The Nation Newspaper

Tag: deterrence

  • Rigging, deterrence and stability

    Nigerians  go to the polls today in a determined  manner that  finally they will  vote  today  and not be told  the  polls  have been postponed  by  INEC, as it happened  last  Saturday, February 16. Today Nigerians  head  to the polls  not because the INEC  boss  said  only an act  of God  can stop  the polls today  but  because  of  the threat  of  death for  riggers  and vote snatchers  issued by no less a person  than the man in charge  of the security of the Nigerian nation, President  Muhammadu  Buhari, also  a candidate  for re-election  in today’s  presidential  election.  To  Nigerian, his call to arms on riggers  and democracy  saboteurs  is more credible

    than any  assurances  from INEC,  which  has acquired very  quickly, a reputation for  bungling  and postponing  much  awaited elections at  the dying ,  last  minutes  of commencement  of  voting.

    To  non Nigerians  or even  the foreign  election  observers  it  may  seem perfect  that  a presidential  assurance of security  to be provided by a sitting government should  be taken  for granted  but  such assumption is  a simple demonstration of  ignorance  of  the political  culture  of Nigeria.

    The  fact  of  the Nigerian political  way  of life is that  rigging is so  common  in our politics, such  that  even  in safe areas, overzealous  politicians still mobilise  their  supporters  to illegally  thumbprint several  ballot  papers  to  make  assurances  of victory  doubly sure. Which  often  times lead to counted votes being more  at times  than registered voters in various  voting localities.

    So  Nigerians go to the polls today  under a cloud  of  deterrence that  those who  rig must  pay  with their lives  for  their fraudulent  political  crime.  Again  the lame duck  INEC  has said election laws  must  be followed. But  did  the president ask  that riggers  be shot  at  sight? Definitely not. Did the electoral laws  deter riggers before the presidential  threat?  Definitely  not.

    Which  then  means that  the  strength  of  this threat has  sunk in with  those who make an ass  of  the law by rigging during elections.  So  if  indeed  some people think  a  dark    cloud or threat    is  hanging over  today’s  election, I say  every  cloud has its  silver  lining.  The  silver  lining is the deterrence of elimination  for  riggers  and unless  for  those who  have suicidal tendencies, I  see  rigging  at its  minimal in this election  as I do  not think  that  even  the threat  on  life  will  eradicate rigging  completely  from  our  political  culture.  This  is because  rigging  like corruption  is very  much  an  established way  of life in Nigeria.

    Now  let  us look  at today’s  elections and the chances  of the two presidential  candidates  and the two  leading  parties APC  and  PDP. We  must  also  take a position  on INEC’s  credibility  and capacity  to  conduct  a free  and fair  election. We  assume  that at  the end of  the day  the parameters for  a level  playing  ground have    been laid in spite  of all  the odds showing,  and pray  that no  act of  God  will  truncate  the polls  today  as again unnecessarily  observed  by the INEC boss.

    I  think  the postponement  has created  new  challenges  for  both candidates. For  President  Buhari  it  has exposed  him  to charges of trusting everything  to  INEC and  he must  accept  responsibility for  INEC’s  shoddy  performance  which  the postponement  of  the presidential  elections  represents. If  anything  the INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood  Yakubu  has  not shown  requisite competence and maturity  for  the job. Without  any prompting  he said  the polls  will  never be postponed  and he postponed it. Now for  today  he said only an act of God  will make that possible. Why is he obsessed with postponement?. It  shows  an inherent lack  of confidence  and capacity to execute  his mandate.

    This  has  riled the president who  appointed  and trusted him  hence the threat  to riggers  which  goes beyond INEC but  is really  the saving grace for the president’s reputation  for toughness  and integrity. That threat  is similar  to US  President Trump’s  obsession  to build  his wall  against  drug smugglers and  illegal  immigrants  and ensure the safety  and security  of  all Americans.  It  is similar  to that of  the Phillipines  President order  to  shoot  drug smugglers.

    Human  rights  champions  may  condemn  such  aggressive  leadership styles  but  they  deter potential  fraudsters  who  violate  state laws  and security  and enrich  themselves  at  the expense of innocent  citizens.  The  threat  has strengthened the hand of the Nigerian  president  and will greatly  affect  his  chances  for re-election  quite  favorably.

    Similarly  the postponement  has thrown  the ball  into  the court of the PDP with  regard  to charges  of  rigging.  How  can  the PDP deny  it has no plan to rig when it is condemning a leader who  has sworn that those who rig will pay with their lives? The  PDP  should have  publicly accepted the challenge and offer  to play  ball so that we can, if possible  have a  free and  fair  election  which was the objective of the voter deterrence issued  by the president.

    I  know  this threat  will  not deter Igbo  solidarity  and support for  Atiku  presidential  ticket  because  of his running  mate  Peter Obi. But  the postponement has stretched  the resources  and anxiety of PDP  as a party  and it  is as if the party had prepared  for  a 100  meter  race  which  the postponement  has now turned into a marathon,  with  attendant  negative consequences  to maintain the momentum of  support  for its  ticket  made,  make or break,  for last  Saturday.

    One  can  only  pray  for  a peaceful  election  and  no further bungling of postponement  by  INEC on  today’s  election.  It  is nice  to know that  the army and the military  through  their leadership  have pledged  loyalty  to the Nigerian state in securing these  2019  elections.  Some  how  I  think  Nigerians  believe them.  This  is because what  is uppermost  on the minds of most Nigerians  is  to  have  the opportunity  to  show  what  they want by  voting the leader of their choice as well  as  the party of  their choice into  power. That  really  is the essence of  democracy, regardless  of  unwanted postponements  and planned  or  cultural rigging.  Once  again long live  the Federal  Republic  of  Nigeria.

  • Pragmatism, deterrence and peace  

    The  sacking of US Secretary of State Rex  Tillerson by US President   Donald  Trump  after  a visit  to Kenya and Nigeria and the issues surrounding that situation is food  for thought today in all  its ramifications. We look at that single  incident in the context of today’s  topic   and the lessons  and conclusions to be drawn   therefrom which  are many and so interwoven,  just as they  are far flung across the globe.

    The  first    was that the unexpected meeting   between  the US President Donald  Trump  and North  Korean leader  Kim  Jung Un was  announced while the  US Secretary  of State  was on his African  visit  and he was taken  aback  by the development. The second  was that on the eve of his arrival in Kenya the self – declared  President of Kenya  Ruhallah  Odinga and the elected  President Uhuru Kenyatta   unexpectedly   appeared  at a press  conference where  they announced  to a bewildered  world  and even  more surprised  and astonished Kenyan  citizens, that they are ready  to work together in the interest of Kenyan  unity  and progress. The  third  was  the  reported  announcement  by the Nigerian  Foreign  Affairs Minister,   Geoffrey   Onyeama that Tillerson’s    sack  after  his visit  to  Nigeria will  not affect   whatever  agreements and  deals made  during  his visit  to  Nigeria immediately  after which  he was given the boot by his boss, the US    president.

    Starting from the  announcement from S Korean envoys who  visited the N Korean leader in his country and went to the US to  brief the American  president on that  historic meeting before  making the announcement   that made the world hold its breath in   disbelief  and  relief, that a nuclear holocaust  has been averted in our time, it was  obvious that a  scenario of unprecedented  diplomatic  pragmatism was  unfolding right before an unbelieving world.  That  two strong global  leaders who had called each other idiots without  mincing words  and  had  boasted  that each  had enough nuclear arsenal  to wipe out the  other and the rest of the  civilized  world,  have now agreed  to  meet and discuss, was a break through in international relations  and should  qualify the two  for at  least  a Nobel  Prize.  That  is if  the wise  men in Oslo  know what they  are  doing and  can  remember  that they gave the last  US President, Barak  Obama the Nobel  Prize  for peace at the beginning of his presidency for  its potential  for peace and that   presidency after two terms averted its own  red line in Syria  and created ISIS which has spawned  the greatest  terrorism,  migration  and security  crisis of our time.   Surely, the saying in Shakespeare’s  Julius  Caesar   that  ‘ambition should   be made  of sterner stuff  is applicable here. This  is because    this  time,  two strong  headed  leaders have sheathed their dangerous nuclear  swords,   unbelievably after  a sporting  event, to the relief of a frightened world that had prepared itself  for the worst. This  to  me is  a’ real    world ‘  balance  of  mutual   deterrence  that has resulted in a  real  euphoria  of global  peace and is   vintage  diplomatic  pragmatism  that merits genuinely  a Nobel  Prize  for peace, regardless  of the personalities  and past    mutual   and   global  annihilation  tantrums that have  brought us to this present  scenario. Really,  in my view, this is the stuff  of which  genuine Nobel  Prizes   for Peace  are  made as   incentives  for peace should be  generous and  encouraging  especially   at this point in time.

    In  Kenya, the US Secretary  of State  fell  sick  and had  to skip  some functions but  his host  the president of  Kenya  had  a pleasant  surprise  for  him in terms of peace and reconciliation in Kenya which must  have been on top of his visiting agenda.  Kenya had been victim of terrorism in recent times and the US was trying to shore up regional effort  to combat  terrorists who had struck US embassies  and shopping malls in the area   for  some time. But  what  stole the thunder on Tillerson’s visit  was the unexpected and inexplicable and almost  unAfrican  way the two antagonists in the last presidential elections in Kenya came out to say they  are fed up with fighting and election violence and have made peace. That  to me is highly commendable and I recommend  it to  African  nations  especially  Nigeria where  Boko  Haram  is still  kidnapping  our girls in broad  daylight while  Fulani herdsmen  and farmers are  at loggerheads over farming and grazing rights  while the  government struggles  openly  to be objective and fair  in resolving  the violent and  highly  provocative situation in terms of  huge   loss  of  human  lives now  all over the nation.

    Indeed   Nigeria  could  be said to  be the Waterloo  of  the short  diplomatic career  and    shuttle  of the US Secretary of State Tillerson  as he was fired by the US president shortly  after visiting Nigeria.  The reason  given  by the volatile  US president was that they  disagreed  on the Iran Nuclear  Deal put in place by the Obama Administration  which the new US   president called the worst  deal in US history  and promised to destroy. An  interview  by CNN Christine  Amanpour  of a former US Secretary of State, a lady  recently  shed  more light on the dismissal of the US Secretary  of State. Amanpor  had asked a  leading question ostensibly  to portray the US  president in bad light over the sacking but was unpleasantly  disappointed  by the response  of the lady  diplomat  who served the Obama Administration.   According  to the former  Assistant  Secretary  of State, Tillerson  was pursuing a personal  agenda as Secretary of State  when  he should have subsumed that  to the wishes  and leadership of the US president who  appointed him  in the first  instance. As  if to buttress  this view point   Donald  Trump  announced  that Tillerson’s  replacement,  former  CIA  chief Pompei   is someone who is on the same wavelengths  as him  on most  matters    and especially  the Iran Nuclear  Deal  just  as he thanked  Tillerson with a wave  of the hand for his services. That  really  meant  goodbye  to  bad rubbish as  far  as the Tillerson tenure  as Secretary  of State  was concerned.

    It  therefore  came   as a surprise  that the Nigerian  counterpart of the sacked US Secretary of State, our Foreign  Affairs   Minister  Geoffrey  Onyeama  reportedly  said  that whatever  Tillerson  agreed  with Nigeria was  valid because he came  to  Nigeria as US  representative  and the mouth piece  of the US  president .  Surely  that  is being diplomatically  correct  but   very  realistically  and pragmatically  wrong.  It  is another way  of saying  our Minister of Foreign Affairs  was  being presumptious. Any  agreement with  Tillerson  as US Secretary  of State  will  not be worth the paper it is written  on because of his frosty  relations with  his boss whom  he reportedly  called  a moron  and never retracted  that description when given  the opportunity. Anyway  his boss, the US  President  Donald  Trump   never  forgave him. Tillerson  was a CEO  of  Exxon  Mobil  and was a successful  oil  man  close  to Russia’s Putin   and    was also against sanctions against  Russia  over the invasion  of  Crimea.  Nigeria is well advised to take any agreements with him with a pinch of salt  until  his successor  reaffirms any such  paper  tiger  of   agreements. Once again long live the Federal  Republic of Nigeria.

  • Deterrence, security and democracy

    Operation  Python  Dance  by the Nigerian  Army   in   the Eastern   part  of Nigeria   is  on the surface  a mere  military  exercise  to put the troops in a state  of  combat  readiness.  But, in reality,   it is  a clear   signal  to insurgents and secessionists  in that  environment  that  the government is in charge of the security of the Nigerian state  and will  crush any challenge  from any quarters  in the vicinity in that regard. It  is the Nigerian state  attempt  at deterrence  and I welcome and support it.

     This is because a government  in any  nation,  is any government that can exclusively regulate  the legitimate use of physical  force  in enforcing its rule within a given territorial  area and the Buhari  government  has just  shown its  hand  in the east  this time  as it  has done in the North  East  with Boko  Haram  up  till  now. You  may  even  say  the government  has bared its fangs discriminately  in the east and has avoided  the murderous herds men  raiding and destroying  farmlands in the North Central and  South  West,  but  that does  not detract  from  the fact   that at least  for once it has raised its hand militarily to stem  the rising  tide of secession that is fast  creating a state  within a state  in the Nigeria polity.  That  action or  Operation  Python  Dance  and  similar  military   exercises  have raised pointed   questions in other political systems globally as to the   real   duties of the military  and people have wondered aloud  on  the efficacy  of creating security through the deployment of soldiers on the streets  to protect the populace  and   deter  trouble   makers.  Indeed  the question  has been  raised in   NATO  nations    and the EU   IN  recent  times on whether such  troops  on the streets  are targets or  deterrent  to  terrorists, secessionists and insurgents. Questions are  also  being asked on the  whittling   capability  or  danger  of such street  deployment on the state of battle  readiness of such  troops and  the Nigerian Army cannot be an exception in that regard too. But  then  security  is necessary  for  the Nigerian  state  to maintain stability and safety  of the life and property  of Nigerians according to the Nigerian  constitution and the rule of law  and that  essentially is what Operation Python  Dance  is all  about  and I  agree  with its stated  objective and the spirit of  its enactment  and execution  so far.

    Let  us  now  take a peep at other parts  of the world  where challenges to the state and its structure have occurred and how such  challenges have been  handled. Good  examples   this week  are    Catalonia,  in   Spain  and  Pakistan where  the Supreme  Court turned down  an appeal  that removed the politically powerful Prime Minister Nawaz  Sharif  from  office for  financial  misconduct  traceable to the global  Panama Papers  that   revealed recently   that   several  corrupt  politicians had  offshore accounts in the Caribbean Islands.

    In   Spain  the state  of  Catalonia  appealed  to  the King  of Spain  King  Felipe and  the PM  of  Spain, Mariano  Rajoy to  allow  dialogue  and not halt the Catalonia state decision  to hold  a referendum on Independence  which the  Catalonians  have slated  for October 1, this year. The  King  of Spain  reportedly  stated recently at a state  occasion  that the Spanish  constitution can  take care of any   potential  rupture of the Spanish   nation, through its  constitution. The  PM  on the other  hand has commented  severally  that the  Spanish  Constitution  makes  Spain indivisible and  the government  prosecutors  have started  preparing cases against the Governor  of   Catalonia  and Mayor  of  Barcelona the   biggest city in Catalonia involved in the proposed referendum  for Catalonia  Independence  expected  to hold on Oct  1.  The    Spanish  PM  has declared   the referendum  illegal. But  the secessionists  are  adamant  and have gone on organizing and  planning the Independence  project in such a way  that public servants will  not be involved so that they do not compromise  their  neutrality  and loyalty  to the Spanish  state. Yet  the secessionists are  going ahead and their  leaders,  Catalonia’s Governor  Charles  Puigdemont and Barcelona Mayor  Ada  Colan  made this memorable statement  this week – ‘We  call  for an open  and unconditional  dialogue. A  political  dialogue based on the legitimacy we  all  have,  to make possible something that in a democracy  that   is never a problem and even less a crime; listening to  the voice  of the people.‘

    What  is   instructive  and   important   here  is that the leaders of  the   Catalonia  secession referendum claim legitimacy and monopoly  in hearing the voice of the people yet  are challenging  the power of the Spanish state  in going ahead after the PM of Spain  has declared the referendum illegal. The  Catalonian  leaders  must  be prepared for the consequences  of their actions for 0ct 1   which    the   legitimate  central  government has declared illegal. Going ahead with the Independence referendum makes them disobedient of the Spanish  constitution which makes Spain indivisible. One  can  only wait to  see  what will  happen as I do not see either the King or the PM bending the Spanish  constitution  to accommodate the Catalonia referendum of Oct 1. Which  means something   has to give somehow  and we can expect something like  Operation Bullfight  Dance very   soon in Spain ostensibly  along the line of the Nigerian  Army  Python  Dance  going on in  the  East  at  this  moment.

    The  Supreme  Court in Pakistan has shown clearly  that in a democracy, no  one, no matter  how  democratically  popular  should  be above the law. That  has been shown  in the way it  has removed  the politically  powerful former PM Nawaz  Sharif  from  office some time ago and  has  gone  on to confirm the  dismissal  by throwing away the appeal this week. Nawaz, to show  his durability, power   and    impeccable   democratic  credentials, has put in  place  his choice of a leader  as his replacement. This  is because  his party has majority in both Pakistan’s  legislature. But  justice  has been  served and the rule  of law has prevailed.

    What  Nawaz  Sharif has  been punished  for   by a  court  which  does not care whose ox is gored is instructive. He  did  not disclose a salary he was receiving from a relation’s account and even  though the Court  earlier  found  him  innocent of the Panama Papers scandal, it ordered  fresh  inquiries  of his vast wealth  and that threw  up  the incriminating deal  that led  to his removal  as PM. The  Court  also  found his daughter he was grooming to succeed  him politically  guilty of corruption  and therefore  ineligible to succeed him politically in future  in Pakistan’s  highly  volatile  politics.  That  is definitely  a good  sign that Pakistan’s  politics  is fast  weaning itself  of corruption  that has bedeviled it in recent times   and has always been an harbinger for military intervention in that  Islamic state’s  nuclear charged   political  environment.  Once  again long live the Federal  Republic of Nigeria.

  • Deterrence, language and politics

    In  the ongoing imbroglio between   the  US  and North Korea,  and   the threat  of its leader  to send missiles to  Guam  an American  territory  in  the Pacific, the North  Korean leader  was quoted  as saying that  the US President Donald Trump  is ‘bereft  of  reason‘. It  was  a roundly  insulting statement   in  defiance of diplomacy,  its  protocols  and niceties of   international   relations.  Yet,   given  the nature of the verbal  vitriol  with which  the US media had  been  branding  their newly elected president   in recent times,  especially   on his handling  of   the business of governance from  the  White  House,  the insult  could have  come  from  any   of the   numerous  the anti Trump media in the US. Indeed  I make bold to say that worse  has   been  said   by the US   media about Trump   in his   nation including hints at his imbecility as well  as his state  of  sanity,  since   his inauguration    this year  as   the 45th  US   president. So  now,  who  is the   owner    of the copy right   on  Trump’s  stupidity  or  unreasonableness between, the  US   media and the North  Korean  leader?  The   answer  is the conundrum  we  are dealing with today.

    This     is because    the use   of   language  matters  in any human  endeavor most  especially in politics and diplomacy.  If  the lexicon  of America’s  most  dangerous enemy in terms of nuclear threat  in describing the US president coincides  with those of leading US  media houses   in  criticizing or  vilifying their  president, then something is rotten   in the state   of the United  States. Just    as Shakespeare  said  in  the great tragedy, Hamlet   that  something is   rotten   in  the state  of  Denmark.

    To  dilate  more on this unfortunate coincidence or unity of language between common  enemies  of the US president ,    now  at  home  and abroad,  it  is pertinent  to bring in two instructive quotations, albeit  in quite  differing contexts, for    serious  appraisal. The  first   says  that’   we  have seen  the enemy  and the enemy  is us. The other is  a   warning  or  threat  in one of the famous  James  Bond    spy   novels. It  says –‘ first time is happenstanc, second time is coincidence, third  time is enemy action‘ The   first  one on sighting the enemy  was reportedly  said  by a  general   to     his  officers   to  point out  the disorganized  state  of    their   command strategy  to defeat  the enemy. It   was  meant    therefore   as   a clear  challenge for   a rethink to avert  the prospect  of a catastrophic  defeat  before it is too late. The other  from the James Bond  archives is  more  like  diplomacy  based on the reactive type,    but    with  a high  dose  of  pragmatism   to  avert  any expensive mistake, in a type   of ‘play me foul and I play  you tricky’ scenario. Either  way  you  can  still  find its   prototype  in  the title     of    another Shakespeare  classic,  ‘Measure  for  Measure‘.

    In   a way,   given   the  rabid  media  enmity  of   the US  president ,  it   could  be said   that  Trump   has  committed  the    fatal   error   of   misjudging     business acumen  and success  as  a ready   tool,  recipe   or   panacea  to unravel  political and diplomatic  puzzles.  Now,  he certainly  knows  better  that  his books on Deals  and his  much vaunted business  skills  have not prepared  him  adequately  at  least  to deal  with   his     native  news    media    and    North  Korea  without  bringing the global  wall  of peace and stability  down,  both  at home  and    abroad. In  the same vein, it should shock  those  opposed  to his presidential style and world view  that they are providing verbal  artillery  for the  enemies  of their nation  and that  could  hardly  be their intention although their use of violent language  of   criticizing     their  president     has fuelled    the ready    ammunition    of    their  nation’s enemy, North  Korea. That  is the truth and such  language should  be discarded if the US  is  to avert  the tragic fate  of a house divided  against itself,  which  is  sheer  and   inevitable collapse.

    It   is necessary   also  to  bring in another  type  of reaction to nuclear  threat  which is dangerous even  though its proponents claim it  to  be pacifist. The  culprit  here  appears  to be the UK Opposition  leader  Jeremy  Corbyn who  asked both Trump  and North  Korean Leader  to moderate their  language   to avert   war  which   could  be nuclear. I  wonder  at his concern  since  he is on record   as  championing the    cause    that nuclear  weapons  should  be discarded  by all   nations. These  are  the weapons  that the US  and N Korea are  inventing and realigning  to  destroy  each  other with  the US Defence Secretary  warning N Korea  not to confront the US except it wants to be annihilated  by America’s superior  military  might. Of  what  use  in terms of deterrence  are  the admonition of a pacifist    like   Jeremy   Corbyn  who does not understand or acknowledge  the currency  of this imminent confrontation,  which  are  the use  and   application  of   nuclear  technology and   bombast      for    the resolution  of this looming conflict  in the   Pacific?  On  this  matter  the British Opposition leader stands  on feet  of clay in terms of relevance, deterrence  or  persuasion of either  side  because  he has always  behaved like the proverbial ostrich   with its head buried in the sand on the use  of  nuclear  weapons  and he should just  keep  quiet  on the  matter. Or  face reality  and acknowledge their existence  and use,  to  be at  least   considered    electable in his native UK  as a future  PM.

    We  now  come home to look  at the day’s  topic in the  context  of the clamor  for  restructuring which is the fashionable political  concept in our polity  for  now. Restructuring in my view is a weighty  concept  in  politics  since politics   at  the end of  the day decides  who gets what, when  and how.  How badly we have dispensed that so  far  since independence   in  1960   on  our  own,  and with  what we inherited  from the forced  marriage  of 1914, called  amalgamation,   is the cause  of the present  clamour  for  restructuring. But political  restructuring is different  from  economic restructuring  like the Structural  Adjustment  Programme  which  we embraced  sometime   and from  which  we have not emerged  from  the gutters  of poverty  and penury  to  which  we  subjected our nation and its long suffering people.  While  the executioners    SAP  created an aristocratic, military  complex  and      hierarchy   that   misappropriated the  common  wealth  to  themselves, their families  and cronies and have used  that to control the state   and  our  economy  ever  since, and are at the heart  of the present agitation to fill  their  bulging pockets  and assets  both at home  and abroad    with such  ill gotten    funds.

    Restructuring  politically  is also  not like corporate  restructuring  or   strategic  management  where  you    do  an  assessment  of your strengths  and weaknesses internally  and  use that to combat  the opportunities  and threats   in your  environment,  in  a  strategic  plan  from such  analysis.  Anyway, the  Board  or   Management  is in charge of both the strategic plan  or  any  corporate  change ensuing from  any   such    SWOT  analysis. In  political  restructuring  such  as is  being advocated now,  who  will  be in charge  of the start  as well  as the process, its contents, goals and objectives ? Already  this government  has said  it is not interested,  so  who  will  bell  the cat? Is  it  the secessionists , expulsionists,  or the insurgents  we are fighting in the North  East  who  now  use little  girls  as suicide  bombers?  These   are  punishable  assaults    on the    security  and stability   of the Nigerian state   and are  political    irritants    testing the legitimacy of   government. We  have  a government in place  and it is the duty  of government to direct  the affairs  of the Nigerian  state  and secure  the lives  and property of the Nigerian  nation  and its  people   according to  the Nigerian  nation.

     It is not the   duty  of  government  to preside  over its own  liquidation in pursuing restructuring    outside its  mandate  and  the  Nigerian  constitution which  of course can  be amended  as required  given its provisions  for   such  amendments. What  Nigeria  needs is a clean  census that  shows  the real  number  of people  that government  feeds  and looks after. We  also  need  to cut the cost of governance especially    emoluments,   perquisites  and pensions for past and present  political  actors  as  well as  government functionaries. We  surely   need  to  combat  corruption as the government of the day  is doing  although  it is being challenged by  powerful  people  and politicians in high  places who  have a  stake in derailing the war  on  corruption . If  we do  all these and the state is firm   and strong  to deter  those contesting and  seeking to subvert its  goals  and objectives  in this regard,  we shall  improve our present political  arrangement  without inventing the wheel  of restructuring.  Otherwise we can safely  say- we have seen  the enemy, and the enemy is us. Once  again, long live the Federal  Republic  of  Nigeria.

  • Street terrorism, deterrence and leadership

    From the bloody   killings  and  terrorism on the streets of Israeli cities and the  suicide  bombings in Maiduguri on Thursday  and  Friday this week it is clear that terrorists have adopted a new strategy of street  killings to drive home their points and  bloody  grudge against  organized  society. 100  people  were killed in Ankara, the Turkish  capital this week. In  Israel  terrorists  used knives to kill 7  Israelis  and wounded several in Israeli towns and cities. In Maiduguri the capital  of Borno State suicide  bombers said  to be girls aged between  11  and 15 killed 32 people at  evening prayers in Mosques on Thursday  and 34 in morning prayers the following day.

    Fellow  Nigerians,  it can not be business as  usual when girls become rampant and  prolific suicide  bombers at taking their own lives and those of innocent bystanders and passers by. It is my contention here that the Senate when it resumes its screening of members of the president’s  cabinet on Tuesday should pass a resolution  calling on the President to declare a state of emergency in Maiduguri not  only to save further  blood shed of innocent lives but  to save Nigeria’s sovereign  reputation as a nation that cares  for its citizens and not one that fiddles like Emperor Nero while Rome burnt. Especially  with our  globally infamous  incapacity  and nonchalance   over the loss of the 200 Chibok girls which  has left  the civilized  world  wondering at our sense  of parenthood, family, humanity and respect for the sanctity of human life and dignity.

    I  really  am  serious that Nigeria as a nation needs  to  show  the civilized  world  that we do care about  the  lives  of our  citizens and the carnage and killing  of innocent worshippers in mosques  must simply stop. Nigerians  generally and Islamic leaders in particular  must put pressure on government to stop the killing  and  not look the other way because it is not yet in their vicinity or  doorstep. That is plain callousness  and indifference bothering on collective wickedness.  I  recall that when Boko  Haram started in Maiduguri they were bombing night clubs and bars and people looked the other way. Then they started on Churches and still people looked the other way  Now   they  are using  small girls to  bomb mosques  and we are still  looking the other  way. But  now they are in Abuja, Kaduna and all over the North. Are we going to do something only if they bomb Lagos,  Ibadan  and Enugu? Certainly  something is rotten with  our state of mind and  state of the nation in the way we have been reacting to the killings of about 200 innocent  Nigerians in the last two  weeks  in Maiduguri.

    It  is nice to know that the Army  has reacted  by saying that it is because it is beating  Boko  Haram  on all fronts that is why it has resorted to suicide  bombing in  mosques. But  the army shoud restrategise  to combat or contain that too by protecting places of worship or places with large  crowds and that really should be done to save further loss of lives. Let  me illustrate with how  Israel has reacted  to the street  knife  killings which it did not expect and which  really  made the Jewish  state  to panic. Israeli Benjamin  Netanyahu who  has shown  so much arrogance against  the Palestinian leadership on peace talks suddenly  announced he was ready  to talk  with the Palestinian  President   Mahmoud  Abbass   on how to end the street knife killings which  is a new  form of terror in Israel  although it has  killed  only 7  Israelis.

    Similarly  Russian  President Vladmir Putin  is holding  talks with  Islamic  Central  Asian  nations called the Commonwealth of Independent States to form a military alliance with Russia  to combat an anticipated incursion of Islamic terrorism on these   nations bordering Afghanistan  where  the Taliban is playing the role of ISIS  and  Boko  Haram. This  is apart  from his much  criticized military  foray into  Syria to bomb  ISIS locations.  Again I say the Russians have been proactive  in the way they have acted in Syria and  Central  Asia and their  action and policy in this regard  have sent a strong warning of deterrence against real and potential  terrorists in the areas they have intervened.

    It  is certainly   educative  and instructive  to compare the Russian new  initiatives with the American policy in Afghanistan which gave notice of withdrawal  of  US  forces on a deadline but which  has now been extended for the obvious reason that the so called deadline emboldened the Taliban to plan a comeback  once the Americans are gone. Certainly there is not much argument in saying that the Russians understand the language terrorists are afraid of and would flee from,  far  better than  the endless dialogues and engagements of the Obama Administration which  have only made the terrorists  more confident instead of being roundly deterred and frightened  from   engaging    in further  despicable   acts of  murder and mayhem.

    With  regard  to Turkey  and the financing of the care of the refugees  that have flooded  that nation enroute Europe especially Germany the Turks  have asked for  a colossal  amount   –  3m  Euros – to fund the project.  Amazingly  Germany  under its Chancellor  Angela  Merkel  has asked the EU  to  place  Turkey’s  proposal  on the table  for consideration which again shows  humane and good leadership   by the Germans in confronting terrorism and telling   ISIS   clearly  that  in spite of the street bombings in Turkey  last week  Turkey  is not alone in  fighting  Islamic  terrorism  and ISIS.  Yet  this was the same German  Chancellor who  some time ago stalled  on Turkey’s  over 50  years EU  membership  application   with the argument  that  Turkey  cannot be a member  because it is Islamic  and you  cannot have an Islamic state  in the heart  of  Europe.  Really  one can  say  – how  time changes –  and wonder  how terrorism  has  brought  out  humanity  to do  so clearly  what diplomacy  has not been able to achieve in almost  half  a century  of  Turkey’s  application  for EU  membership.

    On  another  note  it was  cheering hearing that the US  has  sent some 300 troops  to  fight Boko  Haram  from  Cameroon. It  shows that the US African  policy at  least is becoming more pragmatic instead  of staying in  Washington  and expecting the collapse of the Nigerian state this 2015 which  cannot  happen. In  Nigeria  however given the  rise  of street violence  and suicide  bombing in Maiduguri intelligence gathering and house searching becomes an important strategy  to foil suicide  bombing attack  potentials. The objective should be to  preempt the attack or nick it in the bud before execution. That  cannot be done by the army alone and the civil  society  should be engaged to assure the security  of  all  of us. It  is imperative we get this right and deter terrorists  in  our midst as  quickly as possible.  A stitch in time saves nine.  Again  long live the Federal  Republic  of  Nigeria.

  • Rising terrorism, declining deterrence and confidence

    TO say that the terrorism of Boko Haram has soiled the good name of Nigeria as a nation of peace loving and  peaceful people in the comity of nations, is sadly for now, not an exaggeration at all.

    Indeed it is a great understatement and two events bear that out confidently and vividly over this last week. The first were the cheeky but bloody assassination attempts in Kaduna on retired General Muhammadu Buhari a former head of state and opposition politician, and Sheik Dahiru Bauchi, a Moslem cleric who had just preached in that town that day.

    The two events left several innocent people dead. The second testimonial of our descent into the abyss of terror, denting our good name as a nation, was the testimony in far away Tel Aviv, Israel, of no less a person than Israel’s PM Booyamin Netanyahu at a news conference with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, on Israel’s on going slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza, where in trying to say how vicious Hamas‘ record on terror had been, ended up by proclaiming with great emphasis and finality that Hamas is like Al Qada in Pakistan, Taliban in Afghanistan and Boko Haram. Of course he did not need to mention Nigeria because Boko Haram has stolen the thunder of the bloodiest terrorist groups in the world with its peculiar and constant shedding of the blood of innocent Nigerians with impunity since it commenced its nefarious activities of saying NO to western education a few years back. That Boko Haram of our own shores of Nigeria is now the king pin of world terrorism is unbelievably great but pathetic news. Worse still is the fact that a leader of the state of Israel, a nation of the volatile Middle East whose establishment in 1948 has led to three Middle East Wars with the Arabs, now uses a Nigerian terrorist group to show how bad Hamas is as a terrorist organisation in the Middle East imbroglio. This odious comparison which gives an edge of terror – a primus inter pares of sorts — to Boko Haram, clearly shows that we Nigerians do not know yet what we are up against with Boko Haram given our complacency and business as usual side stepping, when ever the next news of Boko Haram murder and mayhem intrudes rudely and daily into our attention from the news media, as it continually does ad infinitum nowadays.

    Yet, no one in his right senses will say that Netanyahu did not know what he was saying on Boko Haram. Or that Nigerians, Nigeria or its leaders have more experience of terrorism than the Israelis that Arabs-since 1948, and Iran, have vowed to wipe off the face of the earth. Indeed compared with Israel, Nigeria’s experience with terrorism is like aclean slate, until the advent of Boko Haram which has proved ruinous indeed to our sovereign reputation and is now threatening even our collective existence mortally as individuals and collectively as a peaceful sovereign nation state. So, one is left wondering in perplexity how we all have been able to muster the courage and equanimity not to see what Netanyahu has seen in Boko Haram that we have not seen either because of our collective myopia or national astigmatism.

    Yet, again it is obvious that we are oblivious of our predicament given the danger inherent in Netanyahu’s comparison and let me show how this is so, from two utterances from our leaders, also this very week.

    The first was the statement credited to President Goodluck Jonathan at a daily post Ramadan dinner in Aso Rock where he reportedly told visiting members of the diplomatic corps that contrary to the situation in the country and all expectations, the 2015 elections will be free and fair. This was after the twin bombings in Kaduna on Wednesday this week. As the Chief Security Officer and Commander in Chief of Nigeria, the President is in a position to say what he said and guarantee that, but I am sure not many Nigerians share his confidence.

    Indeed some have said that what is needed first is a fast way to deter and crush Boko Haram before 2015 so that the 2015 elections can come in on its own terms and recognisance.

    Without any ominous strings or security premonitions attached, given the present incessant rampage and insolent impunity on the Nigerian state with the bloody bombings and attacks of Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria.

    The second statement was that credited to the Minister of State for the FCT Jumoke Akinjide who reportedly told an audience gathered to mark 100 days of the abduction of the Chibok girls that the Federal government was in a position to defeat Boko Haram as it was bringing in new strategies and buying new equipment and technologies to defeat Boko Haram. She mentioned the Safe Schools Project to secure schools in the North and said the Soft Approach of the FGN was to ensure a safe return of the girls as force alone would jeopardise their safety. Such hope and preparation are commendable. But the money for the equipment is yet to be approved by the National Assembly where some legislators hostile to the President’s request for $1 bn have charged that it could be used for 2015 elections by the president. In addition one can question the use of a soft approach given that the 200 Chibok girls are in the custody of terrorists who have scant regards for girls and have promised in the recent past to marry and sell the girls in a market they said exists.

    What type of life would the girls live after being rescued? Procrastination on their rescue has tarnished their womanhood and their chances of living a future married life tremendously and one is not surprised of media reports that some of their parents have died a premature death from high blood pressure arising merely from contemplating the plight of their dear daughters in the custody of blood thirsty and unashamedly randy terrorists.

    It is my view that the Netanyahu alarm should be treated seriously and all Nigerians should endeavour to condemn and fight Boko Haram to a definite halt. We do not need to carry arms but since this is a nation of deeply religious people and prosperous pastors there is a lot to be done that being just mere by standers. Tony Blair the former British PM provided a clue on fighting terrorism at a Labour Party Conference he addressed after the 2005 bomb attack on London by terrorists. He said that the British people must not succumb to people who want to force them to change their way of life because the US is supporting Israel or think that democracy and Islam are not compatible as this is a false belief. He said the way to fight religious militancy is to use the force of superior arguments to argue and debate against the aims and  objectives of such terrorists. This he said can be done by highlighting true religious beliefs to counter religious terrorism and promoting true legitimate politics under the rule of law. The same measures can be adopted by all Nigerians regardless of their religious leanings to tell off Boko Haram that it has no religious anchor or tenet to be killing innocent people as Islam is indeed a religion of peace and the Boko Haram menace in Nigeria is an anathema to indeed any religion as a guide for moralty and belief in the unseen God in any religion of our time.

    Similarly, Palestinians in Gaza and Jews in Israel or the diaspora should pointedly condemn the Netanyahu government in Israel and the leadership of Hamas for the obvious lack of respect for human lives inherent in

    the ongoing Israeli land incursion of Israel into Gaza.

    Both Israel and Hamas have thrown caution to the winds and are no better than blood thirsty suicide bombers in the manner and bloody costs of their present confrontation in Gaza. Put simply Israel has no moral or legitimate right to be bombing places peopled by children, women and families who are not combatants. Just as it is cruel of Hamas to be using innocent human beings as human shield in shooting rockets into Israel. Both actions are as bad as that of Boko Haram in Nigeria or the Taliban in Afghnistan or ISIS in Iraq or Syria. Killing human beings to achieve an objective when dialogue or diplomacy has not been exhausted is Barbaric and definitely Boko Haram – and both Hamas and Israel are behaving like Boko Haram in the latest bloody but avoidable confrontation in Gaza. And that too is a great shame and pity indeed.