Lead, follow or get out of the way

AT  a  Nigerian   Army  Workshop on Transformation the Chief of Army Staff, Lt  Gen  T K  Buratai reportedly said that lack of commitment and loyalty on the part of   a few soldiers and officers at the war front in the fight against  insurgency has made the war   against  terrorism  unsuccessful and protracted. The  army  leader  asked such  non committed  soldiers  to’ lead, follow  or get out of the way ‘.  At  an earlier army workshop  the Nigerian Army  boss  had  identified  joblessness   of   youths  as a potent source of insecurity  in the nation.  At  a meeting  recently  on    National  Security  chaired  by the Vice President of Nigeria   Prof   Yemi  Osinbajo, the National  Security Adviser Maj – Gen  Babagana Monguno  announced  that the Federal  Government will  ban  the Almajiri system where they occur  in Nigeria because the presence  of unemployed youths  roaming about in many parts  of the nation is a danger to the security of the nation.  These  three issues engage our thoughts today  even as we wait  in   deep   anxiety   that  the downing    of  a  US  surveillance drone  by the  Iranians  will  not lead  to another round of violence  in the Middle East  that will escalate  into a third World  War.

On  reading that Lt  Gen  Buratai  had  asked  the few  errant  and disloyal  troops to lead  follow or get out  I tried to find  out  the source  of  the order  and I  discovered  that there is a book  by  that title   and  that the famous US General  Patton   had  told  his troops  in   fierce battles to  – ‘ lead, follow or get  the hell out of my way ‘.  So  there  was  nothing  unusual  in Nigeria’s  General  Buratai  highlighting  lack  of commitment or disloyalty  in the Nigerian  army  finding it difficult  to defeat Boko  Haram.  Indeed  I  had  watched  the video titled ‘Patton ‘in which the famous American hero  of the film  Gen  Patton   slapped a US  soldier   he   called  a coward   for  crying  on  his bed during the General’s  hospital  visit to  wounded US  soldiers.  Since   the press  was present during the visit there was an uproar at the time and the US authorities  asked   General  Patton  to  apologise  which   he  did.  But  the point had been  made that  he would  not brook unpatriotic  or disloyal  soldiers and officers under his command.

In   the same manner Lt  Gen Buratai  should  be commended for  being frank  and brave enough to  highlight a major  weakness in our fight against bloody   insurgency.  He  cited many instances where  lack  of commitment  was the bane of the fight against  terrorism.  Some  have called for his resignation  if he too cannot lead,  but   I  beg  to differ.  If  he resigns  he would be unpatriotic  too. In  fact  he has been  brave  in owning  up to  a dangerous in- house  factor  militating against  the war  to defeat Boko  Haram. Buratai  in my mind  has stopped being politically  correct  and has  told his men like another  American  General  told  his officers  and men – ‘ We  have seen  the enemy  and the enemy  is  us ‘.  My  advice  to the   Nigerian  Army  Chief is  to put in place measures to  deter and punish  cowards  in uniform in the Nigerian  army at  the war  front  of the fight  against  Islamic terrorism  which Boko  Haram really  is.  If  he does his home work well he will  find  religion at work  in the disloyalty  and cowardice  of those  few  of his officers and men  who  have  showed  lack  of commitment   and disloyalty in the fight  against  the insurgency and terrorism  of  Boko  Haram.  He  should probe further and look  over his  shoulders as he  does  so.  For  now  his political  incorrectness and candor while   very   bold,  is  but   the tip  of the iceberg.

Similarly, the revelation by the NSA  that the Almajiri  system  will  be banned in Nigeria  and free  education provided in the areas affected,  is a welcome  development. The  NSA  has  rightly  identified  implementation as a major  problem  by saying that  the Federal  Government  will  ensure the  implementation of the policy in the areas  where the Almajiris  exist.   That, though,   is better  said  than  done.  The  reality is that   the  Almajiri system  is a Northern  phenomenon  and is a real  wonder that it has not been  annihilated  given its threat to security and development  in the Northern  part of the  nation.  This  is in spite  of the fact that the balance  of power  and national   leadership  has  favored    the North  more than the South  in Nigeria. The  Almajiri  system   was meant  to be subdued  during the military  era  when  Basic Primary  Education  was introduced  and was never  effectively  carried out in the North. In  fact  an  Area  military  Commander in the then  North East  during military  rule  reported the State Governor for  negligence to   the Federal  Military    government in Lagos  for  not  implementing   BPE in the North East  because school  children in Maiduguri  were busy  learning  Arabic  under  dogonyaro   trees    from  Mallams  during  school  hours  when  they  should  be in  government schools  for  their    education. Later  the military  created six  states out of the former North East  where BPE  was largely  in effective. It  was  no wonder then  that  years later Boko  Haram  sprang out  of the North  East  with the slogan –  No,  to  Western  Education. In  retrospect  one should wonder if  Boko  Haram  is not a response or defiance of  BPE.  This is what the NSA  should  find  out as the nation  engages its gears to fight  and defeat  both Boko  Haram  and  Almajiris,  as  they both  feathers  of the same bird feeding terrorism and banditry  in our  political  system.

On  the imminent  or probable war between Iran  and the US one  can  tell  both  nations to lead, fight  or  get  out of the way, so  the world at large can  have peace of mind. Indeed  I suspect  the Iranians  have  more  stomach  and anger  for  a fight  than  the  American  president  who  is looking for  a deal   and  wants the Iranians  to  call  him  for talks. But diplomacy  is different from deals  and wars are not fought by calling the media fake news  and making  20 tweets in a day on foreign  policy.  Of  course Trump  should  find out from Former US army  boss  Colin  Powell   who  before the US invaded  Iraq in the first  Gulf  War  told  a press  conference  about Saddam  Hussein  that  -‘ we are  going to encircle his army, then kill it.’  As  if  Iraq  was  some snake.  A  second  Gulf War  was fought  to subdue  Saddam  and Iraq. That  blew  up  into Al  Qada and ISIS  and   those  were fed in terms of leadership  by the remnants  of the Iraqi  army  that  America  boasted it would kill.

Now  another US leader is threatening to go to war with Iran and thinks it business as usual. My  advice  to the US  is  to study, if not  too late,    the ideology  of Shia Islam  to  understand how  Iran is different from Iraq.  Iraq   has  majority Shias subdued  by the minority Sunnis   during   Saddam  Hussein’s   long rule.  The  American invasion of Iraq  and democratisation  gave power  to the Shias in Iraq.  Iran  on the other hand is  a  theocracy  and the Ayatollas  are  infallible.  In  addition  the concept of suicide in confrontations  is part and parcel  of their  religion. If  the Ayatollas  give the word  to fight the US   and  refuse  Trump’s bait of  a diplomatic call from Iran, then  the Iranians  will  fight to the last  man with technological  expertise  and finesse  that  the US never  expects. This  time  around  the American  president is putting his nation in the path  of  a  suicide  bomber and  unless he has a charmed life like the    proverbial  cat  with  nine  lives,  he  should  be extremely  careful  in trying to humiliate an  ancient  civilization like  Iran  either  militarily  or diplomatically.  A  word is enough for  the wise .  Once again  long live the Federal  Republic of Nigeria.