Northern Schoolchildren: The New Oil in the Sahel -By Kenny Oladipo

Niger-Delta oil is from proven reserves of decomposed fossils deposited beneath the waves and shores over millions of years. Its extraction and sale sustain the national economy. A debt of gratitude is owed to the people of the area for essentially bankrolling the national budget on a rolling basis, and at a substantial cost to their environment, health, livelihoods and overall well-being. As is typical of the government, the neglect of basic welfare of the people in the region precipitated a security crisis of epic proportion. Pushed to the wall, the people took the situation by the scruff of its neck and dumped it on the government’s lap. The youth in the oil-bearing communities began taking hostages to extort financial and policy concessions from the federal government. It was a lucrative business for the agitators and political gladiators in the communities. The merchandise of kidnapping quickly morphed into a multi-billion naira enterprise whose franchise was cornered by these political titans. 

Essentially, hostage taking was weaponized as a political tool to gain leverage and patronage. The trend continued unabated until the late former President Musa Yaradua negotiated peace and established a de-escalatory framework to bring the worsening security situation under control. The late former president shall forever be remembered as the man that brought peace to the volatile region and set the nation on a sustainable path of growth and development especially in the host communities. When Duty called, Late President Musa Yaradua stepped to the plate and stood up to be counted as Commander-in-Chief. 

The agitation in the Niger-Delta area was however seen in some sections of the North as a deliberate effort to force the nation’s hands into yielding to the political demands of the region. Whether credulous or fatuous, the notion appeared to have some semblance of credence to it. In the aftermath of the struggle, the nation elected a president from the South-South zone. This success didn’t go unnoticed by some Northern Elites. Similar strategy was adopted during GEJ tenure, out of nowhere BH became a substantial security threat to the nation and the tool of choice was, you guessed right, hostage taking. In 2014, more than 270 schoolgirls in Chibok were kidnapped and the GEJ government never recovered from the attendant political fallout. He lost his reelection bid in 2015.

Having mastered the art and craft of political blackmail on insecurity grounds, the North got their man in 2015. A former military leader turned democrat offered hope of ending the security mess. He sounded largely believable given his military bona fides. The renowned no-nonsense general effectively rode the wave of national disaffection and dissatisfaction induced by widespread insecurity to attain his long-running presidential dream. Unfortunately, when rubber met the road and was go-time, the famed war general and strategist fired blank. Did he miss his shots on purpose? or aiming at a moving target? or never loaded his gun with live bullets to begin with? Alas, the sound of the gun was heard but no real bullets discharged. 

Evidently, it’s out of character for the WAI (War Against Indiscipline) mastermind to suddenly lose his grit and gusto, only to look on as savages pillage the villages. Nearly six years into this presidency, the state of security in the nation has deteriorated year on year at an alarming rate. The merchants of death unchecked and unchallenged littered the fields with the bodies and bloods of their unfortunate victims. Instead for the president to lead from the front as Late President Musa Yaradua did; an unelected, unappointed and unconfirmed cleric negotiates with lawbreakers under religious guise without any legal authority from the elected officials and lawmakers. 

The cleric with all due respect cannot be allowed to become bandits/terrorists whisperer, without an independent third-party validation, verification and corroboration of the feedback the public is receiving from him. Who is watching the watcher? Who is vetting and debriefing him after each round of negotiation? If the negotiations have the tacit support of the government (which is ok and nothing to be ashamed of) then formalize it. Let the National Assembly pass a law empowering the cleric to do his assignment. What the country cannot afford is self acclamation or ascription to a role that’s within the sole national security powers of the president without express authority from the president to do so. The president cannot either insource or outsource this power and he must be diligent in the use of the same. If the government is unwilling to address the dire security situation in the country, then isn’t it safe to assume that this is another ploy by the Northern Oligarchy to retain presidential power beyond 2023? Folks, there may be a pattern to this chaos after all. Isn’t something more sinister going on in the dark recesses of Nigeria’s politics? 

The issue with Nigeria is simple, it’s uneven, unequal and unbalanced administration and dispensation of justice. The Law either applies to all of us or none of us. You either arm all of us or disarm all of us. You either protect all of us or protect none of us. When the veil wrapped around Lady Justice’s face is lowered for some groups and the same veil is tightened and doubled up for other groups then you cannot have a just society. If you’re going to permit AK47 guns for herdsmen then permit the same for farmers too. That’s what fairness looks like. Until there’s equal protection or punishment under the Law, the nation cannot evolve into an egalitarian society. 

The presidential oath of office as administered by the Chief Justice is the first principle of presidential expectation or duty required of any individual that’s about to enter the office. For clarity, the full text is herewith expressed. “I, ………….. do solemnly swear/affirm that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Federal Republic of Nigeria; that as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I will discharge my duties to the best of my ability, faithfully and in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the law, and always in the interest of the sovereignty, integrity, solidarity, well-being and prosperity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; that I will strive to preserve the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy contained in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; that I will not allow my personal interest to influence my official conduct or my official decisions; that I will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; that I will abide by the Code of Conduct contained in the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; that in all circumstances, I will do right to all manner of people, according to law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will; that I will not directly or indirectly communicate or reveal to any person any matter which shall be brought under my consideration or shall become known to me as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, except as may be required for the due discharge of my duties as President; and that I will devote myself to the service and well-being of the people of Nigeria. So help me God.” The operative words are Without Fear or Favour, Affection or Ill-Will. Is this presidency in all honesty living up to this dictum? The jury is out on that standard of measure.

Undoubtedly, the eerie silence and body language of this presidency is giving the permission structure to those that seek to do the people harm to unleash terror on fellow citizens. And they won’t stop till the president comes out forcefully against this disorder. If you cannot raise the bridge then lower the river. If you cannot arrest the bad actors then ask them to stop hurting the country in the language they understand and typically speak. A stern presidential disapproval of their activities will go a long way in imposing order on this chaos. And this presidential condemnation cannot be issued via tweets, press statements, short recorded video clips and sound bites, or through media aides. It must be made on a primetime national TV and Radio address translated into all local languages in the country in real time. Otherwise, copycat abductions will persist.

The monopsony of the federal government on national security matters, places the onus of controlling the dangerous security situation on the desk of Mr. President; who alone oversees and commands all the elements of national powers. The federal government as the sole purchaser of munitions, materials and materiel necessary to keep the peace must take seriously the sacred duty to protect and defend the country from all enemies; foreign, domestic, or microscopic. The late former President Musa Yaradua in spite of his failing health at the time which he could have used as an excuse to shirk his presidential responsibilities, chose the more honorable path and brazed the daunting odds. His presidential leadership resolved the recalcitrant Niger Delta crisis. 

Will President Buhari rise to meet this moment of national peril and be remembered as the president that applied the majesty of his office to save the nation from this unending assault on national decency? Mr. President while you may no longer run for elective office, you’re still running for an enviable place in posterity. A sustained season of tranquility, prosperity and security is possible if the political will is present. And it’s not too late to correct course and right this drifting ship of state. All eyes are on the Commander-in-Chief to lead the way once more; to rally a fatigued nation and marshall a beleaguered troop to victory. Summon the same spirit and tenacity that brought you into office after four attempts to drive the nation out of this security doldrum. You have done it before, and surely you have it in you to do it again. A grateful nation will lovingly repay the genuine efforts at getting a handle on this crisis far into the future. 

Kenny Oladipo

Houston TX.

@kindodey