The Nation Newspaper

Tag: wives

  • Protesting wives

    •The Nigerian Army and government should address the root of these spousal objections

    In a most unanticipated manner, female power, or feminine influence, has emerged as a potent factor in the Federal Government’s counter-terrorism campaign. Within two days, soldiers’ wives staged protests at two barracks in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, insisting that they would not allow their husbands to go to battle against insurgents in Damboa and Gwoza, two towns in the state that continue to witness heavy fighting between the country’s troops and members of the Islamist guerilla force, Boko Haram. It is worth considering the possible moral influence of the wives on their husbands.  

    Remarkably, these protests at Maimalari Barracks and 21 Armoured Brigade, Giwa Barracks, reportedly involved about 100 women who actually blocked movements into the barracks and caused quite a stir. One of them, who captured the reason for their action was quoted as saying: “Those that their breadwinners were killed in the course of defending their fatherland are suffering; the government has not done anything for them to alleviate their sufferings.” She also said: “As soldiers, our husbands are supposed to defend their fatherland in the face of both external and internal aggression as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but that could only be done when they are supplied with modern war equipment and properly motivated as obtained in countries in other parts of the world.”

    In other words, the objective of the demonstrations was to drive the point home that sending allegedly ill-equipped soldiers to the battlefield amounted to sending them on a suicide mission. This is an unassailable position, and the courage exhibited by the women in carrying out such protests reflected their serious concern and apprehension, which is understandable. It is true that, in the event of fatalities, the wives would have to bear the brunt of the tragedy and deal with the consequences, especially in the context of alleged neglect of such affected families by the military authorities.   Against this background, it was timely and appropriate that they chose to speak out.

    There is no doubt that the democratic environment implies an accommodation of such protests, even though it was rather strange and jolting to have civilian women interfering in what should be considered a strictly military affair. It would appear that this was an aberrancy designed to combat an aberration.

    It is noteworthy that, in relation to the government’s counter-insurgency operations, there have been public complaints by soldiers themselves on welfare and professional issues. So, the wives were not mere alarmists. Furthermore, it is relevant to recall that a number of powerful and concerned individuals, including the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, had alleged that the Boko Haram fighters were better armed and more motivated than the country’s soldiers, which was said to be responsible for the seeming difficulty in crushing the insurgency. Perhaps expectedly but unconvincingly, the military authorities have continued to deny this grave assertion; however, denial is not enough as the demonstrations by the soldiers’ wives have shown.

    Instructively, there are reports that the military this month reclaimed Damboa town, which was seized by Boko Haram in July; and in the case of Gwoza, reports said the military tried unsuccessfully to retake the township from the rebels.

    The piercing lesson of the wives’ protests should not be lost on the military authorities, and indeed the government, no matter how shocked they must be that the demonstrations happened.  In fact, the stunning incidents should serve as a wake-up call. Now that issues relating to the terror war have reached this novel height, the military and governmental response should focus less on the odd messengers, the wives, and pay greater attention to the message, which is, arm the soldiers fittingly and effectively, motivate them and take care of the families of those of them who died in the cause of serving the fatherland.  

  • War against oil theft excites generals’ wives

    Their husbands are in the war front battling either the vicious Boko Haram insurgents in the north or the greedy oil thieves and pirates in the creeks of the Niger Delta region. Members of the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA) are on the move to compliment the efforts of their husbands.

    Mrs. Felly Minimah, their National President and wife of the Chief of Army Staff who recently described himself as a war-time general led the women out of their comfort zones. Their mission was to identify widows of fallen soldiers, commiserate with them and give them relief materials.

    Mrs Minimah and members of her group were in Bayelsa State. They were, however, excited by the successes recorded by the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, in its war against oil thieves, pipeline vandals, illegal bunkerers  and pirates.

    They were received and treated to a grand reception by their host and Commander,JTF, Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Atewe. Their presence especially at the cocktail party organised at a grandiose hotel in Yenagoa attracted other service commanders including the state Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Desmond Agu.

    Beyond the party, the elegantly dressed women were also curious about the activities of the JTF especially its war against oil thieves. Therefore, the next day, they relocated to the headquarters of the security outfit at Opolo in Yenagoa. They were later briefed by Atewe.

    Maj-Gen. Atewe reeled out the figures and insisted that the JTF was gradually winning the war against oil theft. The evidence could be seen in the increase in oil production recorded by oil multinationals, he said.

    He maintained that oil multinationals operating in the region were recording significant increase in outputs because of JTF’s war against economic sabotage. He said the military outfit arrested 20 vessels for oil theft in the region within the first qarter of this year.

    He noted that the troops of JTF apprehended many hardened sea pirates, kidnappers and cultists, adding that some of the suspects died in gun battle with soldiers. Atewe told the women that the command raided and destroyed over 854 illegal refineries in many creeks in the region.

    But he had a big challenge. The commander paused, looked at his audience and told the generals’ wives that the major headache of the command was dearth of logistics. He begged the army headquarters to send more gunboats, operational vehicles and personnel to the command.

    Maj-Gen. Atewe also rued the proliferation of illegal refineries in the region. He, however, voiced out his suggestion. He called on the Federal Government to consider the building of modular refineries across the region to discourage the establishment of illegal refineries.

    “On my arrival as a commander of JTF, l declared zero tolerance for all kinds of illegal operations in the region in line with the mandate of the JTF”, he said.

    He observed that oil thieves remained resilient in their misplaced efforts to milk the country dry. But the commander warned them and reinstated the resolve of JTF to smoke them out and hand them over to prosecuting agencies.

    He lamented that the activities of oil thieves were affecting the nation’s economy and posing serious threats to the health and livelihood of the people. He said the thieves had devised a means of offering huge bribes to personnel of JTF to enable them have unhindered access to the country’s oil resources.

    Maj-Gen. Atewe, however, praised his men for turning down mount-watering financial inducements offered them by suspected oil thieves. He specifically cited a case where an officer was offered N25million by a group of oil thieves as a bribe. But he said the officer did not only turned down the offer but also arrested the suspect and members of his group.

    He thanked members of NAOWA for their visit describing it morale boosting. In her response, Mrs Minimah commended JTF for its efforts in tackling  the activities of oil thieves in the region. She said members of NAOWA were satisfied at the dogged manner JTF prosecuted the war against theft of the commonwealth.

    She said NAOWA was on a familiarisation tour and visit of military formations and units across the country. She lamented the increasing number of military widows in many barracks across the country.

    But she noted that the association was formed to assist the poor and the less-privileged especially widows of deceased soldiers. She added that the number of widows was increasing on daily basis because of the security situation in the country.