In Defence Of Buratai, By Felix Oduntan

It is widely acknowledged that since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office and the subsequent appointment of Lt. General Tukur Buratai as the country’s top army commander, the incessant bombings of our cities by Boko Haram insurgents have reduced significantly. Indeed, even the worst cynics and critics of this administration can attest that the nefarious activities of the Boko Haram terrorists have been greatly scaled down.
What this translates into is the relative peace that we currently enjoy across the country and particularly in the North East where all the previous occupied terrorists have been recovered by the Nigerian army under the able leadership of Lt. General Tukur Buratai. I am still at sea as to why some vested interests have chosen to wage a needless media war against needless media against the person of General Buratai despite his efforts at ridding the country of Boko Haram.
Before President Buhari’s emergence, our worst nightmare and concern as a people was the rampaging effect of Boko Haram in the North East and other parts of the country.
In the current debacle, some vested interests have unleashed a negative media campaign against the person of General Buratai by raising hell over the ownership of two properties in Dubai. The motive of the false allegations of corrupt enrichment is to taint the anti corruption fight of the Buhari administration and weaken the relentless war being waged against Boko Haram in the North East. General Buratai is known to have spent several years in the service of his fatherland, and in consonance with the laws of the land managed a farm from where he has made significant earnings. Apart from his farming income he has made savings over the years in the course of his career as a military officer coupled with his immediate and extended family earnings. Obviously, from these sources it does not appear as if there was any overt or covert attempt to enrich himself corruptly. Besides, General Buratai has in line with the requirements of the constitution declared ownership of his Dubai properties in asset declaration forms at the Code of Conduct Bureau. The implication of this is that he has complied with the law and there is no evidence that he acquired the properties from corrupt means.
Additionally, his transparent approach to leadership has made him to direct senior army officers to declare their assets and he has led by example.
If we consider the scandalous revelations of corrupt enrichment by some senior military officials under the past dispensation and juxtapose it with the sum of one hundred and thirty million naira used in acquiring the properties, it clearly shows that General Buratai has never engaged in corrupt practice or pillaging of our collective patrimony.
It is therefore surprising that rather than eulogizing him for the success being recorded against Boko Haram, some unpatriotic elements are busy trying to frame him up over what many well meaning Nigerians consider a non-issue.
This grand conspiracy appears to be orchestrated with a view to reversing the gains already recorded in the fight against terrorism. Nigerians must therefore rise to the occasion and lend their support to a man who has vowed to completely eliminate the Boko Haram menace and give Nigerians the much needed peace and tranquility for development.
As a people we ought not to dissipate energy on trivial matters when the reality before us is an attempt by people with ulterior motives to discredit a man who has the capacity and courage to decimate our collective albatross – Boko Haram.
Already, the mindless sect has been routed from various communities they hitherto held sway, and no longer retain the capacity to bomb places at will. Again, this is the result of the work of General Buratai under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. We should not forget in a hurry the traumatic impact of Boko Haram bombings on all Nigerians prior to Buratai coming on board. It will therefore amount to collective amnesia for us as a people to discard these laudable achievements simply because some misguided elements want to use the social media to pull wool over our eyes.
One thing is clear – General Buratai has not infringed on any law as far as corruption is concerned, and it is expected that all well meaning people will lend him unalloyed support, so that the relative peace we currently enjoy can be sustained.
It is my candid opinion that President Muhammadu Buhari in his desire to actualise his promise to Nigerians especially in the area of security made the right choice in appointing Tukur Buratai as the Chief of Army Staff. True to expectations, the world-renowned army commander has within a period of one year contained the marauding insurgents. Presently, many residents of Borno towns and villages who fled their abode are returning in droves and normalcy is gradually returning to the war-ravaged areas.  The man on whose watch this has happened is also deserving of some peace.
. Oduntan, a public affairs analyst, writes from Ilorin, Kwara State. [myad]