recruiters brainwash the people into believing, the sect can offer a better alternative to existence, as they encounsed such preachments government’s visible neglect. Today again, leaders are tasked to change this narrative by consciously re-doubling fresh energies and resources to the issues of development in the region.

A consistent frank talker, Gen. Buratai (rtd) once told a select team of media executives at the Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) 2020, observed in Faskari, Katsina State that; “ But, overall, we must see criminality as a collective responsibility. It is a collective burden and it requires collective solutions. We are doing our own kinetic aspect and the civil authorities at the local level, at the state level need to do their own and of course, we must support the kinetic actions of the security agencies…,”

Truth is constant, but not easy to voice out by most people. But Ambassador Buratai has wittingly developed himself into a great human resource to Nigeria on counter-terrorism and knows where the problem of terrorism is nourished. So, he does not dread telling the truth he knows.

If only leaders can listen to him and apply his ideas, Nigeria would be finally extricated from the fangs of terrorism. As a nation, Nigerians must wake up to take his sermons very seriously. It is not too late to rejig the narrativd. He spoke and has always spewed the gospel truth, regardless of who hates or is angered by it. But only truth can set anyone free.

 

President Muhammadu Buhari and international donors deserve special commendation for their numerous efforts in the rebuilding and reconstruction of the Northeast in the post-insurgency era. But these efforts must be complemented by the natives, whether low or mighty. The burden is heavier on their necks than anyone else.

Truthfully, the Northeast has no reason to be confoundingly underdeveloped as known today. The Northeast is a region which is also home to many wealthy Nigerians. It is the ancestral place of some of Nigeria’s topmost millionaires and billionaires. They must partner and synergise to tackle the issue of underdevelopment to end the bait of easy recruitment of footsoldiers or support for Boko Haram terrorists.

Ojoko PhD wrote this article from
Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola.

By Philip Agbese

I read the London-based Economist magazine’s editorial, the crime scene at the heart of Africa, and I ended having mixed feelings about Nigeria. The title of the editorial was well cast to elicit a wide readership. That was brilliant. It ran historical about Nigeria with flashes of the civil war. In the usual manner, it dwelled on historical disjoint regarding the remote and immediate causes of the war. This is a topic for another day.
The editorial board of the magazine sanctioned such publication without recourse to the sensibilities of its readership. It went on a foray of invectives that could be used in blogs and startup news mediums. This was what the Economist did, and it is somewhat indicative that editorial competence has eluded the organization.

My grouse with the editorial was the gross misrepresentation of facts regarding the prosecution of the war against insurgency in Nigeria and other forms of criminalities. “The Nigerian Army is mighty on paper. But many of its soldiers are ghosts” it stated. How could one possibly explain this statement? Was it a statement of fact or the usual attempt at jabbing the successes recorded in North-East Nigeria and other parts of the country?
What was the source of information? A product of detailed field research or outright insinuations and illogical conclusions? I will go with the latter because the Economist got it wrong in all ramifications. A visit to the theatre of operations in North-East Nigeria would help a great deal in understanding that the publication of the Economist relied on outdated data that dates back to 2009 when the Boko Haram group began its violent campaign in Nigeria.

I also need to add that the Economist must be educated to know that in the year 2016, while Lt Gen T.Y Buratai, now Ambassador of Nigeria to Benin Republic, held sway as the chief of army staff, the Nigerian Army gained ascendency over the Boko Haram group, that led to their dislodgement from Sambisa Forest. So much so, that it was common knowledge that the activities of Boko were restricted to the fringes of the Lake Chad basin region.

What about the super camp strategy introduced in 2019, that involved taking the fight to the enemies in their hideouts after dislodging them from their operational headquarters in Sambisa Forest. Again, the successes recorded were outstanding. But the Economist was not aware of these feats because its editors were probably holed up in their comfort zones in London.

This is 12 years after, and a medium as respectable as the Economist magazine is caught pants down. The conclusion is this: either the editorial was in return for a plate of porridge or a deliberate attempt to boost readership on its platform. Whichever motive was responsible, it remains that the Economist magazine is only mighty in name but meagerly in editorial content.

The death of Abubakar Shekau and Abu Musab al-Barnawi, known factional leaders of Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province, ought to have sent a message to the editorial team at the Economist. Did they deliberately ignore or they were not privy to the recent happenings in North-East Nigeria?
Let me digress a little. The real crime scene was at the editorial boardroom of the Economist magazine, where the publication of such misinformation about the Nigerian Army was okayed without due diligence. It, therefore, indicates that the tendency for readers to be misinformed by the Economist is high. Or could it be that the Economist has joined forces with the global network of terrorism promoters by promoting news stories that give terror gangs psychological advantages?

Back to the crux. The Nigerian Army remains a highly professional force, whose impact in Nigeria on addressing the myriads of security challenges has been noteworthy. The fact remains that the Nigerian Army has been extensively involved in Internal Security Operations across the country.
The editors at the Economist must come to terms that the Nigerian Army’s role in internal security operations does not only have robust precedence; it has now become a national security imperative. And why is this so?

The Army’s readiness and availability suffices in this regard. Therefore, as The Economist put it, I am not convinced that “ghost” soldiers could attain such a feat.
I also wonder how it eluded the editors at the Economist, the political undertone to the security challenges in Nigeria. I would suggest that they lay hold of the profile of the Chief of Army Staff in Nigeria. After that, I believe they would have a rethink with regards to the term “ghost soldiers.”
For the records, Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya was the commander of the counter-insurgency operations in North-East Nigeria before he was appointed Chief of Army Staff. And the records are in the public domain for their perusal. I am tempted to believe that the editors at the Economist are intolerant about Nigeria as a country for reasons best known to them. This intolerance they have recently transferred to the operations of the Nigerian Army.

For the records, almost 6000 insurgent commanders and foot soldiers have recently surrendered due to improved counter-insurgency operations in North-East Nigeria. And many more exploits that are in the public domain that the Economist elected to ignore.
My takeaway from the editorial is that the Economist was economical in their analysis. It smacks of mischief and a deliberate attempt to misinform and create a crisis of confidence within the Nigerian Army. But did they succeed? The answer is no. and were there lessons to be learnt?

There are indeed lessons to be learnt in the sense that readers should be circumspect with content from the supposed mighty news mediums such as The Economist. Most of them have lost editorial standards. The staying power is the name and not the content, as evident in the analysis in “the crime scene in the heart of Africa”.
“The crime scene in the heart of Africa” is fiction. The Nigerian Army is not mighty on paper; it is a professional force with verifiable exploits in counter-insurgency and internal security operations. I would have availed more details about the achievements of the Nigerian Army in recent times. However, I will leave that for the army authorities.

This piece is not a structured response but an opinion from a concerned citizen who is conversant with the operations of the Nigerian Army and its numerous contributions to peace and stability. And I say in unequivocal terms that there are no “ghost soldiers” in the Nigerian Army. The Economist must do well to recant their stance.

Agbese is a human rights law researcher at the Middlesex University London.

By Donald Okpeh The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has slightly clocked two years of its existence. Absolutely, in the last two years, NEDC has been on a progressive odyssey in the execution of its mandate in Nigeria’s Northeast region. It is a region hitherto, severely ravaged and devastated by multilayered, bloody jihadists campaigns of insurgency for over a decade. Established by an Act of the National Assembly (NASS), and signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2017, the NEDC’s Governing Board was inaugurated in May 2018 by Mr. President. Thereafter, it commenced full-scale operations under the leadership of the Managing Director, Alhaji Mohammed Goni Alkali. Sequel to the Buhari Presidency, Boko Haram insurgency totally paralyzed or crumbled economic activities and infrastructural facilities in the Northeast region. Many Nigerians never imagined that insurgency would be blighted to the point of mandating the NEDC or any other agency with the arduous task of succor to the displaced, traumatized and distraught populations in the Northeast region, comprising Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe states. Information on the NEDC website, disclosed its main mandate as; “among other things, is to receive and manage funds from allocation of the Federal Account and international donors for the settlement, rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads, houses and business premises of victims of insurgency as well as tackling menace of poverty, illiteracy level, ecological problems and any other related environmental or developmental challenges in the North-East states”. The statistics of devastations in the region were quite scary. Multiple media reports corroborated that between 2009 and 2015 insurgents’ atrocities in the region destroyed more than 900 schools and forced at least, another 1,500 to abrupt closures. And by early 2016, close to 1 million school-aged children fled the violence -prone areas of the region and the UN estimated a frightening figure of IDPs in excess of 2.4 million people, housed in various camps across the region, with its connected humanitarian crisis. Therefore, NEDC’s immediate actions were directed at the reconstruction of the damaged physical infrastructures, reducing the humanitarian crisis faced by IDPs, evolving a solid peace-building, reconciliation, and de-radicalization framework. The NEDC management understood that issues such as illiteracy, poverty and unemployment were the bane of unending insecurity in the Northeast region. In spite of the enormous responsibilities of the commission, the management has so far, glaringly proved its mettle, with meagre funds in the kitty, to the applause of Nigerians, especially, people of the Northeast region on execution of its official mandate. The Board has in the last two years, met so many popular expectations, remedied many infrastructural deficits across board, recording many success stories in projects execution and humanitarian services. To its credibility today, there have been unprecedented achievements in the reconstruction of housing units, hospitals, roads, bridges, portable water supply, schools, scholarship grants to indigent students, empowerment and skills acquisition programmes, among others. In Borno state for instance, the NEDC has completed the construction of 1,000 housing units and equipped numerous Technical and Vocational/Skills Centres around the state based on the approvals it obtained from the FGN in 2019 to construct 10,000 houses, as well as establish Technical and Vocational Skills Acquisition Centres for the IDPs across all the six states in the region. Ngowom Village, Mafa LGA of Borno state now bore the bold the imprimatur of NEDC’s first 1,000 housing units in the region. The completed housing units have since been handed over to the Government of Borno state, led by Professor Babagana Zulum. This is aside other resettlement programmes, infrastructural as well as scholarship programmes granted indigenes of the state, in tertiary institutions by the commission, a direct attack on the sermonized ideology of Boko Haramists. The NEDC has also constructed and commissioned a world class Burn Centre at the University of Maiduguri Teaching hospital (UMTH) to treat burns from bomb explosions or fire incidents. It has since been put to use to address incidences of burn injuries and other related matters in the state. Similarly, in Yobe State, the NEDC identified the magnitude of destroyed infrastructures in the educational sector orchestrated by insurgency. The commission discovered that from the primary schools to the tertiary institutions, the scale of destruction as a result of the Boko Haram crisis was mindboggling. School buildings, furniture, and other equipments were destroyed by the insurgents. But with the Rapid Response Intervention (RRI) programme of the NEDC in Yobe state, the last two years, has experienced massive renovations and constructions of new classrooms, offices, stores and supply of furniture across the 17 local government areas of the state. Yobe state has also benefited from the commission’s initiative to provide affordable housing units for the people of the Northeast region. So far, 500 housing units have been completed in Yobe state. Out of this number, 250 units are located in Damaturu the state capital; 50 units in Buni Yadi; 50 units in Geidam; 50 units in Potiskum; 50 units in Gashua, and another 50 in Nguru. The commission has also repaired and converted over 28 boreholes to solar hybrid and subsequent drilling and installation of 34 hybrid solar boreholes across Yobe, in order to meet the water and sanitation needs of the rural folks in the state. This is aside from the state-of-the-art molecular laboratory the commission has established at the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital (YSUTH), for easy testing of Lassa fever, COVID-19, Yellow fever as well as other diseases and outbreaks in the state. The agricultural sector in Yobe state too has enjoyed the commission’s intervention, as many dry season farmers in the state have benefited from the 1,500 participants in the Agricultural Support Scheme of NEDC in the state and the region. The state has also enjoyed the ICT and other trainings sponsored across all the states in the region by the commission’s management. Also, in Bauchi State, the NEDC commenced the infrastructural rebuilding process after it had in September 2021, flagged off the construction of 500 housing units in the state. The distribution of food and non-food items to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state also took place the same day as the commission targeted tackling the issue of imminent food insecurity in the region. Furthermore, the NEDC has commenced the construction of two major roads in Bauchi, which previously resisted the attention of successive administrations in the state. The roads are Alkaleri – Futuk road in Alkaleri LGA and Alkaleri -Kirfi- to Gombe Abba road in Kirfi LGA of Bauchi State. Construction work is also ongoing at the Soro cattle market in Ganjuwa LGA as well as at Fistula Hospital in Ningi LGA. The NEDC is determined to complete these projects in the next fiscal year. In Adamawa, the NEDC has also taken over the reconstruction of three critical bridges in Kudzum, Dilechim and Wurro Ngayandi, all destroyed by the Boko Haram insurgents in Michika and Madagali LGAs of the Northeast region since 2014. These bridges serve as links between Adamawa and Borno state and its destruction grounded socio-economic and commercial activities between the two states. NEDC established another Burn Centre at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC ) Yola as well as infectious laboratory for testing Covid 19 at the state Specialist Hospital Yola, among many other life- saving or uplifting projects in Adamawa state have been completed by the commission, fully equipped and are ready to be put to public use. Notably, the NEDC boss, Mohammed Alkali led other top management members of the commission, the Governing Board, the minister of works, NASS members and other stakeholders to Adamawa state on a two-day official working visit, where the completed projects were commissioned and handed over to the Borno State Government while new ones were equally flagged off for execution on same day. At the time of the visit too, the commission also flagged off the construction of 500 housing units for IDPs in the state; distributed various food and non-food items to victims of insurgency, handed over the well-equipped Burn Centre built at FMC Yola as well as the infectious diseases laboratory to the Adamawa State Government. The NEDC has initiated similar projects in Gombe and Taraba states respectively. The construction of MEGA Schools, the reconstruction and rehabilitation of education sector’s infrastructures to address the high deficit in classroom blocks in both primary and secondary schools throughout the Northeast region is a commendable initiative by the Commission. These and many more have been achieved within just two years of the NEDC under its pioneer management. Therefore, it is not surprising that the North East Youths and Elders Peoples Forum, (NEYEF)recently expressed satisfaction with the leadership of the NEDC under Alkali, commending the commission for making giant strides in its mandate of rebuilding and redeveloping the Northeast zone. NEDC has accomplished more than can be captured in a single piece. But with these stated exploits, the NEDC has made within a short span of two years, the process of rebuilding the Northeast region is on course under the Buhari Presidency. And cynics are shamed that indeed, it is possible, the devastated region can regain its lost status, despite the afflictions of years of insurgency under focused leaders. Okpeh is a public affairs ansyst and wrote this piece from Abuja.