“A kingdom can endure with unbelief, but it cannot endure with injustice”
──Usman bn fodio
In 2015 general elections one of the major promises the APC used during its campaign was the restoration of security in the northeast which at the time was the worry of every single individual in the country. Five years later, the situation has not improved, it has in fact escalated and extends to many other regions like northwest and northcentral. Today these two regions have turned into war zones with bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists killing, kidnapping, and raping innocent unarmed civilians unchallenged.
Looking at the gory security situation in Nigeria today, a serious national emergency for which PMB was voted into power, we can say without mincing words that Nigerians have been failed by this administration. And woefully so. It was under the watch of our perceive Messiah President the North came across something’s called banditry and kidnapping that have cost the lives of thousands. Mr. President and his handlers clearly know that Northern votes secured his first and second term, and northerners absolutely have the right to demand that the administration rewards their loyalty in real terms, by protecting the lives and properties and most importantly their economic wellbeing.
Mr. President let me remind you that you concluded your speech at Chatham House UK by saying you cannot change the past. But you can change the present and the future. So as a former military ruler and a converted democrat who is ready to operate under democratic norms and is subjecting yourself to the rigours of democratic elections for the fourth time, you may ask: why am I doing this?
This is a question I ask myself all the time too. And here is my humble answer: because the work of making Nigeria great is not yet done, because I still believe that change is possible, this time through the ballot, and most importantly, because I still have the capacity and the passion to dream and work for a Nigeria that will be respected again in the comity of nations and that all Nigerians will be proud of.
Buhari’s five years in office are characterized by insecurity, banditry, kidnapping, economic recession, and other untold hardships.
Honestly, Nigeria’s hope has been dashed and the trust reposed on present administration has been betrayed. Buhari’s five years in office are characterized by insecurity, banditry, kidnapping, economic recession, and other untold hardships.
It’s apt to quote him @MBuhari, In 2015, you said it was a big disgrace for the previous admin to deal with insurgents for 5 years to the extent of seeking help from neighboring countries. Now, in his 5 years in office, not only is Boko Haram existing but others.
In the early stage of Buhari’s administration, he boldly declared on national television that the militants had been “Technically Defeated” that “Technical Victory”, it is apparent, is fast becoming a Pyrrhic Victory with the renewed wave of attacks by the insurgents on soft targets. Initially, the military made some gains, recovering lost territories. But the honeymoon did not last long. Boko Haram regrouped and carried out vicious attacks, overrunning military posts, and killing security operatives.
The question remains: what transpired between then and now? President Buhari’s promise was to ensure effective and adequate security of lives and property. Nigerians believed that based on PMB’s status as retired General –a position he didn’t pick from anywhere considering also that he is a war veteran (GOC 3rd Motorized Brigade), this is enough for him to tackle insurgency and high rate of crimes in control. Unfortunately, this hasn’t happened and it is a complete travesty the role the state has played so far to protect its people.
It is clear also that only a loyal team of new and privileged ones is being appointed into cabinet positions by the administration, and they are not able or willing to see or admit the failure of the administration in critical national security and economic and social welfare matters. The constitution of Nigeria grants such powers of protecting the lives and properties of the citizens. Under the Exclusive List in the Constitution, security is the responsibility of the Federal Government. But the federal government seems not doing enough.
The first order of the state is to protect the lives of citizens and the inability to fulfill this constitutional provision is indeed the saddest disappointment of all. Both the leaders and the led understand that the citizens’ need for security was the basis of the social right between the citizens and the state, therefore citizens security should be a fundamental right and entitlement for every citizen.
…the bandits come to town, spray bullets, kill indiscriminately for no purpose, and no reasons whatsoever like the recent massacre of the people at Faskari
Just recently Katsina state governor honestly admitted that they have failed the people; adding that he never expected the behaviour and the attitude of the people living in the forests, the bandits, whose behaviour are worse than that of animals. In the forest, a lion or a tiger kills only when it is hungry and it doesn’t kill all the animals, it only kills the one it can eat at a time. But what we see here is that the bandits come to town, spray bullets, kill indiscriminately for no purpose, and no reasons whatsoever like the recent massacre of the people at Faskari and parts of Dandume Local Government Areas. They just killed the people. One may find it so difficult to juxtapose the constitutional and primary responsibility of the government with the prevailing situation in the country under the watch of Mr. President and state governors where scores of people are being killed on daily basis, while hundreds of others have abandoned their homes.
Right now, whether privately or publicly many Nigerians are voicing their fears and reservation about the seeming inability of the Federal government to address and ameliorate the state of insecurity bedeviling the country. Despite PMB’s lamentation about the worrying security situation, he still retains the service chiefs, whose strategies have not won the country any victory against criminals or terrorists. The question, therefore, that President Buhari and his team of praise-singers must answer is: why has he chosen to retain his service chiefs even in the face of deteriorating security situations and why would he come to the open to express such shock, when he has blatantly ignored all advice and opinions that he should experiment with some fresh hands in the capacity of service chiefs?
The administration has clearly failed to protect the lives and properties of the citizens of Nigeria; it’s indeed a saddest of all. Mr. President, you need to have capable and willing hands around you, listen to them, and engage them. Change the present security chiefs if you don’t keep paying them if only for charity, but please secure us.
When I read President Buhari’s broadcast to the Nation on Democracy Day, I was seriously confused as to whether the speechwriters are really conversant with the issue of the security deteriorating in the country. Or Mr president read it before addressed the Nation It is the same thing President repeating every day which we’re yet to see any significant change. The speeches show that the administration and its securities apparatus are not on top of the situations because each passing day the lives of Nigerians are mimed in senseless killed by armed bandits and others. The address clearly shows that Mr president either has not accurately been briefed on true situations of state if nation insecurity by the security or not on real pictures of what happens in the prone areas.
These bandits displaying a certain degree of impunity scatter themselves and walking freely. Hence, security personnel finds it difficult to contain the attacks even before the COVID-19 pandemic which the President claims criminals are taking advantage of COVID-19 restrictions. When and how security agencies will pursue the perpetrators and bring them to swift justice? And, regardless of political affiliations, Nigerians want the Federal Government to deploy more security agencies, and fighter helicopters to the security prone areas. Let them comb all the forests and eliminate these bandits.
President Buhari promised Nigerians that he will lead Nigeria to prosperity and not adversity, that he’ll reform and address the economy and security situations. But that promise has not been achieved in five years of the administration. Sadly, the new Buharist and appointees are aware of PMB’s popularity and massive support behind him has been badly ruptured; and one needs to listen to people in market shops and stalls to hear and see the pains peoples going through because peoples believe that the administration appears helpless in finding solutions to insecurity as well as poverty in the North.
Some of the most important qualities of a leader include integrity, accountability, empathy, humility, resilience, vision, influence, and positivity. While management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could do. But this administration lost the chance especially in the first year in office. Certainly, the kind of confidence that most Nigerians had early in the ability of the administration to inspire citizens to do the right things has dissipated.
One thing that we all know is that Nigeria is our country and that this country of ours has many problems: political organization, economic development, socio-cultural life of our people in the country, and security of lives and properties. The Nigerian people must endeavor to find people who are good, honest and knowledgeable enough to represent their hopes and aspiration, and who can be trusted with the huge responsibilities of governance.
Almost every day there are stories that make Nigerians shiver with the way the administration is handling critical issues that affect them. Nigerians are alienated, angry, and fed up with the way things going on in the country because there are not many convincing pointers supporting the once feared General Mohammadu Buhari.
Mr. President, peoples are tired of excuses and verbal threats which criminals laugh at; considering the escalation of attacks by bandits, rustlers, and insurgents that leave the only conclusion that the people of the North are now completely at the mercy of armed gangs who roam towns and villages at will, wreaking havoc. It would appear that both federal and state governments have lost control over protecting people of the North, a constitutional duty that they swore to uphold. The situation is getting worse literally by the day. Bandits and insurgents appear to sense a huge vacuum in political will and capacity which they exploit with disastrous consequences on communities and individuals.
♦ Dukawa writes in from Kano and can be reached at abbahydukawa@gmail.com
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