Category: Editorial

Suddenly, armed women in purdah has further complicated the country’s anti-terror campaign

The apprehension of two women in purdah with assault weapons concealed under their dresses introduced a disturbing new dimension to the terror war in Borno, one of the three states under emergency rule. This incident, without doubt, has implications for the two other states, Yobe and Adamawa, which may also be theatres of such unexpected feminine involvement.

In addition, the episode reflects, though negatively, the dynamism and inventiveness of the terror champions, the most prominent of such groups being Boko Haram. There is no denying the fact that this latest terror approach presents a fresh challenge not only to the security forces, but to the civilian populace as well.

It is significant that the arrest, carried out by a group of volunteer youths known as Civilian JTF (Joint Task Force), happened at the Bulabulin entrance to the Monday Market in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, a fact that raised important questions as to why the women were taking hidden arms into the marketplace, among other posers. Were they simply couriers on a mission to deliver the weapons to some contact? Or did they have an assignment to cause mayhem in the market? Were they coerced into the act, or were they willing tools? How were they recruited, and by whom? What is the source of the weapons?

Their dramatic capture, as narrated by a member of the vigilance group, Malam Usman Ibrahim, speaks volumes about the providential circumstances, meaning that the women could well have succeeded in gaining entry into the market. Who knows what might have followed?  According to Ibrahim, “We were on a routine checking at the gate when these women came with heavy veil. At first, we did not bother to look at them, but we realised that one of them was shivering, we said something must be wrong.”

Then, he said, “We found that each of them concealed an AK 47 rifle, a pistol and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) in their veil. We were surprised at the discovery, so we took them to officials of the Joint Task Force (JTF) on ‘Operation Restore Order’ (ORO) for investigations.”

Interestingly, the use of women in purdah for such unholy purpose demonstrates how easily debasing conflict situations can be, for the action defeats a sacred idea, in the Islamic sense.  It is sad indeed that these people carried their imagination to such an extent, all in a bid to achieve evil goals. By attempting to employ the sacredness of the veil to further destructive ambitions, they have, regrettably, opened otherwise innocent women to suspicion. For, from now, every woman in purdah would likely be viewed with doubt by security operatives in those areas. Furthermore, when such women routinely become targets of security searches, this could trigger a crisis based on the perception that it constitutes a violation of the very principle of purdah in Islam, which essentially is about seclusion of women from public observation.

Also, it is ironic that women, who along with children are regarded as vulnerable groups in the context of conflict, have in this case played the undignified role of co-perpetrators of violence. This happening mirrors the extent of the possible radicalisation of women, and even children, in the structures of terror groups. It is a distressing signal.

Fundamentally, the development compels another look at the terror war, and further highlights the centrality of local cooperation with the security forces, if the desired defeat of the anarchists is to be achieved. It is commendable that volunteer youths displayed effective alertness on this occasion, but there is no doubt that the collaboration should involve the entire communities for even greater results. The unmistakable lesson here is that the enemies of society are thinking, and the security forces must rise to the challenge to outwit them.

The recent report on Ekiti Police Command reflects a dangerous national trend

The shades of mystery casing the influx of arms and ammunition into illegal hands may be gradually unravelling.  Recently, the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts reportedly beamed its klieg light into the 2010 query raised by the Auditor-General (AG) of the Federation against indiscriminate disappearance of rifles and ammunition allocated to some state police commands. For instance, in Ekiti State Police Command alone, 57,000 live ammunitions were unbelievably declared missing.

Solomon Adeola, Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts gave a graphic breakdown of items in the AG’s query to include in Ekiti command: one AK 47 rifle-No. BD359073 with 20 rounds of live ammunition; another AK 47- No. BA 405835; one Berate pistol and two pump action rifles. Also in Jalingo, capital of Taraba State, one pump action gun and cartridges with 30 rounds of ammunition were declared missing in the query. The same loss of firearms was captured in the AG’s query in Edo State.

Despite the role that the police as an institution is expected to play in protecting the law, it is unfortunate that these losses had been treated with scorn and without deference to the provisions of the law. The query gave the clincher in this regard where it clearly reveals that “…losses had not been reported officially in line with the Financial Regulation Chapter 26,’’ while ‘Treasury Form 146 had not been completed as required by law.’

This obvious infraction of the law by the police authority, especially on such important issue as that of misappropriation of arms and ammunition is condemnable. More stupefying is the fact that the police were found wanting, through unconvincing explanations, on the matter. The Inspector-General of Police, Mr M.D Mohammed, contemptuously refused to appear, despite summons, before the House committee to answer questions on the damning queries on the police covering a period of four years, 2006-2010.

The explanations given by Mr. Suleiman Fakai, Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in-charge of Administration during his appearance before the House committee that two police officers who were involved in the missing  57,000 live ammunitions in Ekiti State had been arrested, prosecuted and dismissed belatedly diminishes the severity of the matter at hand. More condemnable is the fact that the DIG could not provide relevant original documents to back up his claims. This is poor accountability. Does it mean that just two police officers were involved in such huge criminal rackets? Could such act of criminality have been committed without the connivance of other top personnel of the force? Why is the crime of arms and ammunition racketeering becoming incessant in police commands across the country?

The House of Representatives should pursue this matter to a logical conclusion. At the last count, not less than 134 vital queries, in the last six years, are reportedly standing against the police in the House. The police, as protector of the law, should not intimidate the legislature, a law making organ of government, from carrying out its oversight function on the force. After all, nobody or institution of government is above the law- the police inclusive. At this security challenging period in the country’s annals when armed insurgents’ activities thrive unabashedly, the police force should be prepared to account for every arm and ammunition allocated to it.

The menace of arms proliferation can only be curbed if there is transparency and accountability in the way and manner ammunition given to the police, and even the military, are judiciously deployed. All those involved in this gun running rackets in the police must be fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law.

– EU should reinforce defences if it wants to stop espionage 

Lord Palmerston, twice prime minister of Britain, once said that a nation has no eternal allies, only eternal interests. His words ring as true today as they did 165 years ago. Suggestions that the US has been bugging offices of the EU and other western allies should shock no one. Countries have been spying on friends for millennia.

Europe’s public outrage over the latest revelations from Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor, is misplaced. There are plenty of examples in recent history to show that espionage targeted at allies is nothing more nor less than business as usual. Twenty years ago the US was discovered eavesdropping on French officials during trade talks. Israel recruited Jonathan Pollard, a US government analyst, to steal military intelligence from its closest ally. And European member states, the French and British among them, have also had their secret services out there listening, gathering and analysing.

There is a fine balance to be struck when deciding whether to spy on friends. A useful relationship might be spoiled if agents are caught. But it might be legitimate for a country to look after its security interests by, for example, collecting information on an ally’s foreign relationships, including with unfriendly third parties. That has long been the diplomat’s role.

Those who threaten to derail recently launched trade talks with the US over the allegations are not just worryingly naive. They are playing a dangerous game. A deal promises to deepen economic ties and prolong western influence over global trade. But it will require tough compromises. Any seasoned negotiator knows that in such delicate talks the other side will come to the negotiating table with as much information as possible. If Europe does not want the US or anyone else to know what it is thinking, it should ensure that its defences against such intelligence gathering are more effective.

There is another risk. The furore has weakened Washington’s credibility just as it is taking a strong stand against a rising tide of cyber espionage from China. EU outrage will only give further ammunition to Chinese critics who accuse the US of double standards. However, European companies and governments have also been targets.

The EU would be making a grave mistake if it allowed this dispute over unpleasant but hardly surprising US snooping to divert attention from China’s cyber armies. Right now, that is the bigger threat.

– Financial Times

•We welcome FG’s Riot Act because public officials have always been barred from holding it

Old habits die hard, but top officials of the Federal Government will have to grapple with the challenge of reformation, in the light of the news that President Goodluck Jonathan is concerned about ostentation among them. Specifically, President Jonathan has reportedly barred ministers and high-profile public officers from throwing extravagant   parties, especially abroad, citing the Code of Conduct and Civil Service Rules and Regulations, which are evidently flouted by such unrestrained display of wealth. Interestingly, this development, which came unexpectedly during a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, has resulted in presidential orders to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, directing him to write to permanent secretaries, directors and civil servants to act within official bounds.

It is worrying that such directive had to be given in the first place, for this suggests a deplorable degeneration not only in thinking, but also in morals, in the country’s highest structures of political power. The incident, in addition, betrays a disturbing disconnect between the members of government and the people they are elected to serve. The sheer indecency of the insensitivity of the pleasure-loving public officers in the face of widespread poverty and harsh living conditions in the country belongs to the realm of imagination; it is simply mind-boggling.

President Jonathan’s apparent hard line on the matter was reportedly triggered by security information exposing how some ministers and public officers had been flying guests abroad for parties connected with birthdays, weddings, chieftaincy installations, house warming celebrations and even funerals.  Such expensive parties were said to have been held in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, South Africa, Ghana and the Gambia.  Furthermore, as if exporting the home-grown practice of showering cash gifts on dancers during a celebration, known as “spraying “ in local parlance, some cabinet members were also  alleged to have scandalously used American dollars for such purpose at these parties. The image of wanton partying known locally as ‘Owambe’ is unmistakable here.

To go by events, it is noteworthy that Jonathan’s newly projected strictness had apparently claimed a victim before the formal expression in the FEC meeting, with the recent removal of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Abdulazeez Musa, for allegedly having a showy wedding party for his daughter in Dubai.  However, it is worth mentioning that reckless spending of the kind targeted by the new posture is, sadly, not unusual in government circles. Indeed, the late President Umaru Yar’Adua reportedly expressed his disapproval in a FEC meeting in 2009, following information that a minister allegedly spent about N125 million to mark his 25th wedding anniversary.

It is worrying that such frivolous and wasteful pleasures are in fashion among the ruling elite, especially because the bad example sends wrong signals not only to the citizens, but to the international community as well. The whole affair makes it necessary to ponder on the priorities of the country’s public officers; and accompanying such contemplation is the puzzle as to the source of the riches so crudely flaunted by this class.

Obviously, in a country where high official corruption remains a hot issue on the front burner, with its negative consequences for socio-economic development, the security agencies and anti-corruption bodies need to be more vigilant and operate with greater effectiveness to check possible abuses by government officers.

While there are positive elements in Jonathan’s move against profligacy by government officials, it is important to point out the narrowness of his vision. Apart from partying abroad, what about ostentation in such areas as the kind and number of houses the officers own, the class and number of cars they possess, among other measures of affluence?

Above all, however, the President needs to lead by example.  For instance, he has been criticised, with good reason, for expensive junkets to foreign countries, usually with an unjustifiably high number of state officials. There is no room for double standard on this issue.