Nigeria's Territorial Integrity and the Buhari Covenant
Some Nigerians have just been awakened to consciousness that Nigeria’s
President Muhammadu Buhari, would forever remain evergreen in the
memory of Nigerian masses among the chronology of our leaders since
independence. Mouthing his difference about the leadership of Nigeria
failed to convince many skeptics, until he began manifesting his spartan
and honest leadership style.
Now, after a long while, millions of patriotic Nigerians are marvelled
to notice in a Nigerian leader, the character of one who does not just
blow hot air into the ears of the led because he is bent on leadership
for pecuniary benefits. This specie of leadership is concerned that
whatever he says, should be sacrosanct.
He has steadily, boldly and proudly wrested Nigeria and particularly,
the Northeast from the claws of terrorism. What is largely clear to all
even the influenced senses of the few sentimental armchair critics and
other detractors is the acknowledgment that PMB has famously and
effectively serviced two of his most dearest campaign promises to
Nigerians effectively and on time too.
The wakeful world is aware that at the peak of partisan campaigns,
President Buhari covenanted with Nigerians to end Boko Haram insurgency
and battle corruption in public governance to a standstill in Nigeria
among other motley of promises. But these two covenants consistently
assailed his mind, hence he believed, like any other Nigerian, that the
persistence of these national malaises could unarguably mar the fortunes
of a country and the success of its administration.
Buhari rightly foresighted that ending these twin evils is the
priceless antidote that would launch Nigeria on a sound foundation of
accelerated velocity of development and prosperity. In this regard,
President Buhari has not pretended to be sweeter than honey to any
loyalist.
Nigerians know corruption has been dealt a lethal blow by the Buhari
administration and it is wobbling backwards in staggered steps. There
are no arguments about it. If there are skeptics or doubting Thomases,
they could kindly approach the hundreds of former public office holders
convicted, standing trial in courts or those who on bended knees
resorted to the plea bargain clause of the EFCC to appreciate point of
blisters in the shoes they are wearing currently about corrupt
enrichment. But corruption is not the focus of today’s analysis; it’s
about insecurity in Nigeria and Boko Haram terrorism.
That Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) have been defeated is no longer news.
Nigerians and the world have confirmed it since December 22, 2016,
when Nigerian Army led by her Chief strategist, the Chief of Army Staff
(COAS) Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai invaded and captured Sambisa
forest, in Nigeria’s Northeast, Borno state.
It was the final death knell of Boko Haram insurgents and terrorism in
Nigeria. The globe is bewildered by this feat in a country hitherto
considered a collapsing nation on all indices. Borno state Governor
Kashim Shettima has declared December 22 of every year as Sambisa
Memorial Day, signifying when the region was freed from years of
terrorism.
“Based on Buhari’s announcement, the Sambisa Forest became deceased or
dead at about 1.35 p.m. on December 22, 2016,” an excited Shettima
exclaimed at the opening ceremony of the 2017 Nigerian?Army Small Arms
Championship in Sambisa. Earlier, the Army Chief, Gen. Buratai had
decreed at the capture of Sambisa forest that henceforth, it will serve
as a training center for the Army. And in spite of the elaborate
preparations’ and publicity accorded the 2017 arms championship event,
no terrorist’ was courageous enough to do as little as voyage from
neighboring countries to whisper a whistle about his presence anywhere
in the vicinity.
To intimate Nigerians that his administration play no games with issues
of insecurity, President Muhammadu Buhari approved and launched the
Nigeria Army’s conduct of the five-day 2017 Nigerian?Army Small Arms
Championship, (NASAC) inside the Sambisa forest, famed for its notoriety
as Boko Haram insurgents safest enclave; an impenetrable mountainous
forest, where insurgents congregated in large numbers, train new
recruits, planned and unleashed awful, violent atrocities on Nigerians.
President Buhari in abiding assurance declared the opening event in
these words: “This championship is a showcase of the clear defeat and
degradation of the Boko Haram?terrorists group, with the destruction of
camp Zero here in hitherto Sambisa forest. It will also mark the
commencement of our plan to move speedily to make Sambisa and the entire
North-East safe again for law abiding citizens.”
Represented by the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dam Ali, the President
reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to leave no stone
unturned to absolutely eradicate all kinds of terrorisms in the
Northeast and Nigeria generally. And this is a clear testimony of
Buhari’s mindset on security as verified by the termination of the most
violent, brutal and barbaric campaigns waged by insurgents.
Appropriately, leaders anywhere, who are truly inspired by the divine
summons of leadership, play no games with adherence to oath of office.
In America, from where Nigeria is assumed (because it’s doubtful,
whether the confederating states in America are in such
internally-instigated mess, as Nigeria) to have copied its model of
presidential system of governance, leaders pay inviolable allegiance to
the words and spirit of their oath of office. Abusing any part of it is
assumed tantamount to public self-proclamation of a verdict of guilt on
the leader.
The experience in Nigeria, sustained over time is that those privileged
with leadership at all levels observe the oath of office more in
aberration or more as a mere routine ceremony and in outright breach
of its dictates. It is accountable for the illegal powers most chief
executives wade in Nigeria, abusing every law of public governance and
projecting their personal and selfish interest uppermost.
President Buhari has proven that he is a different leader from the
chronology of Nigerian leaders since independence. The President does
not trivialize his oath of office, especially on securing the lives
and property of Nigerians at all times, which is prime, paramount and
innocuous, but which determines the effectiveness and triumph of
every executive leader in any country.
Thus far, there is no doubt that the funeral of the once dreaded Boko
Haram terrorists has been officially conducted and Nigerians have every
reason to celebrate and pay glowing accolades to Mr. President and the
Nigerian military. However, it is risky for saboteurs’ or terrorists
agents to downplay the nexus of the Sambisa forest event and the
sacred resolve of President Buhari never to allow any territory of
the Nigerian state to be held in bondage in whatever guise by
miscreants and outlaws under his watch.n Those who previously doubted
Buhari’s resolve are now stampeded with the manifestations of Mr.
President’s vows to end insecurity in public interest.
To this extent, Buhari can rightly be described as a President whose
shadows on security are followed by the Nigerian military and Nigerians
have not only been assailed with the military’s knowledge about this
mindset, but the military have all demonstrated good knowledge of his
covenant with the people of Nigeria, which Nigerians savour now.
Today, Boko Haram insurgency is over, and truly abiding by the oath of
his office to secure every part of Nigeria against satanic forces,
President Buhari has to his credit successfully pushed back the
meaningless menace of the twin evils IPOB/MASSOB. Clairvoyant
Southeastern Nigerians, especially youths are into the voluntary
vanguard of appealing and cautioning members of these twine irritant
groups to give peace a chance, as Mr. President sleeps and wakes up
daily with the interest of all Nigerians at heart in accordance with his
mandate, as lubricated by his vows, covenants and oath of office to
Nigerians.
For narrow-minded critics, who play the ethnicity card in advancing
national discourse in a nation with nearly 300 ethnicities or beg
nepotism or religious favoritism to swim in shallow waters, President
Buhari quieted them a long time ago. The manner Mr. President handled
and disarmed the Iranian-backed Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) (a
branch of ISIS) or the violence- prone Shiites Islamic sect domiciled in
Kaduna, with appreciable tentacles in Northern Nigeria, by deploying
the highest amount of civility as a leader reveals his inner voice about
security; but much more, his stable character in leadership of the
country.
And the message to the Shiites, hypnotized by these foreign,
destructive extremist ideologies they imbibed before his ascension to
democratic power is crystal clear. It keeps reverberating that Buhari is
a leader of Nigerians, as against any ethno-religious sect and would
prefer to see them repent to embrace the liberal ideals of democratic
freedom as dictated by the laws of the Nigerian federation.
President Buhari is passing a lucid message. That the internet
henchmen, who delight in heating up Nigeria, for devilish ends, whether
fronting for terrorists, or the dingy secession agitators in the
Southeast, or militants of the Niger Delta or the criminals’ clothed as
armed bandits and cattle rustlers in the Northwest or the mercenary
herdsmen in the North central of Nigeria or elsewhere, time is ripe for
them to either quit Nigeria or repent of their evil against their own
country.
And the presidential message has sank in creditably as attested by the
tranquility in parts of the country hitherto embroiled in senseless
violence, gruesome killings, maimings, arson and resentful
conspiracies to perpetually keep Nigeria on the furnace, instead of
peace. The unalteredn desire of President Buhari today about Nigeria
is to leave a legacy of total reformation of Nigeria, a country all
Nigerians would see reasons to proudly boast even in foreign climes as
the land of their birth.
Ode , Participant of SEC 39, 2017, contributed this piece from NIPSS, Kuru, Plateau State. - The Authority
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