The Nation Newspaper

Category: Opinion

  • Obaseki’s proactive steps to prevent crisis in Okpella

    Obaseki’s proactive steps to prevent crisis in Okpella

    From Kaduna to Rivers and Benue states as well as other parts of the country, the stories of woe over the senseless killing of Nigerians abound.

    While the issues are not exactly the same, there is however a common narrative about the alleged failure of the governors of the affected states in arresting the issues at their early stage before they snowballed into full-blown crises.

    Crisis management experts contend that the best strategy to preventing crisis, irrespective of the scale, is the proactive approach. It is cost effective and less likely to lead to the loss of lives and property.

    The brewing tension in the quiet town of Okpella, in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, a solid minerals bearing community could become the hot bed for killings and counter killings if urgent steps are not taken.

    Newspaper men have had their share of the ‘fight’ with the advertorials and counter advertorials on the ownership of the Obu mine site located in Okpella, that have dominated the pages of newspapers in the past weeks, sponsored by both Dangote and BUA, both cement manufacturing companies.

    The lingering legal tussle between Dangote and BUA International Limited, is being followed keenly by stakeholders in the solid minerals sector and other stakeholders.

    Beyond the court hall where the Obu case is being adjudicated upon, the growing tension in Okpella could claim several lives.

    Worried by the failure of BUA to abide by a simple Stop Work Order and the likely consequences, the Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, with officials and personnel of various security agencies effected the arrest of staff of BUA Cement after shutting down the mine site, to prevent any crisis.

    Followers of the BUA-Dangote case commend governor Obaseki’s action, more so considering security intelligence that BUA is raising a militia as part of a grand plan to adopt extra-judicial means to continue mining activity on the Obu mine site.

    However, a few hired commentators on the issue have blamed Governor Obaseki’s action. Understandably, the commentators are paid and do not appreciate the bigger picture and the obligation of a state governor to his people in a matter that could throw the community into a theatre of war.

    In Benue State, Governor Samuel Ortom is in the eye of the storm as Benue people protest the alleged killing of their people by suspected Fulani Herdsmen.

    No excuse or defence is acceptable to the people who have lost their relatives to the mayhem. Ortom is now being called all sorts of names over the issue. Some have even asked for his resignation. They say he is not proactive and cannot protect his people. Perhaps Ortom may have taken some proactive steps which were rebuffed by his detractors.

    All his efforts to prevent anarchy, whatever those efforts may have been, which might have been resisted and ridiculed are now completely drowned in the cries of distress that followed the killing of several Benue people.

    In Edo State, Governor Obaseki is now taking proactive steps to protect his people and prevent the state from becoming another killing field and people are coming up with various conspiracy theories and wild guesses and are ignoring the real issue, which is the sanctity and safety of human life.

    To cast aspersions on Obaseki for his proactive efforts to protect the lives of his people in Okpella is senseless to say the least.

    Governor Obaseki is resolute about fulfilling his obligation to protect Edo people and will not be swayed by the cacophony of voices, knowing that he is the one that will be blamed should there be mayhem in Okpella tomorrow.

    So the governor is not listening to side talks, as he has said times without number that no amount of money is worth the life of any Edo man or woman.

    Many Benue and Rivers State people blame their governors who are the chief security officers of their respective states and no matter how long the blame game lasts, the dead are gone. No amount of blame trade will bring them back.

    Obaseki has resolved to ensure that this is not the fate of Edo people in Okpella or elsewhere in Edo State.

    Very likely, if the issues that led to the various crises mentioned above were tackled by the governor and all the people without prejudice, at the early stage, the senseless killings might have been avoided.

    Osagie is the Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy

  • 2019: Akinlami declares interest in presidency

    2019: Akinlami declares interest in presidency

    A popular public affairs analyst and anti corruption crusader, Daniel Akinlami has officially declared his intention to run for the presidency in 2019. Making his declaration in a statement issued to newsmen in Lagos on Monday, Akinlami said it is time for the long awaited movement that will liberate the nation from the shackles of incompetence, nepotism, impunity and entrenched corruption, lack of visionary, dynamic and inspirational leadership.
    Akinlami, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Fine Arts from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria, has been described as a believer in the rule of law and a fighter for justice and equity.
    He said “It is time for the long awaited movement that will liberate our nation from the shackles of incompetence, nepotism, impunity and entrenched corruption, lack of visionary – dynamic and inspirational leadership.
    “At a time when some have lost faith in our political system, the unity and the future of our great nation; we must not give up on Nigeria. It’s time for all the patriots to join forces together to reclaim our today and the future from the hands of the recycled political elites and cabals that have mismanaged and plundered our nation for years.”
    “For this purpose, I am here to provide the leadership. So today, I declare my intention to run for the office of the president of our great country Nigeria in the 2019 presidential race.”
    7 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT DANIEL AKINLAMI
    (1). He is an accomplished Visual Artist and Advertising Practitioner with over 20 years experience in the Art, Branding and PR Sector. A well sort after National Leader, Public Affairs Analyst and Anti-Corruption Crusader; An Advocate for Youth Empowerment and National Development.
    (2). His primary areas of influence and engagement spread across Politics, Public Speaking, Raising New Leaders, Youths Engagement, Political Advocacy and Nation Building.
    (3). In the past few years as a Change Advocate and Nation Building Crusader he has collaborated with different Pressure Groups, NGOs, Community and Grassroots Associations on ways to drive CHANGE in Nigeria.
    (4). He is the Convener and National Coordinator at 150 MILLION NIGERIANS FOR CHANGE. A network of concerned citizens of Nigeria advocating for Positive Change in the country. With the mission of mobilizing Nigerians to take a stand against corruption and bad leadership. He also seeks targeted solutions to the challenges facing African Nations including Nigeria with a round-table and indigenous grass-root approach.
    (5). His foray into Nigeria politics started in 2014 with an attempt to run in the 2015 presidential election in which he narrowly missed a nomination with one of the political parties despite launching his presidential campaign.
    (6). Thereafter, he continued to contribute at different forum to the development of Nigeria and government policies. He has won several awards in recognition of his contribution to nation building and has also been featured in several Nigeria National Televisions and Radio stations as public affairs/policy analyst.
    (7). He shares the belief that in order to birth positive change in Nigeria, the youths must be positively engaged in leadership.

  • Africa’s youths must solve the continent’s challenges

    The role of the youth in any society is crucial to its development, peace and progress. Historically, young people everywhere have been the driving force behind industrial boom, economic stability and progress.

    However, in recent times, the number of employed youth globally has been steadily decreasing, with an exception being sub-Saharan Africa, which has recorded a 1.1% increase. Also, sub-Saharan Africa is the only region in recent times to record 0% change in its youth labour force participation, while other regions have experienced a steady decline. These trends have been closely linked to increasing trends in educational enrollment in the region. Based on these statistics our continent is at an advantage. However, the fact remains that 18 of the 20 poorest countries in the world are in Africa.

    What is responsible for this? We can attribute it to decades of political instability, war and famine that have traversed the length and breadth of our continent. Nevertheless, a more pertinent question ought to be asked: who is responsible? Jesus Christ once said that defilement starts from within; I concur and submit that every one of us must learn to accept responsibility for the situation we have found ourselves today.

    China was once a relatively poor nation, with a huge population that was mainly illiterate and tremendous reserves of untapped resources. But they improved their fortunes through reforms in their education sector and an intentional organisation of rural populations who were brought to cities to turn raw materials into finished goods.

    Thus was the birth of the entrepreneurial boom in China, which has played a central role in China being one of the most credit worthy nations in the world today. If you look at the devices or products in your homes, they are likely to have the words “Made in China”. Isn’t it ironic, that the world we live in today is dominated by products made in a once poor country?

    What could this mean for African nations? Is it possible for us to replicate the results of the Chinese success story? I certainly believe we can. We are a continent blessed with an abundant supply of natural resources, yet in some of our nations, we lack the capital needed to exploit these resources. Foreign commentators have sentenced us to a future of aid and assistance from the West. I say; pave way for the Young African Entrepreneur, who shall be tasked with the duty of articulating our primary motivation for starting our businesses, then learning the compromises associated with our goals and choosing to consistently pursue it.

    If we can maintain this structure, our developmental decisions would support our goal rather than threaten it in the long run. What is our goal? I believe it is creating an enabling environment where innovation and economic development can thrive.

    Entrepreneurship by definition is the capacity and willingness to develop, organise and manage a business venture, along with any risks involved, in order to make a profit, whilst providing a solution to a social problem.

    In Africa, we most certainly have the capacity, as the statistics on youth labour participation shows, but our young people must be willing to develop unique and innovative ways to solve our own society’s problems, in power, health care, education and transportation. In order for us to attain our goal, we must come together to identify our common problems and create platforms where sustainable solutions can be proffered and executed.

    A discussion on the realities of entrepreneurship in Africa would be incomplete, if we do not highlight our success stories. Africa as a continent has proven to be an enterprising and promising economy, with great young entrepreneurs, like Tanzania’s Patrick Ngwoi, who started off by selling Chinese-made phones at age 19 and later went on to start his company, Helvetic Solar Contractors, with operations in Tanzania and other East African countries, where they have installed over 6,000 small rooftop solar systems and contributed to reducing the power deficit in those areas.

    At this stage, we must begin to consider what we must do differently. In my humble opinion, we must have an intentional focus on developing our human resources and paying our labourers what is due to them. We must create conducive work environments, implement and maintain best practices in all our endeavours. We must learn to view both our successes and failures as value-neutral, so long as the risk was taken wisely. Our young people must also take the necessary steps to actualise the vision for a thriving African economy, by learning to think outside the box responsibly, as everything that is good is not profitable and all that is profitable is not good. Our governments must facilitate this vision and create policies that ensure that our mission critical work is not outsourced to other countries, but rather create necessary means of training our own people to fill these critical roles.

    Let me sum up by saying this; I am privileged to have the unique opportunity to closely watch and follow topmost leadership in my country’s government. Friends, from my observation, it requires discipline, consistency, resilience and, most importantly, the grace of God to build any nation. I pray our generation will possess a greater dose of these essential ingredients so that, God willing, we would be able to steer this great continent we share and love, to a place we can all be proud to call home.

    Inactivity is the greatest enemy of entrepreneurship. To this end, let us all commit to continuous self-development to nurture positive creativity and to remain determined to manage the challenges and risks we would face on the way. I look forward to a more prosperous Africa very soon!

     

    By Laolu Osinbajo

    Abuja

  • 2019: Power to the youths

    2019: Power to the youths

    Atiku Abubarkar, Nigeria’s former vice president stirred the hornet’s nest in a recent Facebook live chat where he described his return to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as a calculated move to save the future of Nigeria by creating jobs for the teeming youth population, should he become president come 2019.

    No sooner had he began to speak in a tempered voice that barrage of comments filtered in from young people. A Facebook user, Excellent Emechebe, threw a salvo at the presidential aspirant asking why the famed politician couldn’t pass his presidential ambition to a younger person. “You are too old, this is another Buhari in disguise,” Emechebe commented. Following in line was another young man, Aziza Uko Douglas who fired a retort; “if you care about the youths so much, at 70, you wouldn’t want to run for president. You would look for a much younger person who is qualified with a vision and put your support behind that person”.

    As the 10-minute, live session which generated 9004 comments progressed, it became glaring that the youth population in Nigeria is frustrated with the marginalization in the democratic process. Agitations appear to be growing among young people who are protesting the unwritten rule that defines their role in the electoral system simply as voters with handed down roles of election riggers or bag carrying personal assistants.

    When the National House of Assembly passed the #NotTooYoungToRun bill in the middle of this year, it was greeted with excitement. However, the snail pace of the constitutional review committee, which took some months before forwarding the bill to the state houses of assembly soon created doubt.  It was not until some weeks back that the bill was forwarded. Following the transmission to the 36 state House of Assembly, a minimum of 24 state houses of assembly must sign their approval before the bill would be signed into law. Kwara and Adamawa have signed the bill into law. Youth Initiative for Advocacy and Advancement (YIAGA), a civil society group which has been putting youths in the heart of participation in the political process stated on its website that it has sent 991 personalized letters to legislators in the 36 state houses of assembly in Nigeria.

    Hamzat Lawal, an activist who is one of the front man of the campaign for young people in governance in Nigeria is of the opinion that failure to pass the bill before the 2019 elections may lead to voters’ apathy from the youths’ bloc.

    “I believe that come 2019, if this bill sees the light of the day, we should aim at having a young president of the federal republic of Nigeria. I and my friend have started a campaign called TPC which is The People’s Candidate which is about taking power back to the people”, he stated.

    Also, as the campaign for young people to run for public office gathers momentum, Hamzat is also quick to condemn people who believe Nigerian Youths are not capable of being good leaders.

    “The civil society, the entertainment and tech sectors are being led by young people.  I think it is just a conspiracy to limit the potentials of young people to say that they are not ready? if you don’t even give them the opportunity, what yardstick would you use to measure their readiness?

    “If you are 18 and you are eligible to vote someone into office, you should be eligible to be voted into office. Mankind is meant to aspire and the worst thing that has happened to our generation is that we are not even allowed to aspire.

    ​Recalling the turn of event at a national day of action where thousands of youths marched peacefully in Borno in support of the #NotTooYoungToRun bill, Hamzat also affirmed that the eagerness with which the youths have pushed for the implementation of the bill is a sign that they are ready to take charge of leadership.

    Power, competence and previous results

    Dayo Adeniyi, a Mandela Washington fellow whose outfit, Matadors Leadership Institute has been organizing leadership training wants the #NotTooYoungToRun campaign to be focused on addressing competence and previous results, not just on wrestling power.

    “There’s an experience that could come with age so if someone is old, competent and can deliver quality service, why not? That someone is young does not mean the person will do anything different from what we have always seen. We need young, tested and competent people whose focus is on the service they can render, not the power they seek”.

    One of the factors responsible for young people’s clamour for roles in politics and governance is the unemployment rate which stands at 14.2%, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Again, the trading of Nigerian youths in Libya who got caught up in modern day slavery after trying to escape the hardship at home could also be said to be one of the factors fueling youths’ agitation for participation in governance. Also, the #EndSARS campaign on twitter   which called for the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigerian police force and was followed up with a rally recently may be a signal to the fact that Nigerian youths are beginning to shift from a standpoint of activism to wrestling power from the old political class.

    To win the battle over gerontocracy in governance, Nigerian youths would first have to conquer the reformation of a system where power often goes to the highest bidder.

    “The truth is with the current system, we are likely going to always produce the worst of us leading the best,” submits Adeniyi.

    It is not a coincidence that youthquake, a word which means a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people”, was selected as the Oxford Dictionaries word of the year for 2017. At home in Nigeria, young people are going beyond the wave of wishful thinking by agitating for change so that  a system which allowed  a 31 year old to emerge as  president  of Australia can be replicated on an African soil.

    Reporting done as part of BudgIT 2017 Media fellowship

  • Building foundation for Hajj 2018

    Building foundation for Hajj 2018

    The 2017 Hajj has gone with the controversy, drama and of course its successful end- what more can one ask for?

    In fact, that is the one thing about Hajj every successive year. There will always be bit of blot, a feature that will make it distinct or unique. Though there have been write ups about the 2017 in retrospect.

    As it’s often said, yesterday is but gone, confined to the dust bin of history, while today is the time and turn to prepare for the question: tomorrow– The 2018 Hajj. After the stocktaking and celebration of the 2017 Hajj, attention and focus immediately shifted to the 2018 Hajj.

    Since the introduction of the reform programmes last year, which is still continuing; they aren’t always pretty and good music to the ear of many who are beneficiaries of the status quo. Sometimes, they are messy and frequently interrupted and filled with knock-ons and frantic improvisation to discredit them.

    Even long before the return of the last Nigerian pilgrims from Saudi Arabia, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has begun to lay a foundation and building on the momentum to record another impressive return, so that the 2018 Hajj may be the best.

    Awaken to the fact that if organisations must keep on achieving successful results, it should not lift up its feet from the pedal; else, your competitor may seize the initiative. To this end, the management of the Commission instituted a committee that included executives of states pilgrims’ welfare boards/agencies to seal accommodation contract with house owners/hoteliers in Medina and Makkah, this was with a view to retain the houses and wards off the interest of countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan, many of whom have shown interest in occupying the Markaziya area of Medina because of its proximity to the Grand Mosque.

    Similarly, the Mashair committee who like a phoenix that rises from its ashes, have had its mandate renewed but with a proviso to ensure that the blight in the services provided by the Muassassah (The Establishment responsible for the provision of the space, facility/equipment in Mina and Arafat) were cleared once and for all especially the issue of space in Mina for Nigerian contingent is addressed in this coming year. For those who have been on pilgrimage before, this has been a recurring headache not only for Nigeria, but almost all the participating countries. Though the answer is obvious – the available space in Mina is elastic, while pilgrims’ population continues to grow. Thus, the Muassassah had to find a mid- course to address the concerns of most of the countries.

    Perhaps, the most important step taken in the march towards the 2018 Hajj by the Commission is the directive to SPWB/A to start collecting Hajj deposits from intending pilgrims with as low as N300,000. This step though far-off from the idea of the Hajj saving scheme which the establishment Act of 2006 envisaged. This temporary step was adopted as a stop-gap measure to reduce the desperation on the part of intending pilgrims to meet up the payment balance. In fact, this measure was intended as a re-design of the era of payment in one-fell swoop.

    As followers of the NAHCON activities were very much aware the issue of the Hajj savings scheme has been on the front-burner for more than a decade. Efforts have been made in the past to give vent to its implementation which has seen NAHCON’s delegation taking study tour of Malaysia with appreciable results and the only clog been how the outfit will operate without falling foul of the CBN regulation. At a National workshop in July, strident calls were made to the commission to find a way out of the quagmire. It is therefore a form of breakthrough to allow State Pilgrims Welfare Board’s/Agencies (SPWB/A) collect deposits from intending pilgrims and kept in a special account so that pilgrims will no longer be frantically looking for money towards the closing deadline.

    One of the things that many Nigerian public organisations have often come under severe criticism was starting some of their programs a little “too late” culminating in unmitigated failure. But for the Commission, this has become something of the past.

    As we may be well aware, Airlift is the heart-beat of any Hajj operations world-wide. In the light of the above, the commission apart from holding exclusive meetings with airlines immediately after the 2017 Hajj exercise. As part of given vent to the resolution/recommendations at the meeting, the commission has rolled out adverts for application for 2018 Hajj airlift exercise for both cargo and pilgrims carriers.

    The adverts coming six months ahead of the normal time is expectedly going to give the prospective airliners the ample time to negotiate for a good aircraft as well as giving them a competitive price that would have a net-effect in lowering the price of Hajj fare which Nigerian pilgrims can benefit from.

    The upswing in the preparation for the 2018 Hajj is however not limited to the state led boards alone; the travel and tour operators witnessed a re-balancing of its acts/operation too.

    The Commission recently approved a calendar of events for both the state boards/tour operators, so that there won’t be rowdy session in the programming of Hajj activities in accordance with the Saudi rules which stipulates that every action concerning the 2018 must be concluded by may, – a clear three months before the commencement of Hajj– when the Hajj portals will be closed.

    However, as much impressive as these visionary and strategic plans are, they could only be achieved only through one thing which is well- known. All hands must be on the deck to make it succeed.

    Ubandawaki is a staff of NAHCON, Abuja.

  • Omorotionmwan’s futile efforts to wrestle against Obaseki’s achievements

    Omorotionmwan’s futile efforts to wrestle against Obaseki’s achievements

    Our attention has been drawn to the rendition of falsehood by a certain Josef Omorotionmwan, which was published on page 31 of the Vanguard Newspaper of Thursday November 30, 2017, with the title ‘The Obaseki Administration: Wake and See What?’

    While Omorotionmwan’s insidious motive to turn truth is on its head is evident right from his faulty start, we are compelled to correct his tirade that was designed to misinform the good people of Nigeria and Edo State and cast aspersions on Governor Godwin Obaseki.

    To begin with, Omorotionmwan’s intemperate criticism of an administration that has been adjudged transparent, goal-oriented and committed to the welfare of the downtrodden shows a clear lack of capacity to appreciate the hallmarks of good governance.

    His philosophy of good governance must have been formed in the era when public good was subordinated to the interests of a few individuals that converged to exploit the majority of Edo people and shared our common patrimony that ought to have been used to build enduring infra and superstructures for robust socio-economic growth and development.

    For the first time in the history of party politics in Nigeria, Governor Godwin Obaseki appointed his 192 Special Assistants from the 192 wards in the state and they were all nominated by their respective wards and screened by the All Progressives Congress (APC) party structure in the state.

    Today, the 192 aides are integral part of the decision making and execution machinery of the APC-led government of Edo State. So one would wonder what Omorotionmwan meant by the expression ‘leaving the party behind and planning to buy them at the appropriate time’ in his article. It is either his memory has been held hostage by senile forces or he derives pleasure in dispensing falsehood.

    It is ridiculous to even contemplate that APC as presently constituted in Edo State can be bought by anyone. Against all odds, including the deep pockets of the People’s Democratic (PDP), members of the APC dislodged PDP from Edo State, not for bread or butter, but because we were committed to the redemption of Edo people from a cabal that foisted poverty on our people  due to their excellent skills for grand looting.

    All the organs of the All Progressives Congress-led administration in Edo State are working together daily, to deliver the real dividends of democracy to Edo People.

    When Omorotionmwan claimed in his article that: “In scoring Obaseki’s administration abysmally low, we are not unmindful of the fact that all the feats recorded in its favour are easily achievable by any of the 18 local government councils in Edo State,”  it is unclear what achievements he was referring to.

    The ‘Wake and See’ sobriquet of Obaseki was coined by the Edo people who still marvel at the pace at which road and other developmental projects are being delivered across Edo State. Could the local council have embarked on a N200billion Benin Industrial Park project? Could the councils have embarked on a 60,000 metric tonnes Fertiliser and Chemical Plant?

    Omorotionmwan’s reasoning is pure treachery to say the least, which must not stand, amongst right thinking men and women.

    He claimed that The Government House has become a trade post for Obaseki’s friends from Lagos and elsewhere. Omorotionmwan surely hates Edo State and her people so much, that he wishes we do not make progress through collaborations and partnerships with the private sector, bilateral and multilateral institutions that are driving economic growth in other climes.

    He wants the OBSERVER Newspapers to remain as it is even when he does not buy copies of the newspaper himself. He abhors the planned reforms for Edo Broadcasting Service that will transform the media house into a world-class institution that will make it compete with the British Broadcasting Service (BBC) in educating and mobilising our people towards growth and development. It is his desire that we retain near moribund enterprises as they are, without injecting a lease of life into them.

    Omorotionmwan does not have to turn himself into an uninvited interloper in the relationship between the former Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Governor Obaseki, over the Central Hospital project in Benin City. Such old tactics of inciting people against themselves does not work even for low intelligent people, how much more, clear headed and visionary leaders like the governor and his predecessor. Oshiomhole has reiterated times without number that both leaders (himself and governor Obaseki) are one, share same vision to transform Edo State, though their leadership styles may be different.

    Obaseki’s rising profile locally and internationally was earned through hard work and dedication to duty as well as his respect for constituted authority.

    That he is an astute manager of men and material resources has been acknowledged even by members of the opposition political parties who have in many fora, owned up to the fact that only an efficient manager like Obaseki could have steered the state safely through the turbulent condition created by the terrible recession from which the country is now emerging and still embark on delivering ambitious developmental projects like he has done in the last one year.

    We are however not entirely at sea as to what would have driven Omorotionmwan to such desperate measures of dispensing outright falsehood just to get the attention of Obaseki’s government. He may, like some other indolent actors in the polity, have been hugely disappointed by Obaseki who as a matter of policy does not distribute Edo people’s collective patrimony to the kinds of ‘politicians’ who Omorotionmwan suggested in his piece to have been shut out of Government House.

    For the umpteenth time, we wish to remind Omorotionmwan that being a politician does not render anyone incapacitated and unable to earn an honest living through hard work.

    If Omorotionmwan will only acknowledge Obaseki’s sterling performance when he is paid money that he has not worked for, then Obaseki is willing to make do with the approval of the over  four million other Edo people who toil daily for their livelihoods.

    For the records, Governor Obaseki, in one year, has done what several governors could not do in eight years. He has delivered several road projects across the state, the Edo Fertiliser and Chemical Company is up and running, he has flagged off the construction of the Benin Industrial Park, the Benin Science and Technical College, 75 mass transit buses have been procured to change the face of intra-state transportation in the state and thousands of jobs have been created in the various sectors.

    The Edo Development and Property Authority has commenced the implementation of reforms that will restore sanity in the state-owned housing estates while several public schools are in the process of being reconstructed in the coming months. The design of the 20 new mini stadia in Edo State has been done and on completion, will serve as platforms for discovering and developing sporting talent across the state. Space will constrain me to mention several other developmental efforts for which Obaseki is now fondly called the Wake and See Governor by his people.

     

    Osagie is the Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy

  • Understanding Military Operations as Safeguard of State

    In the most recent times, we have had to welcome diverse operations from ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’ meaning ‘Operation peace by force’, ‘Operation Harbin Kunama’ meaning ‘Operation Scorpion Sting’ to Operation Egwu Eke, which translates into ‘operation Python Dance’, etc, all out to address issues that affect the general well-being of the Nigerian society.

    ‎
    The Nigerian situation between 1999 till date when the military eventually returned to the Barracks shall remain a reference point in years to come and students of contemporary history will have a lot to up their sleeves.

    Though it has been argued that, handling the problems related to domestic violence and internal security is the basic function of the police, along with maintenance of law-and-order. However, experience overtime has shown that the police are found ill-equipped and ill-trained to handle the situations for which these police organisations are formed! Thus, calling in the military becomes the only available option
    ‎‎
    Armed groups usually spring up in unconventional ways to challenge the very existence of the state and thus, Such as well from time to time has called for deployment of troops to the street. The recent case of the Nigerian military deploying its personnel to some parts of the country is something that has been viewed with mixed feelings, arguments, counter arguments and reactions.

    Addressing such, one may therefore, need to look at what has made these operations necessary and perhaps look into what they are and if they have been able to deliver to the People.

    Looking at‎ it holistically, it is imperative to note that the ‎military is a force authorised to use lethal or deadly force and weapons to support the interests of the state and ‘some’ or all of its citizens. The emphasis on ‘some’ is that there are times, just like in the Nigerian example and as seen elsewhere that citizens turned out laws, pick up arms against the state and in this kind of unfortunate scenario, the military may have no option but to protect the interests of law abiding citizens only.

    The military typically consists of an Army, Navy, Air Force, and in certain countries the Marines and Coast Guard. The task of the military is usually defined as defence of the state, and its citizens, and the prosecution of war against another state. The military may also have additional manifest and latent functions within a society, including, the promotion of a political agenda,as recently seen in Zimbabwe, protecting corporate economic interests, internal population control, construction, emergency services, social ceremonies, and guarding important areas and state assets.

    The military may also function as a discrete sub culture within a larger civil society, through the development of separate infrastructures, which may include housing, schools, utilities, logistics, health and medical, as recently seen in the medical outreach by the soldiers in the ‘Operation Egwu Eke’, in the south east and some parts of the south South, law, food production, finance and banking. In broad usage, the terms “armed forces” and “military” are often treated as synonymous, although in technical usage a distinction is sometimes made in which a country’s armed forces may include both its military and other paramilitary forces. Armed force is the use of armed forces to achieve political objectives.

    For much of military history, particularly In a democracy or other systems, the relationship between the military and the state it serves is a complicated and ever-evolving one. Much depends on the nature of the society itself, and whether it sees the military as important, as for example in time of threat or war, or a burdensome expense typified by defence cuts in time of peace. Nigeria has learnt it’s lessons. Those living in the terror ravaged north-eastern Nigeria knows better and sees the military as an emblem of salvation. One difficult matter in the relation between military and society is control and transparency. In some countries, limited information on military operations and budgeting is accessible for the public, hence the bruhaha when a military operation is launched to quell or handle palpable threats.

    ‎Since the emergence of president Muhammadu Buhari, a retired military General in May 2015, the Nigerian military has carried out myriad of operations under various code names in a bid to continue to safeguard the state from inimical threats within.

    Operation Lafiya Dole which literally translates to ‘Peace by all means’ in Hausa. Is the military code name for the war on terror in Nigeria’s northeast. It was launched by Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai in July 2015 as a replacement for “Operation Zaman Lafiya” which implies, ‘Let’s live in peace’. There was also, Operation Sharan Daji, which was launched in July 2015 to stem the tides of cattle and other livestock rustling and armed banditry in the Nigerian Northwest region and the Operation Awatse: Launched in the Southwest to tackle militants and oil installation vandals around the Arepo, Ishawo and Elepete creeks in Lagos and Ogun States. Operation Awatse was implemented by a combined team from the Air force and Navy with plenty of support from army boots on the ground.

    Then came the Operation Shirin Harbi’ Launched in 2015 to combat the crisis in Bauchi and Gombe States. Shirin Harbi was also useful as the military sought to rein in the killers in Southern Kaduna, and then, Harbin Kunama I, which was the military’s intervention and response to cattle rustling and armed banditry in the Forest of Zamfara and environs. Harbin Kunama literally means sting of a Scorpion” also launched in 2015, in northwest nigeria.

    Crocodile Smile I, which was a South-South operation flagged off in August 2015, was targeted towards improving operational effectiveness in the creeks and halt the destructive activities of oil thieves and militants in the Niger Delta region, sabotaging and crippling Nigeria’s oil installations.

    One of the most talked about Ops of the Nigerian military is the Operation Python Dance, in Nigeria’s south East, which initially was to check the rising tides of robberies, kidnapping and cultism in and around Anambra, until the military deemed it strategically fit to float the Operation Egwu Eke II, the famous Python Dance II. This operation which was specifically aimed at checking and halting the secessionist agitation in Southeast Nigeria.

    The Nigerian military has in all these operations mentioned above, performed very well and professionally too. The military often function as societies within societies, by having their own military communities, economies, education, medicine, and other aspects of a functioning civilian society.‎ The militarist argument asserts that a civilian population is dependent upon, and thereby subservient to the needs and goals of its military for continued independence. .‎

    Every nation had different needs for internal military operations . How these needs are determined forms the basis of their composition, deployment, rules of engagement, equipment, and use of facilities. It also determines what military does in terms of peacetime, and wartime activities. All military forces, whether large or small, are military organisations that have official state, and world recognition as such.‎

    The military, generally comprising of soldiers, Navy and airmen, are capable of executing the many specialised operational missions and tasks required for the military to execute policy directives. Just as in the commercial enterprises where there are, in a corporate setting, directors, managers and various staff that carry out the business of the day as part of business operations or undertake business project management, the military also has its routines and projects. During peacetime, when military personnel are mostly employed in garrisons or permanent military facilities, they mostly conduct administrative tasks, training and education activities, and technology maintenance. Another role of military personnel is to ensure a continuous replacement of departing servicemen and women through military recruitment, and the maintenance of a military reserve. ‎
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    ‎It is evident that the Nigerian military in a bid to safeguard the state and it’s territorial integrity has conducted a number of operations in response to a developing situations. These operations are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state’s favour.‎
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    Threats to internal stability often turnout the greatest threats to national security. Having experienced a number of regional separatist struggles, and instability created by radical religious / political movements, it is understandable that the Nigerian Governments may have little tolerance for public disorder! Fulfilling the National Security function thus entails adapting capabilities in order to contribute to the collective management of regional and global security challenges. Hence, the need for military operations.

    More than the external threats, the enemies from with-in Nigeria, have demanded the pro-active deployment of armed forces to maintain law-and-order, and, to maintain sovereignty and integrity of the nation in the face of serious threats of national disintegration!‎

    All armed forces have both domestic and international responsibilities‎is. This we have seen via different operations in different parts of the country.

    It is very clear that Nigeria as a country has firmly resolved to fight the rising tide of separatist movements and has shown willpower to maintain ‘law-and-order’ all over the nation so that every citizen gets equal opportunity of development and progress. These efforts need support from all the quarters and in all forms. It is constitutional responsibility of the armed forces to deal effectively with the internal threats emanating from various sources eroding the nation’s strength and will power beside the territorial integrity.
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    Hence the big guns and tanks are sometimes needed to safeguard the state from enemies of humanity. Those who threaten the state do so also to humanity and it’s the responsibly of every nation to protect its own. This is the reason why Laws are also dynamic to protect those who protect us.
    In the Nigerian scenario, the military has done well.‎ Like Winston Churchill once said, ‘We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us’.

    Abubakar , Executive Secretary, Save Humanity Advocacy Centre writes from Abuja.

  • Troops Welfarism as Buratai’s Art of War

    If I were not a Nigerian, resident in Nigeria, I would have regrettably missed the blues that enliven life at auspicious partisan times. Nigeria has less than a year and five months to the next general elections. The political undercurrents, which precede every ballot, sprouting bile partisanships, crafted and disseminated by a few opportunistic, opposing politicians would have skipped me.

    At such times, less thoughtful personalities usually find themselves in the dilemma of sieving the chaff from the grains. A volley of mounting media hype, from motley of propagandists and antagonists, assail the senses. They doggedly and determinedly scheme to peel the skin off every public office holders.
    It’s usually a season of blatant lies and falsehood, freely hurled, as some vulnerable Nigerians easily forget the realities of yesterday by the anointment of the falsehood of today. And lethal critics set out to chain the genuine convictions of the gullible.
    President Muhammadu Buhari is receiving enough of the senseless bashings. When the opposing assailants cannot get his voice or convince Nigerians, they shift grounds to his focal appointees, assisting his salvation mission of Nigeria.

    The Nigerian Army has come under such senseless fireworks from these arm -charm critics. I hear pleasant internal voices praising soldiers led by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and leader of the counter-insurgency war, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai for assisting civil security in restoring peace and security to hitherto troubled parts of the country. The voices are loud and razor-sharp in appreciation.

    I have chosen lately to admire the Nigerian Army as one cannot afford to be left out of another selfless deed to take back Nigeria from its enemies within and outside. I have decided to undertake a special inquest into the reasons our military is being celebrated across the globe and in specific terms how Gen. Buratai’s leadership of the Nigerian Army has consistently posted rewarding results in the war against terror.
    The world is at best overwhelmed with victories songs and the defeat of Boko Haram terrorists. And the winning streaks of Buratai’s foot soldiers have effectively berthed in both north and south poles of Nigeria against all subsisting and budding terrorists sects and their activities against humanity.

    A voyage into Gen. Buratai’s leadership of Nigeria’s most priced armed force, the Nigerian Army, revealed very interesting insights. I discovered that his magic yesterday, today and tomorrow has remained his prioritization of troops welfare. Expectedly, Nigerian troops in the warfront have replicated his leadership splendor with loyalty, patriotism, zeal and courage, resulting in the series of victories against all acts of terror or local armed conflicts, previously at the cusp of pulling down Nigeria’s sovereignty.

    Some Nigerians may doubt me. But history does not lie. Experiences do not peddle falsehood, but invade the conscience indelibly. We have seen or heard Nigerian troops in the battlefield against terrorists committing mutiny, by not only disobeying their field Commanders, but pulling the trigger against them in rebellion. Nigeria has experienced its worse, as Nigerian troops effeminately retreated from the battlefield field against insurgents.
    Much more, we heard tales of Nigerian soldiers femininely scampering to take shelter in foreign lands and dumped their weapons; they became unwanted guests to communities and villages in the republic of Cameroon. And at the heart of this physical and psychological revolt was the issue of neglected welfare of soldiers in the warfront.
    But Lieutenant General Buratai has changed the narrative in the last two years. Nigerian soldiers prefer to now sacrifice their life gallantly than bid a retreat to Boko Haram terrorists in the field of battle. This is because they have seen reason to live for our country. Our troops have successfully navigated previously dreaded Boko Haram enclaves, like the Sambisa forest. These parriotic officers and soldiers under Gen. Buratai do not wait to swear on the shrine of their ancestors, before responding to distress calls from communities trapped by insurgents like in the recent case of Madagali LGA in Adamawa state. They move with the speed of a thunderbolt.

    And Gen. Buratai’s secret for commanding a loyal, patriotic and effective Army is his unpretentious focus and expeditious treatment of welfare issues affecting soldiers. He did not only imbibe the philosophy of famed Chinese war leader, strategist and tactician, Gen. Sun Tzu, but has exhibited mastery of its application for best results. This Great War philosopher believed that “The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.”

    Therefore, Buratai’s preparation of troops for war deployed many known and unknown strategies. And welfare was key to his pre-war plans, having imbibed Sun Tzu’s philosophy that “Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.”
    This quintessential Army Chief has accorded attention and handled troops’ welfare as his first and last cardinal weapon against the enemy. His emphasis on welfarism has impacted positively on the psyche of Nigerian troops both in the Northeast and in other parts of the country, where troops are engaged in special assignments and military operations.
    Military strategists brand this disposition as military-welfarism, which has effectively served as a potent tool anywhere in the world towards achieving higher goals and objectives in warfare. He has used it to successfully tread on grounds, where others failed.

    When I freed my instincts and delved into dissecting the foresight and vision of Lieutenant General Buratai upon assumption of duty as COAS, it stared at me that he inherited an Army in complete shambles and disheveled. He could not get his mind off the dire necessity to re-professionalize, re-discipline and re-orientate the Nigerian Army. The results are the global accolades and encomiums that President Buhari has continued to receive from Nigerians and the diplomatic circle.

    The Army boss introduced reforms that have evidently raised the portrait of the Nigerian Army to admirable levels. He has been able to instill the culture of respect and dignity into the institution, as reflected in its cordiality with other arms of the Nigerian military and security agencies in Nigeria. It is the tonic for the seamless field operations which have raised the bars for Nigeria on the global map of war against terrorism. Respect and subordination to civil authority and the sanctity for the respect of human rights of Nigerians is in its historic all-time high, with a functional Human Rights Desk at the Army headquarters, Abuja.
    The Army Chief untied the knot to the months of cumulative unpaid salaries to Nigerian troops on the warfront or any other destination in Nigeria and abroad. The operational allowances that became the pepper bonus for top military officers are now paid to troops regularly and promptly. His leadership became the guardian angel to families of Nigerian soldiers. He regularly met and interacted with them at different military formations, and remedied problems that should have ordinarily been the responsibility of their spouses.

    At the warfront, Nigerian soldiers witnessed new levels of courtship in welfare. Soldiers injured in battle were given swift medication attention. Military hospitals in military formations across the country were instantly rehabilitated and stocked with drugs and other medical accessories for excellent medicare services to soldiers and their families. Any Nigerian soldier unfortunately gunned down by the bullets of the enemy was accorded dignified burial and their families consoled by the Nigerian Army in multiple ways.

    The establishment of a housing scheme that would enable every soldier that served in the counter-terrorism campaigns to retire into a personal home after years of meritorious service to fatherland is one of the hallmarks of his sterling leadership . There are rare welfare incentives that can only take rare foresight and extraordinary vision to conceive.

    The impact on the morale and psyche of troops on the warfront has been evidently tremendous. It explains why the streak of victories against insurgents has been sustained. It is the chief reason for the fruitless attempts by Boko Haram to bounce back to reckoning. Terrorists spirited efforts to reclaim territories in Nigeria have been met with stiff resistance and rebuffed with equal and higher measure of strength by Nigerian troops.

    In effect, under Lieutenant General Buratai, the Nigerian Army has ventured into new realms of knowledge and exploits in warfare, which are likely not to escape the attention of Wikipedia’s grandeur collection of words and axioms from the battlefield for posterity. And the singular reason would be Nigerian Army’s uncommon exploits and amazing defeat of terrorism, which the entire world has deployed its best brains in war laboratories and research institutes to evolve strategies to unravel.

    What other nations under the spell of terrorism for decades could not achieve, the Nigerian Army has impressively conquered the world of Boko Haram terrorism very speedily. Gen. Buratai has remained for me an enigmatic soldier in military-welfarism; his unsung formula for victories in terrorism warfare.

    Okpabi, a post-graduate student of Peace, Conflict and Strategy Studies at Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja and can be reached at Ezegwuokpabi@gmail.com

  • Harnessing Gains of the 2017 Global Terrorism Index

    The Global Terrorism Index 2017 published by the Institute for Economics and Peace is one report that have excited Nigerians, home and abroad, and for good reasons too. The report indicated that terrorism related deaths fell by more than 80% for year 2016. There are other positives for Nigeria embedded in the 120-page report.

    An immediate plus is the renewed consciousness that it is possible for the mentions of Nigeria need not be all bad. Nigeria’s commitment to tackling Boko Haram head-on contributed to the plummeting of terrorism related deaths as reported. This confirms that in spite of the limited international support – what the country gets sometimes is sabotage – the Nigerian military, notably the army, have delivered on a core mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari, with results to show for it.

    While the elation around the report is understandable, the pointers it gave about moving forward must not be lost in the euphoria about the plunge in the number of people that Boko Haram’s attacks killed. Only a genuine appreciation of these indicators would firmly place Nigeria on the path of preventing the deaths that the terror group is still able to cause. This appreciation must be matched with corresponding actions for them to be meaningful.

    First, the Army, even with its superb leadership under Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai, cannot and must not be left alone to deal with terrorism. If military action alone brought about an 80% reduction in deaths then a 99% fall in the number of terrorism linked deaths would have been possible if other stakeholders pitched in. We should at this point be asking why the police has not done more in massing to take over the protection of areas fully cleared by the army or why the intelligence agencies are not doing more to track would be suicide bombers or even why they have not been able to block the flow of new recruits to Boko Haram. We must also address why the military is left alone to deal with the menace of Boko Haram with only wits and brute force without the legislative support to specifically make new laws or upgrade existing ones to align with the realities of terrorism as many nations have done.

    Secondly, the report has exposed how the military have been maligned by a certain syndicate of miscreants and war merchants over time as not doing much to counter the terror group. The few instances where Boko Haram is able to strike soft targets is usually celebrated by some international interests and their domestics proxies, which is usually a boost to the terrorists that go on to use such tacit support as propaganda to recruit new fighters. In retrospect, the period covered by the Global Terrorism Index 2017 turned out to be one during which the army was criticized for not preventing Boko Haram attacks; since fact and figures do not lie, it is now clear that the military did have the upper hand over the terrorists.

    Also, the aspect of the report that touched on “Financing Terror” is one that should get us all thinking and acting. According to the report, “Boko Haram has also been financed by donations from group members, corrupt politicians and government officials as well as supporters or organisations based in other countries.” These are areas that the military had raised alarm about in the past and people dismissed such as trying to cow the opposition or accused of mounting propaganda. Now that we have read it from a neutral source perhaps we will now begin to take the issue of terrorism financing seriously and even review our transactions as individuals to ascertain we are not unwittingly funding terrorists. This development is also an eye opener about the activities of “organisations based in other countries”, which some Nigerians feel obliged to kowtow to because they always package themselves as one thing while in reality they are something else – the activities of groups like Amnesty International and its affiliates must be reassessed against the background of this information.

    Fourthly, there is the lesson that the terror group should continue to be treated as one cancerous case irrespective of how many factions it splinters into. The report had noted that “Following military defeats, Boko Haram split in August 2016 into three separate factions including a violent faction, one that aligns itself with ISIL and a third faction affiliated with al-Qa’ida.” The military must not stop its pursuit of terrorists even when the factions they supposedly belong to are reported to be less than barbaric than the other.

    Furthermore, as the military increasingly get drafted to address other threats to national security – like the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) that has also been designated a terror group or the outlawed Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) – it is imperative to address the nexus between other disturbances and terrorism as established in the report. The army under General Buratai must be commended for dealing with these other problems before they snowballed into the kind of horror show Boko Haram has evolved into. If one is not asking for too much, the insults poured on the military for proactively dealing with these problems should be revisited and it’s role in keeping the country secured in line with President Buhari’s promise acknowledged for mention.

    Much as Nigerians are keen on celebrating the Global Terrorism Index 2017, we must immediately address the issues raised above. This becomes imperative when one realizes that the next report would be using the current 20% death as the benchmark for assessing the following year, which could potentially translate into higher deaths by percentages even when the actual figures have fallen well below the previous year.

    Stakeholders must therefore address the obstacles that the military had faced even at the time it achieved the feat of dampening terrorism related deaths. This include ensuring that operation against terrorism do not lack funding, equipment, legislation and government support. The Federal Government must also find a lasting solution to the harassment of the country’s military institutions by so called international organizations that may well be the “organisations based in other countries” referred to in the report of the Institute for Economics and Peace. In fact, their activities should henceforth be appraised in a different light to ensure they are not sabotaging the military to ensure they can continue to chalk up civilian deaths to suit other agenda.

    While congratulating President Buhari, General Buratai and the Nigerian Army on the import of the report, one must mention that the progress indicate by the report is a call to do even more to end Boko Haram’s days of terror. The report in the section on “How Terrorist Groups End” posited that 35% of terrorist groups succumb to military/police defeat, 30% Internal splintering and 35% relenting after they have achieved their goals or entered politics. Boko Haram will never achieve its goal neither will it find a welcoming embrace in the political arena with its history of bloodletting. The military must therefore unleash more defeats that would further splinter the terrorists so that they will not have the space to take even 2 per cent lives before the next report is due.

    Murphy is a security expert based in Calabar, Cross River State.

  • Buhari’s tall ranking on terror war

    Without mincing words, I did like to confess publicly that I am one Nigerian who believes in President Muhammadu Buhari. I am not his partisan adherent, but my admiration for him as a person and now leader of Nigeria blossoms everyday like a flower.

    Buhari is awesomely an intriguing leader and to me, he is not just a cerebral force, but someone in the region of an impenetrable being, who has overpowered all human debilitations, like some gods. Elsewhere in the world, leaders derive their sacredness and veneration from the effervescent of unassailability. And candidly, a leader is not just a piece of cake on a street shop to instantly decode in shape, colour and countenance. So, President Buhari has a big and matured heart. He rarely speaks, but believes more in action.

    Today, President Buhari has proven that he emerged not just as an enigma on Nigeria’s political firmament, but on Africa’s delicate leadership ladder to rescue the continent. When one recalls African fables, and the thrilling roles of a talisman, the image of Buhari assail the senses defiantly.

    So, when he sought leadership of Nigeria for the fourth time in 2015, many Nigerians, Africans and the world generally thought, this Mr. Uprightness was coming to battle corruption alone. They misconstrued him and underrated his personage.

    I keep recounting that throughout his tedious campaigns for Nigeria’s presidency in 2015, the words “corruption and insecurity,” consistently dropped from his lips. His audience, supporters, haters and traducers alike heard him this loud, but never believed that he could do anything else outside battling the monster of corruption in Nigeria. Nigerians who busied themselves with such satanic mindsets, least remembered that President Buhari inherited a country on the cusp of extinction, propelled by these two vices, insecurity and corruption.

    I can bet that Nigerians with good retentive memory would reminisce how the engaging immediate past first lady of Nigeria, Mrs. Dame Patience Jonathan, echoed at the peak of the electioneering campaigns in the early months of 2015 that Nigerians should avoid conceding power to General Buhari.

    And her simplistic reason was that if given the Presidency of Nigeria, Buhari would build more prisons to incarcerate many Nigerians, up to 300 years in jail. She sumptuously and contemptuously dwelt on Buhari’s years as military leader of Nigeria. She was emphatic that she has no resources to feed her husband, former President Goodluck Jonathan in jail, then, President Buhari’s main contender in the 2015 general elections.

    But today the reality is different. Among Nigerians and stretching further, the international community, I might be one soul who may not necessarily trust President Buhari as the liberator of Nigeria. I could even prefer to freely flow with his antagonists and critics to maliciously proclaim how worse or the depths he has rendered Nigeria prostrate.

    Whatever negative excuses, or grudges the anti-Buhari elements have nursed against him in other sectors, I don’t want to know or give a thought to it. They have their reasons, whether false or genuine. But on security and corruption, which these adversaries have often attempted to flatten him, the world has continued to persistently acknowledge his outstanding performances. Buhari is like no any other Nigerian leader since independence in 1960. He’s just in his own metaphysical realm, and I cannot stop admiring him.

    We may disagree with President Buhari, and even insult his ancestors for breathing life into him. But in sober moments, we all accept it as unfair and influenced. The good works he is executing in Nigeria or the positive impact on leadership of this country has not escaped the lenses of the world in appreciation.

    So, the doubting Thomases were again shocked when Nigeria cum President Buhari’s efforts on security or precisely, on defeating terrorism were celebrated globally, as impactful to reduction in terror-induced deaths across the world. Nigeria was part of the marginal reduction of 22 percent in five countries and as one of the nations which recorded 33 per cent fewer deaths on global terrorism index rating. We look back at 2011, 2012 and up to 2014; yet, we prefer not to see the changes on terrorism in 2016 and 2017.

    But nothing has gladdened my heart in recent times like this global endorsement that in five countries around the world, most tortured by terrorism and condemned to its consuming inferno, Nigeria is mentioned in the report positively. Nigeria is one among the four countries , namely, Syria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, which were in the furnace of terrorism, but have managed it effectively, thus contributing to global reduction of terrorism . The report expansively covered 163 countries, some 99 percent of world population.

    The American-based Institute for Economics and Peace’s report titled, “ Global Terrorism Index 2017,” officially launched at the Royal United Services Institute in London, a few days ago, published a comprehensive synopsis of “ global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last 17 years.” It highlighted its peak in 2014, on the eve of Buhari’s Presidency and cheeringly disclosed a decline in years 2016 and 2017.

    And the indicators’ upon which the report was based were incisive and commendable too. It looked at terrorism in Global results and trends, Terrorism trends in Europe and other developed countries, Characteristics driving terrorism recruitment, Profiles of the four most deadly terrorist groups and the Economics of terrorism. Yet, Nigeria came up tops.

    And the most critical of audience within and outside Nigeria are unconsciously singing songs of Nigeria’s redemption under Buhari. Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group (NDMG) has led the pack of appreciators of President Buhari’s volte force on security, eloquently and elaborately commending his commitment to ridding Nigeria and the world of the de-humanizing crime of terrorism.

    NDMG’s President, Dr. Ibukun Ola, succinctly submitted that Nigerian Army’s operations like ‘ Operation Python Dance,” “Scorpion Sting”, “Lafiya Dole,” “Crocodile Smile” are the backbone to such amazing accomplishments’ in security ranking of Nigeria. But some demented and cursed opposition elements never thought it wise to say “thank you, Mr. President.”

    Nevertheless, diasporan Nigerians led by Dr. Ola pricked their conscience in these words, “We note particularity the report by the Global Terrorism Index and that of the BBC on the development which has confirmed Nigeria’s contribution to winning the war against global terrorism and other crimes against humanity…the number of terrorism related deaths around the world fell according to the report for a second year in 2016, showing that the biggest drop was recorded in Nigeria where there’s being an 80% reduction.”

    The group added, “In the South-south region too, the President has through the launch of military operations and other subtle and diplomatic means, been able to nip activities that could graduate into terrorist acts in the bud… these are by no means incidental but results of meticulously designed and worked-out templates borne out of experience in intelligence and strategy that culminated in the appointments of tested Generals who could key into the programme leading to the formulation of the military interventions across the nation.”

    I cannot be less proud of my country. The wailing wailers can go and burn themselves in whatever fire pleasing to their souls. But for me, I am proud of President Buhari for ingraining his name in gold prints on global map of nations indubitably committed to rescuing humanity with fatal blows on terrorism. It is his prestigious seat in the history of the global fight against terrorism.

    Quite strongly, I am grateful to the COAS, Lt. Gen. TY Buratai, and leader of this delicate counter-insurgency war and an incontestable emancipator of the afflicted masses of Nigeria. No current serving Service Chief of the Nigerian federation deserves lesser commendation and ovations.

    The entire grain of the Nigerian military, especially, Nigerian soldiers have all occupied this hall of global fame and etched their names on the marble. If opposition Nigerians are not grateful and appreciative, I am truly and unfathomably grateful. And like the Late Captain Thomas Sankera of blessed memory once echoed, and I paraphrase, I stand to raise a voice for every liberated Nigerian, who cannot find a medium to raise a voice in appreciation of the Nigerian Army, the Chief of Army Staff and the President.

    Okanga, is a traditional warrior from Agila, Benue State.