While every one of the presidential candidates of the various parties is focusing on the economy, which is understandably so, security is key. Without security, there would be no robust economy. Those in the region ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency can attest to this. So, it does matter so much what the presidential candidates, if elected into power in 2019, plan to do to end the problem of insurgency in the country.
For ten years, Nigeria has continued in a war with the militant Islamist sect, Boko Haram. Within these years, the country has lost thousands of souls and humongous amount of money in cash and in property. She has also lost important military and health personnel trained with taxpayers’ money.
Today, government is not sure how many of her citizens are in Boko Haram captivity. Variegated numbers are being bandied.
Recall that the insurgency in the northeast was sparked by the killing in 2009 of Mohammed Yusuf, a political thug, who formed Boko Haram in 2002.
Before 2009 when Yusuf was allegedly killed by security agents, Boko Haram had been existing as a group of thugs and street urchins that allegedly provided dirty services for politicians; but they were localised in the North-East region of Borno State, in the main. So, their existence was alien to many Nigerians.
Although government has since declared war against the sect, they have continued to wreak incalculable havoc on the country, so much that Nigeria has since joined the league of countries with a negative record on terrorism.
The situation has become so bad that at every global event attended by Nigerian president, he uses the opportunity to solicit the world’s assistance to rein in the monster.
Despite government effort at ending the scourge of Boko Haram in the country, the sect has continued to maintain an effective control of the Sambisa Forest in Borno State, where it has maintained its operational base over the years.
Some analysts say that although the Federal Government says it is doing all its possible best to end terrorism in the country, the actions of the government in this regard is at variance with its claims.
“Government has been economical with the truth as numerous of its actions and inactions encourage terrorism in the country. When a government boldly announced a policy of segregation and pursuing nepotistic agenda, the result will be terrorism. People will begin to receive such policy with aggression and that is what we are seeing now. Go to the South East; go to the South-South it us about a feeling of oppression and persecution. We are talking about Biafra and the resurgence of IPOB; you can trace all these to unfriendly disposition of government to the people of these geopolitical zones in particular”, an analyst who craved anonymity said.
Now, it appears that government is toying with another likely insurgent group, the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN). The recent clash of members of the religious sect and security agents that left many dead was needless. Had the Federal Government heeded court order that released the sect’s leader, Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, on bail, the needless bloody clashes would have been avoided.
Observers say that the matter would assume a more worrisome dimension if El-Zakzaky should die in prison. According to the observers, it would mean that Nigeria would have attracted another version of Boko Haram.
The pointed out that a country like Iran that is known to support such violent groups would then declare a full-scale war against Nigeria and possibly begin to arm members of the sect for guerrilla warfare.
“I get confused at the modus operandi of the Buhari administration. This administration does not have respect court orders and engages in barefaced impunity. How is it that for over three years, you have held a man whose members are restive and you still claim to be peace-loving? If you find him guilty of whatever offence he is being alleged to have committed, let the court convict him. The same thing goes for Samborski, a former NSA. Now the man has said that he would never go to court again unless government respects the bail granted him by the court.
“We are overheating the polity from all angles, yet we are trumpeting peace,” a pundit, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
Last year, the Federal Government proscribed IPOB, but has consistently taken steps that encourage agitations.
“You accuse people of terrorism but it is your divisive policy that is fuelling hatred all over the place. I think there’s need to adopt a better and different strategy in order to achieve the much-talked-about peace. Those seeking elections must be clear in their mind what they want to achieve and how they can end the orgy of violence in the country. I think the coming election presents a good opportunity for Nigerians to take a better decision on what they want going forward,” the analyst added.
In its Editorial comment published on Wednesday, November 14, 2018, titled, ‘Again, federal vs presidential character’, it pointed out that“It is a pity that, on the very sensitive matter of equitable representation in federal appointments, this administration has obdurately disrespected the letter and spirit of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).”
The editorial drew attention to Chapter II (14)(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which specifically states that, “The composition of the government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few state or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that government, or in any of its agencies.”
It also pointed out that the refusal of government to abide by the letters of the Federal Character may have engendered a lot of strife in the polity, “Which was why it was not a surprise, after all, when senators from the South-east geopolitical zone the other day protested the non-representation of the zone in both the National Defence Council (NDC) and the National Security Council (NSC). The NDC and NSC are advisory bodies on public security. A motion by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Senator Victor Umeh and supported by People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Senator EnyinnayaAbaribe had called on President Buhari to, for the purpose of equity as well as in fulfillment of the federal character principle stipulated in the constitution, appoint an officer from the South-East as a Service Chief.”
