ARE YOU THE BUFFOON?

You see, I am not at all bothered about the phrase used by the “The Economist” to describe the former president of Nigeria Goodluck Ebele Jonathan; he was tagged as an “ineffectual buffoon” based on whatever parameter they used to assess his performance as the erstwhile head of Nigeria’s government.

Some have said it was disrespectful and insulting to describe the former president as such; a few think so based on sheer pride in the Nigeria’s sovereignty while the vast majority have leapt to defend their hero or idol as the case may be. In some climes where wittiness with words is exhibited, the use of such seemingly derogatory vocabulary is not necessarily considered inflammable and able to ignite a world war.  It may just qualify as a figure of speech and should not necessarily be taken to heart but what do I know.

The British lawmakers only a few days ago lampooned a potential and future president of the great United States of America. Donald Trump was described as idiotic, foolish and also called a buffoon; these are tags which he ‘obviously’ deserves based on his many gaffes and unbridled remarks. If D-Trump becomes POTUS by a stroke of fate; will those who have called him a buffoon not be there to shake his right hand if he went visiting? David Cameron will at least have someone to eventually beat at a game of table tennis.

It is not necessarily about what we perceive as insults especially when the grammar can be unraveled and rendered less potent by consulting a dictionary. I think what is done with such insults is what should matter more. I did not shy away from calling Jonathan incompetent and undeserving of the seat he occupied. He was not competent and was in most ways clueless about how to lead his cabinet not to talk of leading over 170million people. I would be a hypocrite if I took to social media to berate a foreign outfit for describing my countryman as ineffectual or inept. President Jonathan had almost 6years to disprove my impression about him and he failed woefully.

President Jonathan still remains very popular in some quarters; one may be forgiven to think that he would be installed as the president of a certain want away nation even without elections. He has been tagged as the father of modern day Nigeria and the hero of Nigeria’s democracy which looked headed for the rocks until he somehow pulled out of trying to make votes derived from predominantly two regions appear greater than votes from four regions. He has spent the past few weeks traversing the globe giving speeches, obtaining awards and going shopping. His most recent outing and subsequent tweets had him trying to explain how President Buhari’s government was succeeding in the fight against terror because of the weapons his government purchased. Is it not normal to have expected that president Buhari upon his inauguration as president would have weapons available from the previous government’s acquisitions to equip his army with? Should we bow down and worship Jonathan for doing what he was expected to do by default?

The Economist also described President Buhari as a dictator who was repeating the mistakes he made when he was a military Head of government for approximately 20months. The economic climate prior to 1984 is in many ways similar to what exists now. Widespread endemic corruption and global slump in crude oil price were some of the issues which faced a military government which stormed to power poised to rid Nigeria of corruption and indiscipline. That regime stormed out of the blocks and politicians got copious jail terms while drug peddlers were not spared. Detentions and tribunal based judgements were rapid and the average man on the street was afraid to break out of a queue or dash across any highway.

The administration soon gassed out and it appeared only the top 2 in that regime were committed to carrying out their mission. This was at a time when Thomas Sankara in Burkina Faso and Jerry Rawlings were leading the way on how military juntas could reform a deformed nation. What some may classify as a mistake by Buhari and Idiagbon was the extent they went to almost retrieve Umaru Dikko from the United Kingdom by loading him sedated in a crate. That mission failed and strained relationships with Margaret Thatcher making economic revival much more difficult. While Blaise Compaore moved against Sankara viciously, the establishment in Nigeria was more lenient and excised Buhari, Idiagbon and the handful of loyalists to the supreme commander from the command structure of the military government.

The short-lived Buhari led government refused the loans and financial recommendations by the notable international finance bodies and were determined to reverse Nigeria’s slump through their own methods. Is it really accurate to conclude that their methods were mistake laden and that they failed over the 20months they ruled? They definitely made mistakes by not watching their backs enough to detect and halt the move by the third in the chain of command in that government to displace them especially on a ‘Salah’ holiday. Ibrahim ‘Maradona’ Babaginda took over the throne and even fraternized with the British; he embraced and adopted the recommended economic policies and Nigerians were structurally adjusted. With the benefit of hindsight, will we say Nigeria benefitted “immensaly” from the incarceration of Major General Muhammadu Buhari? Some have emerged as multi-millionaires and billionaires from the structure which was developed then and by Goodluck Jonathan’s definition; the fact that many private jets dot the Nigerian skies informs those within and without that we are a prosperous nation.

Nigerians had a World Bank insider as finance minister and coordinating minister of the economy for the years that Jonathan was president. That government must have been nurtured on economic recommendations which were compliant with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)  prescriptions but one wonders why Nigerians could not palpate prosperity despite the nation’s vast resources and earned foreign exchange. The answer to this question must lie within the chambers guarded by the many corruption gates which are opened from time to time.

A man was president for almost 6years yet crude oil disappeared on the oceans, people got overpaid for services and products not rendered and soldiers were court-martialed and sentenced to death because they failed to fight to their deaths after being sent to the frontlines by commanders who had squandered or diverted money meant to procure the necessary weapons and equipment. It is amazing that supposedly educated people defend this man and call him a hero. I actually think he is only the symbol of defiance for many who do not still and may never approve of the incumbent president for either ethnic or religious sentiments. Jonathan was called names but he did not disprove them and call the bluff of those who did not think he was cut out for the job.

President Buhari has been on the seat for almost 8 months now; he has definitely not moved with the precision and speed with which he moved in 1984. Nigerians have not been forced into queues and there is definitely no one undergoing processing and intubation for onward crating back to Nigeria. Their regime was unpopular in 1984/85 but he has now received vocal and tangible backing from global powers. He has met with China, India, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Great Britain, Iran and other key players yet some have seen all this as mistakes. Some have opted to focus on handcuffs instead of the ongoing exorcism of the ‘demons’ which compel these failed Nigerian leaders to steal resources which can sustain generations of Nigerians unborn. Some people actually think that these marauders who have exploited this nation endlessly may in fact rival the devil and spur him to up his game. The insanity which has crippled Nigeria could have wiped some nations off the map already.

I am not sorry that I do not cringe at the Economist description of President Jonathan. It is up to him to defend himself and his time as president; it is also up to President Buhari to defend himself and prove that 8months is too short to tag his economic stance as full of errors. He has not even yet had the 20months he had as a military head of state so the Economist can jolly well sheath their sword until a few months. We have had a horrid past few years; we definitely needed new methods and we have to weather the storm before we can infer that they worked or now. I do not believe that all the individuals working for and advising the incumbent government are so clueless to the point where only what the president dictates stands.

When it comes to insults, I do not think there are too many graver than when Patience Jonathan called Buhari “brain dead”. In all the time Jonathan’s campaign team and supporters hurled insults upon insults on Buhari (they called him a terrorist, rapist, illiterate, pedophile and even mocked his late first wife and daughter); he did not respond in kind but instead proved that a supposed “brain dead” septuagenarian can win an election against a failed nanny despite three previous failed attempts. It should be in Nigerian folklore, the story must be told about how an old man persevered to triumph over “Fortunato” who had absolutely no ambition but was simply pushed on by luck and opportunists. There is hardly anyone who will cringe when Sani Abacha is called names and insulted save his immediate family members and die-hard supporters. We should be genuinely concerned about the quality of legacy we leave behind when all is said and done.

Goodluck Jonathan and Donald Trump should form an alliance and prove to the world that any buffoon tags are inaccurate.

LOCKED AWAY

I listened to a Channels TV report this evening on the ongoing military operations in Bornu state. In that report, the theatre commander of Operation Lafiya Dole visited his troops perhaps to boost their morale and he was captured doing some pushups. The Commander spoke and then a lance corporal spoke on behalf of his peers.

In summary, the majority of the troops via their spokesman expressed their displeasure on the repeated failure of their commanders to grant them the holidays they had been promised. In order words, majority of these men and women have been left at the war front for more than 12 months without the opportunity to visit their loved ones or attend to other pressing matters.

This is tragic indeed and all I can feel for our men in uniform is compassion. It is easy for some people to berate the entire military for the misdemeanor of a few and so fail to reason with the complaints of the soldiers. It is uncertainties like these coupled with the palpable horror of enganging armed foes that lead to diverse kinds of psychological turmoils especially post traumatic stress disorder.

The naked truth is that we don't have the manpower to ensure that soldiers fulfil time bound tours. The plan to double the number of boots in the army will take eight long years. There are different Army formations and corps across the nation that cannot be collapsed because of the war; there are also those soldiers who will not fit into the infantry corp because of their specializations elsewhere.

It is important that these men and women are supported instead of getting stick most of the time. They have a very important assignment at the moment and the unnecessary distraction emanating from certain regions in the country should not be encouraged. Soldiers who could potentially relieve those on active duty are currently being deployed to other hot spots; they need our help and support. Some may think they owe the military nothing because they were not forced to sign up to lay down their lives in the first place. If they are stretched beyond their modulus of elasticity; then we should be prepared to take over their gear and fight for our own survival.

We may have our visas and data pages ready to bail but like Asa sang; "one day the river will overflow and there'll be no way for us to go...then we will run... run wishing we had put out the fire.." We ridicule the military when we openly or covertly support those who impoverished those alive and caused the deaths of more than a few gallant men. We pummel then with our words and disdain for the nation; we kill them when we do not bother to show concern for all they go through. I pray that complete peace and safety returns to the entire Northeast of Nigeria and that those men will spend Christmas and this year's holidays with their loved ones without any need to report for any emergency assignments. Amen.

There was also the small matter of conditions at a Federal prison in Kano during that broadcast. The living conditions were shown to be deplorable and there were reports of many locked up for years without trial or execution as the case may be. One fellow interviewed through a cage-like structure told the correspondent that he and a friend had been there for 14years on a false accusation of stealing a transistor radio. The owner of the radio was said to have contrived with the prison authorities to have them locked up albeit for 14 years and counting.

The dioscorea loving voltrons who constantly reverb in our ears how unjust it is to adorn the wrists of a certain spokesman with lockable jewelry will do very well to wail on behalf of the many unjustly imprisoned men and women across our many dilapidated prisons across the nation. Thank you as you lend your vocal cords.

BETWEEN THE LIES

Seriously I do not understand the kind of journalism being practiced in Nigeria. Channels TV aired a report on Wednesday night where their correspondent interviewed Ibrahim Musa the spokesman of the Islamic movement of Nigeria.

Mr Musa used his platform to counter claims by the Army that only 7 people were killed on December 12 2015. He re-emphasized that the list of 705 deceased men, women and children released by the IMN was authentic.

What I really found difficult to chew was his comment that the Army upon routing his members carted away the bodies of the deceased and deposited over 300 bodies at the Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital Mortuary. He claimed hospital records are there to support him; he also said that the Soldiers returned to the hospital two days later to retrieve the bodies.

I expected the news report to proceed to showcase another perspective like a trip by the correspondent to the not too obscure hospital or at least an attempt by the reporter to test the credibility of Musa's words (who I think is not in any way sincere). Neither happened.

300 unidentified bodies were deposited at ABUTH? How? Is ABUTH a graveyard? I have had the privilege to work at a few hospitals in Nigeria and worked very closely with anatomic pathologists in 2014 for 3 months. It is not divine inspiration that informs us that ABUTH like LUTH and UCH are Federal Government owned and funded "mega" hospitals all of which have been very poorly run for decades now. There may have been upgrades on the morgue facilities at these hospitals in recent years but just as it was characteristic of any facility that is government owned (eg National Stadium Surulere and refineries); one component breaks down after another while until irreversible rot sets in.

I do not think anyone or group can simply waltz into one mortuary facility and dump over 300 bodies from an unexplained mass conflict without necks turning and ofofo in overdrive. Were the bodies brought during the day or when men slept deeply? Were there brought piled up in M939 5-ton military trucks or properly wrapped in linen garments? Did they die of smoke inhalation or were the bodies riddled with bullets and dismembered?

Who approved the collection of the corpses and how where they deposited within the premises of the Mortuary? 3 bodies per freezer or simple sandwitched in any available space? Did the soldiers come during the day or at night when they retrieved the bodies? Are there any eyewitness reports on soldiers moving bodies like undertakers? 

I still wonder why the Channels crew did not seek for anyone working at ABUTH to corroborate the claims of Mr Musa that 300 bodies fit in perfectly into the hospital's mortuary without any trouble and stench. Did the soldiers bury 705 human beings? Did they dig the graves themselves or employed the services of professional grave diggers or heavy duty excavating equipment?

Someone must have seen bodies being buried or a mound of earth at least. It should not cost anything to re-excavate any suspected mass grave to prove the Army wrong, should it? Were the bodies treated like deceased Jews during the holocaust or were they dumped into a large body of water? 705 human bodies does not sound to me like what could just simply vapourize because soldiers want it so and are untouchable.

The president advised journalists to practice investigative journalism; the producers and directors of on-field correspondents can help themselves by ensuring balanced reportage of news at all times. There must be evidence that the opinions of opposing parties are sought especially when one or more sides refuse to make comments or grant interviews.

I do not believe Ibrahim Musa; he does not sound honest to me but I may just be wrong. Zaria is definitely very massive territory; vast enough to conceal 705 corpses.

On Nigerian Radio Phoney Accents

I've suppressed the urge to make comments on the quality of broadcasters and on air personalities we have in Nigeria until now. 

A good number are only in business because they look good, talk with an acquired accent or possess some unusual views about life. However,  there are still those who are extremely good and gifted at what they do. 

Some radio stations in Lagos have younger individuals as their anchors but the overall quality and experience of some of these folks is up for debate while the truly genuine ones are a delight always.  

I'm afraid that some radio stations with significantly high followership may have surrendered their platforms to individuals who do not realise the responsibility which talking on radio to people entails hence such individuals place less emphasis on preparation. 

How can one explain how someone on a radio show displayed ignorance on Lassa fever which is currently in the news ? The brother was in the studio with about 2 or 3 other guys and they were analysing latest news headlines. The story that brought about the Lassa discussion was a 'deratification' exercise by the Lagos state government at some markets which recorded a high number of rodent casualties. 

Then this brother decided to activate his facial musculature and asked why the state government was only going after rodents. The other chaps were trying to answer his question but he continued and asked "why not bats? " I'm not certain how stunned the other guys in the studio were but one still managed to inform him that only rats spread the disease.  

I gave up and tuned away when the brother decided to continue with his revelation by saying he went somewhere and perhaps saw plenty bats.  I didn't listen further after he said he went somewhere. 

I don't expect everyone on radio,  television or whatever social media platform to be experts in all fields but the minimum demand which should be placed on such individuals is preparation so that one is able to give out accurate information almost all the time. Will it be acceptable if any show host/ hostess is unable to say a sensible thing or two about malaria,  HIV/AIDS, child trafficking or bribery and corruption ?

It's one thing to have to interview an expert in any field; it is however another tin of sardines to be adequately prepared to ask the right and relevant questions in such a case.  It is important to know one's limits on particular subject matters which may be way beyond the intellectual capacity of the broadcaster. When water pass garri; one should be able to borrow oneself brain and femme la bouche so that person wey truly sabi go fit yarn.  Sadly in some quarters,  this is viewed as a sign of weakness.  

It is important that individuals with access to the media realise that they are trusted with information capable of saving or destroying humanity.  Lack of adequate preparation and nonchalance can distort information and create problems. It is the manipulation by those entrusted with information that criminals hide under. Those who are hell bent on evading justice and basking in corruption are assured that those who ought to help in shaping and forming public opinion still have a price tag. 

It is one thing to have preferred or adored media idols some of whom have become overwhelmed by the celebrity lifestyle;  it is another thing to be discerning enough to expose falsehood,  manipulation and stupidity even if it proceeded from the lips of those revered.  We were not created to be gullible and at the mercy of politicians,  celebrities especially the collar and bling wearing kind. We should read extensively on our own for understanding and to verify  whatever information comes our way.  

This Lassa gaffe might be a complete non issue to many folks but to me it's just a reflection of our society.  We need to be concerned about our country and how she functions even if war heads and plagues are not knocking on our front doors. ..yet!


26-01-16

MONA LISA- The missing-switched budget

It will never make sense to me what all the fuss is about  bound pieces of paper which was first of all declared missing and then switched. 

The house speaker Dogara had declared earlier that the house of representatives' copy of the budget submitted last month to a joint session of the national assembly by the president was intact but this was before the twist about a real and fake budget. The president's envoy to the national assembly has now been accused of effecting this Mission impossible themed switch. 

A PDP legislator from Edo state Johnson Agbonayinma was a guest on Channels TV this evening and he took his time to tell Nigerians that they own [sic] it to their constituencies to unravel the twists and plot around the mystery budget. 

Mr Johnson sounded quite upset and expressed his concern about the perception of legislators on the pages of newspapers and in the public domain.  He kept saying that everyone only affiliated them to vehicles and he seemed to suggest that this "embarrassment" is an opportunity for them to prove their competence to Nigerians. 

Mr Johnson at a point described components of corruption to include stealing,  cheating and manipulation;  these are to him exactly what the switch of the budget is all about.  I wonder when the definition of corruption was changed by the PDP.

It is still a mystery to me why copies of the budget were not distributed to the legislators before they proceeded on their Christmas and new year vacation.  Where exactly were the submitted copies of the budget kept during the holidays?  Is there any evidence especially video of how the switch was carried out?  Did Ita Enang  do it himself without leaving finger prints or did he employ the services of Mossad? Who verified that the budget was indeed switched if we consider that the copies were yet to be distributed?  How did missing suddenly become switched? 

Mr Agbonayinma was convinced beyond doubt that something of epic proportions is on the table for them to bite and chew on. He sounded assured that the president couldn't have been involved but peradventure he was;  he said something which Nigerians are not prepared for could ensue. 

These guys appear to me like they are more concerned about the allocation for their vehicles and may just be grasping for bargaining chips or a blackmail tool to have their way.  Their duty should be to sit down with the budget proposal to sieve out irrelevancies,ensure it conforms with the current economic realities and represents the overall interest of Nigerians.  I'll really like to see the joker up the buba sleeves of our legislative arm of government. 

《《《《By the way I saw the list of retired military officers earmarked for investigation by the EFCC.  I must express my displeasure at the imbalance of the list.  The number of officers from my tribe appears to be double of those from other tribes combined.  This is injustice and should be roundly condemned. ..was it only Yoruba officers in the military?  What about the Efik, Nupe and Kanuri officers? Are they immune to stealing money? 》》》》

The paragraph above is just how some folks sound when they defend the ridiculous and hide behind stupid sentiments.

Originally written and posted on the 15th of January https://www.facebook.com/vladamir.oleejidenko/posts/10153976706892033?comment_id=10153983570472033&notif_t=comment_mention

UPHOLDING HER HONOR AND GLORY

The Chief of Army staff Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai announced a strategic recruitment plan to increase the capacity of the Nigerian Army two days ago while delivering a lecture at the National Defence College Abuja. He also announced plans to establish two new divisions of the army in the Northeast and South-South regions. The current personnel figures of the army according to Buratai stands at approximately 100,000 which is inclusive of about 6,000 officers and the target for 2024 is to hike that figure to just over 200,000 which implies that a minimum of 12,000 men and women will be absorbed by the army every year for the next eight years. It is expected that the Airforce and Navy would likewise recruit but definitely not to the extent set by the Army.

January 15, 1966 was the day the Nigerian army encroached significantly into the administration of the nation called Nigeria. An infantile army that was ‘forcefully’ weaned off British command via political gymnastics formed the bulk of the nation’s military with only a few naval officers. The blood of ‘common’ Nigerians had been shed prior to that day but a few young middle ranking officers decided that the time had come for a few elite Nigerians to pay the ultimate price. Hundreds of thousands and arguably millions of Nigerian lives have been lost since then and the corruption which the first republic was accused of has since metastasized to ravage just about every part of the country. The political space is corrupt; religious leaders and the judiciary are sold out; proper education is on life support and law enforcers and security agencies are not spared of the rot as well. Opportunists have systematically hijacked the resources of this nation for personal gain and abused the senses of the people in the process. Private jets are used to ship what ought to be within the Central Bank and one strives to outdo the other with respect to what they can consume from the nation’s oil wells.

A lot of things are fundamentally wrong with the country and with her people; we have learnt how to cope under the most inhumane conditions which pets in other climes do not even have to endure. A gang of armed robbers were apprehended in Lagos a few days ago and savagely beaten by locals and passersby. The images from that scene are so gross with the men bleeding profusely from scalp lacerations and facial orifices. One had an obvious deformity of his right forearm and there have been reports that those men have died in police custody as a result of their wounds. Those men were said to have robbed certain individuals of money and shot one or two people before they were chased and caught. Many have commended the jungle justice on social media because in their opinion; any thief deserves the same measure of terror he or she wrecks on innocent people. The tragedy of all this is that majority of these cyberspace judges readily come to the defence of those individuals who have continually plundered the resources of this nation as long as the thieves appeal to their default and/ or acquired sentiments.

The ongoing revelations from “Dasuki-gate” (the Arms money scandal) ought to rile every Nigerian but that is not the case most probably because the allegiance of many is elsewhere and not to the union. The incumbent president seems poised to expose and debride this necrosis but his actions are daily mocked by those who defend anyone who partook in the chaos of the last administration. The events of January 1966 dropped Nigeria from a height and she definitely sustained bone breaks from the fall; like a bullet ricocheting, death patrolled through the land severing whatever ties had held the various tribes and tongues together prior to independence. The civil war officially ended on this date forty-six years ago but it has unofficially raged on ever since and the hate from that time has been transmitted like a recessive trait to those who did not even see the war. The army unfortunately retained the ‘coup’ mutation from 1966 and dynasties were overthrown and enthroned up till 1999 when a calm looking General Abdusalami Abubakar pressed the reset button albeit for one of their kind to maintain status quo.

The civil war ensured an increase in the military’s capacity but downsizing commenced thereafter and occurred at various times probably to weaken the ability of ambitious officers to mount coups against both military and civilian governments. Nigeria had few internal conflicts to deal with since the end of the war but most of her resources were ploughed into assisting other nations especially the West African nations involved in protracted civil wars. Military rule did far more harm than good to the psyche of Nigerians; corruption spread and anomalies became normal. Basic education crumbled and the products from whatever we called schools were mostly cowered or candidates to reinforce insanity and propagate it across the land. The political class upon the return of democratic rule further parted the divide between the elite and other Nigerians instead of bridging it. The struggle to bridge that economic divide further plunged Nigeria down the abyss as many did whatever it took to make their lives count. Money laundering, illicit drug trade, illegal arms trade, sponsorship of terrorism and false religious movements are just some of the vices many Nigerians have indulged in. Many ‘new-money’ millionaires and billionaires have been created from the sweat and blood of Nigerians since 1999. Anything is permissible in the land as long as it puts food on the table and bursts bank accounts.

“Al majiri schools should be good enough for them,” “what exactly do they contribute to in this country?” These are some of the thoughts which get expressed in our nation on a regular basis. We call ourselves touts, criminals, prostitutes and all sorts of unprintable and derogatory tags depending of which sentimental spectacles we have on. To some individuals, the crisis in the Northeast and the internally displaced people across the land is just reward for their past sins and a few others exploit the situation to agitate for all sorts of selfish desires. From Lt. Gen Buratai’s submission, it is clear that only about 100,000 men and women are responsible for defending over 170million Nigerians and a land mass of 923,768km² (I do not think the figures of both the Airforce and Navy would exceed 50,000). It should be noted that a significant proportion of these numbered uniformed men and women are not exactly involved in combat duties due to the specialization inherent in the military. It will be interesting to know the exact number of personnel in the infantry, armored and artillery corps of the army. This will perhaps help us as Nigerians to understand and appreciate the commitment and sacrifices of our fellow countrymen. The sheer number of commissioned officers lost to the war on terror and due to relatively poor facilities should greatly concern us. It should explain to us just how exposed these individuals who have undergone expensive specialist training across the globe are and the carnage that could have happened prior to the time they got slain by friendly or hostile fire.

Nigerians may not be able to comprehend the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform during the civil war or in the forests of Monrovia and Freetown. We may not see any reason why we should understand what the military stands for when we remember the frog jumps and slaps us or those we know have had to endure from their members. We may not like them but one thing we can do is check out the social media profiles or reports of those who have been lost over the past one, two or three years. We will most likely realize how much similar we who are yet alive are to them. They and those still fighting on our behalf are our brothers, sisters, cousins, friends and in-laws. I read some reports on the Dornier-228 aircraft of the Nigerian Airforce which crashed in Kaduna on the 29^th of August 2015 shortly after taking off killing all seven individuals on board. I visited the Facebook profiles of the two pilots just to have better knowledge of who they were. Squadron Leader Adekunle Suara left behind a very young wife and Flying Officer Kehinde Olaniran had a twin brother. We should always remember these people who swore to defend the unity of Nigeria but we should ask how and why they died so that others would not have to suffer avoidable deaths as the case may be.

There have been reports of defective gear, obsolete equipment and weaponry, failed and fatal upgrades of aircrafts and acquisition of refurbished ships for the Navy while a former Niger-Delta warlord purchased gunboats and patrol ships for the country. Our soldiers had bullets piercing their helmets and evading their defective body amour while those who ought to have ensured the best was acquired were busy building mansions all over Abuja and distributing palpable foreign currency (which is now scarce commodity) to expired old men across the land to ensure that a failed president was returned unanimously. Our men have endured back to back tours in the conflict zone without break and sent many times on suicide missions while some of their superiors were getting trampled upon by former ministers and used to hide certificates and rig elections. Some tactically maneuvered across the border to escape being slain by insurgents while others mutinied and got sentenced to death by the same establishment that sold them out. Sadly the rule of law protects those who have directly plundered the money meant for arms; they will be further protected by the same people who threw bricks at and broke the bones of armed robbers in Lagos just a few days ago. Many like them will turn out in matching Ankara to protest the highhandedness of the justice system and be in the pews for thanksgiving if the accused and implicated ever get cleared of their alleged crimes. By the way, they are not the only ones who took anything from the treasury. President Buhari they will say got two vehicles and nobody’s hand is clean in any case. They will also ask which of us would not do likewise if we ever got to power; I am not sure they asked those armed robbers any question or understood the reasons of their actions before their skulls got bashed.

We do not have military reserves in Nigeria and our response to the rise of insurgency was clearly grossly inadequate. We were not prepared for what happened and we did not recognize the strengths and limitations of the countries bordering us. Chad is 1.284million km² and may not exactly have a military larger than 50,000 individuals. It is one thing to have the manpower but it is a different ball game to have the requisite tools to function to optimal capacity. It may appear that the militaries of many African nations suffered adversely from the effects of tyranny and extensive military rule hence the small proportion of committed individuals responsible for defending the states. Niger Republic is also larger in size than Nigeria with a landmass of 1.267million km² but with a far less military strength than Chad. Benin Republic and Cameroon are not any different from our other neighbors; the governments of these nations over the years must have been only concerned about guaranteeing their personal security before considering the entire population. It is this carefree attitude that may have accounted for the extremely porous borders across our region and all the way to parts of Central and North Africa. I remember Diezani Alison-Madueke telling reporters during the subsidy protests that our borders which are porous allowed for laundering of petroleum products and there was really nothing they could do about it. This may have accounted for the unavailability of intelligence report about the movement of hostiles and the location of kidnapped school girls from Nigeria’s northeast. It is also not difficult to understand why illegal game poachers thrive in this vast region and succeed at smuggling ivory amongst other treasured goods before seemingly disappearing into thin air. Weapons delivered to Libya would have been most likely routed through these unguarded corridors to reach Nigeria.

Countries respond to whatever perceived strength or hostility they detect from their neighbors and foes. India is about four times the size of Pakistan and the military figures of both nations are directly proportional to their respective population figures and their not too tranquil history. The same applies to Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and South Korea. The hostility there is palpable and although these nations are about one-ninth of Nigeria’s size, their military figures must be more than nine times of Nigeria’s best. Israel is just 20,770km² but they have more active and far more reserve military personnel than Nigeria does considering the highly tensed diplomatic relations they have or do not have with their neighbors. Many top nations may be improving their military technology and intelligence but this does not mean that their reserve pool will be grossly depleted. The preparedness of their people and the willingness to respond to the call of duty when required is lacking in Nigeria. Nigerian leaders have not seen the military as an avenue provide employment in the land and many do not see how a military career counts for anything. Many young boys and girls were sent to military schools in the 1980s and 1990s with the hope that they would make it big as long as the military was in power. That lure has since vaporized with the advent of get-rich-quick scams, talent shows and vacancies as political touts and mules for laundering foreign currency. Nigeria did not respond well to insurgency and terrorism but it is not too late to turn the tide.

There is no doubt that the military needs expansion; it is a massive institution and has the capacity to be a force for good in a country where the ills of soldiers past still smear the hearts and minds of the people. They need to recruit but they should not do it the same way they have been used to doing it. It should not be just be about finding references in retired military personnel strong enough to ensure one got in instead of another with weak or nonexistent influence. It should not be about whose relative one is and balancing some geopolitical equation. The army, airforce and navy should go out of their comfort zones and model themselves before young people in order to woo them; many of the Northern officers who enlisted at and around independence were said to have seen a young Yakubu Gowon in military uniform to impress them enough to sign up. There is no reason why the Navy should admit someone solely based on recognition while rejecting a natural diver. The individuals who retrieved the bodies of those on board the helicopter which crashed into the Lagos lagoon late last year ought to be considered for Navy careers with attractive benefits. The artillery corps of the Nigerian army should wheel out their obsolete equipment and have an exhibition under the bridge at Ojuelegba every day for two weeks handing out leaflets of what they are about and answering questions from inquisitive passersby. That mathematics graduate who has roamed the streets of Lagos Island for several months in search of a bank job may just be at Ojuelegba and learn that it takes a sound mathematical mind to command the activities of artillery officers. Military museums need to be set up and adequately maintained all across the federation so that the people can get to relate with the men and women who defend them. The image of bloodshot eyes and uncultured military men needs to be obliterated from our memories.

We are only as strong as our weakest link. We should support our own and publicly show solidarity and appreciate their efforts and sacrifices. They have the excesses no doubt but these will never be corrected if the civilian population remains ignorant and unconcerned of what the military go through. It is a tragedy indeed when we curse our service men and sing the praises of those who have only recently paraded themselves as cancer ravaged or with restricted mobility and confined to wheel chairs because they want to evade the charges of corruption against them. Is there any contraindication to stealing by people on crutches or those plagued by illness? It is now common knowledge in Nigeria that even a dead man is actively sending pocket money to the country he stole from and we are grateful.

January 15 is the day we remember our fallen heroes. What will we be remembered for as Nigerians? We may not have to carry a gun but we must enlist to defend the unity of this nation, to be faithful, loyal and honest in all our actions. That is the only way to uphold the honor and glory of Nigeria. Great countries did not become great by being soft on corruption and injustice; those nations took tough decisions and stood by them. The defence of our territory will only be done by Nigerians and not by simply crying out to other nations for assistance. I chose to be positive about Nigeria and declare that she is a prosperous and corruption free country; a blessing to the entire world.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the entire Nigerian Military. May the families and loved ones of those who have departed or sacrificed their lives for Nigeria be greatly comforted. Amen.

MY TIME WILL NOT COME

I engaged some individuals on twitter a few days ago on the issue of the Zaria killings. The originator of the tweet that generated conversation is a well-known social commentator and radio personality who is pretty much opinionated. It must be stated that his stance leading up to last year’s general elections was well known; he was definitely not on the side of the former president. On the Nigerian Army-Shi’ite impasse however, he is convinced that the Army committed a grievous crime against Nigerian citizens in Zaria and fears that those involved may get away with it eventually.

Part of what this individual theorized was that the killings in Zaria were a means of possibly annihilating Shi’ite Muslims by the Sunni who are by a mile the majority in Nigeria. I jumped in at the point when another individual compared the reaction of Lt. General Buratai’s guards to the non-reaction of President Jonathan’s bodyguards during a campaign rally in Kastina when he was allegedly pelted by youths chanting “Sai Buhari” and also to the events after a shoe was thrown at President George W. Bush. I asked if the shoe thrower walked away freely but the response I got was that he indeed did not walk freely without punishment but that he still had 173 of his people alive and well.

The event in Zaria and that involving Bush Jnr are definitely dissimilar as the shoe thrower most likely acted in isolation and was not a sect leader capable of motivating others to fight and defend him. The next question to me was if I thought the Army was right to have killed 173 Nigerian citizens. I still cannot answer Yes or No to that question but my tweeted response was that the Army was most likely heavy-handed and that I was more concerned about what led to a more than 12 hours conflict which resulted in loss of lives. The crux of my response was that it did not matter to me if only 10 or 1000 individuals lost their lives; whatever aggravated the conflict was more important to me in order to prevent a recurrence and to also determine the truth about that night. Scores have been lost and there is no way to bring them back; answering yes or no to what the Army did does not thoroughly address the situation.

It was at this point that I was clearly misunderstood and the On-Air personality concluded that I did not care about 173 human beings and that I should just wait for my turn. He tweeted that I should ask a former Army Chief Victor Malu about what happened to his town when Obasanjo was president and he assuredly commented that “our Army never fails. Your turn will come….” He made no further tweets thereafter prompting the second individual to take up the gauntlet and he went on about how the actions of the Army after the roadblock incident was premeditated murder and even suggested that the Shi’ite procession could have been a demonstration at a University campus. It is still disputed if the events in Odi town were ordered and/ or endorsed by President Olusegun Obasanjo.

General Buratai is said to be a Sunni Muslim and so are Governor Nasir El-Rufai and President Buhari. It seems to make sense to those who claim that the plot to wipe out the Iranian backed Shi’ite group must have been developed at the level of the presidency. Some individuals do not quite express these thoughts openly but there is a chance that they believe it strongly. A few others have simply acted to script since they will naturally gravitate towards anything they deem worthy to discredit the current president or the majority party with. If someone wanted to take down a cult, syndicate or an army; who ought to be the individual(s) to strike out? If the Army was acting a script written by Sunni Muslims, should Zakzaky still be with air in his lungs? I do not think there is any concrete information about all that happened in the more than 12 hours before Zakzaky was finally apprehended. I think it should not have taken that long for armed platoons of trained Nigerian army soldiers to take out an unarmed group of zealous members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) including women and children. We do not know what the mission of the soldiers was; it could have been to simply apprehend Zakzaky or the more complicated matter of killing everyone in sight. I believe there will be more revelations about this when the investigations are concluded. These are just my own theories and are not infallible.

The IMN has been accused of running a state within a state which is independent of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If this is true, it is logical to expect that the granulocytic cells of Nigeria (the Military) will recognize this group as an aberration and treat it as a foreign body in order to limit further damage. It is clear that Zakzaky has more inclination towards Iran based on his conversation with an Iranian representative during the standoff and an assurance of support from the Persian nation. I understand that government officials and high ranking Military officers particularly those in Kaduna have Zakzaky’s number and communicate with him as the need arises. I must have seen a photograph online where he was with President Buhari at a function with both of them standing at the high table and even exchanging pleasantries. He was pictured will Governor Nasir El-Rufai as well with the governor respectfully shaking his hands. It is difficult to accept that our government officials had a premeditated agenda against the IMN even if the comments from the president and the governor seem to suggest that both men are not in any way happy with the actions of the IMN members. Why did the Army take the risk of inciting a diplomatic crisis by not sabotaging telecommunications base stations in order to prevent Zakzaky from communicating with the outside world assuming the soldiers were sent to kill and destroy? The soldiers surely have questions to respond to like how Zakzaky got injured and the reason why he was pictured placed in a wheel barrow.

In a bid to be seen as being objective in assessing the incumbent administration, many people who did not support the return of the past president have fallen prey to the devices of the diehard supporters of that administration and fence sitters. It has become very difficult to discern genuine constructive criticism from completely useless and incoherent chatter. The fear seems to be that they are unwilling to be accused of hypocrisy when in actual fact they become victims of intellectual blackmail. It is not uncommon to see antagonists of the president make remarks about unrealistic expectations like why electricity supply is still interrupted or why the president has been travelling across the globe. I truly wonder if I would be overly thrilled about travelling the globe as a 73 years old grandfather especially if I had done same as a younger person.

The configuration of the country called Nigeria has never been acceptable to all the tribes and tongues within. Her current constitution is deemed flawed and this has accounted for the over bloated system of government we practice. A good number of people who ranted about the expensive cost of running governments suddenly turned around to accuse the government of subverting the constitution when the time for appointments came. President Buhari just had to adhere strictly to the constitutional provision that every state must produce a minister even if he thought he could weave around it. After that was done, the topic shifted to how certain ethnicities were denied top and juicy portfolios and given lowly rated posts instead. Some people have found themselves associating with others people or groups they would not naturally relate with as long as the common objective was to discredit the president.

Many will agree that the laws of the land are flawed and wish that such laws which have empowered government officials to appropriate the nation’s resources to themselves over many years are the same people advocating that those who have obviously defrauded this country be let go on bail because that is what the rule of law suggests. Some Nigerians who get other Nigerians arrested for flimsy and sometimes justifiable reasons have been known to give bribes to the arresting police officers to ensure that those arrested got denied bail or got severely punished for whatever their crime was. These same Nigerians who are opposed to the rearrests and detention of those who have facilitated the rape of Nigeria’s commonwealth will beat both confirmed and accused thieves to death instead of allowing the police to look into the matter. There is a chance that some of those who participated actively or otherwise in the murder of the ”Aluu 4” are among those screaming for the rule of law to be upheld in these cases. The kinds of things we will not accept in our private lives are what we want to continue as common practice in the country because of the rule of law caveat. I believe the law is not perfect or absolute; it is still subject to some form of moral interpretation to determine if it has been breached or not. If the law in an area says that no one should cross a barrier to wade in water and a man does so; will the man be guilty of breaking the written law even if it is discovered that he went into the water and successfully rescued a drowning person? Perhaps we should have an unwritten constitution like the British do.

The default plea in Nigerian courts is “Not guilty” and many use the innocent until proven guilty clause to manipulate the system through the help of their lawyers. I wonder why we do not hear clamor for the bail of the underwear bomber Mutallab who did not actually succeed in his mission or for the Boston marathon bomber Tsarnaev. We may not have the similitude of the patriot act in Nigeria but should we not be able to approve of moves to utilize the strong points of our laws to handle criminal cases instead of allowing crafty lawyers to exploit the loopholes? When we continuously criticize the methods utilized by our crime fighting agencies of holding unto individuals whose crimes ought to be regarded as very heinous; we undermine the efforts against criminality and indirectly endorse acts of corruption and treason. Lawyers who ought to advice their clients to take guilty pleas together with their clients are emboldened by the sympathy they know they get from Nigerians to defy common sense and reason. They readily plead not guilty and hope and pray that the evidence available does not nail them. It was before our very eyes that certain individuals obtained perpetual injunctions against prosecution and this within the confines of rule of law. I am sure that Mutallab would have been granted bail by a willing judge if he was prosecuted in Nigeria despite the severity of his crime.

The members of the IMN are no doubt Nigerian citizens by virtue of where they were born and live but they seem to be more inclined to respecting the doctrine set by their spiritual superiors outside of the country than the Nigerian constitution however justice in the Nigerian Army-IMN impasse should be ensured but what must be ensured is that the integrity and sovereignty of the nation is maintained. It is easy to say that the unfortunate event has driven a wedge between Nigeria and Iran but those who are concerned about how Iran feels in all of this should know that the Persian nation do not take it very soft with Iranians accused of espionage. There are quite a few cases of Iranians who have dual citizenship (especially the USA) who have been under prolonged house arrest, imprisoned or simply sentenced to death. We may all claim to be Nigerians but when anyone’s actions or inactions threatens the nation integrity or has caused the death of genuine Nigerians; then I think such individuals should be treated just like any serious nation would treat anyone accused of espionage. We should realize by now that the time for pettiness as citizens of Nigeria is over; we should always ask ourselves for example what the Chinese would do if they were faced with the magnitude of corruption Tsunamis headed for our senses.

“My time is not going of come” is not a quotable quote or a statement of faith. I do not think I will stand on a highway with a machete and slap the chest of an Army corporal not to talk of a general. I do not think I will be bundled into a “danfo” bus as a result of resisting arrest because I have purposed in my heart not to touch money that is not mine if I ever get opportune to serve the state in any capacity (the one and only time I got grabbed by a plain cloths policeman was after I crossed Ikorodu road at Onipanu on the day Senegal beat France in 2002 instead of using the foot bridge and I am still intact to tell the tale).  I do not think I will be looking for whom to meet bail requirements because I know that common stealing is corruption. Many Nigerians are on the edge and faced by one issue or the other. Those are critical issues we need to address in order to prevent conflict while still ensuring that justice is delivered for anyone wrongly caught up in past conflicts. Running a government is serious business and those privileged to have media platforms and a fan base must understand their limits and not misuse it.