Buhari yet to fulfil promises on national security – Col. Nyiam
Colonel Anthony Nyiam (Rtd.) is one of the few surviving men among those who staged the late Major Gideon Orkar-led coup against the regime of a former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd.) in 1990. In this interview, Nyiam, who hails from Boki in Cross River State, assesses the promises made by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government on national security. wide-open door through which those who do not wish Nigeria well might enter and cause harm to the generality of Nigerians.
The current APC government had made security as one of its cardinal campaign promises. How would you assess the Buhari led government in terms of security after five years in office?
I wouldn’t want to be political in responding to this question as it concerns national security. Therefore the question to address is, how much of those campaign promises made to Nigerians by the APC led government have been fulfilled after five years into office? I am afraid that in terms of speaking truth to the power that be, General Muhammadu Buhari is yet to keep his promise on security. As a General and Commander-in-Chief he has failed to fulfil the promise to secure every part of the country. For instance, when the innocent farming communities relied on Buhari’s promises, they were seriously disappointed such that his key supporter and, indeed mentor, General T. Y. Danjuma called on those being repeatedly attacked by AK 47 bearing mercenaries to resort to self – defence. Such is the sorry state of our national security under Buhari’s watch.
What would you identify as the major security challenges faced by Buhari led government and your take on its approach in tackling them?
Your question seems to imply that national security is about the only security challenge faced by the government. National Security includes the important aspects of the people’s security such as human security, the security of right to education, diseases prevention and control, national economic security. Some of the security challenges in my view stem from; political leadership failures arising from the lack of sincerity of purpose and political will on the part of leadership, and conflict of interest. An example is Buhari’s nepotistic approaches to the appointments of armed forces and other national security service chiefs; the extension of playing partisan politics even into the areas of national security. Also the absence of a functional Higher Command Structure, not to mention The Highest Command or Grand Strategic Level of the management of defence, and other national security crises. This is so much so that PMB is often dithering to the dangerous extent that reminds one of the reasons why “an army of sheep commanded by a lion defeats an army of lions led by a sheep.” There is also the extremely mutual distrust between the far northern Nigerian rulers, on the one side; and the leaders of the Middle Belt, South West, South-South and South East, on the other side. The distrust remains a
What’s your take on the welfare and conditions of officers and men of the Security Services with respect to boosting their commitment towards fighting the National Insecurity under the current government?
The welfare and conditions of officers and men of the Armed Forces, and the other National Security Services, have, for years been yearning for improvement. One must confess that General Muhammadu Buhari has (as the C-in-C) has done a lot. The problems often come from some members of his kitchen cabinet who are preventing him from knowing the extent of corruption going on, in the name of fighting the North-East War. Hence, there is a need for the equivalence of Economic and Financial Fraud Commission (EFFC) to always monitor the processes of arms, and other national security equipment procurement. We may need to emulate the United States of America establishment of the Office of the Inspector General of the Armed Forces. The Inspector General of the armed forces has the training and skills for auditing financial transactions going on in the Ministry of Defence and ensuring that procurement processes are subjected to standard operating procedures. Also the C-in-C’s continuous retention of the armed forces chiefs stagnates the careers of the other senior officers and junior officers who need to grow up in the profession. This is a major cause of low morale. President Buhari has been prevented from doing what is necessary by those who are financially benefitting from the attendant scam. Lest we forget, most of the service Chiefs’ tenures have far exceeded their services run out dates (ROD) which is the mandatory 35 years of military service, and the additional discretionary extensions which are generally time bound.
In terms of manpower and equipment, would you say that the security services have fared better in the past 5 years?
There has been very little improvement of the levels of manpower. And when this happens, the additional employment has been tailored to favor PMB’s tribe people. That’s the simple truth. On the Nigerian Army force levels I have repeatedly demonstrated that the Nigerian Army Is, in terms of strength, only so in name. The Nigerian State hasn’t a full fledge field Army formation. A full fledge field army is universally made up, of 9 field divisions. By field formations we are referring to the military units that go into combat immediately they are so required. The Nigerian Army does not have up to 6 field divisions. We need to distinguish army divisions with responsibility for garrison functions from the battle field ready divisions. Whilst Nigeria has no more than 6 battle field ready divisions, Egypt with less than half of Nigerian population and gross domestic product (GDP) has nothing less than 27 field divisions. There are about one million Egyptian soldiers in a country of less than 100 million people. A comparison of this to Nigeria with less than 150,000 soldiers defending a national population of over 200 million shows clearly that we have not begun. It is, therefore, hardly surprising that there is so much insecurity in the land.
The APC had also pledged to liaise with the states to create community policing do you see a comment in this regard?
The much ado about one of the ways of bringing about effective policing, called ‘’Community Policing, is simply a deliberate and disguised mischief. The suspects of mischief here are traceable to the ranks of beneficiaries from the anomaly of having only a centralized Nigerian Police Force in a nation state that is supposed to be a federation. Policing is a state matter in most successfully governed federal system of government. For clarification, it needs to be known that whilst the word ‘Policing’ is a verb, the word ‘Police’ is a noun. The difference is in the fact that, for instance, ‘policing’ is a way of enforcing law and order in a community, while a police formation is a means of upholding the law. It should have become obvious from a proper usage of the terminologies, that no government can create “Community Policing”, as implied in your question. It’s high time the Federal Government realizes that State Police or local government or regional police, is inevitable. The benefits of having locally recruited police officers, and a Police Service that is primarily accountable to the locals it serves, are innumerable.
On a scale of 1 to 10 what score would you give to Buhari led government in the last five years in terms of its campaign promises of securing the country?
It is an open secret that President Muhammadu Buhari had, for some time now, been on, and off, what we in the army describe as “sick-leave”. For this and for the fact that the C-in-C suffers from short attention span discomfort, I would on compassionate grounds be excusing him from this modest performance evaluation report (PER). I would instead evaluate the one who has surreptitiously arrogated himself the position of the ‘Authority’ on National Security, and a behind the scene but within the villa operator. However, by virtue of the artful dodger’s interferences having never amounted to much, but the making of money for himself and his cohorts, I would score this covert operator a maximum of 2 out of 10, on the subject of National Security delivery.
As the Buhari led government marks yet another anniversary, what would you proffer as the way forward?
I look forward for the formation of a dedicated and permanent National Security Threats Assessment Group (TAG) that produces comprehensive weekly, and quarterly, reports to the President and the National Security Council (NSC). I also advocate for the Presidential Villa’s inhouse National Security Situation Room to be managed, preferably, by a two-star Principal General Staff Officer (PGSO) to the C-in-C. The proposed position could be equivalent to the position of Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS) to the President. Also there is the need for a dedicated “National Security Threats and Crisis Management Team” that is well informed by the proposed Threats Assessment group (TAG). Members of the crisis management team can carry out their brain storming sessions in the Aso Rock In-house National Security Situation Room. There is also need for well researched studies to back up Defense, and National Security, policy makers. Officials charged with National Security Strategy designs do need to go beyond Government own research institutions, to partner with appropriate Independent Think-Tank or Research Institute’s resource persons. This is one way of coming up with the most useful policy options for the President or his Ministers. The low morale of the officers, senior noncommissioned officers (SNOS), and the other ranks, arising from PMB regime’s style of appointments, posting, promotion, retirements and dismissal of officers and soldiers should also be addressed. Also to be looked into is the demoralizing impact on officers, and soldiers, who are posted to the war front to combat the Boko Haram insurgents that are better, armed and kitted.
Inter-Services Rivalry, especially between the army, and the air force, chiefs also needs to be examined. There is, therefore, the need for appointing a Chief of Joint (Armed Forces) Operations to head a statutorily established Joint (Armed Forces) Operations Command. The purpose shall be to give a clear point of responsibility to the so appointed three-star General. Finally, the number of manpower committed to the defence, and the homeland security of Nigeria, is insignificant; especially when seen in the context of the about 200 million people in Nigeria that need to be secure and safe. It is indeed, a shame that a country with such a heavy population, and large land-territory, has less than 150,000 soldiers for its defence.
ABorno n assessment of Prof Babagana Umara Zulum’s first year in office as the governor of Borno State is based on the tripod of security, humanitarian intervention and rebooting of the economy to facilitate the rapid reconstruction of the state from the ruins of Boko Haram insurgency.
These three broad areas formed the pivot of his 10-pact agenda of transforming the state and setting it on the path of post-Boko Haram prosperity.
Leveraging on the invaluable knowledge and experience of the Boko Haram insecurity and its accompanying problems bedeviling the Borno terrain, which he acquired as the pioneer Commissioner of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement during the Kashim Shettima-led administration, Prof Zulum, on assumption of office, focused on the provision of adequate security for the returnee communities to enable then gradually settle down to rebuild their lives to facilitate rebooting the state economy.
Accordingly, with the state’s Police Command and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Civilian JTF and local hunters, he formed the Rapid Response Squad; employed the services of hundreds of hunters and members of the local vigilante, as well as reorganized the Civilian Joint Task Force to assist the military in combating the Boko Haram terrorists.
He provided the security agencies with surveillance vehicles to facilitate their operations in combating terror and other crimes.
Determined to provide adequate security to farmers and their crops during the cropping seasons, he formed the Agro-rangers squad that keep regular sentry around farming fields, aimed at warding off the marauding terrorists.
One of Zulum’s most spectacular programmes had been humanitarian intervention under which he went around the 27 Local Government Areas of the state and the three neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon, distributing food and non-food items to returnee communities and IDPs/refugees of Borno indigene.
Borno State government, under Zulum, over the last one year, catered for over 200,000 refugees who hail from the state as well as those in Niger Republic, Cameroon and Chad.
There has also been the ongoing construction and reconstruction of thousands of housing units for the resettlement of IDPs and returnee communities as a principal part of the infrastructural development programme.
Under this programme, the construction of a flyover at the Custom Junction in Maiduguri metropolis, 25 inter and intra township roads and drainages; as well as, the MaiduguriGamboru-Chad and the MaiduguriBama-Banki-Cameroon transborder roads were embarked upon under the construction and reconstruction of roads, and revival of roads projects stalked by insurgency, to resuscitate commercial activities within the state and across the border.
In agriculture, his government, among others, mobilized a set of no fewer than 5000 farmers to grow Masakawa Sorghum across six Northern and Central Borno LGAs.
Most of these farmers, cultivating tens of thousands of hectares, are returnees wishing to resume farming in their home communities for commercial purposes.
Zulum’s government assisted 25,000 farmers in Dikwa, Mafa and Gwoza local government areas with N5000 each for the 2019 cropping season.
While these could be the most spectacular among Zulum’s very numerous accomplishments in the last one year, the Professor of Agricultural Engineering still seems to be having gargantuan insecurity challenge staring him in the face. Adamawa Despite completing some inherited projects and initiating new ones, critics have scored Adamawa State governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri low as he clocks one year in office.
The critics argued that rather than commission new roads and other infrastructure, the governor was relying on projects started by his predecessors.
Reacting to the criticism, the commissioner of Information, Dr. Umar Hong said the government had adopted a strategy of attending to all uncompleted projects left behind by successive administrations, saying Fintiri had achieved much in projects, some of which he said were not physical but impactful.
Hong noted that the governor has improved the welfare of workers and students and embarked on massive road construction, rural electrification, educational and health infrastructure developments which were still on-going, adding that in its first year, the government invested a lot to generate studies on development to lay the intellectual foundation for good governance.
The governor had announced free education, re-introduced feeding in boarding schools and reclaimed land belonging to schools which had been allocated to individuals.
The governor awarded scholarship to 60 students to study engineering courses in India just as he has earned commendation for paying counterpart funding to access Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) intervention for 2016, 2017 and 2018.
The administration employed 1500 vigilantes members in Madagali and Michika at a monthly salary of N46,500 after donating 60 Toyota Hilux vehicles as well as motorcycles to security agencies and vigilantes to improve security in the state.
Fintiri’s aides point to the on-going electrification project connecting Toungo LGA to the national grid and the effort to restore Madagali and Michika as major achievements.
However, the state organizing secretary, APC, Ahmad Lawan described the administration as failure, lamenting that the governor plotted to destroy some of the good legacies of his predecessor.
Many residents interviewed by Daily Trust on Sunday believed the governor achieved more in non tangible projects in areas including education, security and workers’ welfare as well as in completion of inherited projects. Ogun Governor Dapo Abiodun took over as governor of Ogun State amidst high expectations from the populace.
Abiodun inherited a state where previous government had raised the bar on infrastructural projects and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Former Governor Ibikunle Amosun said he met the state’s IGR at about N700m in 2011and raised it to N7billion upon competition of his tenure in 2019.
Abiodun anchored his administration’s thrust on “ISEYA”, which stands for Infrastructure, Social welfare and wellbeing, Education, Youth Empowerment and Agriculture. But how has he fared in these areas in the 365 days in office?
On infrastructure, Abiodun’s government had commenced construction of 14km Ijebu - Ode Epe road, in a bid to ease traffic on the ever - busy Lagos - Ibadan expressway.
The state’s owned agency has equally fixed some deplorable roads in the last one year, but critical stakeholders wondered why roads in Atan - Agbara axis, which is the industrial hub of the state, have not been considered.
In September last year, his government donated 100 patrol vehicles and bikes to the security agencies to aid their fight against crime in the state.
In education sector, the governor had resolved some controversial issues and renovated primary schools across all wards in the state.
On IGR, the governor recently claimed to have already surpassed his predecessor’s record, but he kept the figure away from the public.
On employment generation, Abiodun was recently applauded when he fully absorbed into the civil service, the 1,000 workers his predecessor recruited at the twilight of his government.
As at today, the governor has not implemented the new national minimum wage, an issue which had already led to a cold war of some sort between him and the organized labour.
Generally speaking, on the streets of Ogun State, people believe that the one year of Abiodun is less eventful and lack direction.
A Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Segun Sowunmi has urged the governor “to inject some speed to governance in his own interest” and that of the people. Yobe Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni on assumption of office announced the policy direction of