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Resurgence Of Boko Haram …Appraising The Socio-Political Imperatives
Gen Kenneth Minimah and Chief John Oyegun
Before the political campaigns that ushered the general elections of early this year, Nigeria was a bitterly divided country, where virtually every issue of public concern was politicised, as none saw anything good in the actions of opponents. Of great concern was the daily carnage in parts of the North-East orchestrated by the Boko Haram extremist Islamic group, which horrors rather than unite Nigerians even proved more politically divisive.
Consumed by jaundiced political views, beclouded by considerations bordering on individual ambitions and spurred on to unrestrained criticism by the ‘destroy and win at all costs’, syndrome, the political class reduced an otherwise national emergency, to the perceived ineptitude of the government in power.
At some point, the insurgence in parts of the North-East was blamed on institutional neglect of the zone, which the Jonathan administration could not address. They held that the key reason for the killings was poverty. And the solution? The replacement of President Goodluck Jonathan with an experienced military general, who was sure to inspire patriotism among the rank and file of the military. Such patriotism would indeed drive the Nigerian troops to not only expand their modest exploits but indeed end the Boko Haram-inspired insurgency in no time.
These views quickly gained currency and became a major campaign weapon of the then opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC) with its flag-bearer, and now President Mohammadu Buhari anchoring his priorities on the war against terror and indeed on corruption. With that assurance, many Nigerians were hopeful that the daily carnage, abductions and destruction of public and private property would abate in no time.
Nigerian troops also would be better inspired to face their constitutional role of protecting the country and fight the insurgency to an early end. It was indeed expected that stories of indiscipline and betrayal among troops would be a thing of the past and with the expected renewed commitment, built on the modest gains recorded by Nigerian troops, in the dying days of the Jonathan administration.
Instead, from the body language and public speeches of the Chief of Army Staff, Gen Kenneth Minimah, a fresh court-martial may be imminent. “I must set up court-martial. If you are in my position and you did nothing, you are not worth being a Chief of Army Staff. I have no regrets I am setting-up more courts-martial to try people who ran, showed cowardice, abandoned troops and equipment and ran away. Why are you in the army? That is not the army,” he said.
There, indeed had been such court-martial earlier and several soldiers found guilty. But because the outcome came at a time when all eyes were set on political gains, many Nigerians called for the pardon of the affected soldiers, thus, demonising the military top leadership and indeed the government.
But crime of any kind is contagious and is fertilised by the hope of escaping punishment. It is therefore, no surprise if many more troops continue to endanger the lives of their colleagues and indeed other defenceless civilians, by abandoning sophiscated weapons for enemies, in shameful expression of cowardice. At other times, some troops simply disobey orders, with the claim that they were not supposed to die for nothing.
What will then be the outcome of another court-martial now? How will it be received by the political class? Would ethnic considerations and political differences not send the outcome of such court-martial to the dustbin of history, as did the earlier ones?
That is not the most of my worries. Why is the insurgency escalating now more than about two months ago, when Nigerian troops recovered all territories annexed by Boko Haram? What happened to the sophiscated weapons displayed after those conquests. Whither the multi-national force being mooted by the present administration.
In the past two months alone, more than 500 people have been killed in various attacks, most of them in this month. On Wednesday, July 1, this year, a Boko Haram attack left 150 dead in Borno State, although many said that was official figure. That the deaths may be more.
On Sunday, July 5, twin blasts in Jos left 44 killed and 47 injured, according to the North Central Coordinator of NEMA, Abdulsami Muhammad. Earlier same day, a suspected Boko Haram suicide bomber disguised as a worshipper and detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Potiskum, in Yobe State, killing the Pastor and five others.
On the eve of that attack on Saturday, unknown gunmen had struck at Cigama village of Birnin Magaji Local Council, killing 31 people while dozens sustained various degrees of injuries. Although Mohammed Bala Gasam, chairman of the local government area gave the figure as 31, media reports said more bodies were recovered thereafter.
Twenty four hours earlier, same gunmen were suspected to have killed six people from Kokiya and Cigama villages in the same Zamfara State.
Only last week, another suicide attack in Zaria, Kaduna State, claimed as many as 26 lives leaving scores injured. Infact, it was so serious, Hiat NEMA called on public spirited individuals to come forward and donate blood to save the injured. There is the likelihood that the casualty figure may rise.
Last week Monday, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) disclosed that Boko Haram insurgency and incessant communal clashes in the North-East of the country alone had displaced over 1.4million persons. In the said statement, Borno State led the pack with as many as 1,002,688, while, Gombe has the least with 16, 984.
Next to Borno is Yobe State with 125,484 displaced persons, currently living with relations and other family members in Damaturu, Potiskum and three other towns in the Northern part of the state.
Perhaps, the most disturbing aspect of the report is that children less than 18 years constitute 56 per cent of the IDP population and more than half of them are below the age of five. Expectedly, 95 per cent of the displacements was caused by Boko Haram insurgency, while five per cent was forced to leave their places of origin because of communal clashes of various ethnic and religious groups.
These figures are indeed mindboggling and demand urgent steps to address. They demand the kind of pro-active steps the then opposition, APC promised as contained in its development blue-print.
Most importantly, Nigerians expect new ways of combating the insurgency and save the country the daily carnage being reported. The primary responsibility of any government, as APC constantly reminded the Jonathan administration, is the protection of lives and property. That indeed became the party’s major campaign promise.
Therefore, the increase in the spate of killings in parts of the North can no longer be ignored. President Buhari and his team of technocrats must brace up for the challenge, far better than the last days of the Jonathan administration not worse, as seen today.
Infact, many Nigerians have started giving up on the administration’s promise to end the insurgency in the shortest time possible. Instead, there seems to be a disturbing increase in number of deaths, mostly orchestrated by female suicide bombers.
Disturbed by the ugly trend, the Kaduna State government recently banned street trading and begging. But isn’t that merely scratching the surface?
Since most of the killers are women covered in veils, what stops the government from outlawing any kind of dress code that secures the killer until she and others are killed? At war time, extreme measures are taken. So, why not temporarily outlaw the female-dressing that covers all parts of the body and help conceal killer weapons.
Wouldn’t such a call be interpreted as invasion of religious privacy and rights? Yet, that’s a major challenge. Even now, there is no telling if the Chibok girls are intact, as abducted, 456 days ago, or converted into killer machines.
This is why it is most annoying that in the midst of all these, the APC has been busy bickering over positions in the National Assembly, with no effort yet to unveil its Blueprint of change as promised Nigerians.
My Agony is that the ruling APC is yet to consider the heightened resurgence of insurgency as a national emergency. What it appears to consider the more urgent, is that of party supremacy in the selection and or election of leaders of the National Assembly. And for that, all other concerns must wait.
That is not the change, for which Nigerians voted overwhelmingly for its principal, President Mohammadu Buhari. A little more of patriotism, selflessness and sense of urgency is required to reassure Nigerians that theirs was not a wasted mandate.
Soye Wilson Jamabo
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DEPLOY YOUR CAPACITY, TECHNICAL KNOWHOW TO REVITALISE SONGHAI FARMS, FUBARA TELLS TASK FORCE
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that diversifying the economy of the State has become inevitable because of the need to solve the problem of food shortages while also providing jobs for the teeming unemployed youths.
These, he said, are the reasons why great care has been taken to critically look at the prospects of revitalising the Songhai Integrated Farms, which is located in Bunu Tai, in Tai Local Government Area of the State.
Governor Fubara insisted that if the problem associated with food shortages is tackled with good intent and purpose, about 40 to 50 percent of current problems of economic hardship plaguing the country and its people would have been solved.
Governor Fubara made the assertion while inaugurating the Chairman, Mr Biedima Oliver, and members of the task force saddled with the responsibility of supervising the revitalization of Songhai Integrated Farms by its partners: Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Other members of the task force included, the Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr Victor Kii; Commissioner for Finance, Barrister Emmanuel Frank-Fubara; Dr Ayebaesin Beredugo; and Mr Maurice Ogolo.
The Governor explained that it took him time to approve the constitution of the task force being inaugurated because of the ugly experience with the previous group that shown such interest.
Governor Fubara stated that a process was initiated and driven halfway into the handing over of Songhai Farms on concession to an interested partner who latter showed a total lack of the needed capacity to undertake such task.
He said, “As a matter of fact, if few of you could remember, we even conceded the place to an investor who came in after he had made his presentation, and we, believing that he has the capacity, we said okay to him, and we had already signed up.
“But something happened. He came back to tell us that he wanted us to give him a N5billion bank guarantee. We then asked him, why? If we have the N5billion, why do we need you to come and even revitalize Songhai Farms? We would have put that N5billion there ourselves. For that reason, we cancelled that arrangement.”
Governor Fubara said now that two separate companies have come together to indicate interest and given the assurance of having the needed capacity to drive the process, he is delighted to see them meeting that expectation.
Governor Fubara pointed to the expectation of the people who want to see the Songhai Farms back on stream on a sustainable basis.
That expectation, he insisted, is also what his administration wants to see actualised within its lifespan.
He noted, “We want to see food sufficiency, because we know when Songhai Farms comes on board, there will be food, which is one of the problems we are having in this country. If we are able to tackle the issue of food, 40 to 50 percent of our problem will be solved.”
Governor Fubara also stated that although he believes in the presentation made by the group and has taken their assurance to heart, but warned that he would not tolerate a repeat of what happened before.
The Governor said, “I hope your story will not be (end) halfway too. I hope you have the capacity and all the technical knowhow to handle it. It is not when we start now, after we had finished inaugurating the task force, you will come back to tell us that you need $2million. If we have $2million, we won’t need you. We will invest it by ourselves.”
Governor Fubara, however, praised the capacity of the Chairman of the task force, Biedima Oliver, saying that incidentally, he was one of the personnel that convinced the then administration to develop the Songhai Farms, and had worked with the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) to manage the project.
He said, “He knows and understands the workings of Songhai, and now that we are making you the chairman of the task force, we want to believe that you will make that place come back to life.
“I don’t have any doubt in your capacity. A few things you’ve touched, you turned them to gold. Please, bring it back to what we used to see in Songhai. Bring it back with the help of your committee.”
Governor Fubara assured that his administration will remain committed to providing all the necessary support that they may require to make their assignment a success.
He added, “So, I hereby inaugurate you. Your task is very simple: Do everything within your powers and with our support to make sure that Songhai becomes operational to the benefit, not just the people of Tai, but to the entire Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole”.
In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of the Task Force to Supervise the Revitalization of Songhai Farms with Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, Mr. Biedima Oliver, expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the opportunity and confidence reposed in them to revive Songhai Farms.
Mr. Oliver assured that they will deliver the expected goal on Songhai Farms, and doing so on time and on target so that the good people of Rivers State can eventually be happy and also benefit from the huge investment.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that all the policies and programmes of his administration are tailored towards the protection of interest of Rivers people, especially the youths.
This, he said, is borne out of the importance his administration attaches to youths’ development and empowerment as leaders of tomorrow.
Fubara, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, disclosed this when he received the youths of Emohua Local Government Area under the auspices of “Emohua Youths For SIM” on solidarity visit to Government House, Port Harcourt, last Friday.
He said that his administration has put in place modalities that will boost the livelihoods and well-being of Rivers citizens, which youths of Emohua will also benefit when they materialise.
The governor, who spoke through the Rivers State Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, pointed out that the recently awarded Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku Road, the ongoing Emohua-Kalabari Road, reinstatement of illegally sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Area and the approval for electrification of the area, are part of deliberate measures to open up the area to make life conducive and more meaningful for the people.
According to him, “Everything about the governor is putting the interest of Rivers State first. He is looking at and taking action on those things that we need to do to restart the wheels of progress in Rivers State.
“There are many things the governor has planned and is already doing that will boost the life and welfare of every citizen of Rivers State, but most importantly the youths.
“Growing up, I learnt that Egbeda is one of the biggest communities in the whole of Ikwerre, and it’s predominantly an agrarian community. They have food in Egbeda, they have food in Ubimini, they have food in Omudiaga and other natural resources. The whole world is tilting to agriculture, and this is the way to go.
“The Elele-Umudioga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Omoku road, when completed, will open up the area for real development. Your food and everything you produce there will now have value, they will no longer be thrown away. In all these, you the youths are going to be the utmost beneficiaries.”
He added, “Same will be applicable to the Emohua-Kalabari Road which will also, trigger development in the area, and you will be the greatest beneficiaries. When the LGA is also electrified, you will be having 24 or 20 hours of electricity, and those things the youths can do with electricity, you can stay at home and create wealth for yourself and children.
“All the totality of what the governor is doing, when they are completed, or even as some are completed now, the youths are going to be utmost beneficiaries.”
While acknowledging that youths are the true leaders of tomorrow and any government that fails to carry them along in the scheme of things is doomed to fail, the governor assured them of his administration’s commitment to always address issues concerning youths and ensure that they are part of his government.
He commended the youths for toeing the path of truth by identifying with his administration, urging them to sustain the tempo and shun evil, as his government will ensure that the trend whereby politicians turn youths to beggars are over.
He said, “Youths are, indeed, the leaders of tomorrow. The time of youth is a very important time. It a time that your parents or whoever is your leader at that time have to make the greatest investment in you. And any Government that decides to only carry the elderly, chiefs aling and abandon the youths is bound to fail,” he asserted.
“But I am happy that Governor Fubara has concentrated his energy on everything that will benefit the society, especially the youths.
“And based on these, I want to thank you for recognising what is good and calling it good, for shunning what is evil, for saying the Governor is standing for you.
“Let me tell you, you are on the right direction. Let me tell you again, Rivers State is the bride of Nigeria. The whole Nigeria is looking at what will happen here. As they look here and see you standing on the path of truth, this is a very important step that you have taken to right all the wrongs of the past, to make Rivers State stand on the tripod of justice, peace and security. That is what we are going to gain through the governor, taking all the wise actions that he has already initiated.
“The projects the governor is embarking on are meant to prepare nets for the youths to fish and put food on their table, hence you should continue to follow him.
“The SIMplified Movement brought upon by the governor will ensure that Rivers youths stop the habit of going to bow down before politicians, pledging loyalty before they can eat.”
Earlier, spokesman for the Emohua Youths for SIM, Comrade Ovamale O. Ovamale, had said that the visit by youths from the 14 political wards in Emohua Local Government Area was to thank the governor for the award of the Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku road, the approval for electrification of the area and reinstatement of sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Council, of which the youths were mostly affected.
According to him, “Siminalayi Fubara of recent has given Emohua Local Government road that links Elele to Omoku, which comprises over four communities in the local government.”
“Emohua Local Government has also been in darkness for eight years. No community in the local government that has light. But, of recent, because of the passion and love the governor has for the people of Emohua, he has approved the electrification of the local government.
“Also, the illegal sack of Emohua Local Government workers, for which the youths were mostly affected and without the approval of the Local Government Service Commission, the governor, in his compassionate nature, has reinstated them, and that is why we said we must come and thank His Excellency”, he said.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured that his administration will collaborate and continue to consult widely in delivering a liberated State experiencing enduring peace.
Fubara said, in doing so, he would not operate as a dictator but as a member of a team that has the best interest of the State at heart and determined to leave a lasting legacy that can be celebrated.
The governor spoke during the formal presentation of Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office to the Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, King Ateke Michael Tom, as first class tradition ruler, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Fubara stated that, during the Sixth State Executive Council meeting, N80.8billion was approved with 50 percent contract value paid already as the Government awarded the construction of the Elele-Egbeda-Omoku Road.
He said the project will be funded from the savings from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to underscore his administration’s prudence without also borrowing to complete the project.
“We are at a crossroad in our State where we all need to stand for what is right. It happens once in a life time. So, for now, be one of those people that will be in the course to liberate and free our dear State.
“And I know strongly that having the support of a peace-loving Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, having the support of the wonderful Council of Chiefs, having the support of the great people of Rivers State, we will bring peace in our State. We will do those things that are right to develop our State.
“We will continue to consult. We will not act as dictators. We will act as people who know that one day, we will leave, and when we leave, the way we have acted will speak for us. We will not force people to talk good about us. Our legacy will be a signature for how we led”, the governor said.
Fubara explained that he acted within the ambit of the law to upgrade the traditional stool upon which King Ateke Tom sits in recognition of his efforts in promoting peace in Okrika, and indeed, the State, and urged him to continue to do justice to everyone.
In his speech, Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Hon Charles Amadi, congratulated King Ateke Tom for being formally presented with the Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office as first class traditional ruler.
Also speaking, former Transport Minister, Chief Abiye Sekibo, thanked the governor for fulfilling his promise of upgrading the traditional stool of Okochiri Kingdom, and pledged the support of Kirike Se people to his administration.
