Terrorism: Jonathan, Gowon Charge Military to Crush Boko Haram, Maintain Security

• Senate commends troops on Yobe attack
Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja and Senator Iroegbu in Uyo 


President Goodluck Jonathan and former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, have charged the Nigerian Armed Forces, especially the Army to take immediate and necessary action to redeem its floundering image by flushing out Boko Haram terrorists from every part of the country.

Jonathan, who was represented by the Minister of Defence, Lt-Gen. Aliyu Gusau (rtd), gave this charge on Tuesday at the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Annual Conference 2014 in Ibom Le Meridien Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, saying Nigerians depend on the armed forces for the security, peace and stability of the country.

“At this juncture”, he said, “let me reiterate that the nation continues to look up to the military particularly the Nigerian Army, at this challenging moment in our history”.

Despite the charge, the president commended the gallantry of the military in the ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations in the North-east and assured Nigerians that the state of insecurity would soon become a thing of the past.

He said: “As you deliberate on contemporary security challenges facing our nation and re–strategise to meet them, I am convinced that you will apply the traditional vigour and dedication, for which the Army is noted, to bear on achieving the objectives of this conference.

“Therefore, I am confident that the nation will sooner than later overcome the current challenges and usher in a new era of peace, unity, progress and development.

“As we pray for the repose of the departed souls, we must remain resolute to address those issues that will make every part of our dear country a safe and secure place to honour their memories and enhance our national development”.

Speaking earlier, Gowon tasked the Nigerian Army to as a matter of urgency, retrieve every inch of the Nigerian territory occupied by the terrorists.

The war-time military Head of State, who was represented by the former Military Governor of Lagos State, Brig-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), deplored the situation where soldiers are being reported to have either abandoned their weapons to the rag-tag terrorists, fled the battlefield or fled into neighbouring countries for safety from the hands of Boko Haram terrorists.

“To be honest with you,” he said, “I have heard of stories about our soldiers running away in the face of fire and abandoning their weapons, soldiers throwing away their uniforms and equipment running away to neighbouring countries and even handing over their weapon to these countries.”

“Could this be true? I have known our soldiers to be braver, gallant and more professional than that,” he remarked.

He noted that during the critical period in the civil war, he had limited ammunition of only 500,000 rounds to prosecute the war but was later helped by private citizens to acquire 15 million rounds of ammunition within a short period of asking, and charged the military to maximize the $1 billion loan to procure the equipment required to prosecute the war.
Gowon stated the fact that ordinary Nigerians “in high and low places” have expressed reservations that they are not happy that their military who ought to defend their territorial integrity and protect people from internal and external threat appear to be losing ground to the Boko Haram terrorists.

According to Gowon “The pictures of Boko Haram seen, apart from being mounted on Toyota vehicles, they look rag tag and are certainly not a threat to a well trained and better soldiers like the Nigerian Army.”

He further charged the COAS, Lt-Gen. Kenneth Minimah, and commanders in the Nigerian Army to urgently correct the negative perception about the soldiers who have in the past had records of professionalism and competence.

“Are we short of equipment? We can buy directly from friendly and obliging governments as I did during the civil war. Yes, we can also buy from other sources (which is called or referred to as black market), but, do it properly,” he said.

Gowon however assured the soldiers: “I have not lost confidence in our armed forces. I want you to retrieve your honour by reversing some of these lapses into successes, losses into victories; negative opinions into positive opinions.

“I charge you to go all out to flush those insurgents (Boko Haram) out of our territories all the way right back to where they came from. That is the task that the Armed Forces, especially the army must do, must accomplish without delay. I trust you will win.”

In the same vein, Minimah in his opening remarks assured the country of the Army’s cardinal duty to defend Nigeria from external aggression, maintain its territorial integrity, suppress insurrection and provide aid to civil authorities.

He noted that in the last 10 months since assumption of office, while some operational successes were recorded in some engagements, the Nigerian Army suffered setbacks in others, adding that the conference offers them opportunity to deliberate and re–strategise for better outcomes in future operations.

Minimah noted that: “The upsurge of terrorism and violent extremism in the North-east of our country has remained the most significant threat facing our dear country today”.

Consequently, he declared that the conference would be undertaking a review of ongoing operations in the North-east with a view to bringing a speedy end to the reign of terror unleashed on innocent Nigerians by the terrorists.

He further assured Nigerians that the conference would comprehensively address all operational and administrative issues confronting the Nigerian Army and proffer appropriate remedies accordingly.

He said: “In the last 10 months since my assumption of command, our attention has been focused primarily on tackling the insurgency in the North-east and other security challenges in the country particularly in the North-central and North-west.

“Our key priorities have been to maintain all round operational readiness, improve the standard of training, modernize our equipment, pay attention to troops’ welfare and on the whole enhance our force posture.

“During the year, we also developed and implemented new strategies not only to contain current threats but also to better prepare us to combat future security challenges.”

He revealed that “a major discussion at this conference will focus on the Nigerian Army Development plan in the next 20 years”.

The conference was attended by the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, most of the serving and retired service chiefs.

Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday commended the military for what it described as its gallant fight against insurgency in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, on Monday.

Speaking after raising Order 43 of the Senate Standing Rules, Senator Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North) said the gallantry displayed by the military during the fight showed that the insurgency war could be won in the end.
Lawan, who said although many lives were lost and a good number of others injured, noted that the soldiers were determined to fight because they were well motivated.

According to him, the Damaturu war was significant because it showed that if all came together to support the battle against insurgency, the insurgency battle would be collectively won.

“Damaturu was attacked on Monday from 5am. The military tried to gain control. Many lives were lost. We can’t know the number of lives lost. We can’t also know the number that was injured…Soldiers were determined to fight yesterday even though there was no emergency rule. They fought very gallantly because they had motivation and not because of state of emergency.

“Mr. President, I want to say this, that a war is not won by the name of the operation, a war is won by the operators of the operation that operate in the theatre of war. Our soldiers were determined to fight the insurgents. They fought very gallantly and exhibited valour and they did that because they have motivation not because there was any state of emergency existing.

“The significance of the battle should not be lost. It shows that if we all come together to support the government irrespective of our political parties, I believe the war against terrorism is winnable if we do the right thing,” he said.

Before observing a minute silence in honour of the dead, Senate President David Mark, said the dimension of the war was frightening because of its magnitude.

“I allowed it because like I said, the dimension that it took yesterday was really frightening. I was in touch with the governor for most of the time and we were all very worried and because of the magnitude of what had happened in the last few days, bomb blasts in Kano, the attack in Borno, the bomb blast in Borno and the incidence that took place in Damaturu, because they have been raised on the floor here, it is only proper that we observe one minute silence in honour of those who lost their lives,” Mark said.

THISDAY

Soyinka Faults US Assistance to Nigeria over Boko Haram

• Berates Jonathan’s administration  • Okupe: Nobel Laureate playing the ostrich on President

Ojo Maduekwe 

Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, has taken a swipe at the United States of America over its half-hearted gesture in assisting Nigeria to prosecute the war against terrorism, stressing that the US government should stop giving excuses over its attitude to Nigeria.

Briefing newsmen on Tuesday in Lagos, Soyinka in his speech titled: “King Nebuchadnezzar—The Reign of Impunity,” called on the US to stop giving excuses over its refusal to sell cobra helicopters to Nigeria, stating that the excuses were baseless.

Soyinka’s comments are coming on the heels of a recent interview with a national daily granted by former military ruler, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, who also accused the United States government of not being friendly to Nigeria.

According to Soyinka, “I want to appeal to the Americans to please stop laughing at us. They should stop ridiculing this nation. The government claimed that it asked for cobra helicopters.

“The government of Jonathan asked for little weapons to destroy the enemies. We are in a situation of destroy or to be destroyed. They asked for the weapons even for self defence, I think the Americans should not boast of what they have done to supply assistance to vulnerable affected households.

“All are laudable and nobody is in disagreement with them. These are necessities. But this is not the response I expect to the situation of war. This nation is at war. And this nation is asking for certain forms of assistance.

“Please United States of America, could you please overlook the arithmetical deficiency of governance and stop giving an excuse to this government for failing to protect us. Please just say that you will not supply arms to Nigeria and leave it at that.

“Don’t say that you sent other things, that is not the issue at this critical time in Nigeria.”

Soyinka, who also came hard on President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration  condemned his governance style   over recent political happenings in the country, lamenting that governance had degenerated to a level where a uniformed officer can act above the law, citing the instance where governors of other states were barred from entering Ekiti State by policemen during the recent governorship election.

“The people must decide whether to submit or to resist. We may be no count plebeians in the sight of the new born patricians of Aso Rock and their apologists but must we revert to the Abacharian status of glorified slaves? Of course it is up to any people to decide. The praetorian guards have been let loose to teach the rabble their place. The recent choice of a new leader for the guard was clearly no accident, and this hitherto enforcer has wasted no time in inaugurating a season of brutish power.
When a people’s elected emissaries are disenfranchised, cast out like vagrants and resort to scaling fences to engage in their designated functions, the people get the message.

“The latest action of the supposed guardians of the law against the nation’s law givers is an unambiguous declaration of war on the people,” he said.

He condemned the shutting down of the National Assembly on November 20, pointing out that the Inspector General of Police Mr. Suleiman Abba breached the law by barring lawmakers from entering their workplace.
Soyinka believes that the lawmakers who scaled the fence deserve applause and not condemnation as they helped to foil a coup.

He said it was unfortunate that Jonathan could order policemen to prevent lawmakers from entering the National Assembly on the same day that they were to meet to discuss the extension of emergency rule in the North-east.

He, however, commended the lawmakers for scaling the gate.

He said: “The act of scaling gates and walls to fulfil their duty by the people must be set down as their finest hour. They must be applauded, not derided. If shame belongs anywhere, it belongs to the Inspector General of Police and his lavish adherence to illegal and unconstitutional instructions- to undermine a democratic structure, and one- to make matters worse-convoked in response to an emergency of dire concern.

”What sticks to this policeman is worse than shame, it is infamy. Such a public servant deserves to be publicly pilloried, tried and meted a punishment that is appropriate to treasonable acts. To demand less is to reduce ourselves below the status of free citizens of a free nation.

”For this latest outrage, one in an escalating series of impunity, the buck stops yet again at the presidency, and that incumbent, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, continues to surprise us in ways that a very few could have conjectured. Peaking at his own personalised example where he set the law of simple arithmetic on its head. I refer to the split in Governors’ Forum and his formal recognition of the minority will in a straightforward peer election, democracy has been rendered meaningless where it should be most fervently exemplified.

”Nothing is more unworthy of leadership than to degrade a system by which one attains fulfilment, and this is what the nation has witnessed time and time again in various parts of the nation.

“The recent affront against the legislative chamber being only the most blatant and unconscionable. We know of course that this is not the first of its kind in the nation’s history, but precedents are not binding. Each leader selects his or her own model for emulation or avoidance and that choice is certain indication of the true nature of such a leader

”These, to state the obvious are not ordinary times. The menace of Boko Haram hangs over the corporate entity called a nation and over every individual, citizen or mere bird of passage. The cliché heating up the polity may grate the ear drums with its banality but I think that we have a right to demand of a leader not to stoke up the furnace in which events have cast its citizens. Every day records new violation of our humanity. The atrocious targeting of the great mosque of Kano has rendered any lingering doubt of impending national imposition an invitation for collective suicide, preferably through piecemeal dismemberment.

”The shambles that punctuated a presidential campaign visit at the Obafemi Awolowo University a few days ago merely underline the total alienation of President Jonathan from the reality that has engulfed the nation. Yes, political campaigns are part and parcel of the bloodline of the democratic process. We know they never stop. However. That a national leader should go campaigning on the platform of ethnic support at a time when priorities dictate a united national engagement for survival, is a grotesque undertaking that was tragically rebuked in the massacre of worshippers and desecration of the Kano mosques, almost simultaneously with the alienated gathering of selected crowned heads and journeymen at the OAU campus, a macabre echo of Balthazar’s feast.

”I shall not insist that the biblical figure of Nebuchadnezzar is uniquely apt for the pivotal figure of the democratic history in the making at this moment. For one thing, Nebu was a nation builder and a warrior. One could argue even more convincingly for the figure of Balthazar, his successor, or indeed Emperor Nero as reference point. You all remember him – the emperor who took to fiddling while Rome was burning.

“However you should easily recall why I opted for King Nebu – the figure that currently sits on the top of our political pile himself evoked it, albeit in a context that virtuously disclaimed any similarities, even tendencies.

“Perhaps he meant it at the time when he claimed: ‘I am no Nebuchadnezzar.’ Perhaps not. One judges leaders on acts however, not pronouncements, which are often as reliable as electoral promises.”

But in a swift response last night, the Presidency said Prof. Soyinka was only playing the ostrich by accusing President Jonathan of being worse than King Nebuchadnezzar.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said this in a text message sent to THISDAY.

Okupe said it was saddening that the Nobel Laureate also failed to reprimand Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, who he described as the “national champion of impunity and official reckless”.

While saying Soyinka was wrong in his judgment of the Jonathan administration, the presidential aide described the present administration as the most liberal in the history of the nation.

He said: “Our eminent Prof also sadly plays the ostrich as he failed to reprimand Governor Amaechi who is the national champion of impunity and official recklessness.

“The administration of President Goodluck Jonathan proves itself as the most liberal, keeping faith with adherence to rule of law and tolerance.”

THISDAY