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By Stephen Ubanna
Those who think that the rising insecurity situation of the country , which many believe have overwhelmed Preesident Muhammadu Buhari, popular, PMB, a retired army General, to hand over power to the military for the purpose of restructuring the country would be disappointed.
This is because Onyema Nwachukwu, a Brigadier General and the acting Director of Defence Headquarters, Information at the instance of Lucky Irabor, an army General and Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, had made a pledge never ‘’to remain apolitical and loyal to the authority and the Katsina state born Nigerian President who is the Commander –In-Chief, C-In-C, of the Nigerian Armed Forces’’.
Rbert Clark, a senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, who believes that the political Class have failed the nation in fixing the economy, and its security Challenges had asked the Katsina state born Nigerian President to relinquish power to the military in order to effectively address the challenges.
The Defence Headquarters may have disappointed hose looking for ways to drag the military into politics to for get it , noting that the military will continue ‘’to discharge its Constitutional responsibilities professionally, especially in protecting the country’s nascent Democracy , defence of its territorial integrity and protecting lives and property of the Citizenry’’.
The Nigerian military personnel may have taken a cue from the North American country of the United States of America, USA, where there was almost a total breakdown of Law and order after the country ‘s Presidential election last November in which Donald Trump, a business mogul, and the immediate past lost the election. The country’s military remained apolitical allowing the political class to fix the problem and which they did.
Nigerians could beat their chest today that the country now truly have Professionals and not politically ambitious soldiers . It is not surprising why the DHQs, have refused to associate itself from such undemocratic utterances and calls to return to politics as the current All Progressive Congress , APC, government has failed the nation.
Nwachukwu, the army Brigadier General, who may have spoken the mind of the CDS, had told those that cares to listen that’’ the security Challenges facing the country were not insurmountable’’. He may have gladdened the heart of Nigerians when he disclosed that the military were working assiduously to ameliorate the problems’’ and return the country to normalcy. Even Ibrahim Attahiru, a Lt. General and Chief of Army Staff, COAS, who hadt at one time Commanded the Operation Lafiya Dole, now Operation Hadin Kai, and now Chief of Army Staff, had repeatedly said that ‘’nothing will stop the military from winning the war against the Islamic Fundamentalist Group, BokoHaram, and the Islamic State of West African Proince, ISWAP, which was the splinter Group of the Original BokoHaram in 2016, insurgents despite the attack on troops and military bases.
He has every reason to speak with authority of restoring the country to normalcy because the Nigerian President has prmised to providet he needed resources to prosecute the counter-insurgency war in the north east state states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobbe.
In spite of the military Confidence of crushing the BokoHaram and ISWAP insurgents operating in the north east Geo-political region, they may have been forced to initiate new strategies to sustain the war , Mali and Sudan by stepping up their attacks on Communities in Borno state.
Take for instance the recent attack on Ajiri in Kodunduga Local government area of the state. An eyewitness account disclosed both for the quick intervention of the Operation Kai troops deployed to the Ajiri town the insurgents would have overrun it. These may have forced the disappointed BokoHaram and ISWAP, fighters who could not fulfill their mission of taking over Ajiri, to burn down nine houses in different parts of the town, before they were finally chased out by the Operation Kai troops.
The insurgents may have come into the town prepared to take it over as they had failed to infiltrate Rann, a town that serves the Headquarters of Kala Balge Local government area of the north east state of Borno.
Mohammed Yerima, a Major General and Amy spokesperson, had confirmed that the insurgents had abandoned several of their weapons and ammunition which fell into the waiting hands of the soldiers. He had listed some of the weapons recovered by the troops to include an anti-aircraft gun barrel, an AK47 rifle, a hand-held Communication radio and other, different calibres of other sophisticated weapons among others.
The Troops may have fought the battle of their life to defend the Ajiri town, forcing the Mali, Sudan, Somalia and Libya based rebels –backed insurgents to return to their hid outs in the Sambisa forest and the Lake Chad region. It was a battle to a finish as two soldiers, were said to have been killed in the Monday, May 2, 2021, attack. It could be ascertained the number of insurgents, but it is on record that many of them escaped with bullet wounds.
Lt. Genera lAttahiru, the COAS, may not have been happy that two of his soldiers were killed by the insurgents in the Ajiri battle, but on a second thought he was very happy at’’ their resilience and determination to keep the areas free of insurgents activities’’ which had saved the country the embarrassment of allowing the terrorists takeover the town to hoist their flag.
He was said to have urged the gallant Nigerian troops not to be distracted by the attacks but should be encouraged by the progress that had been made in the recent time’’ to sustain the renewed vigour in fighting the anti-Jihadist war’’.
Given the heightened insecurity situation in the country, the C-In-C, on Tuesday, May, 4, 2021, the Nigerian President is currently holding another top security meeting with the service Chiefs and other top security Chiefs including Yemi Osinbajo, the Vice President, Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the government of the Federation and Ibrahim Gambari, a Professor and Chief of Staff to the President.
Retired Major Generals Bashir Magashi, minister of Defence and Babagana Munguno, National Security Adviser, NSA, were also said to be at the meeting. As at press time , the meeting which was said to be holding at Aisha Buhar, the first Lady Conference room , was still on going.
Meanwhile, Pius Ayim, a former Senate President, has written the Nigerian President, on how to overcome the problem of insecurity across the counry. Ayim had urged he retired army General ‘’to make history by setting up a Commission of inquiry into the violent and non-violent agitations in different parts of the country to make recommendations on the immediate short-term and long-term solutions.
The former Senate President, on October5, 2018, was said have held a closed door meeting with Buhari and late Abba Kyari, the then Chief of Staff on the insecurity situation in the country. Acting on the instruction of the Nigerian President to do a short brief on his suggestions towards the security challenges facing the country.
The Eboyi state born politician was said to have done so and handed the report over to the Late Kyari, which Sources said never reached the Nigerian President. This may have informed why he has decided to write an open letter to him this time around so that people will know the efforts he had made to make his own contribution to resolve the insecurity situation of the country.
He has old those that cares to listen that ‘’a permanent solution to the insecurity situation of the country would be a mirage’’. Appealing to Buhari not shut out people from the process of finding solutions to the conflicts, stressing that that a similar Commission was set p during the colonial era to address the minorities agitations which produced result. There are fears that the Katsina state born retired army General, turned repentant Democrat, may not buy the idea to avoid stepping on powerful toes in the north. But Ayim, insists that if he could summon the courage to set up the Commission of inquiry on the violent and non-violent agitations in the north and other parts of the country, ‘’it will help to deescalte the rising tension in the country and lead to a process for the renewal of the march to nationhood’’.
