Undertow
They may not have been the biggest or the strongest on the block, but the 300 women of the Nigerian Army, who were deployed to the Kaduna-Abuja highway, were bold and gallant. Had 300 men also been deployed to that stretch of asphalt, they would have been described with the same terms. For a long time, the Kaduna-Abuja highway was a safe haven for criminals and bandits who came and went as they pleased — gentlemen of the night and noblemen of the day — robbing, maiming, kidnapping and killing almost unchecked. They had visited every unit of fear imaginable on travellers of that route and were already attaining mythical statuses of invincibility, and not all the uproar or cries of the people got anything done. What the area wanted was strong military presence and that was what it got on Wednesday, regardless of the gender of the soldiers deployed. The army itself is not fond of gender segregation and a soldier is first a soldier before being a gender-specific individual.
Receiving the soldiers on Wednesday, however, Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state did not appear to appreciate these finer nuances of the Nigerian Army. Enamoured instead of the female soldiers, he waxed poetic and chatted about the femininity of the soldiers, even going as far as to put down male soldiers and somehow managing to introduce the state’s deputy governor into the equation.
Hear him: “The problem of Abuja-Kaduna road will be over with these female soldiers because what a man can do a woman can do better. I am confident the road will be the safest in Nigeria. We will do everything possible to make this operation comfortable. We are very happy to have you. Your presence will inspire others girls to join the military. That is why we have female deputy governor to inspire other women.”
That sort of cliché logic should not have come from the governor, a hyperbole loving politician. It is true that analysts and even feminists have pointed out certain significances emanating from the deployment of female soldiers, but the solution to the problem was neither female nor male soldiers; it was soldiers. The gender of the soldiers deployed to the highway should have been immaterial to the governor, and even if he would allow his sentiments govern his perception of the incidence, he should have spoken more guardedly on the issue. In the army and in warfare, it is difficult to understand such a statement as women being better performers than men. How is such a statement justifiable?
The governor was right to observe that the presence of the female soldiers would encourage other girls to join the army. It is hoped that the soldiers that have been deployed to the region will genuinely be provided for. Their efficacy can only be felt to the extent that resources are provided for them to battle the criminals that have terrorised the highway. Given the right weapons and resources, the soldiers will deliver, male and female alike. Governor el-Rufai should understand this and employ more tact and circumspection in future statements.
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