Please PMB Act Quickly On Insecurity In The North -By Abba Dukawa

“A kingdom can endure with unbelief, but it cannot endure with injustice” Usman bn fodio

In 2015  general elections One of the major promised  APC used during its campaign to the restoration of security North East which at the time was the worry of every single individual in the country. Five years later, the situation has not improved, it has in fact escalated and extends to many other regions like northwest and north-central. Today these two regions have turned into war zones with bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists killing, kidnapping, and raping innocent unarmed civilians unchallenged. 

Looking at the gory security situation in Nigeria today, a serious national emergency for which PMB was voted into power, we can say without mincing words that Nigerians have been failed by this administration. And woefully so. It was under the watch of our perceive Messiah President the North came across something’s called banditry and kidnapping that cost the lives of thousands.  For Mr. President and his handlers clearly knew that Northern votes secured his first and second term,  northerners absolutely have the right to voices out in their demands that the administration, rewards their loyalty in real terms. By protecting the lives and properties and most importantly their economic well being.  Let me remind you concluded your speech at Chatham House UK by said you cannot change the past. But you can change the present and the future. So before you are a former military ruler and a converted democrat who is ready to operate under democratic norms and is subjecting himself to the rigours of democratic elections for the fourth time. You may ask: why is he doing this? This is a question I ask myself all the time too. And here is my humble answer: because the work of making Nigeria great is not yet done, because I still believe that change is possible, this time through the ballot, and most importantly, because I still have the capacity and the passion to dream and work for a Nigeria that will be respected again in the comity of nations and that all Nigerians will be proud of. 

To be honest, Nigerians’ hope has been dashed and the trust reposed on present administration has been betrayed. Buhari’s five years in office were characterized by insecurity, banditry, kidnapping, economic recession, and other untold hardships. It’s apt to quote him @MBuhari, In 2015, you said it was a big disgrace for the previous administration to deal with insurgents for 5 years to the extent of seeking help from neighboring countries. Now, in his 5 years in office, not only is BH existing, but others.

In the early stage of Buhari’s administration, he boldly declared on national television that the militants had been “Technically Defeated” that “Technical Victory”, it is apparent, is fast becoming a Pyrrhic Victory with the renewed wave of attacks by the insurgents on soft targets. Initially, the military made some gains, recovering lost territories. But the honeymoon did not last long. Boko Haram regrouped and carried out vicious attacks, overrunning military posts, and killing security operatives. The question remains: what transpired between then and now? President Buhari’s promise was to ensure effective and adequate security of lives and property. Nigerians believed him base on PMB’s status as retired General a position he was not picked from ground and also a  war veteran and also  GOC 3rd Motorized Bridget this is enough for him to tackle insurgency and high rate of crimes in control.  Unfortunately, this hasn’t happened and  It is complete treachery of the role the state should play to its people.

The only team of newest and opportune ones are being appointed by the administration not able to see or admitted the failure of the administration inability to fulfils this right The constitution of Nigeria granted such power of providing the security to citizens under the Exclusive List in the Constitution, security is the responsibility of the Federal Government. But the federal government seem not doing enough.

The first order of the state is to protect the lives of citizens and the inability to fulfill this constitutional provision is indeed a saddest of all.  Both the leaders and the led knew that the citizens’ need for security was the basis of the social right between the citizens and the state, therefore citizens security should be a fundamental right and entitlement for every citizen. Just recently Katsina state governor honestly admitted that they have failed the people adding that I never expected the behaviour and the attitude of the people living in the forests, the bandits, whose behaviour is worse than that of animals. In the forest, a lion or a tiger kills only when it is hungry and it doesn’t kill all the animals, it only kills the one it can eat at a time. But what we see here is that the bandits come to town, spray bullets, kill indiscriminately for no purpose, and no reasons whatsoever like the recent massacre of the people at Faskari and parts of Dandume local government areas. They just killed the people. One may find it so difficult to juxtapose the constitutional and primary responsibility of the government with the prevailing situation in the country under the watch of President and state governors where scores of people have been killed on daily basis, hundreds of others have abandoned their homes.

On reality privately or openly concerns Nigerians are voicing their fear and reservation on the federal government’s responses on the state of insecurity bedevils the country. Despite PMB’s lamentation about the worrying security situation, still retain the service chiefs, whose strategies have not won the country any victory against criminals. The question, therefore, that President Buhari and his team of praise-singers must answer is: why has he chosen to retain his service chiefs even in the face of deteriorating security situations and why would he come to the open to express such shock, when he has blatantly ignored all advice and opinions that he should experiment with some fresh hands in the capacity of service chiefs?

The administration failure in protects the lives and properties of the citizens is indeed a saddest of all. Mr. President, you need to have capable and willing hands around you, listen to them, and engage them. Change the present security chiefs if you don’t keep paying them if only for charity, but please secure us.

When I read President Buhari’s broadcast to the Nation on Democracy Day, I was seriously confused if the speechwriters are really conversant with the issue of the security deteriorating in the country. Or Mr president read it before addressed the Nation   It is the same thing President repeating every day which we’re yet to see any significant change. The speeches show that the administration and its securities apparatus are not on top of the situations because each passing day the lives of Nigerians are mimed in senseless killed by armed bandits and others. The addressed really shows that  Mr president either has not accurately briefings on truest situations of state if nation insecurity by the security or not on real pictures of what happens in the prone areas.

These bandits displaying a certain degree of impunity scatter themselves and walking freely. Hence, security personnel finds it difficult to contain the attacks even before the COVID-19 pandemic which the president claims criminals taking advantage of COVID-19 restrictions. When and how Security Agencies will pursue the perpetrators and bring them to swift justice. However,  still in respect of where one came regardless of political affiliations  Nigerians keep  calling on the Federal Government to deploy more security agencies,  and fighter helicopters to the security prone and    Let them comb all the forests and eliminate these bandits.

President Buhari promised Nigerians that he will lead Nigeria to prosperity and not adversity, which will ensure that administration reforming the economy and security. But this has not achieve in five years of the administration.  Knowing fully that these new Buharist and appointee knows PMB’s popularity and massive support behind him has been badly ruptured going market shops and stalls one will hear and see the pains peoples going through because peoples believe that the administration appeared helpless in finding solutions to insecurity as well as poverty in the North. Like President and his aides know better One of the most important qualities of a leader includes integrity, accountability, empathy, humility, resilience, vision, influence, and positivity. While management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could.  But the administration lost this chance especially the first one year in office  Am sure with kind of much and overconfidence that most Nigerians had on the administration can inspiring citizens to do the right things.

One thing that we all know that Nigeria is our country and on this country of ours, we still have many problems to solve – problems concerning our political organization, problems concerning the economic organization, problems concerning social life and cultural life of our people in the country and concerning our security of lives and properties. Find people who are good, honest, and knowledgeable enough to represent your vision, and who can be trusted with huge responsibilities. You need to trust more.

Almost every day there are stories that make them shiver with the way the administration is handling critical issues that affect Nigerians. Nigerians are alienated, angry, and fed up with the way things going on in the country because there is not many convincing pointers supporting the once fearful GMB. One of the most important qualities of a  leader includes integrity, accountability, empathy, humility, resilience, vision, influence, and positivity.  While management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could.

Peoples are tired of excuses and verbal threats which criminals laugh at, considering the escalation of attacks by bandits, rustlers, and insurgents leave the only conclusion that the people of the North are now completely at the mercy of armed gangs who roam towns and villages at will, wreaking havoc. It would appear that both federal and state governments have lost control over protecting people of the North, a constitutional duty that they swore to uphold. The situation is getting worse literally by the day. Bandits and insurgents appear to sense a huge vacuum in political will and capacity which they exploit with disastrous consequences on communities and individuals.

Dukawa wrote in from Kano and can be reached at abbahydukawa@gmail.com