Television Nigerian

With little or no aid coming from foreign nations, the Save Humanity Advocacy Centre (SHAC) has tasked relevant stakeholders to look inwards to complement the military’s quest to end terrorism, banditry and other criminal vices in the country.

According to SHAC, the solution to the threats posed by the Boko Haram terrorists and other militant groups rest in the hands of Nigerians and not international bodies.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, SHAC’s Director of Communication, Bayo Ogunseye revealed that “only the Nigerian Military and the Nigerian people have the magic wand to end Boko Haram on our soil once and for all”.

Recall that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai had suggested that over 90 per cent of kidnappers, bandits, as well as armed robbers, are Nigerians, hence the need for the citizens to be involved in sharing information with security personnel.

While admitting that substantial progress has been made by the troops in the last five years, Mr Ogunseye conceded that homemade approach is the way to go, calling for massive support for the military in its various operations.

He, however, urged Nigerians to desist from insinuating that terrorism is a respecter of ethnicity or religion and work together collectively.

The Save Humanity Advocacy Centre says it is confident that with greater harmony among Nigerians, in no distant time, Boko Haram will be history.

The Centre further gave its firm commitment to the Nigerian state and the military.

Read the full statement below:

As Nigerians, we must admit that we have solicited help from outside the shores of Nigeria towards ending acts of terrorism in Nigeria to no avail. Our hopes and expectations have been dashed severally. Yet, we continued to make appeals to countries and international bodies to come to the aid of Nigeria.

We have received several promises from the international community on several occasions, yet none has materialized before our very eyes. This starkness of the reality calls for concern hence this press conference to let Nigerians know that indeed the solution to the Boko Haram insurgency rest in our hands.

The Save Humanity Advocacy Centre has made this position known in several fora given the dynamics of insurgencies and the role of some external sources in the fuelling of the crisis in the country to their advantage.

Let us make no mistakes or live in an illusion that help would come from outside the shores of Nigeria in this regard. We must have all realized this fully by now and must accept that only the Nigerian Military and the Nigerian people have the magic wand to end Boko Haram on our soil once and for all. This is only achievable when we all rally round the Military by giving it the needed support as they push for the final clearance of the remnants of the Boko Haram group.

We are using the medium to push for a homemade approach that would see massive support for the Nigerian Military in its various operations. This is also cognizant of the fact that indeed our Military has lived up to expectations in decimating the Boko Haram group. This is despite the ignoble role some politicians in the country have been playing towards assisting the Boko Haram group in their nefarious activities in the country.

The Save Humanity Advocacy Centre is saddened by this realization and wonders how we got it wrong in this country that some individuals and groups would be blinded by pecuniary gains to assist in the perpetuation of evil against Nigeria.

We must also admit that the dynamics of the Boko Haram war is such that involves an unimaginable level of conspiracies against the efforts of the Nigerian Military and despite all of these; substantial gains have been recorded mainly in the past five years in the country.  It is thus the considered opinion of the Save Humanity Advocacy Centre that the early we look inwards to address the threats posed by the Boko Haram group the better for Nigeria.

Nigerians must also desist from making a mistake to think that terrorism is a respecter of ethnicity or religion. This can’t be so because we all have been victims of their evil acts as evident in their ferocious attacks on unarmed women and children whose only crime is because they are from North-East Nigeria the epicentre of the insurgency.

This should indeed call for sober reflection from all well-meaning Nigerians, and its high time Nigerians face the stark reality that those emboldening the terrorists/bandits to strike the rest of us must stop in the interest of peace.

The recent attack of the convoy of the governor of Borno State is also an indication that there is a great undertone to the Boko Haram insurgency and why we must all come together to support the Nigerian Military as they push for the final decimation of the Boko Haram group as well as curtailing the activities of bandits in parts of the country.

The attack on Governor Babagana Zulum should also serve as a pointer that terrorists are friends of nobody and not only fighting the Military but the rest of us. They have no friends but see all Nigerians as enemies. This much the International Criminal Court must classify as crimes against humanity.

The Save Humanity Advocacy wishes to state that indeed humanity is under threat with the activities of the Boko Haram group and therefore curtailing their activities should not be left in the hands of the Nigerian Military alone. It is indeed time for all hands to be on deck to support their efforts in our quest to rid our land of Boko Haram and other acts of criminalities.

As sad as this is, the recent execution of humanitarian workers by Boko Haram terrorists must have proven a point to the International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs). They were initially undermining the success of the war against terrorism and to teach everyone a bitter lesson that the Boko Haram terrorists are against all of us and will spare nobody once they have the opportunity.

We must learn to be appreciative of the efforts of the Nigerian Military in its various operations in North-East Nigeria and other parts of the country despite the fact in most instances they get overstretched and yet delivering in its core mandate of protecting and preserving the territorial integrity of Nigeria. This is indeed time for us to stand with the Nigerian Military in the onerous task before us as a people and as a country.

The Save Humanity Advocacy Centre is desirous for the end of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. We are therefore united as a local NGO who have worked for more than seven years in the theatre of war in North-East Nigeria. We shall continue to support the Military as we call on all Nigerians to stand up and do something for Nigeria.

Our confidence in the capacity of the Nigerian Military to arrest the threats of the Boko Haram insurgency is unflinching, so is our support for the Nigerian Military in this critical point of our existence.

Our pledge remains that the Save Humanity Advocacy Centre would continue to rally the much-needed support for the Nigerian Military in its operations in North-East Nigeria and other parts of Nigeria.

I thank you all for your rapt attention. We desire that this message would get to every nook and cranny of Nigeria, so much so that we shall experience a renewed onslaught against terrorists, militants and bandits wherever they are in the country.

Thank you once again, and Nigeria shall indeed overcome with the active support of all and sundry.

… Scores Nigerian Military High

The senator representing Anambra Central in the National Assembly, Uche Ekwunife, has rated the military highly in their fight against insurgency in the Northern part of the country. Although she acknowledged that more needs to be done, in this interview, she urged Nigerians to render maximum support to the military to enable them finish the good works they have started.

There have been varying opinions on the fight against terrorism in Nigeria by the military. As a lawmaker, what’s your disposition towards this?

Being a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I strive hard to enhance my perspective and capacity in and outside of our dear nation. I therefore take more than a passing interest in the progress and challenges associated with our fight against terrorism and insecurity in Nigeria. Over the years, I have been following discussions emanating from the international communities and have come to the sad reality and conclusions that this battle is ours and ours alone to fight our way to victory.

What impression do you hold about our military in the frontline of this fight against insurgency?

I congratulate our military in no small way. Manning the frontline between us and the insurgency, they are doing a good work. The battle may not have been won and lost, but a whole world of commendable successes has been made. The country as a whole needs to support our military to boost their morale; that great driving force in this enviable profession that is a matter of life or death.

From strategy perspective, what advice would you give to Nigerians in general as it relates to dealing with terrorism?

In further appreciating the great works of our military, I make bold to raise a few issues of strategic importance. First of all, the war against insecurity in our country and the sub-region is not a matter for the media spaces because the enemy does not have a clear cut battle front and most of them may be clandestinely interacting within the society. Secondly, to truly appreciate our situation, we must come to terms with the fact that the best we can get in terms of support from the international communities in this struggle will be finance and weapons instead of being involved in the battlefield. This leaves us with few choices and those choices are; to equip our military with up-to-date war equipment. Equipping them must be targeted to surpass whatever weapons our soldier will see in the hands of the terrorists in the front line. Everything should be put in place to ensure that the combat readiness of our troops is such that their psychological comportment remain high at all times. Personal welfare of servicemen and their families should be such that every soldier should serve with pride as in developed countries. Indeed, being a soldier should come with pride and privileges. Above all, we must completely separate and isolate the military from any form of what usually divide us. Professionalism in our military should be devoid of politics, ethnicity and faith.

What is your assessment of the Nigerian military so far?

I must admit that there are other complex factors that come into play in all of these. However, it is important without reservation to congratulate the gallantry and the bravery of our military. Our military has so far been performing well and securing numerous victories against the insurgents within the limits of the resources at their disposal. They have been neutralising and containing many fronts. We are all aware of the pace and speed with which the insurgency was gaining grounds at the onset, if not for the actions of our military, today the story would have been different. I further urge the Nigerian military to be more prepared in going into the battle for the restoration of Nigeria’s security because, indeed, this battle is ours; nothing more, nothing less. The wave of insecurity being faced by our country and her citizens must be seen as a Nigerian problem. Only concerted efforts by all Nigerians in synergy with the Armed Forces can bring about the needed solution. The government must play their role; the citizens must carry out their civic responsibility and the armed forces too. The governors that claim to be chief security officers of their states must wake up in the face of this insecurity. We can’t continue to blame the military if all the stakeholders are not doing what they are supposed to do. In fighting the unconventional wars, all the parties must play their roles.

There have been reports about alleged human rights violation by the military. How would you rate the human rights posture of the Nigerian Army?

The Nigerian Army is currently involved in various internal security operations across the federation and the fight against terrorism and insurgency mostly in the North East. This has brought about more interaction and intermingling with the public with attendant allegations of human rights violations by some of its officers and men. However, it is glaring that the Nigerian Army is doing the best it could in the protection of human rights especially in the last five years. The Nigerian Army leadership recognized the importance of the respect and protection of human rights in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities through training and strict compliance to rules of engagements and collaboration with stakeholders. These efforts have a tremendous positive impact on the improved professionalism being exhibited by troops as the Nigerian Army continues to maintain a zero tolerance for human rights violations among its personnel. The reduction in the reported cases of such violations is quite commendable. It has also mainstreamed the female gender through greater sense of belonging and creation of the Women Corps. The Nigerian Army is one of the few military institutions in the world that cares, promotes and protects human rights in all its activities. It has established and sustained human rights desks and toll free call centres across its formations and units, and as well, pursued improved civil-military relations. Based on the foregoing and much more, to me, the Nigerian Army is one of the best armies in the world as regards respect for and protection of human rights and would therefore rate the human rights posture of the Nigerian Army as one of the best among world’s armies. Nevertheless, in every profession, sometimes there will be some skeletal mistakes which are bound to take place because of human error but those exceptions cannot be basis or yardsticks for measurement of performance. Our armed forces need our support and Nigerians must support them, stand by them, encourage and motivate them. We can’t continue to demoralize them by constantly castigating them. So, on a final note I must once again send my heartfelt goodwill to our boys in the field, their commanders and all the leadership of our gallant military. May God protect you all and may God protect our dear nation, Nigeria.