By Bola Joseph
It is one thing to grandstand, perhaps, for mere showmanship. It is another to want to be on the positive side of history, in spite of whatever is seemingly at stake or in one’s way. After all, the nation is already in the thick of her routine political season. The general election is some months away.
Everything is, therefore, deemed fair and in equal spirit. However, it gives a unique cast when the inspiration derives genuinely from sheer patriotism. This, without a doubt, appears to define the intervention of Hon. Babajimi Benson, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Defence, last Tuesday.
Although insecurity in Nigeria is an existential challenge that her leadership has battled unsuccessfully for many years, the last few weeks have nonetheless witnessed a different elevation in what seeks to threaten the nation’s corporate existence.
From the south to the east and north of Nigeria, concerned citizens of all classes and social statuses have aired their views on what has become a brazen menace to corporate Nigeria: insecurity.
But when Hon. Benson, a proud Lagosian, spoke on the floor of the House to lecture everyone and also admonish the nation, the message started to sink in better with clear comprehension.
Ordinarily not given to verbosity, his submission, on Tuesday, hit differently with finesse, urgency, facts, rare but citable examples and of course, cosmopolitan exposure.
He drew instances from far and near, while also giving the most requisite ingredient, which is hope, at a time when even the best of optimists is already looking to opt out.
As he stood before his colleagues, slouching over his desk, seemingly heartbroken and palpably disturbed, he called out: “Mr Speaker, indeed, we live in very interesting times. It was America who created the word VUCA. So we live in a VUCA world. VUCA means volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.
“Mr Speaker, today, I rise not as a Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, but I rise as the voice of millions of Nigerians, who yearn for and rightly deserve a nation that is safe, hopeful, united and prosperous.
“If you recall the days of yore, the Nigerian military has excelled in many different fronts, including Liberia and Sierra Leone. We went into those countries with full force and with our full arsenal that was purchased under the regime of President Shagari. I repeat, we went with our full arsenal. We went, we saw, and we conquered.”
As he proceeded with his homily, somewhat, he recalled. “But we did something that no nation would ever do. We were honest. We went there to assist our sister nations. We did not stay to milk and make money out of their predicament. Mr Speaker, what most nations do is recoup and replace the equipment that they’ve expended in those countries. Nigeria didn’t do that.
“So we are suffering from the decay of trying to replace equipment to date. It’s been a very difficult and onerous task. We have not had friends, indeed, who will support us in building the arsenal we had in the days of yore.
“Across the borders of our country, as a result of that, we also have issues from the Sahel region. We also have issues from the Sahel region. France has left the Sahel countries, and there are no boots on the ground there.
“The armed forces of France used to prevent ISIL and other extremists from strolling into Nigeria, but they are out of that place now. And the countries there are run by military juntas. That’s a big problem.
“We also have the problem of Libya. Ever since Gaddafi was deposed, Libya has been in a sorry state. Light weapons and heavy-duty weapons have had a free-flow influx into Nigeria, thus exacerbating the original huge problems that we’re facing.
“Despite all these threats, which are strategic leadership, our growing strong institutions, and ongoing reforms, which include, as we speak, there’s a grand plan to improve the welfare of the police and the armed forces.
“As we are here today, there’s a committee set up to look into the institutions, the security architecture and institutions, the police barracks, and the training institutions. That committee is led by none other than the Governor of Enugu State. It’s a work in progress.”
To better situate his argument in context, especially the need to appreciate the complexities, he said, “Again, the economy, we’re hoping to grow our economy into a $1 trillion economy. The process is on. Our exchange rate is stable.
“Our external reserve is growing, but we have frailties. We have frailties which have to do with security. Our security infrastructure, no doubt, needs to be stepped up for us to attain the eminence that our good qualities offer.
“Though a bullet can overcome a terrorist, only good governance, opportunity and inclusion can overcome terrorism. No doubt, we must begin to strengthen intelligence and early warning systems.
“We must begin with actionable intelligence. No modern security system succeeds without the ability to detect threats before they escalate. The House, with its committee, is working on this.
“The House is working on strengthening the coordination between the DIA, the DSS, the police, the NIA and state security units. The House is working assiduously to establish regional intelligence fusion centres across the six geopolitical zones.
“The House is in support of the deployment of modern surveillance technologies, drones, sensors and data analytics. We are proud of the meeting with the NSA and the trip to America. Tangible results have been gotten.”
Appreciating the efforts so far made by the President Bola Tinubu administration in the midst of the current commotion, the lawmaker noted that, “ The American government, as said by our NSA, has signed an MOU with our country to assist in providing actionable intelligence towards eradicating these bandits.
“Security is won not only when information flows seamlessly and rapidly, but when the information is used to take action. In this decade, research results from leading domestic and global security scholars have provided vital information in Nigeria towards peace.
“Evidence from such studies concludes that 80% of terrorist attacks in Nigeria occur in three locations: schools, religious centres and farms. Categorising all schools, religious centres and farms in each local government area based on their current and projected vulnerability is now a minimum requirement.
“A risk assessment – low, medium or high risk of this location must now be a priority. It is something that the House and Parliament should also ensure it is done.
“Number two, reforming and repositioning the Nigerian police. Our Nigerian military is not overstretched. The responsibilities of the Nigerian military are overstretched.
“It is time to restore the police to their rightful place. As the first line of internal defence, the House Committee on Defence and other committees will collaborate with the Committee on Police to advance legislation for community and state policing with strong oversight.”
Getting down to brass tacks while offering some real-time solutions, Benson spoke about the need to modernise the armed forces.
“Our military remains courageous and resilient, but they must be armed not only with bravery, but with modern tools. We must immediately invest in modern warfare tools. We must immediately partner our non-aligned friends with America, with the EU, with China, with Pakistan.
“Let us never forget, security is not about how we spend on defence, but about ensuring every citizen feels safe in their home, their marketplace, and in their farmlands. We also need to secure our borders. The inflow of weapons, drugs, and foreign fighters continues to fuel insecurity.
“The House must support a strengthened border security command and an integrated border management system. The House must support the joint operations with Cameroon, Niger, Benin, and Chad. The House must support technology-driven checkpoints using biometrics and surveillance.”
Addressing the root cause, he explained, is a big solution, the federal lawmaker said, “I was with you one day in the Nigerian Defence College, where you made a comparison of when Nigeria introduced the cashless system.
“You said when that system was introduced, kidnapping and banditry went down because the ability to pay for ransom became nonexistent. I believe that is a policy this House should also look into.
“Local government administration, it is only in a few states in Nigeria where you see competent people. Former parliamentarians run to be local government chairmen. There is a nexus between a local government being powerful and for that state to have prosperity.
“Today, in most parts of Nigeria, the local government administration has collapsed. I remember the late Lieutenant General Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff. He said the happiest day in his life was when the Supreme Court passed the local government financial autonomy law. He said his men and troops fought every day to secure territories.
“And after securing those territories, they did not have anybody to hand over the territories to because in most states, some states bigger than Belgium, bigger than Togo, bigger than most countries, the only sense of administration there is in the centre, the state government, the state governors. The local governments are nonexistent.
“So what we need is to ensure that the FAAC account and the monies that are due to local governments, really, duly get to the third tier of government.
“If you recall, a month ago, the former governor of New York ran for election, left his seat as an executive governor, and ran to be a mayor in America. If you also recall, a former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, including Manhattan, Rudolph Giuliani, was later the Mayor of New York. He ran to be the president of the United States of America.
“Finally, if you recall, Rahm Emanuel, who was the Chief of Staff to Obama when he was president, ran to be the local government chairman in the state of Chicago. Mr Speaker, if we can ensure that our local government is the third tier of government, indeed, it should be a non-kinetic solution to end the recruitment process for these bandits or kidnappers.
“Mr Speaker, distinguished colleagues, security is the foundation of development. Without peace, there can be no investment. Without investment, there can be no prosperity. Without prosperity, there can be no stability. Without stability, there can be no safety. Without safety, there can be no future.
“As chairman of the House Committee on Defence, I commit on behalf of the committee, of this House, to work tirelessly with the executive, with the military leadership, with our allies and partners to deliver a strong, modern, and people-centred security system for Nigeria.
“On behalf of Nigerians who yearn for peace, we thank you for your foresight and your dedication to building a safer, stronger, and more resilient Nigeria.”
In the end, Benson didn’t just lay the template; he set the tone for a rather cracking discussion on the state of play. But something was not lost from his posturing: the very essence of education and the. patriotism, which puts the nation first.
To say the nation is at a crossroads is a milder way to distil the crisis situation. Benson was mindful of the possible minefield in airing such views. Yet, he struck a rather impossible balance, which saw him give unto Caesar what was Caesar’s.
Benson stood strong for his party, the APC, with gusto. He defended the government of the APC-led by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu with pride. Above all, he made a compelling case for the Nigerian people, standing stoutly for patriotism and good governance.
