I may sound alarmist, but I am not. I may sound a prophet of doom, but I am not. I do not have the magical wand of the soothsayer who warned Julius Caesar to beware of the Ides of March. I am not a stargazer to read the linings of the sky or a fortune teller to unveil whether I shall swim in riches in the future or die a poverty striker idiot.
However, from historical antecedents, empirical evidence and hindsight into decades and current happenings in the insurgency-infested area of the Northeast of Nigeria, especially Borno, one is unambiguously inclined to the widely held view or prediction that in the battle to the ultimate end of the insurgency, Borno State must not only play a leading role, but must be seen to do so. Otherwise, victory over insurgency would be a mirage. Such role must be clearly defined, comprehensive, embracing and must be directed at the natives.
This role must be deliberately planned, maintained and sustained now and after the insurgency. Notwithstanding the ultimate military liquidation of the insurgents, the management of the post-defeat is as crucial as the military victory, if not more tasking. “It is not the deed that matters, but aftermath of the deed”, in the words of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Hence, the postulation that all the efforts by the federal government and other concerned bodies to end the insurgency without the complementary, defining and crucial role of the Borno State government and the natives would render such efforts nonplussed.
It is, however, gratifying to observe that the Borno State government, the federal government and even the military realized the crucial role of the natives and appealed for support and cooperation. For example, in his statewide address to the people of Borno on July 16, 2011, Governor Kashim Shettima declared, “I am personally, deeply pained by the trend of events. I am a native of Maiduguri, born, bred and buttered right in the heart of Yerwa, from Nimeri Korongoso. Most of the insurgents are from the well-known neighbourhood of Shehuri North, Shehuri South, Limanti, Lamisu, Gamboru, Fezzan and Hausari wards of the metropolis. I say unto you my brothers what Hamid Karzai, the Afghan President, said at the burial of his brother, Wali Ahmed Karzai some few days ago:
“My message for them (Taliban) is that my countrymen, my brothers, should stop killing their own people. It is easy to kill and everyone can do it, but the real man is the one who can save people’s lives”.
Immediately, after his appointment as the National Security Adviser by President Muhammadu Buhari, General Babagana Monguno, who hailed from Borno State, led the delegation of service chiefs and top military officers on a courtesy call to Governor Kashim Shettima at the Government House in Maiduguri where he called on the elders and people of Borno to embrace and cooperate with the military in its task of ending the insurgency. Similarly, in his recent visit to Adamawa State, President Buhari appealed to the traditional rulers, the elders and the natives to support and cooperate with the military in the fight against the insurgency. Hence, the success of war against the insurgency is hinged, among others, on the cooperation and support of the elders and natives concerned.
The inevitable question is: how far has such appeal gone down with the people, especially with Borno elders and the natives, the stage being the epicentre of the insurgency. The response from elders of Borno cannot be said to be encouraging as should be expected. As a matter of fact, since the beginning of the insurgency, some of the leaders have packed their bags, baggage, their families and with their pets abandoned the state and relocated to Abuja, Kaduna, Lagos and even beyond the country. Some are in the state, but out of fear or otherwise, refuse to talk. Others maintain “siddon look” posture. As matter of fact, some politicians in the state, either in the same party or the opposition, have several times accused one another of masterminds of the insurgency.
Accusations and counter-ones go on while thousands of souls have perished and are still perishing, orphans and widows increasing daily and as at the last count, the number of internally displaced persons has risen over two million.
This is indeed the crucial hour in Borno history of turning around all the possibilities for the survival of the state in particular and Nigeria in general. It is not who is right now, but what is right. Sad to say that today, Borno is at the crossroads. While some concerned leaders in the state are battling to save the state from the clutches of the hawks, others, for self-centeredness and outright unbridled and obsessive ambitions, are subverting the noble efforts of the protagonists of a united Borno. The handwriting on the wall has become public knowledge in this regard to prompt the military recently to warn the subversive elders and politicians in Northeast, especially Borno ,of the consequences of their unholy action. According to the statement by the military spokesman, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, “The Nigerian Army wishes to inform the public and send a very strong and serious final warning to some prominent individuals and political groups who hailed from Borno State in particular and North- east generally, that there is information of plans by some highly placed individuals and political groups to undermine and scuttle the fight against terrorism and insurgency in this country.
“The unscrupulous individuals and their cohorts were determined to reverse the gains made and scuttle our efforts of achieving the presidential directive to defeat Boko Haram terrorists within two months. They are organizations in this grand design.
“It has come to our knowledge that they are employing every means to see that our operation does not succeed in order for them to continue to enjoy certain benefits. It has been revealed that they are employing the service of marabouts and other unethical means in order to frustrate our effort and the operations in addition to campaign of calumny.
“We are aware of their clandestine meetings and other diabolical efforts to achieve their nefarious aims. This would not be tolerated. Therefore, such individuals and groups should be warned in unmistakable terms that anyone found would be dealt with accordingly.
“People should place the interest of the nation above any personal gain or ambition. The continued loss of lives and property in this country through terrorists’ activities does no one any good”.
Reacting to the statement, the chairman of the Borno Elders’ Forum (BEF), Ambassador Usman Gaj Galtimari, said, “This forum has noted with great concern comments coming from the social media over a critical statement emanating from the Nigerian Military High Command. In the said statement, the leaders of the Northeast, particularly Borno State were accused of not only aiding the Boko Haram insurgency, but are also beneficiaries of the horrific carriage.
“While we recognize and acknowledge with the deepest sense of gratitude the tremendous efforts of the Nigerian armed forces in crushing the insurgency, we wish to state that the statement coming from the army is a generalized one. The military, police and the DSS are in charge of security threat to the nation. We ,therefore, expect them to, after having identified such persons or groups, promptly bring them to justice. A generalized statement such as was made may not be the solution to such serious problems.
“The BEF will give its maximum support and cooperation to our law enforcement agencies in this regard. Indeed, apprehending those identified to be involved in this devilish endeavour will be most welcome by all Nigerians.
“The forum wishes to extend its appreciation to the Federal Government of Nigeria for the tremendous support accorded to the milltary and our states in ending this madness. We particularly thank the Chiefs of Army and Air Staff for their constant physical presence at the battle front. Their exemplary conduct and leadership have greatly enhanced the military’s capacity to end the insurgency.
“We are indeed grateful. We call on our soldiers and all other security outfits to sustain the tempo of their great efforts of securing our country. We are looking forward to the quick return of normalcy in our land”.
As a result of the perceived disunity among the elders for selfish or other purposes the positive efforts of both the federal and state governments at ending the insurgency are experiencing minus instead of plus. As a matter of fact, Governor Kashim Shettima was prompted to say that there are various types of Boko Haram sect fighting his administration. These include religious Boko Haram, criminal Boko Haram, political Boko Haram and others.
Because of the non-cooperative attitude of some elders, mobilizing the natives effectively for a common cause in fighting the insurgency becomes a herculean task. While the state government tries to tie the knot, the non-patriotic ones strive to do the contrary.
To fight the insurgency successfully is a collective action. Everyone must be involved. We need Moses and we need Joshua. The federal government has been playing the role of Moses in leading the people out of insurgency to the land of peace and the concerned states, especially Borno, will be the Joshua to take the people into the Promised Land – land of peace.
Victor Izekor ,a senior journalist, writes from Maiduguri.
