Blame game

It signalled his frustration when Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, played the blame game after 30 people were killed in a June 16 terror attack in Konduga, Borno State. Three suicide bombers had detonated explosives outside a television viewing centre where football fans were watching a match.

Significantly, two days later, Buratai suggested that troops were undermining the war on terror by their “apathy.” The army boss said, while opening a “Transformational leadership workshop” organised by the Army Headquarters in Abuja: “It is unfortunate, but the truth is that almost every setback the Nigerian Army has had in our operations in recent times can be traced to insufficient willingness to perform assigned tasks or simply insufficient commitment to a common national/military cause by those at the frontlines.”

Buratai shot himself in the foot. His observation amounted to unwitting self-blame. As army chief, he should know that institutional failure under him amounts to personal failure.  Surely, it isn’t enough to identify a problem. The army leadership should find out why such problem exists and find a solution to it. For too long, the country’s war on terror has been hampered by soldiers’ low morale arising from welfare issues.

A report quoted one of the soldiers fighting terrorism in Borno State as saying: “Soldiers in the frontline are not finding it easy. The allowances given to us are very poor. We expect that if the insurgency war started in 2014, by now, there should be increment in allowances so as to boost our morale. But what do we get? What do our families gain if we die?”

It is predictable that the soldiers fighting terrorism are exposed to danger daily. “Boko Haram strikes every moment and they can still strike our bases,” the lament continued. “If any soldier dies, who takes care of his family? Who sends his children to school? I believe the allowances given to us should be reviewed.” Some other soldiers serving in the North-East theatre of terror echoed the complaint, saying their Ration Cash Allowance had become “grossly inadequate.” The troops are said to be paid N30, 000 monthly.

Buratai sounded out of touch with reality by expecting patriotic performance from troops faced with basic welfare challenges. The soldiers who called for a review of their allowances were serious. It is said that no one knows where the shoe pinches, but he who wears it. When terrorism fighters complain about poor pay, resulting in low morale, it suggests that the war on terror might not end soon.

Unmotivated soldiers can’t be expected to win a war quickly. Perhaps this is why the war has dragged on. The authorities should treat the complaints by the front-line troops with seriousness, and demonstrate that the country is serious about winning the war on terror.

The cases of scores of soldiers declared missing, following terrorist attacks on army bases in Metele and Baga, Borno State, are a cause for concern, and probably have a demoralising effect on troops. In November 2018, Islamic State West African Province terrorists had attacked the military base in Metele, northern Borno, belonging to the 157 Battalion. The army had confirmed the death of 23 soldiers; 37 soldiers were injured. Many soldiers were missing after the attack; they are believed to have been abducted by the terrorists.

In December 2018, terrorists also attacked Baga, which is the headquarters of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF). They are said to have abducted a large number of soldiers.

Over six months after the said mass abduction of soldiers, the MNJTF explained that its operation, Yancin Takfi, “is progressing steadily and is committed to rescuing all personnel who were declared missing in action.” It is unclear whether the missing soldiers are still alive.

It is curious that Nigeria’s defence budget has reportedly risen by more than 500 per cent in the last 10 years, yet insecurity has worsened. The increasingly high defence budget is not supposed to heighten insecurity.

It is noteworthy that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) recently updated its travel advice on the security situation in the country. The FCO  warned its citizens against travelling to  Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe states; riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states; and within 20km of the border with Niger in Zamfara State.

Also listed were Bauchi, Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Katsina, and Kogi states; within 20km of the border with Niger in Sokoto and Kebbi states; non-riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Abia states. “There’s a high threat of kidnap throughout Nigeria. Kidnaps can be motivated by criminality or terrorism, and could be carried out for financial or political gain,” the FCO said.

Escalating insecurity discredits the country’s security architecture. Beyond expressing grief over the latest killings in Konduga, President Muhammadu Buhari needs to review the status of the service chiefs. The security architecture needs to be reimagined and reinvented.