The business community in Nigeria’s North-East believes the military background of retired General Muhammadu Buhari, president-elect, stands him in good stead in the fight to eliminate the Boko Haram insurgency from the region.
The business leaders who spoke with BusinessDay look forward to the final crushing of the insurgency and the return of farmers and businessmen and women to restart the halting economy of the region.
“We hope his military background will help in ending insecurity here,” said Shettima Bukar Jallaba, director-general, Yobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in an interview with BusinessDay.
“Having been a military head of state, we believe he will take the issue of security seriously, as he has promised. Insecurity is one key reason why we voted for him, though we need to be patient and continue with our prayers for him,” Jallaba said.
The feeling is that Buhari’s ability to deal decisively with the Maitatsine crisis (an Islamist insugency similar to Boko Haram, which took place in Kano) in the 1980s would be a key factor in ending the menace.
Speaking with youths during his campaign in Lagos, Buhari was quoted to have recounted how he ended the Maitatsine crisis of the 80s.
“When the group resurrected in Adamawa, I flew into Adamawa as head of state, and that was the last you heard of Maitatsine.”
Even though the sentiment in many quarters is that the president-elect is equipped to deal decisively with the insurgency in the region, Abdurahaman Modibbo Girei, president, Adamawa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said this and many other expectations would naturally take some time to materialise.
Girei said Nigerians must give Buhari time to restore security and launch his plans for the country.
Muhammadu Buhari was declared winner of Nigeria’s presidential election last Tuesday by Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Already, military forces from Benin Republic, Cameroon, Chad and Niger are collaborating with Nigeria to defeat Boko Haram.
Tremendous success has been recorded, as the regional force have destroyed many of the insurgents’ camps, re-captured many towns and restored security in hitherto besieged areas.
Analysts say Buhari’s victory at the polls would strengthen the regional military alliance against Boko Haram which has succeeded in pushing back insurgents, while ensuring that the presidential election held in the North-East part of the country.
“We hope the ties will be more formidable beginning from May 29,” Ikechukwu Ibeabuchi, CEO, MD Services Limited, told BusinessDay.
Nigeria’s North-East region is known for the cultivation of cash crops and vegetables. The region was known for export of groundnuts, vegetables and animal skins, among others.
All these however stopped as the insurgency became overwhelming. Borders were shut and farmers fled to peaceful regions.
In spite of the success of the regional forces, manufacturers, micro, small and medium scale enterprise operators are still cautious of going full-scale, for fear of being attacked, BusinessDay learnt.
But Buhari’s election has restored confidence in the restoration of economic activities in the area.
ODINAKA ANUDU
