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Tag: Baga massacre

  • Jonathan under fire over Amaechi, Baga massacre

    Jonathan under fire over Amaechi, Baga massacre

    The Presidency and the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) came to blows again yesterday on the state of the nation.

    The ACN said Nigeria is “descending into despotism” with the manner the President is running its affairs.

    Besides, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) lashed out at Dr. Jonathan for not visiting Baga, the Borno State border town where many were killed when troops clashed with Boko Haram fighters.

    In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the ACN said Dr. Jonathan was turning “from a democratically-elected President to an empror – a despot.”

    The party alleged that national institutions had been “bastardised and compromised just to get at a political enemy in an open quarrel with Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi”.

    But presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, in a statement last night, denied it all.

    He said President Jonathan “is a democratically-elected leader who is running a people-oriented, inclusive and progressive government”.

    He added that rather than despotism, under the President’s watch, “Nigeria’s democracy has been consolidated; the scope for human freedoms has been further expanded and there is respect for due process and the rule of law”.

    Besides the “personal battle”; the President is fighting against the Rivers State government, the ACN recalled that the government attacked former Minister of Education Dr. Oby Ezekwezili and the spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Yushau Shuaib, for raising issues on the state of the polity.

    In the statement, Mohammed said: ‘’The Jonathan Administration is anchored on a Transformation Agenda. But the only transformation that we can see is the one from a democratically-elected President to an Emperor, a despot.

    ‘’If the President is not prevailed upon to change course, Nigeria may be in for another season of anomie, reminiscent of the days of the maximum ruler who took the country to the brink before his sudden demise,’’ it said, adding: “The way President Jonathan is handling his political disagreement with a member of his party, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, has portrayed him as a leader who is willing to jettison democratic ideals and principles on the altar of personal ambition.”

    The party wondered why national institutions have to be “bastardized” and “compromised” just to get at a political enemy, specifically citing the role being played by the Ministry of Aviation, its parastatals, such as the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the police, among others, in the Presidency’s clash with Amaechi.

    ‘’Like we said before, we are not perturbed by what is happening in the PDP. Our main concern is the fact that the party’s internal crisis is overheating the polity and threatening the country’s hard-won democracy. After the theatrics of the aviation agencies and their parent ministry, the EFCC has suddenly realised that the cost of the Rivers State’s plane was inflated by US$10 million while the police have sacked the secretariat of Obio-Akpo Local Government in Rivers. The question is: Who gave the orders for the police to sack the secretariat, and in the process take sides with the President in the political disagreement with the governor?

    ‘’Which are the other national institutions that will be drafted into this scorched-earth campaign against a perceived non-conformist party member? If the President can go to this length against his own party man, what will he do against the opposition? Why is it that a democratically-elected President cannot be challenged by anyone, whether or not he is a member of his party?’’ it queried.

    ‘’Also, the ferocity with which the Jonathan Administration went after a former Minister of Education, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, for claiming that President Jonathan frittered away the 67 billion dollars in foreign reserves which she said President Olusegun Obasanjo left behind in 2007; and the fate that befell NEMA spokesman Yushau Shuaib for daring to criticise the lopsided appointments in parastatals under the Ministry of Finance, are glaring actions of an administration that is bent on stifling Freedom of Expression.

    ‘’These anti-democratic measures will worsen as the 2015 elections approach. Therefore, all lovers of democracy must join us in speaking out against the Jonathan Administration’s descent into despotism. This is the only way to prevent a President’s desperation for power from torpedoing our country’s democracy. After all, a critical benchmark of a democratic society is the existence of a vibrant, free and independent media that will give the citizenry a platform to freely and vigorously debate current issues,’’ the party said.

    The ACN also expressed concerns at the growing propensity of the administration to stifle the freedom of expression and freedom of the press, citing the report by the media rights group Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), on the occasion of this year’s World Press Freedom Day on May 3, as a global testimony to the worsening press freedom record of the administration.

    ‘’According to the CPJ, Nigeria has become one of the worst countries in the world for deadly, unpunished violence against the press. Nigeria and Somalia are also the only African nations listed on the CPJ’s 2013 impunity ranking. Yet, the government has not relented in its attacks against the media: Gestapo-style arrest of Leadership journalists; Fines slammed on Liberty Radio in Kaduna over a listener’s opinion on the so-called Good Governance Tour; Arrest of two journalists of the Kaduna-based Al Mizan newspaper and the ban on a documentary on poverty in Nigeria, just to mention but a few.

  • CPC blasts Jonathan over Baga massacre

    CPC blasts Jonathan over Baga massacre

    The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) yesterday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to properly manage the security challenges in Baga, the Borno State town where people were killed recently.

    The CPC said being a Commander-In-Chief of a country is not about wearing ceremonial uniform.

    The party said Jonathan’s approach to the Baga killings amounted to aloofness.

    It described the alleged aloofness of the President to the plight of the Baga people as an infraction of the Constitution.

    The CPC urged Dr. Jonathan to be courageous to visit Baga, like ex-Presidents Shehu Shagari and Olusegun Obasanjo did at crisis moments in the nation’s history.

    But presidential spokesman Dr. Reuben Abati accused the CPC of trying to score a cheap political point with Baga incident.

    The CPC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Rotimi Fashakin, said: “On 16th April, 2013, there was armed confrontation between insurgents and the military in Baga, a small fishing community in Nigeria’s border with Chad, which resulted in horrific destruction of lives and property.

    “The humongous carnage, quite understandably, attracted the outrage of Nigerians from across the land and the international community.

    “The Nigerian Federal authority has so far shown more interest in controlling the information on the casualty figures, as different statistics continue to be bandied around, than in ensuring rehabilitation of the victims of the Baga disaster.

    “What is more galling is the refusal of President Goodluck Jonathan in visiting the area to get first-hand information after more than two weeks of this unfortunate incident.

    “It will be recalled that on 1st March, 2013, the Progressive governors of the yet-to-be-registered All Progressives Congress (APC) walked on the streets of Maiduguri in a manner that befuddled the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

    “ In a clear obfuscation of the issues, the motley of spin-doctors in the nation’s presidency responded that the long-overdue visit of the President was pre-empted by these governors.

    “ It is our belief that the refusal of the President in visiting Baga does not only show insensitivity but is a conduct that is not statesman-like for those that bear presidential authority over a jurisdiction!”

    The statement added: “On 7th September, 1980, President Shehu Shagari visited Ibadan, Oyo State, within days of the Ogunpa flood disaster. On touring the areas affected by the devastation which left 240 people dead and thousands rendered homeless, he quipped: “I have seen real disaster!”

    “On 28th January, 2002, President Olusegun Obasanjo visited Ikeja Military Barracks barely 24 hours after bomb explosions had destroyed lives and property.

    “ In a rare show of empathy for the distraught victims – including women and children- who had lost loved ones and rendered homeless, the President preferred to tread bare-footed!

    “Shortly after the Boston marathon bombing, President Barack Obama was on hand to offer words of comfort to the bereaved and assuage the pains of the wounded. Thereafter, he made pronouncements that sent clear message of his strength of character as the nation’s commander-in-chief.

    “The wider implication of President Jonathan’s demeanour is seen in his refusal to embark on duty tours to the servicemen that are daily hazarding their lives for the nation’s security.

    “As a party we believe that the gravitas of the authority of the Commander-in- chief is not just in adornment of ceremonial military wears on special occasions, but in providing the right leadership that galvanizes a followership geared for greater service and commitment to the national cause.

    “We hereby remind the President that part of his oath of office is to preserve the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy in chapter two of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “Firmly entrenched in this section is the declaration that the purpose of government shall be the security and welfare of the people.

    “The aloofness evinced by the President to the plight of the Baga people, is in our opinion, an infraction of this relevant provision of the Nigerian Constitution. We consider this conduct as very unacceptable.

    But the Presidency said it had been proactive on the incident in Baga.

    In a statement, Abati accused the CPC of allegedly making cheap political gain from the incident.

    The statement said: “The Congress for Progressive Change, in a statement today, by its National Publicity Secretary, Rotimi Fashakin, has grumbled that President Goodluck Jonathan ought to have visited Baga in Borno state, following the incident of April 16.

    “It is in the character of the CPC and its spokesperson to play to the gallery even when the occasion calls for maturity and sobriety.

    “The problem with them is that they consider everything ‘very unacceptable’, and in particular everything relating to President Jonathan. They deserve our sympathy.

    “If they care to know, President Jonathan has been very pro-active in dealing with the Baga incident. He ordered an immediate probe by the Military High Command and the intervention of rescue and aid agencies, who have been working with the Borno State government and other agencies of state to ensure that the victims are rehabilitated and assisted with relief materials.

    “The reports of the investigations by the Military High Command and the National Emergency Management Agency have since been made public.

    “President Jonathan has described the incident as most unfortunate and regrettable and he has made it clear that where there is any established case of misconduct, justice will be done.

    “He has also welcomed the plan by the National Human Rights Commission to carry out independent investigations. He continues to receive regular briefings on the incident, even as he has directed the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to come up with an assistance programme for the displaced persons in Baga.

    “These steps surely do not give an impression of ‘insensitivity or aloofness’. Rather, it is the CPC that is being insensitive by struggling to make cheap political gain out of this.”

  • Baga massacre: The ugly story is just beginning

    The Baga, Borno State killings of April 16 and 17 in which an estimated 185 people were allegedly killed extrajudicially and thousands of houses torched by soldiers of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF) may yet be the defining moment in the mishandled war against the Islamist sect, Boko Haram. This is not because Nigerians sympathise with the violent sect, or because they fail to appreciate the sacrifice being made by security forces combating terrorism, or because they are unduly emotional about the scale of material and human losses sustained by the sect’s militants. The point sorely missed by the government is that Nigerians expect the country’s security forces to conduct military operations in a manner consistent with the high principles and ethical standards that set the rest of the society apart from the brutal and despicable methods of the militants. In Baga two weeks ago, there is no proof that the security forces acted with decorum.

    On Tuesday, the military top brass presented their preliminary report on the Baga debacle to President Goodluck Jonathan. Their findings were consistent with the account they tendered a few days after news of the firefight with Boko Haram militants reached the public. Though that account had been questioned in many quarters locally and internationally, and the casualty figures disputed, the military felt no need to alter their conclusions which indicated that fewer than 40 people died in the encounter and not more than 200 houses were burnt. But a rights group, the Human Rights Watch (HRW), on Wednesday released satellite images of Baga before and after the clash showing that more than 2,000 houses were torched or destroyed. Coming barely a day after the military high command and the National Emergency Management Agency (NAMA) presented their reports indicating that there were fewer than 1000 houses in Baga, this is a potentially devastating embarrassment.

    Responding to the military’s report, the president had inexplicably failed to distance himself from the controversy and uncertainties. He had suggested that there was a lot of misinformation being peddled about the clash, and added, without proof, that the high death toll released by community leaders could not be substantiated. He spoke too soon. Now, it is expected that the military will have to react to the HRW satellite images, for it is suspected that MJTF is engaged in an unwholesome cover-up of crimes against humanity. By refusing to dissociate themselves from the unlawful killings in Baga, the military top brass may be staking their own reputations and careers on the actions of their subordinates. If independent investigators discover that a massacre did in fact take place, it is hard to see the officers who presented the preliminary report to the president being exculpated. In addition, even the president may end up looking bad in the estimation of the people for appearing to back the report and for casting doubt on independent accounts of the killings. Dr Jonathan must be reminded that he is president of both the security forces and the murdered innocent civilians of Baga.

    If it is finally determined that crimes against humanity were actually committed in Baga, many careers will be flushed down the drain. The Jonathan government itself may not go unscathed for failing to appreciate the need to sustain civilised standards in the war against domestic terror. The point must be reiterated at all times that it is wholly unacceptable to sacrifice innocent lives in place of a few escaping terrorists. If more than 180 people were killed in Baga and thousands of houses burnt, that certainly goes beyond collateral damage. The killings would be callous and deliberate, and no amount of desperation in the war against terror could justify that mayhem. In fact, for many years, community leaders in the Northeast had alleged that security forces engaged in extra-judicial killings. Unfortunately, they were ignored and ridiculed. Now, they may have proof.

    But the country will wait for the National Assembly investigation, the president’s own inquiry, and any other panel set up to look into the Baga killings before drawing conclusions. Investigators must, therefore, be given unfettered access to the town to take a census of the destroyed buildings and interview witnesses. They must not be hindered. The HRW has presented its own scientific proof. Let that proof be undermined by more scientific proofs, if the military can generate any.

  • Baga massacre: Jonathan’s words return to haunt him

    Two Fridays ago, soldiers of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF) swooped on Baga, a fishing town on the shores of Lake Chad, Borno State, leaving in their wake some 185 people dead, many of them, according to locals, women and children. The casualty figures are disputed, with the MJTF arguing that not more than 35 people or so died, and the locals insisting that in fact more than 200 people perished in the military assault. The military have given very colourful but hard-to-believe story of the assault. They insist they got intelligence information that Boko Haram militants were massing in a mosque in the town. A patrol was sent to assess the threat, but the patrol was met with extraordinary firepower during which an officer was killed, in fact beheaded. The MJTF reinforced and descended on the town, but was again met with great firepower. This time, however, said the military authorities, they were ready, and scores of civilians and militants were killed.

    Going by the worldwide condemnation of the excessive firepower deployed by the soldiers, the Jonathan presidency has ordered full-scale investigation into the assault, with a promise that offending soldiers who breached the military rules of engagement would be punished. Not only are we not told what would happen to the Chadian and Nigerien troops in the MJTF, there may be nothing to indicate by what proficiency the MJTF managed to sustain only slight injuries. No soldier died in the reprisal raid itself.

    Baga locals, however, gave a different account. They insisted the problem actually began at a cinema house where a misunderstanding between cinema goers led to some shootings that drew the attention of a nearby patrol. Unfortunately, an officer was killed, hence the reinforcement and the savage reprisal. When the reprisals began, said the locals, the militants had long gone, while most residents of the town who bore the brunt of the MJTF revenge were not even aware of the severity of the commotion at the cinema.

    Whether the government and National Assembly inquiries will reveal the truth, including accurate casualty figures, is difficult to say. But many people suspect that the reprisal was inspired by Jonathan’s intemperate remarks in Borno and Yobe States when he visited both places in March. (See right). This column had warned at the time that the president’s undignified remarks could return to haunt him in the months ahead. The suspicion is that that has now happened, a fact that has prompted calls for the president and offending soldiers to be dragged before the International Criminal Court (ICC). Palladium had on March 10 concluded: “So, now, will the president begin applying the Odi method perfected by Chief Olusgeun Obasanjo, and which he himself condemned as ineffective? If anyone still holds out hope that Jonathan has the depth and judgement to rule a complex nation, especially one facing dire ethnic and religious challenges, I offer to the optimist the president’s view on the consequences of killing security agents. And if anyone thinks we are not in even deeper trouble than we imagine, I offer the same presidential remark as an example. Let every community in the country beware; even their deviants cannot afford to bite a soldier, protest against police tyranny, or fight a security official to the death.”