Governor of Ebonyi State and chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, David Umahi, has made it clear that members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in other countries have no constitutional right to issue travel ban on Igbo leaders in Nigeria, especially the Southeast governors.
Answering reporters’ questions today, September 5, shortly after a private audience with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Governor Umahi stressed that there is no constitutional responsibility placed on IPOB to have the right to place travel ban.
“Incidentally, when I will travel, I will let IPOB know that I am coming to that particular nation. They remain our brothers. It doesn’t matter the misunderstanding.”
He said that one of the reasons he met the President was to arrange a meeting between him and the Southeast governors, leadership of Ohaneze, leadership of Nzuko Umunna, the clergy, bishops and national assembly members.
“Our people want to do an interaction with Mr. President.”
“We have been able to clear all workers salaries and we are up to date. As a matter of fact, the last primary election that was held on August 29, we paid the salaries of August. That is to tell you that we are up to date as far as salary is concerned.
“The issue of us owing up to 38 months’ salary arrears before we cleared it was all false and lies. We did owe up to that, what we were owing at that time was between four to five months.”
These were the statements of Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello when he spoke to news men today, September 5, after a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC and all those who contested the party’s governorship primary
“As regard the issue of news making the round that Kogi state is owing salaries, I want to categorical state that, my two predecessors inherited salary arrears.
“It is a problem I inherited when I assumed office. But I want to announce to you today that Kogi does not owe any worker salary at all.
“As I speak with you now, Mr. President graciously approved bailout of N30.8 billion for us and our National Chairman helped me to facilitate the release and the fund which has been fully applied and salaries are cleared including pension arrears. We do not owe any salary.”
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshionhole has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which ruled Kogi State for 13 years, from 2003 to 2016 did not achieve what Governor Yahaya Bello has achieved just three and a half years in the State.
Oshiomhole, who spoke today, September 5 at the party’s headquarters in Abuja during a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC)of the party with the governorship aspirants in the state, stressed that weighing the performance of the previous administrations and that of the governor (Yahaya Bello): “you will score the current governor higher if we must tell ourselves the truth.
“Bello did not only inherit salary arrears from his predecessors which he had defrayed but also inherited burdens of infrastructure, projects approved and money paid but were not executed and the governor is doing all such projects today,“ he said.
”Even our party’s enemies will agree with us that Yahaya Bello has done well in the area of security. If the people are not secured, no meaningful development can take place.”
Oshiomhole said that three of his relatives were kidnapped in Kogi State while travelling from Edo to Abuja during the PDP administration, saying: ”I have people who live in Kogi State and we all know the level of insecurity in that state before. But today you can all agree with me that the current governor has addressed the issue of security in Kogi,” he said.
The APC boss said that the rots left behind by the 13 years rule of the PDP in the state could not be cleared in four years by Yahaya Bello- led APC government even as he called on the people to support the governor for a second term.
Oshiomhole said the meeting was to resolve grievances that arose from the primary election in the state and to harmonise the party for the 2019 election.
“We have had an extensive conversation as APC family to touch issues that arose from the primaries in Kogi. Aspirants have spoken their minds and we have heard them as National Working Committee of the party.
”I am glad to let you know that all our aspirants including those that were disqualified and those that contested and lost, have agreed to work with Governor Yahaya Bello, who is the APC flag bearer.”
The chairman thanked all the aspirants for their understanding and loyalty to the party while commending the people of Kogi State for standing by the APC. He assured the people of more democratic dividends.
He said that all the defeated aspirants had also agreed to work with Mr Bello to win the next election, stating that none of them was going to court on the primary matter.
Yahaya Bello was declared the winner of the APC governorship primary held in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital Thursday night. He polled 3,091 votes to defeat his closest rival, Babatunde Irukera, who polled 109 votes.
There were nine other contestants in the race. They are Yahaya Audu (10 votes), Sani Lulu Abdulahi, (7 votes), Bashir Gegu (4 votes), Blessing Ekele (0) Iyoma Hadiza (0), Yakuba Muhammed (0) and Dalami Muhammed (0).
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has ordered that payment of over N2 trillion to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) contractors be stopped immediately.
At a meeting with the management of the interventionist agency in Abuja, the minister accused the commission of paying money to ‘political youths’ in the region and said that he had directed banks to stop payments for contracts undertaken in the last one month to enable the ministry to ascertain the incidence of asset stripping or otherwise.
The minister, who announced that a forensic audit had begun, blamed the agency for failing to leave up to expectations, even as he regretted that the agency had abandoned millions of the suffering people of the oil-rich area.
“People that you owed just N500,000 to N1 million are over 400 and they have been coming to the NDDC for over 10 years and the money has not been given to them.”
“I believe that the NDDC has not performed well. I do not want to say that you have failed the region, but I am saying that you have not performed well because when I saw so many of you looking so robust, I realised that at least you have not failed your families, but I do not know how far the people on the streets have gone.
“There are a lot of complaints all over, even the real youths of the Niger Delta who undertook just clearance of water have not been paid. Those that were paid are political youths, not the real youths.”
He lamented the absence of a specialist hospital in the region, saying that President Muhammadu Buhari is disturbed by the deplorable state of the zone and was eager to leave behind a legacy project.
Also speaking, the Minister of State, Festus Keyamo, said that the ministry is determined to redefine the vision of the commission, adding that the NDDC had failed in terms of commensurability of projects.
“It may not be business as usual again. We have become a laughing stock to outsiders, as people say that our own people are under-developing in our region.
“The commission for long has been used to enrich politicians’ pockets. You can no longer sit down in Port Harcourt and do whatever you like because we learned directors sit down in Port Harcourt without going to work.”
When Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd.) was announced as a ministerial nominee, I reached out to the former Commissioner for Information and Finance in Kano State, Mallam Garba Yusuf, for an insight into the capabilities of the retired military officer.
I was aware that Magashi had led a 12-man high-powered reconciliation committee of the ruling party in the state, of which Garba Yusuf was a member, which ensured the amicable reconciliation of aggrieved politicians in the State, within the shortest possible time, before the last general elections.
Garba Yusuf said: “General Magashi, as an experienced lawyer, not only meticulously handled the delicate reconciliation process, but through his strategic interventions and guidance, the State witnessed peace and tranquillity after the elections.”
A few weeks later, Mallam Garba drew my attention to the live transmission of the ministerial screening of General Magashi on national television.
A former military governor of Sokoto State during the regime of Ibrahim Babangida and member of the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC) during the Sani Abacha’s regime, General Magashi spoke eloquently and with confidence, while responding to the queries of the federal legislators.
Whilst discussing insecurity in Nigeria, Magashi insisted that infighting among Nigerian service chiefs was affecting the war against insurgency and analogous efforts against other forms of insecurity.
A former Commander of the elite Brigade of Guards in Abuja and erstwhile General Officer Commanding (GOC) the strategic 2 Mechanised Division in Ibadan, Magashi berated the non-cooperation among the service chiefs, as each of them sought to individually appear to his Commander-In-Chief, and the country, as the most conscientious in his remit. He added that the current military command structure is not a true reflection of what should be obtainable in the services and advocated for the restructuring of the armed forces.
Magashi gave an example of his experience as Commander of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) during the Liberian civil war, where he ensured cohesion of all the services maintaining peace, including the police and paramilitary agencies, at that time.
“In an ideal situation where I served as an ECOMOG commander, it was a single unit that was overseeing the needs, aspirations, (and) welfare of our troops in combat zones. In Nigeria today, what we call (the) command structure is now being seen as weakness. We only have divisions probably by name, but I do not think we have the required manpower to man them,” he said
His tour of military formations in the North-East, in his first outing as Defence Minister, was quite impressive. And, some of his statements were quite encouraging and motivational to the troops, as they inspired and admonished them to redouble their efforts in the counter-insurgency operations.
Yet, it was shocking that General Magashi, a retired military intelligence officer and a lawyer, could make a controversial statement during his tour, when he claimed that 22 local government councils in Borno State have been liberated from the grip of insurgency since the inception of President Buhari’s administration on May 29, 2015. Possibly aware of the implication of making such an unfounded claim, he refrained from mentioning the specifics of the so-called rescued local councils.
In my book “Boko Haram Media War: An Encounter with the Spymaster,” I have provided the details, timelines and manners in which more than 25 towns were liberated from the grip of terrorism during the former Goodluck Jonathan administration.
In one of the chapters, I stated that: “At the twilight of Jonathan’s administration when Sambo Dasuki was the National Security Adviser, dozens of towns and cities in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states were recovered and confirmed with video and pictorial evidence through military press releases.
“Some of the liberated towns include, but (are) not limited to: Abadam, Askira, Baga, Bama, Bara, Buni Yadi, Damboa, Dikwa, Gamboru-Ngala, Goniri, Gujba, Gulag, Gulani, Gwoza, Hong, Kala Balge, Konduga, Kukawa, Marte, Madagali, Michika, Monguno, Mubi, Vimtim, among other communities with pictorial and video evidences provided by the Defence Headquarters.
“In one day alone, April 30, 2015, at least 234 abductees (Women and Children) were rescued by the military, who had stormed sections of the Sambisa Forest.
“A clear testimony to some of the accomplishments was the official DHQ release dated March 16, 2015, with reference No: DHQ/ABJ/901/32/DDI and titled: ‘Troops Finally Rout Terrorists from Bama and Last Stronghold in Yobe.’” That was before the coming of the present administration.
It is necessary to point to the new Defence Minister that he should always seek credible and trustworthy intelligence on the realities on the ground before making claims, and more importantly in finding a more lasting solution to the menace of Boko Haram.
The public commentary of Governor Zulum of Borno State, the open letter to President Buhari by Zanna Boguma of Borno, Alhaji Hassan Zanna and media reports on the current situation in the North-East, merely suggest the urgent need for a truly pragmatic approach to winning the war on terrorism in the country.
President Muhammadu Buhari must be commended for deploying huge resources to the security sector, which has enabled the massive recruitment of personnel, acquisition of sophisticated equipment and the upgrade of infrastructure that have been crucial requirements, even though something essential is still missing.
I strongly believe that the current service chiefs, who were top military officers in the previous Jonathan administration, know the strategies deployed between January and May 2015, in the defeat of Boko Haram and recovery of the aforementioned towns. The traditional and political leaders in that axis are also aware of this too. Not every action of the past can be jettisoned, especially when it has to do with the lives of our troops and citizens.
Musa Wada From Odu in Dekina local government area has clinched the governorship candidacy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Kogi State governorship election come November 16.
He will slug it out with the incumbent governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who won his party’s primary last week to fly the flag of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Musa Wada was declared winner today, September 4, by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa state, who conducted the primary yesterday, September 3 in Lokoja, the State capital.
At the end of the primary, Musa Wada polled 748 to defeat his closest opponent, Abubakar Mohammed Ibrahim who polled 710 votes. The former governor, Idris Wada came third with 345 votes while a maverick politician, Senator Dino Melaye came a distant fourth with 70 votes and Aminu Abubakar Suleiman got 55 votes even as Victor Adoji got 54 votes.
Kabiru Haruna came last with zero vote in a primary where 247 votes were declared missing.
Nigeria police has announced the arrest of 125 people caught looting and vandalizing stores suspected to belong to South African business people while South Africa has also announced the arrest of about 300 for alleged attacks on immigrants, including Nigerians that are residence in that country.
While the announcement of the arrest of Nigerian protesters, especially those in Lagos was made by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, via a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, the arrest in South Africa was made public by that country’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa.
Mohammed Adamu said that those arrested were those who took part in attacking and looting Shoprite outlets in Lekki Area of Lagos Sate yesterday, September 3, adding that a good number of looted valuables have been recovered from them.
The IGP announced that three police officers were seriously injured and a Police operational vehicle set ablaze in the incidence.
He warned that while the police recognized the rights of citizens to air their views on salient national issues as enshrined in the statutes, “the Force reiterates that these must be done within the confines of the law. Miscreants and criminally-minded people who masquerade as genuine protesters are therefore warned to stay-off.”
He stressed that the Force will not hesitate to bring to bear the full weight of the law on any such law breaker even as called on the parents and guardians to prevail on their children and wards to desist from acts capable of causing breakdown of law and order in the country.
Meanwhile, the Force has commenced investigations and profiling of the arrested suspects with a view to establishing their connection with the stealing, malicious damage, arson and disturbance of public peace on the day of the incident.
The police boss ordered water-tight security around embassies, foreign missions, foreigners and their businesses within the country, reassuring law-abiding citizens, embassies, foreign missions, foreigners and their businesses within the country of their security and safety.
This was even as the South African President told officials and business leaders that he was committed to quelling attacks on foreigners that have threatened to cast a cloud over an economic forum aimed at boosting intra-African trade.
The South African Police had earlier confirmed that at least five deaths were recorded after riots in Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria.
Police spokesman for Gauteng province, Colonel Lungelo Dlamini, said that they were “experiencing a dramatic decline in public violence and looting” as the number people arrested on suspicion of involvement in the attacks on foreigners had increased to 289 since Sunday.
“Taking action against people from other nations is not justified and should never be allowed in our beautiful country … We need to quell those incidents of unrest,” Ramaphosa told an event on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Africa three-day summit starting on Wednesday.
Hundreds of mainly female students protesting about violence against women tried to storm the conference center in Cape Town where the WEF conference was being held, but they were restrained by police who later used stun grenades against demonstrators.
“Women get raped in this country every single day and nothing is happening. The president is sitting there inside having a fancy lunch with all these people trying to sell our country to the world, (while) there is no peace and no justice,” said a student protester from the University of Cape Town, who declined to be identified.
President Muhammadu Buhari has described the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Gida Mustapha as a hardworking and committed public official.
In a goodwill message to the SGF on the occasion of his 63rd birthday today, September 4, the President said: “I am proud of your amazing zeal and commitment to duty and your passion for the progress of Nigeria.”
According to the President, Boss Mustapha is a team leader who inspires others in addition to his humility, which are essential ingredients of leadership.
“Since your appointment as SGF, you have carried out your responsibilities with humility and impressive dedication, and I urge you not to rest on your oars.”
Nigeria Minister of Foreign Affairs, Godfrey Onyeama has declared that Nigeria has now drawn a red line with South Africa over constant attacks on Nigerians by the citizens of that country.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after an audience with President Muhammadu Buhari today, September 4, the minister said: “we have made it clear that what has happened in South Africa is totally unacceptable. We will not accept it and as I said earlier, enough is enough and we are not going to come back to this. We are going to address it once and for all.
“So this is the position of government that we are going to draw a redline here. Whatever measures that needs to be taken to ensure the safety of Nigerians in South Africa, we will take.
“We have been in touch with the South African government at the very highest level with the President of South Africa as to what we want to achieve. The special envoy has very clear directives about the commitment and the guarantees that we expect from the South African government.”
Onyeama however said that contrary to the news circulating in social media, no Nigerian life has been lost in the crisis in South Africa.
“The information we have from the High Commission, from the Consul General in South Africa is that no Nigerian life has been lost during this crisis. And I think that is very important because on social media, there is a lot of stories going around of Nigerians being killed, jumping off buildings and being burnt. This is not the case.
“What we know is that premises, shops of Nigerians have been looted and property destroyed.
“The Vice President as you know, was scheduled to go to South Africa tomorrow to attend the World Economic Forum. Clearly with this climate, he and Mr. President have agreed that he should not go to the World Economic Forum in Cape town and we are looking at other measures to take.
“Mr. President is particularly disturbed at the act of vandalism that has taken place here in Nigeria, in retaliation of what is happening in South Africa.
“The government believes that we have to take the moral high ground on this matter. We are victims here and have made that position clear to the international community and to the South African government. We here in Nigeria must not fall into the temptation of also resorting to the acts that we are condemning in others.
“So, Mr. President has pleaded and he is likely to make a statement on this, addressing the Nigerian people to please desist from acts of vandalism and aggression, destroying properties.
“Now, these businesses – Shoprite, MTN and others, yes there are South African but these are subsidiaries in Nigeria owned by Nigerians. So, as attacks are made against shoprite and other such institutions, it is actually the property owned by Nigerians within Nigeria and the people working there are Nigerians.
“So the people that will suffer from those acts of vandalism and aggression are not South Africans or anyone else but Nigerians. But morally, it is wrong not even because of who will suffer and not suffer.
“Mr. President is appealing to Nigerians. The government is acting. We cannot state everything in public domain with regards to what we are doing. Obviously, we want to assure all Nigerians that this government is determined that the redline has been drawn and we will not give in on this occasion and that the South African government has to assumed its responsibilities and do the right thing: protect Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa and we have to hold them to account.
“Full compensation has to be paid because as we have discovered from previous experience, a lot of these Nigerians loss their property and it is a long drawn out process and every often are not compensated for it. But on this occasion, the Nigerian government is going to fight for full compensation and hold the government of South Africa to count. And we are going to consider other options to ensure that the message gets across to the government of South Africa.”
The single-mindedness of Captain Hosa Okunbo, a business mogul of international repute and a proud son of Benin Kingdom, is not an issue for speculation. He has consistently walked his talk and this is writ-large in the way he continues to put his nose to the grindstone in his commitment to add value to everything he does for country and for the uplift of humanity.
His life is an open book that can be read and digested in order to appreciate the existential challenges he confronts and how, by a combination of providence and hard work, he continues to surmount them. His solid achievements in the business domain are testaments to his character of integrity, disciplined disposition and crystallization of his successful brand.
Captain Hosa or Cappy, as he is fondly called by his friends, deploys his magic wand, which approximates the Midas touch, in building his network of businesses in the contexts and contestations between contending and countervailing forces in the political economy. Thus, the magnitude of his reinforcing persona ramifies the atmospherics and the nuances of society, especially in the intercourse between economy and politics.
Consequently, it becomes inexorably difficult to maintain a delicate balance or even a streak of either interest or disinterest in the goings-on in the polity, especially the subset of Edo State, where he comes from. Captain Hosa has deployed his God-given riches to affect lives positively in the State, which anyone who is politically perceptive can attest to; hence he has virtually become a household name in the Benin Kingdom.
Whereas, mischief makers always abound in the cosmos of human interactions, it is thus understandable why some of them who have deliberately chosen to be uncomfortable with his legerdemain that finds anchorage in his eleemosynary persona have become jittery and are insinuating him into their own political designs. This is an unconscionable red herring.
Specifically, the elements that have chosen to concoct a series of conspiracy theories to draw out Captain Hosa to either confirm or deny his interest in the governorship of Edo State, are only afraid of their own shadows. They have, in recent times, saturated the mainstream and social media with speculations that he is set to contest the governorship ticket on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2020.
But to be sure, “Cappy”, has been largely engrossed in growing his businesses and adding values to his efficient service delivery records both in and outside Nigeria. I can modestly claim some access to him and he has not, for once, shared with me any such thought or plan. Interestingly, those who are afraid of certain possibility that potentially threatens their position are the ones conjuring the thought and plan for him.
It is therefore the height of imprudent strategic politics to attack a man who has kept to his own space with a view to drawing him out to talk about issues that are political and for which he has yet to develop passion or interest. I must weigh in at this point that Captain Hosa that I know is a straightforward individual who does not shy away from taking on responsibility for his intentions or actions, knowing full well that they are what define character.
I concur with this assertion, which was once reinforced by H.L. Dietrich in his eternal saying that “We are all victims, Anselmo. Our destinies are decided by the cosmic rolls of the dice, the winds of the stars, the vagrant breezes of fortune that blow from the windmills of the gods.” The cosmic, the winds, breezes of fortune and the windmills of the gods are significant in the contemplation and consideration of any form of voyage, be it economic or political.
Captain Hosa is thus not an insular individuality to be taken out of the existential contexts that these factors ramify. Consequently, if he is interested in contesting the forthcoming Edo governorship in 2020 or any time thereafter, by now, he might have appropriately put the issue in the public domain, without dithering since he must have counted the cost and been largely convinced of his decision.
It is interesting to observe that in a haze of partisan frenzy, there is the penchant to resort to all manner of propaganda, outright lies and half-truth in furtherance of some devious agenda. In putting together this third party response or intervention, pro bono publico, I am quite mindful of the tentative political condition in my dear state of Edo. The crisis in the APC political family, fuelled by some prominent stakeholders in the state chapter of the party is unfortunate. Stakeholders must explore all reasonable avenues to come to an amicable resolution of the crisis.
And, this process must be all inclusive. The decision to save the APC family must be catholic in nature, texture and content. If it requires a great deal of sacrifices, all and sundry must be ready to commit to the process. I must, however, state that nobody should be intimidated or even pampered in the task of salvaging the APC in Edo from those who have constituted themselves to bulls in a China shop.
However, let me take this opportunity to assume, without conceding, that in the event Captain Hosa decides to throw his hat in the ring, he would not have been considered a non-starter by virtue of his antecedents and pedigree. And, if he does not join the governorship fray, it would not be that he could not have done so. It would just be that he considers tendering to his business empires and other acts of charity as equally important and satisfying in building a legacy of value addition to humanity and for appreciation by posterity.
Significantly, these are all conjectures until the man himself speaks or refuses to speak. The late MKO Abiola was wont to mouth the proverb that says: “The hairs on the head of a man cannot be shaven in his absence.” So, it is for Captain Hosa. We are all guilty of trying to shave him clean in his absence. However, I believe that, regardless of rumours doing the round, Edo people should maintain their calm and keep hope alive until they get to the bridge before determining how to cross it.
Edo State is politically sophisticated and the people know what they want. No one can take the people for granted or lead them by the nose in the direction of selfish and bigoted ends. The people will always be in the picture of how their destinies will be forged. And, as for Captain Hosa, I am sure he would be amused about the rumours doing the round and relating with them as mere wishes and imaginations of their authors to cause a needless distraction of focus from deploying his expanding business empire in bolstering economic growth of the nation.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Governor of Ebonyi State and chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, David Umahi, has made it clear that members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in other countries have no constitutional right to issue travel ban on Igbo leaders in Nigeria, especially the Southeast governors.
“We have been able to clear all workers salaries and we are up to date. As a matter of fact, the last primary election that was held on August 29, we paid the salaries of August. That is to tell you that we are up to date as far as salary is concerned.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshionhole has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which ruled Kogi State for 13 years, from 2003 to 2016 did not achieve what Governor Yahaya Bello has achieved just three and a half years in the State.
Musa Wada From Odu in Dekina local government area has clinched the governorship candidacy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Kogi State governorship election come November 16.
Nigeria police has announced the arrest of 125 people caught looting and vandalizing stores suspected to belong to South African business people while South Africa has also announced the arrest of about 300 for alleged attacks on immigrants, including Nigerians that are residence in that country.
Nigeria Minister of Foreign Affairs, Godfrey Onyeama has declared that Nigeria has now drawn a red line with South Africa over constant attacks on Nigerians by the citizens of that country.
Gen Magashi And National Security Agenda, By Yushau A. Shuaib
When Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd.) was announced as a ministerial nominee, I reached out to the former Commissioner for Information and Finance in Kano State, Mallam Garba Yusuf, for an insight into the capabilities of the retired military officer.
I was aware that Magashi had led a 12-man high-powered reconciliation committee of the ruling party in the state, of which Garba Yusuf was a member, which ensured the amicable reconciliation of aggrieved politicians in the State, within the shortest possible time, before the last general elections.
Garba Yusuf said: “General Magashi, as an experienced lawyer, not only meticulously handled the delicate reconciliation process, but through his strategic interventions and guidance, the State witnessed peace and tranquillity after the elections.”
A few weeks later, Mallam Garba drew my attention to the live transmission of the ministerial screening of General Magashi on national television.
A former military governor of Sokoto State during the regime of Ibrahim Babangida and member of the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC) during the Sani Abacha’s regime, General Magashi spoke eloquently and with confidence, while responding to the queries of the federal legislators.
Whilst discussing insecurity in Nigeria, Magashi insisted that infighting among Nigerian service chiefs was affecting the war against insurgency and analogous efforts against other forms of insecurity.
A former Commander of the elite Brigade of Guards in Abuja and erstwhile General Officer Commanding (GOC) the strategic 2 Mechanised Division in Ibadan, Magashi berated the non-cooperation among the service chiefs, as each of them sought to individually appear to his Commander-In-Chief, and the country, as the most conscientious in his remit. He added that the current military command structure is not a true reflection of what should be obtainable in the services and advocated for the restructuring of the armed forces.
Magashi gave an example of his experience as Commander of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) during the Liberian civil war, where he ensured cohesion of all the services maintaining peace, including the police and paramilitary agencies, at that time.
“In an ideal situation where I served as an ECOMOG commander, it was a single unit that was overseeing the needs, aspirations, (and) welfare of our troops in combat zones. In Nigeria today, what we call (the) command structure is now being seen as weakness. We only have divisions probably by name, but I do not think we have the required manpower to man them,” he said
His tour of military formations in the North-East, in his first outing as Defence Minister, was quite impressive. And, some of his statements were quite encouraging and motivational to the troops, as they inspired and admonished them to redouble their efforts in the counter-insurgency operations.
Yet, it was shocking that General Magashi, a retired military intelligence officer and a lawyer, could make a controversial statement during his tour, when he claimed that 22 local government councils in Borno State have been liberated from the grip of insurgency since the inception of President Buhari’s administration on May 29, 2015. Possibly aware of the implication of making such an unfounded claim, he refrained from mentioning the specifics of the so-called rescued local councils.
In my book “Boko Haram Media War: An Encounter with the Spymaster,” I have provided the details, timelines and manners in which more than 25 towns were liberated from the grip of terrorism during the former Goodluck Jonathan administration.
In one of the chapters, I stated that: “At the twilight of Jonathan’s administration when Sambo Dasuki was the National Security Adviser, dozens of towns and cities in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states were recovered and confirmed with video and pictorial evidence through military press releases.
“Some of the liberated towns include, but (are) not limited to: Abadam, Askira, Baga, Bama, Bara, Buni Yadi, Damboa, Dikwa, Gamboru-Ngala, Goniri, Gujba, Gulag, Gulani, Gwoza, Hong, Kala Balge, Konduga, Kukawa, Marte, Madagali, Michika, Monguno, Mubi, Vimtim, among other communities with pictorial and video evidences provided by the Defence Headquarters.
“In one day alone, April 30, 2015, at least 234 abductees (Women and Children) were rescued by the military, who had stormed sections of the Sambisa Forest.
“A clear testimony to some of the accomplishments was the official DHQ release dated March 16, 2015, with reference No: DHQ/ABJ/901/32/DDI and titled: ‘Troops Finally Rout Terrorists from Bama and Last Stronghold in Yobe.’” That was before the coming of the present administration.
It is necessary to point to the new Defence Minister that he should always seek credible and trustworthy intelligence on the realities on the ground before making claims, and more importantly in finding a more lasting solution to the menace of Boko Haram.
The public commentary of Governor Zulum of Borno State, the open letter to President Buhari by Zanna Boguma of Borno, Alhaji Hassan Zanna and media reports on the current situation in the North-East, merely suggest the urgent need for a truly pragmatic approach to winning the war on terrorism in the country.
President Muhammadu Buhari must be commended for deploying huge resources to the security sector, which has enabled the massive recruitment of personnel, acquisition of sophisticated equipment and the upgrade of infrastructure that have been crucial requirements, even though something essential is still missing.
I strongly believe that the current service chiefs, who were top military officers in the previous Jonathan administration, know the strategies deployed between January and May 2015, in the defeat of Boko Haram and recovery of the aforementioned towns. The traditional and political leaders in that axis are also aware of this too. Not every action of the past can be jettisoned, especially when it has to do with the lives of our troops and citizens.
Yushau A. Shuaib can be reached on
yashuaib@yahoo.com