By Suleiman Umaru
When Godwin Emefiele, governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, who had succeeded in getting the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari, to redesign the old N200, N5000 and N1000, bank Notes, late last year, as a way to cripple the Islamic Fundamentalist Group, BokoHaram and the Islamic State of West African Province , ISWAP, operating in the north eastern states of Borno, Yoobe and the Bandits group operating in the north western and north central regions, from terrorising the citizenry and ramnsome –taking, nobody two him serious.
Abdullahi Gandunje, governor of Kano state, who had lost his re-election bid to the New Nigerian People’s Party, NNP, Candidate Abba Kabir Yusuf, at the March 18, 2023, governorship election, had said that he got the Katsina state born Nigerian President to give approval to implement the naira redesign policy because he failed in his 2022, Presidential bid, during the All Progressive Congress , APC, primaries, last June.
Governor Gandunje was emphatic that that ‘’the naira redesign policy was not the agenda of the ruling APC, but the agenda of those around the Nigerian President and the CBN, who wanted to run for the office of the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, on the platform of the party, for the 2023, general elections but lost out to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state and now Nigeria’s President- elect.
The aggrieved Kano staye governor may have spoken the mind of Nasir El-Rufai, a former minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, during Olusegun Obasanjo’s Administration and now governor of Kaduna, a state under the siege of the Bandits group over the last seven years had said that the APC governors are against the naira redesign policy by the CBN governor and those the Nigerian President had surrounded himself with .
With barely two months for the ruling APC, government to elapse and taking a closer look at the activities of the various terrorist Organisations operating in different parts of the country, particular, in the northern states of Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina, Buhari home state and the north central Niger, retired General Ibrahim Babangida, aformer Nigerian military President , home state, Chris Ngige, a former governo of Anambra state and minister of Labour and Employment, could beat his chest that the purpose for the implementation of the naira redesign policy has been achieved, asking critics to shu-up.
The former Anambra state governor , who is happy to have served under the Buhari Administration as the minister of Labour and Employment, had said without mincing words that ‘’the naira redesign policy of Emefiele, the Delta state born CN, governor has achieved some sound benefits, stressing that that ‘’ it has curbed insecurity and vote buying during the 2023, general elections’’.
Although, he admitted that the implementation of the policy was not smooth as expected but ‘’it was a good policy’’. The minister noted that it was not easy anymore for kidnappers to operate in any part of the country as they were forced to go underground for fear of playing into the hands of security agencies personnel, particular, Lt. General Farouk Yahaya, the Chief of Army State, CoAS and Yusuf magaji Bichi, Director General of Department of State Security, DSS, or Usaman Akali Baba, the Inspector Geneneral of Ppolice, IGP’s men.
The former Anambra state governor may have gladdened the heart of Nigerians when he declared that the Bandit fighters in the north western of Zamfara and Kaduna, have gone one on holidayds and never to return to the forest agin to launch attack on the flash point local government Areas in the state.
The minister may not be far from the truth[A1] . Recall that between 2015 and late 20222, the BokoHaram and ISWAP, Insurgents, were almost overrunning Borno state, forcing the military top brass and the Operation Hadin Kai Commanders to back to the drawing board to restrategise on how to crush the Criminal elements who m security analysts believe have the backing of foreign sponspors and working closely with the terrorist s from th neighbouring African countries of Chad and Mali, as well as the Islamic State of Iraq. The situation was the same at the north western geopolitical region where the Nigerian Air Force, under the close watch of Air Marshall Isiaka Oladayo Amao, has used the fighter jets to provide support to the ground troops, thus making it impossible for the Bandits to Launch any attack on any Community on any part of Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto.
The Bormno state based ISWAP, fighters, from Borno state, were said to have infiltrated in the suburbs of Rafi and Wushishi Local government Area of Niger state secretly through the vast forest of the state and escaped. Resident of the two Local government attacked had said that they operated around Anawanka , Sabon Gari and Kndu axis but were forced to escape when there was military reinforcement in the area and a NAF, surveillance jet on a reconnaissance mission in the state.
The Borno state based ISWA, fighters, masquerading as Bandits, who are no longer finding finding easy to kill and go, may have aken advantage of the security lap, in their recent of Communities in Reafi and Wushishi, Local government Areas of Niger state to abduct 50 person in the Anawanka, Sabon Gari and Kundu axis of the two LGAs, attacked in the state.
Given that the Borno state Terrorists groups and the Bandits could no longer bite may have informed why they have resorted to guerrilla attacks in Benue, home state of Audu Ogbe, a former National Chairman of the Opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and oe-tiime minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in President Buhari, first term I office and some states of the Federation , particular, in in the north western and north eastern geopolitical regions , including some parts of the south western region.
Recall that last January, scores of security agencies personnel, across two Communities in in Birni Gari, LGA, OF Kaduna state by Bandits. The bandits were said to have Kubau and Ungwan Zakara Communities. The bandits were said to have sormed Aka check-point along Birnin-Gwari to Kakangi/Randagi Road of the LGP, where they allegedly killed scores of the security agencies personnel.
Given that the bandits Borno based terrorists and their bandits Collaborators may have encouraged the tNAF and the ground troops to intensify the search for the criminal elements in every part of the north western region to cripple their wings and render their guns ineffective.
Aware that the fight against terrorism and banditry, is far from being over in the country despite all the efforts of the the present Buhari’s Administration to restore normalcy in the country, Aminu Masari, a former Speaker , House of Representatives and governor of Katsina state, need Nigerians ‘’to continue assisting the incoming Administration of the President –elect, Tinubu, with prayers to deliver on his electioneering campaign promises for the country’’. Appealing to Nigerians, to stop abusing their Leaders, both at the state and Federal level, the Katsina state governor, who could not hide his feelings said it is the only way they can concentrate to address the seconomic and security challenges facing the country.
While the outgoing Katsina state governor may be concerned on how to see Tinubu, as the next Nigerian Presiden , the later may have given an insight to his style of Leadership for the next four years: Divide and rule. This is evident going by the way he had succeeded in penetrating the ranks of the Afeniferre, a Yoruba, socio-political Organisation.
The Nigerian President –elect has preferred to work with Pa Reuben Fasoranti, a Leader of the Yoruba soco-political group, who has recognised his position, instead of Pa Ayo Adebanjo, another Leader \of the Organisation who do not recognise his victory in the February 25, 2023, Presidential elections.
Pa Adebanjo may have stood his ground not to recognise Tinubu, as the President-elect as declared by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman , Independent National Electoral Commission on the ground that ‘’the results of the Lawful votes at the just concluded Presidential election available to the Group through reliable sources confirm that Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra state and Flag bearer of the Labour Party, LP, won the election .
Informed sources told The Value News that there have been pressure on Pa Fasoranti , the Afenifere Leader to mobilise members to suspend Pa Adebanjo and others for failing to recognise Tinubu’s election. The Afenifere Leader may have read the handwriting on the wall of what it may result if he dares sucum to pressure to suspend Pa Adebanjo and others.
Hear him: We cannot just wake up and announce some officials removed and suspended without telling them what their offences are and without giving them the opportunities to defend themselves’’. Political Observers had alluded to the former Lagos state governor and the President-elect as being the one piling up the pressure on Fasoranti , the Afenifere Leader to take such a drastic action against Pa Adebanjo and others , instead of doing everything within his powers to reunite the two groups of Afenifere to strengthen it..
[A1]Ike
