IT was a big indictment – and that is being mild. A bombshell. Chief of Army Staff Lt.- Gen. Tukur Buratai said the painful setback we have had in the fight against Boko Haram has been due to “insufficient commitment to a common national and military cause by those at the frontlines”. He spoke on Tuesday at the opening of a five-day leadership workshop for mid-level officers and soldiers in Abuja.
Was the audience shocked? I do not know, but those of us watching on television were horrified. If such a criticism had come from some civilians in some far-flung place, away from the battleground, one would have dismissed it as alarmist. This is not, coming from the army chief who is in the engine-room of the operations against the insurgents.
Many have been wondering how the terrorists we once claimed to have decimated have now become a big pain in the neck, attacking military bases and revving up their suicide bombing machine. We seem to be resolving the puzzle of why we do not seem to be getting this monkey off our back, with Gen Buratai’s adjuration.
From attacking refugee camps and worship places, the emboldened terrorists now target military bases. But what does Gen. Buratai mean by “insufficient commitment”? Are our soldiers refusing to fight? If so – I really don’t think so – why? Inadequate equipment? Lack of other motivational incentives? Poor commanders who lack the character that can inspire the troops to give their all? Sheer lack of patriotism? Incompetence? Sabotage? None of these? Or all of them?
At what point did the army chief discover that his men were not sufficiently committed to fighting and winning this all-important war? “It is unfortunate that almost every setback the Nigerian Army has had in our operations in recent times can be traced to insufficient willingness to perform assigned tasks or simply insufficient commitment to a common national and military cause by those at the frontlines,” he said, adding: “Many of those on whom the responsibility for physical actions against the adversary squarely falls are yet to fully take ownership of our common national or service cause… .” He noted that there were proven cases of soldiers refusing to carry out assignments. Incredible.
Boko Haram has recently attacked at least four military bases. There have been attacks on Mobbar, Monguno,Gajiram and Damask. The casualty figures remain unknown, but certainly troubling. Throw in the 30 or so who died at the viewing centre in Konduga, Borno State Sunday night. The insurgents must really be celebrating their bloody exploits. Besides, they now have the information that our troups are refusing orders. But, is the Boko Haram headache insuperable? No.
Great armies are made of men of steely character who blend their physical and mental abilities to deliver their target, most of the time, under tough conditions. Discipline, physical and mental fitness, patriotism and professionalism are the hallmarks of a great army. Is the chief saying our army lacks these and, probably, more? Is it the army that used to win accolades while on UN assignments outside Nigeria – Somalia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and others? Or the one described by one of its former leading lights as “an army of anything goes?”
Consider the Turkish army in the days of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1881-1938), who told his men at the battle of Gallipoli in April 1915: “Men, I am not ordering you to attack, I am ordering you to die. In the time it takes us to die, other forces and commanders can come and take our place” – as quoted in “Studies in Battle Command” by Combat Studies Institute, US Army Command and General Staff College, p.89.
At the War Museum in Istanbul, I once saw a remarkable quote, “Turkish commanders know how to command and Turkish soldiers know how to die”. That, many believe, is the secret of the Turkish military’s success. And that was before the politicians came to destroy such a national pride.
Why are our men on the frontlines not sufficiently inspired to fight Boko Haram? Are the insurgents better equipped? Is their welfare better? What drives their fiendish thirst for blood? A General once told me that the media should stop encouraging Nigerians to keep criticising the military when it was generally acknowledged that Boko Haram seemed to be having the upper hand.
He said: “Look, the army does not owe a soldier anything more than the rifle he is carrying. If he must die, he should die, holding it. Other equipment, such as tanks, aircraft, grenades and bombs, are mere additional incentives. But what do you see nowadays? When Boko Haram strikes, a soldier drops his gun and begins to flee alongside civilians. It is unheard of.”
Why is this so? The General, who will remain anonymous because I do not have his permission to name him, said: “The corruption in the larger society has, no doubt, permeated the military. Nowadays, children of big men want to join the army. Some of them are not cut out for the job, but they love the glamour. Others are just infatuated with the uniform. I think we should note this point.
“So, if you don’t stop the unnecessary criticism, you will wake up one day to find out that these boys are in Abuja. What will you do?”
Gen. Buratai’s submission has again shown us the futility of just throwing money at our challenges. Cash without that patriotic instinct of a true Nigerian –and the right equipment, which can boost confidence–is meaningless. In my view, the Boko Haram boys are simply daring in their deadly enterprise, willing to die for whatever misbegotten cause they believe they are fighting, hiding under Islam.
I hope the deliberations at the Abuja talk shop will be as frank as Gen. Buratai’s opening remarks. The answer to the problem, however, goes beyond the seminar hall; it lies right there on the frontlines. Why are our men so disillusioned that they will refuse to carry out assigned tasks? How do we motivate them physically and psychologically? How trustworthy are the commanders? What do they tell their men? Do we have the weapons to fight?
How patriotic are Nigerians about this war? What are we doing to support our soldiers? Who gave the enemy information about troops movement? Are they insured? Does an average soldier have the feeling that if he dies in battle his family will not suffer? Why are we not taking the battle to the insurgents? Where are they coming from? Are our neighbours as committed to the anti-insurgency campaign as we are? The popular thinking is that we do not have enough arms and ammunition to fight “the deadliest terrorist group in the world”. Why don’t we find a faster way of procuring arms and ammunition? Where are those countries who claim to be our friends?
There have been calls for the removal of the Service Chiefs. Proponents of this view believe that fresh ideas are needed to push back the insurgents and eventually overwhelm them. However, opponents of their removal believe it is not tactical to change commanders in the middle of a war, adding that they are not the problem.
This is the dilemma we face. The buck stops on President Muhammadu Buhari’s table. He should act.
Justice for all in the Kano gorilla case
Where are our animal rights activists? The other time it was a case of a snake swallowing N36m JAMB funds. Now a gorilla has munched some N6.8m Sallah holidays takings at the Kano Zoological Gardens, according to an accounts officer. Some suspects have been charged to court over the missing cash.
That, in my humble view, is not enough. Why is the chief suspect, the gorilla, not arrested and investigated? Some said the accounts officer may have been lying that the poor animal broke into an office, grabbed the cash and snacked on it. Point of observation: this is not just a gorilla in one dark and deep jungle where there is no law and order. No. This is a Nigerian gorilla, for goodness sake.
Has anybody taken samples of the gorilla’s wastes to check if indeed it gorged itself on the cash? Was the gorilla’s blood sample taken for a lab test which could easily have detected some of the properties of the naira notes in its body?
Fair is fair. There seems to be no thorough investigation before this matter was taken to the court. The principal suspect, who has been accused of gobbling the cash, remains at large. Or the police are not keen on interrogating it?
The incident will, no doubt, spark a huge row among animals. King of the jungle lion is said to be the most voracious. The python swallows its preys. So does the crocodile. Now the gorilla is in the race for the most voracious in the jungle. I bet the snake will also be in contention. After all, what is N6.8m when we talk about N36m.
I hope our animal rights activists will soon be moved to action to defend these poor creatures. Otherwise, we will wake up one day to find a gorilla being hauled before a court to answer some theft charges. And that will be the day.