Nigerian afrobeat musician Bisade Ologunde is better known by his stage name, Lagbaja. His signature face mask denotes him as the countrys everyman the faceless individual.

As a Yoruba word, Lagbaja means a person whose name and identity are purposely concealed or an invisible person. He is somebody, anybody, and everyone. He is the soul of the community.

It was pretty interesting, if not surprising, when in March 2021, the Chief of Army Staff, now deceased General Ibrahim Attahiru, appointed Major General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja as General Officer Commanding the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army.

I initially wondered how anyone would bear Lgbj as a name beyond just a generic appellation. I later learned the indisputable factthat the military officer’s family name evolved from his fathers car dealership business, Lagbaja Motors, especially in Osun State.

As the GOC in Enugu, this peculiar Lagbaja in the Army displayed the uncanny leadership trait of being both hot and cool in instilling a high level of discipline among the troops. He sought to refine every manevery officerinto the best version of their professional selves. With his carrot and stick approach deployed in equal measure, there was always the reward for gallantry and good conduct, in tandem with punishment for cowardice and misconduct.

For instance, in June 2022, while inaugurating a general court martial to try some soldiers for alleged indiscipline, Lagbaja stated that the process was to instill overall discipline in the army by punishing erring officers in a manner that would serve as a deterrent to others.

The following month, while honouring some soldiers with brand new motorcycles and awarding them letters of commendation for diligence in their duties, Lagbaja described their performances as laudable while charging other soldiers to emulate the exemplary conduct of the honourees.

After the death of General Attahiru in a plane crash, the new Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Faruk Yahaya, redeployed Lagbaja to Kaduna as the GOC of the 1st Division due to the deplorable activities of bandits and terrorists in that axis, which had become a grave source of concern, and was spilling into and constituting a threat to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

It was in Kaduna that General Lagbaja rose into a household name as he led the battle against violent criminals from the front. Rather than simply mounting roadblocks, he and the troops he commanded waded deep into the forests, taking the war to the enemies in their conclaves.

In the first month of his assumption of office as the 39th GOC of the 1st Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Lagbaja stormed kidnappers dens. He rescued the victims while leading fighting patrols in Manini village, Buruku, Udawa, Manini, Birnin Gwari, Doka, Maganda, Kuyello and Dogon Dawa communities. Apart from eliminating scores of bandits, others were captured alive.

The following month, September 2022, the troops under his command struck the camps of the notorious banditry gangs of Boderi Isiya and Musti, which were responsible for the security breach at the Nigerian Defence Academy, the kidnappings of students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, the attack on the Emir of Bungudu, among other such atrocities.

In the operation, the troops eliminated kingpins such as Musti, Yellow Mai-Madrid, and Dan-Katsinawa, among others, whose battered corpses littered the operational areas, especially along the Tollgate and other axis of Chikun and Sabon Gida.

Similarly, in October 2022, the troops sustained their onslaught against bandits. They recovered massive caches of weapons during the Operation Forest Sanity campaign traversing Maidaro, Kagi Hill, Kusharki and Anguwan Madaki in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area. The clearance operation extended to Sabon Birnin Zartake, Ungwan Lima Riyawa and Tungan Madaki general area, with the interception of numerous fleeing bandits from Kagi Hill.

In fact, from November 2022 till June 2023, the military operations led by Lagbaja as GOC led to the wiping out of many terrorists and the rescue of kidnapped victims, besides the recovery of sophisticated weapons and hoards of ammunition and motorcycles in the general area of responsibility.

The then Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, was so delighted with the various military successes that he regularly issued statements through his Commissioner for Internal Security, Samuel Aruwan, praising Lagbaja and his troops for the commendable feats and notable security breakthroughs made since he took command of the Division.

Likewise, the then Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, through the Army Spokesperson, General Nwachukwu, applauded Lagbaja and his gallant troops for their unrelenting zeal in decimating banditry and terrorism in that axis.

In July 2023, after the inauguration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, General Lagbaja, who was the arrowhead of the successes that troops were recording against armed bandits, terrorists and cattle rustlers in Kaduna and surrounding states, was redeployed to an administrative position in the military high command in Abuja, beyond the operational one that he had made a massive success of.

Since then, Kaduna has not been the same, making me often ask where the Lagbaja of Kaduna was, as we are now very unfortunately inundated with reports of attacks on worship centres, homes and the abduction of vulnerable people, especially women and schoolchildren.

The situation in Kaduna is so disturbing that almost every month, there are devastating stories of woe and routine assault on the people who have now become hapless victims of banditry and terrorism. The PRNigeria Monthly Security Reviews provide glimpses of many of these atrocities.

For instance, in January 2024, terrorists attacked Ungwan Sako, Kunkurai, and Dokan Kaji in Dawaki Ward in Kauru Local Government Area, from where they abducted dozens of people after killing a number of the locals.

In February, terrorists invaded Gindin Dutse Makyali village in the Kufana district of Kajuru and burnt several houses. At least 12 people were burnt to death in their rooms, as it became impossible for them to escape the bandits, who were also shooting sporadically. They also killed the Principal of Kuriga Secondary in Chikun for resisting a kidnap attempt while making efforts to escape with some women. The terrorists similarly invaded Gwada and Kassam in Igabi, as well as areas in Kauru, killing and maiming people. At the same time, scores were also abducted, including a retired Central Bank of Nigeria director.

The month of March witnessed more daring attacks and massive kidnappings. After the daredevil bandits abducted over 280 Kuriga schoolchildren, another group of gunmen opened fire on worshippers during the Friday prayer at a Mosque in Angwar Makera, Kwasakwasa Community, a few days before the commencement of Ramadan.

Terrorists also attacked the Kajuru-Station village and a nearby Dogon Noma community, where over 100 people were reportedly abducted, including women and children, as usual. Similar situations occurred as the miscreants stormed Tantau ward, looting local shops, before fleeing with dozens of men and women herded away like cattle. Even in the Buda community, also in Kajuru, no fewer than 61 people were reportedly abducted in another organised attack.

Kidnappings for ransom payments have become an almost daily occurrence and lucrative businesses for criminal gangs as if the security services are powerless and helpless to stop them.

While it is gladdening that the Kuriga kids’ freedom has been secured after they were held for more than two weeks in the criminals den, I still ask: Cant we get another Lagbaja of Kaduna to re-strategise and lead the troops from the front towards degradations of criminal activities while restoring the peoples confidence in the safety of the axis?

Yushau A. Shuaib, the Author of An Encounter with the Spymaster and Crisis Communication Strategies writes from Abuja www.YAShuaib.com

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What can one do when the terrorists (Boko Haram/ISWAP) who claim to be Muslims living among Muslims are killing Muslims without any mercy?

I just watched a video of Kanuri converts to other religion when the leadership and majority of Boko Haram are from the same ethnic group

What can one do when the terrorists (Boko Haram/ISWAP) who claim to be Muslims living among Muslims are killing Muslims without any mercy? At least 80% of abducted travellers between Maiduguri and Damaturu on the New year days are MUSLIMS.

Only those deeply-knowledgeable on Islam and strong-hearted would never doubt their faith when lunatics create wrong impressions on the noble teaching of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

A Muslim is not only a believer by birth but by studying the holy scriptures, understanding, observing and practicing the tenets and principles of Islam. That is why I am proud to be a Muslim as I campaign against terrorists committing monstrous atrocities in the name of Islam in North-East and elsewhere.

And the NAKED TRUTH IS THAT THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITIES KNOW THEM. Not all of us can be fooled.

Yushau A. Shuaib

www.YAShuaib.com

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babagana-munguno-nsa

General Monguno: Tackling the Inter-Agency Rivalry
By Yushau A. Shuaib

On July 13, 2015, General Babagana Monguno (rtd) was announced as the new National Security Adviser (NSA) by the current administration. He replaced Sambo Dasuki who had acted in that position in the new regime, for over a month after serving as substantial NSA to the regime of President Goodluck Jonathan for about three years.

General Monguno was widely known as a fine, unassuming army officer during his active service years. During occasional visits to my kind in-law, General Garba Wahab and military press officer, Mohammed Yerima at the Army Headquarters about a decade ago, soldiers and officers did refer to Monguno as a Perfect Gentleman in the military uniform. In fact, it was around that period that I learnt he married his anticipated perfect woman, Nafisah Munir while he was an Army General.

Monguno attended King’s College, Lagos and enrolled in the Nigerian Defence Academy 21st Regular Course. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Masters in International Relations.

Some of the positions he held in the military included the Chief of Logistics at the Defence headquarters, Commandant of the Nigerian Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC); Commander, Guards Brigade; Deputy Commandant, National Defence College, and Chief of Defence Intelligence. He voluntarily retired from the Nigerian Army in September 2013 at the age of 56. He left some legacies behind especially on infrastructural development.

On assumption of office as the National Security Adviser, I had the privilege of meeting him and during our encounters, he was very attentive and receptive to good ideas. He is a man that believes in positive and rapid changes on various national and security issues.

Nevertheless, it is obvious that Monguno is neither a typical Nigerian politician nor act like one, especially on issues that require diplomatic manoeuvrings and assertiveness. Probably, as a retired army officer and an architect, he may be looking at things from the precision of architectural designs and military mentality.

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), is statutorily empowered by Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 to coordinate and support “all security, intelligence, law enforcement agencies and military services to prevent and combat acts of terrorism in Nigeria.” Therefore, the office is the most powerful after the Presidency in ensuring effective formulation and implementation of comprehensive security and counter-terrorism strategies through synergy.

There is therefore, a greater expectation that ONSA, must be at the forefront in ensuring an inter-agency collaboration. There is no reason to pretend about the prevailing inter-agency rivalries among security organs, even while they record successes on some fronts, notably the war on Boko Haram insurgency.

Some recent developments are quite worrisome: the heated arguments between the NIA and the EFCC over Ikoyi money; the arraignment in court of Air-Force Chiefs of corruption while shielding past chiefs of other security sectors; the laughable tit-for-tat public parades of members of the Police and NSCDC on flimsy excuses by the same sister agencies; the damning DSS reports on Magu among others are clear signs of intense rivalry amongst the security agencies.

Deeply concerned over the development, the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) recently called on security agencies in the country to avoid inter-agency rivalry which could damage their individual reputation and the government as a whole.

The Executive Secretary of CCC, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (rtd), made the call at a special meeting of the Forum of Spokespersons of Security and Response Agencies (FOSSRA) in Abuja sponsored by Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP).

Anas said: “We have observed some disturbing trends, blame games and breaches in information disclosures among agencies of government in the media. We have also noticed conflicting information, disinformation and rivalries among respective organizations through the media. These developments can damage the reputation of the agencies involved and give Nigeria a bad image.”

Also, the new Chairman of FOSSRA, who doubles as the Director Defence Information, Major General John Enenche urged members of FOSSRA as the spokespersons of their respective organisations to work in harmony and handle information activities professionally and responsibly.

One fact that is of utmost importance is that spokespersons of security agencies have consistently used their meeting platforms to synergise and collaborate in harmonising security information. Through their interactions, they share professional ideas towards eliminating incidences of conflicting sensitive information released to the public by their organizations. However, and unfortunately too, at their level, there is a little they could do to eradicate the conflict.

It is an open secret that, the surest way of getting damaging and destructive information in the guise of classified information, is to look beyond the officially designated spokespersons to the bosses of the organisations who are frequently cited in the media as ‘highly reliable sources.’

For the sake of emphasis and to address this intractable rivalry, General Monguno as the National Security Adviser should devise strategies and method in bringing the leadership of the agencies to a round table for mutual understanding. It doesn’t even need to be elaborate engagements, reaching out to each agency with sincerity of purpose, can play the magic. This is a period where we need to guard against all unnecessary bickering within the security milieu.

Yushau A. Shuaib
www.YAShuaib.com
yashuaib@yahoo.com

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Yushau A. Shuaib with Asagba of Asaba, Professor Chike Edozien in Asagba’s Palace on Sallah Day in 1993

“Daddy there is something else which bothers me. I’m in love with one charming young lady from this place (Southern Nigeria).”– YAShuaib December, 1992

The above quote were the exact words in my harmless and innocent “Open Letter to My Parentsin the North” during my youth service. The letter which was published in some national dailies was one of my articles published during the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) between 1992-1993 in Asaba Delta State.

Surprisingly, some contents of the Open Letter, generated controversies which prompted a rejoinder from the management of NYSC and a summon from Communication Adviser to Governor Felix Ibru, Chief Paulinus Akpeki for clarifications.

Meanwhile, the intervention of Asagba of Asaba, the traditional ruler of my host community, Professor Chike Edozie was the soothing balm that boosted my confidence to serve in Igboland in the Niger Delta. While the government officials and the traditional institutions ensured the safety of youth corps members, especially those from other parts of the country, I nevertheless sustained constructive engagements with the host community through my writings.

Faiths, tribe and culture were never barriers in the relationship between non-indigenes and members of the communities as inter-tribal marriages were prominent features of Delta people. During Islamic festivities, the traditional ruler organised special feasts for Muslims in his palace. On such occasions, Muslim youth corpers, mostly from Northern Nigeria were treated to bumptious meals and non-alcoholic exotic wine.

The generous hospitality of the people, encouraged some corpers to stay behind after the service year. I accepted an offered of automatic employment in the Government House, Asaba as Public Relations Officer after the service. The government of this predominant Christian state in its magnanimity also sponsored my Holy Pilgrimage to Mecca for Islamic obligations.

I was sincere with my reference to ‘young charming ladies’ in the Open Letter because of what I witnessed with my naked eyes. I must confess that before the end of the youth service, some of my colleagues, especially from the North had picked some of those damsels legally or otherwise as their partners which in some cases resulted to marriages.

While I could not confirm if all the female partners were over-age or under-age, since only parents can determine that, most of the ladies looked very mature, intelligent and responsible in every sense. At that period Non-indigenes and corps members were not treated with suspicions but dignified and respected by parents of those ladies who welcomed them to their abodes with open heart.

It is therefore, unfortunate the current unnecessary bickering over the allegations of abduction or elopement, as the case may be involving a young lady, Ese Oruru and a young man, Yunusa Dahiru who left Bayelsa State in the Creek of Niger Delta to Kano a core-Northern state in the Savannah.

After media reports on the alleged abduction, the police have taken over the case by flying the two young Nigerians from Kano to Abuja and later to Bayelsa State. Meanwhile the police have arraigned Yunusa in handcuffs for criminal charges of abduction of the teenager.

In between these periods, the family of the two young Nigerians were being quoted in the media exonerating their wards of any offence. Rather than douse the tension through fair and objective editorials and news contents, some media were busy aggravating the tense situation by provocative coverages of the event that tend to create divisions in the polity.

Some ridiculous reports claim that a popular traditional ruler encourages abductions of young girls from other parts of the country for monetary compensation including limousines and mansions for abductors. Another news item claims the abduction saga is to depopulate a particular region and increase the population of another region.

On the social media, the debate has shifted to abusive rancour with most disparaging derogatory remarks between Muslims and Christians as ethnic jingoists are fanning ember of hatred between Southerners and Northerners.

Meanwhile it has been discovered that Yunusa who had been in love with Ese took her to Kano and claimed that he had converted the young lady to Islam. The conversion seems to be a ploy by the young man to hoodwink his parents and members of his community to accept his proposal to marry the teenager whose age is right for marriage in some cultures.

The fact that cannot be denied is that Ese was neither a victim of ritualists who could have harvested her body parts for diabolic spirituality nor a victim of kidnapers who could have demanded for ransom payments. She was neither a victim of a slave master who exploits the vulnerable into child-labour nor a victim of wicked merchants of infancy who proliferate baby factories for money-making. Ese, and to some extent Yunusa are merely victims of infatuation, foolish love that went awry.

The infatuation exposes the hypocrisy of the selfish political elites and some misguided public commentators jointly playing to the gallery for the purpose of “notice me” with their unwholesome campaigns of ethnic chauvinism and religious bigotry. Rather than managing the saga towards national unity and cohesion, they escalate it with primitive preachment towards self-destruction.

The dirty politics of ‘hailers and wailers’ social media antagonism also came to play where every issue is argued around ‘Goodluck Jonathan’ as an embodiment of Southern Christians and ‘Muhammadu Buhari’ as a representation of Northern Muslims.

The sad reality drama should have encouraged patriotic Nigerians to sponsor a Nollywood movie with central theme of “Love from the Creek to the Savannah” towards promoting love, peaceful coexistence, mutual tolerance for a united country.

While we must condemn the abduction saga, we should not lose our sense of reasoning and decency. We should eschew sectional sentiments and encourage our youths to establishrelationship based on trust, love and respect.

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He said: “While commending the efforts of the Armed Forces so far, you need to brace up and continue to team up with other stakeholders to come up with a well-coordinated joint effort which will bring a desired end to these insurgencies within three months.”

The decoration ceremony came exactly a month after their appointment on July 13, 2015. Therefore with the three months’ notice, by November 13, 2015 or before the end of the year at the latest, Boko Haram terrorism should be history in the country.

Armed with impeccable military career and record of honesty, President Muhammadu Buhari has initiated new strategic measures to address seeming insecurity in the country. He has instructed the location of the military high command centre close to the theatre of war and engaged in diplomatic shuttle to secure the collaboration of neighbouring countries in tackling the insurgents frontally.

In demonstrating abiding loyalty to the Commander-in-Chief, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) swung into action immediately. ONSA is statutorily empowered by Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 to coordinate and support “all security, intelligence, law enforcement agencies and military services to prevent and combat acts of terrorism in Nigeria.” Therefore, the office is the most powerful after the Presidency in ensuring effective formulation and implementation of comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy in the country.

In less than 24 hours of the Presidential directive, the National Security Adviser, retired Major General Babagana Monguno led the security chiefs to the warfront for on-the-spot-assessment and for strategic planning. Those in his entourage included Lt-Gen Abayomi Olonishakin, Chief of Defence Staff; Lt. General T.Y. Buratai, Chief of Army Staff; Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff; Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar Chief of Air Staff and Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase. The only person conspicuously missing is the seeming taciturn Director General of Department of State Services (DSS), Lawan Daura, who rather prefers to acts behind the scene.

More fighter jets and attack helicopters were deployed, with the Chief of Air staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar commanding some of the air missions. Meanwhile, videos have emerged of aerial bombardments and destructions of terrorists’ bunkers and other locations, especially in Sambisa Forest.

The ground troops were not left out as they continue to engage the disorganised and fleeing terrorists in merciless operations using armoured trucks and other sophisticated armaments. Surprisingly, the daring terrorists attempted an ambush on the convoy of Chief of Army Staff during an operational tour of the front. Fortunately, none of the demented terrorists escaped as they met their waterloo from the gallant troops who killed most and arrested others.

It is gratifying to also note efforts being made to address the plight of the traumatised Internally Displaced Persons through interventions of humanitarian bodies like the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The top security officers are currently enjoying the euphoria and the goodwill of President Buhari. The honeymooning of the election victory has been sustained where every appointment, every pronouncement, in fact every action of the leadership of the current administration receive overwhelming endorsements.

While the politicians can play politics with every issue, the security chiefs should remain focused on the job by providing qualitative leadership and improving the welfare of the foot-soldiers. They should sustain the momentum on the offensives against the terrorists by improving strategies on the ground and marshalling new approach to meet the deadline. They should ensure their troops receive sufficient training, adequate equipment, and incentive to motivate them in the war on terror.

The security chiefs should ensure that their spokespersons are not only forthcoming with timely and factual information, they should also encourage media coverage of aspects of counter-terrorism operation, where necessary by embedding journalists in missions.

Since no operation succeeds without cooperation of other stakeholders, service chiefs should sustain the existing inter-agency collaboration and coordination against rivalry, especially on joint operations. In fact they should emulate the harmonious working relationship of their spokespersons under the auspices of the Forum of Spokespersons of Security and Response Agencies (FOSSRA) where every agency is treated equally with utmost respect.

The appointment of people from the insurgency affected areas into top security positions should be impetus for obtaining critical and required intelligence on the real sponsors, sympathisers and embedded terrorists within the communities for prosecution.

While they exert their military might on the undesirable elements, if genuine opportunity for peaceful dialogue opens, the political class could explore it. The Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), a non-governmental organisation, recently disclosed that some Boko Haram elements have approached it to facilitate a dialogue with the government. If such a negotiation succeeds, it may facilitate the release of abducted Chibok girls, end senseless blood-letting and restore peace to the war-ravaged North-Eastern Nigeria.

The security chiefs must acknowledge the fact that the security challenges confronting the country including insurgency, militancy, armed robbery, kidnappings and other crimes, can be reduced through effective intelligence gathering as well as inter-agency collaborations.

The three month deadline issued by President Muhammadu Buhari to defeat Boko Haram is achievable considering that in its twilight, the last administration recovered 22 local government councils from terrorists within six weeks. The ground troops and fighter-pilots who achieved the feat are still the same ones to be deployed for this new task. What has changed so far, is the leadership which is expected to lead the forces in winning the renewed war on terror.

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Yushau A. Shuaib with First Class Igbo Traditional Ruler, the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Chike Edozien during a special event in the King’s Palace in 1993

Exactly 20 years ago in October 1993, I received the Best Writer and Researcher Award while serving as a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Delta State. Impressed by some of my writings and research efforts, Governor Olorogun Felix Ibru consequently offered me automatic employment in the Government House, Asaba as Public Relations Officer in the state Civil Service.

A few months later, another double award of automatic scholarship and NYSC National Honours Award was announced for me by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The honour by the Federal Government also went with an offer of automatic employment in the federal civil service that was not subject to either federal character principle or space availability.

Since then I had found myself working in various organisations as either Press Secretary or Head of Public Relations as I continued to write official Press Releases and personal opinion articles. Some of those organisations include Federal Ministries of Information, Finance, Health, National Assembly, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), National Press Centre and finally National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Since April 2013 when I was recalled from NEMA due to the influence of Nigeria’s Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who had earlier spoken to me on phone alleging that I accused her wrongly in one of my writings, I had made up my mind about the civil service that I had served diligently and professionally without allowing myself to be influenced or intimidated by anyone.

In the course of these past months, my salary was suddenly stopped without any official notification to that effect. I had been summoned, issued letters of queries and confronted with verbal threats in the vain hope that I would retract the write-up and tender an apology. Of course, I stood my grounds in the same way that I had politely declined the minister’s request during the telephone conversation.

Finally on Thursday October 3, 2013, I received a letter of retirement from the Federal Civil Service, which was backdated to June 20, 2013. Though the letter erroneously referred to me as Assistant Chief Information Officer (ACIO) (because as of fact, I had been promoted a Chief Information Officer (CIO) with effect from January 1, 2012), it contained the charge that I was retired for criticising a public officer.

After consultation with my family members, all of who believe that my life is more precious than political and administrative scheming, I accepted my disengagement from the civil service effective today (October 9, 2013) leaving my traducers in the ultimate court of the creator.

I must extend my gratitude to the government of the state where I started my journey in the civil service and its people and to the Federal Government for finding me worthy to be a civil servant of the Federal Republic and allowing me to serve in various capacities in the last twenty years. I have received tremendous support and encouragement from editors of both mainstream media and publishers of online media across the country all of who also showed keen interest in the recent development. I will never be able to show enough gratitude to you all.

I understand the weaknesses inherent in the public service but must express tremendous appreciation for the concern and understanding displayed by some officers in the public service and top members of the Federal Civil Service Commission. For personal reasons, I declined to accede to their friendly advice that I should take certain actions that might enable me keep my job in the service but which I believe would assail my conscience.

Finally, I thank all my colleagues, friends and admirers who have been my pillars of support. I put my trust in God Almighty and rest assured in the solemn belief that Nigeria shall be great.

Yushau Shuaib

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In April 2012, two top Military Generals, one from Nigeria and the other from Israel, made public statements that have continued to generate debates because of the sensitive security positions they hold in governments. General Andrew Owoye Azazi is the National Security Adviser in Nigeria, the most populous Black Country in the world, and General Benny Gantz, the Chief of General Staff of Defense Forces of Israel, the nation widely believed to have the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenal.

While their individual remarks have continued to generate controversies and debates, coincidentally their respective citizens hail their positions while the governments condemn the outburst because of security implication in their respective countries and sub-regions.

Whenever the issue of Middle East is discussed, the confrontational stance between Israel and Iran always comes to mind over the alleged nuclear ambition of the latter. Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Minister of Defence Ehud Barak have threatened to attacks Iran if the international community refuses to take actions. At Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day this year Netanyahu blatantly stated that: “The regime in Iran openly calls and determinedly works for our destruction. And it is feverishly working to develop atomic weapons to achieve that goal.”

The officials in Iran have denied the allegation of seeking nuclear ambition but insisted that the country is only enriching uranium for peaceful energy purposes and that its nuclear program is not a threat to anyone. Countries like the US, European Union, Canada, Japan and Australia are not swayed as they imposed sanctions on Tehran include restrictions on Iranian oil sales, and an asset freeze on certain individuals and organisations.

Probably in response to the anxiety and fear of going to war with Iran through suspected preemptive strikes, Israel’s Military Chief, Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz said he does not believe Iran will decide to build an atomic bomb and called its leaders “very rational”.

Lt-General Gantz’s remarks published in a popular Israeli Haaretz newspaper stated that “Iran is moving step-by-step towards a point where it will be able to decide if it wants to make a nuclear bomb. It has not decided yet whether to go the extra mile.”

He added that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would not make a huge mistake of going the extra mile to make an atomic bomb. In his words: “I think the Iranian leadership is comprised of very rational people. But I agree that such a capability in the hands of Islamic fundamentalists, who at some moments may make different calculations, is a dangerous thing.”

Interestingly, subsequent remarks by former Foreign Intelligence (Mossad) chief Meir Dagan, and former Shin Bet (Domestic Intelligence) chief Yuval Diskin clearly argued in line with General Gantz by criticizing Israel’s political elite on a possible strike against Iran and the unresolved Palestinian question.

While Meir Dagan pointedly said: “This (planned attack on Iran’s nuclear installations) is the stupidest idea I have heard in my life,” Yuval Diskin added that: “Israel is now led by two incompetent politicians with messianic delusions and poor grasp of reality. Their plan to attack Iran is leading to a worldwide catastrophe.”

Similar tempo is being played out in Nigeria. At the South-South Economic Summit in Asaba, Gen. Owoye Azazi, the National Security Adviser who spoke extemporal disclosed that elements within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) helped create the environment that brought about the Islamic sect, Boko Haram. He was alleged to have said: “The issue of violence did not increase in Nigeria until when there was a declaration by the current President that he was going to contest. PDP got it wrong from the beginning. The party started by saying Mr. A can rule, and Mr. B cannot rule, according to PDP convention, rules and regulations are not according to the Constitution. That created the climate for what is happening. Is it possible that somebody was thinking that only Mr. A could win, and if he did not win, he could cause a problem in the society?”

On the Boko Haram, Azazi added that: “It takes a very long period for somebody to train a sniper. But I can assure you that Boko Haram has got to a level of sophistication. There’s a lot that could be done to address the problem. Even if all leaders we know in Boko Haram are arrested, I don’t think the problem will end because of the problem that created the phenomena: religion, poverty, or the desire to rule. I think it is a combination of everything.”

Responses to Azazi were swift from the party in government and the government itself. In a statement, Olisa Metuh, spokesperson to PDP said the party remained united in support of President Goodluck Jonathan, rejecting allegations of practicing politics of exclusion. He described Azazi’s comments as “a poor reflection of the internal workings of the Party and a wrong deduction on the roots of security challenges in the country.”

President Jonathan during his sympathy visit to ThisDay office in Abuja which was attacked by a suicide bomber said: “I don’t believe that it is undemocratic practices in the PDP that could give rise to Boko Haram or any other groups. So probably, people need to ask NSA to explain what he really means.”
Many Nigerians still believe in the remarks of General Azazi which clearly pointed out that more need to be done to address the insecurity in the country through programmes and policies that have positive and direct bearings on the citizenry.

The two Military Generals in Israel and Nigeria have spoken the minds of the majority, including this writer. It is ‘the truth and nothing but the truth’ towards finding lasting solutions to regional insecurity and global peace. Probably sooner or later if Politicians are wiser, we will live to witness Iranian and Israeli leaderships celebrating their unity, while Nigerians from the South and the North will sincerely and strongly believe in the oneness of the country.

This article by Yushau A. Shuaib has been published in the Guardian, Thisday, Daily Trust, Leadership and Nigerian Tribune in May-June 2012

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Suffering and Smiling

It is timely reward that coincides with our Independence Anniversary and the hosting of 8th All African Games in addition to our rating as the Second Most Corrupt Nation in the world. There is a need for special public holiday to celebrate it since the award is not from some home-based social clubs and cultural institutions that are professional praise-singers in getting their palms greased. It was also neither from Sao Tome nor Guinea Bissau, where some mischievous people could have thought that we intimidated them to give us the honour. The news was broken from the United Kingdom, the land of our colonial masters and the Second Superpower as recognized by American Bushman.

Some unpatriotic Nigerians have described the recent happiness medal to the country as an award for suffering and smiling. Even at that, every winner must have suffered before the victory. It is compelling to recall that in the past Nigeria is only receiving Gold Medals for the Most Corrupt Nation on earth apart from its categorization in the comity of poorest nations. It is therefore gladdening to hear the new tidings that the country harbors the happiest people in the world. Upon the breaking news, most Nigerians beam smiles whether out of astonishment, amazement or joy, but a smile always depicts happiness.

Many factors are known to trigger happiness, not necessary in pecuniary gains but in personal success, self-expression, fulfilling family and societal expectations. It may be added that Nigeria did deserve the happiest people recognition because it people can endure any hardship even if the right of an individual is unjustly threatened. They persevere in the face of endemic poverty and take joy in their downfall. Our optimism is an endowment that points to the fact that majority of our populace seeks refuge at worship centres to frolic and keep the faith for better tomorrow. Just think about better future and you forget the present.

But some columnists the like of Reuben Abatis, Sani Zorros, Abiodun Abdulrauf and Kabir Babatundes instead of devoting their writings and pages to eulogize the Happiest Award, have consistently castigated it. The joyous Nigerians may not be surprised that the critics are those who lost out from the recent sharing of political booties in which few of their colleagues were appointed into plump public offices. If they were appointed spokespersons, their voices would have reached the heavens in commending the rare international recognition. By the way who gave the media the right to speak on behalf of fortunate Nigerians over the deregulation of the downstream sector, when the press have selfishly deregulated their cover prices to the joy of their readers?

We know the sponsored of the campaigns of calumny over our enviable Happy and Corrupt Awards. They are defeatists at the last fleece and fare election, where most of the incumbent contestants where almost return unopposed by cheerful Nigerians. Instead of going to the World Court in the Hague, the unhappy and guilty oppositions, prefer to pretend in the Nigerian Court, where they may negotiate with the winners for settlement.

Some unpatriotic Nigerians too, have joined the chorus of skeptics of our prestigious awards that make us the envy of the rest of the world. They childishly claimed that Nigerians are suffering from marginalisation and deprivation. It is necessary to tell these cynics that suffering is synonymous with sacrifice. And to sacrifice in the Nigerian context, is to emulate the most patriotic and hardworking Nigerian who publicly and honestly declared that he sacrifices by spending 240 cowries for staying in a hamlet within an unpopular ghetto, while the rest of happy citizens dwell in palatial habitations. Please the cowries he spends are equivalent to kobo-coins not in millions of Naira.

Credits should go to our politicians who engage our youth into full employment as political thugs, bodyguards and crowd boosters in organized rallies and solidarity visits. That is the reason there is no complaint of unemployment even amongst the jubilant youths. The cheerful entrepreneurs and industrialists are also helpful as they close their companies and invest heavily in sponsoring godsons to emerge as public administrators. In return, the godsons transfer monthly dividends from state coffers to the personal accounts of godfathers and the rest of us remain happy.

In the mood of our happiness we are worried by the greediness of the so-called pensioners who complain regularly of unpaid entitlements. After collecting salaries and allowance all their lives, these old pensioners should spare the young generations and forsake their entitlements. They should go to sanctuaries where they could easily pray for quick passages to reduce the overgrown population. The fate of pensioners is similar to teachers whose rewards, as we have been told repeatedly, are in heaven. If the teachers insisted on receiving their salary here on earth, they should be advised to resign their appointment immediately and join politics where they may be appointed into lucrative positions. Some prophets of dooms complain that Nigeria is unsafe because of our friendly communal and religious clashes, resulting to elimination of very few weak souls. We should deport the detractors of our cordial brushes to neighboring Liberia, Cote Di’voir, Sierra Leone and other brotherly African countries to be experimented in the traditional medical laboratories where their limps would be given face-lift.

We have sufficient impassable and un-motorable roads that give succor to jobless youths and children, who either gladly hawk their wares or gleeful beg on the streets and highways to eke-out living. Also in an effort to encourage self-reliance, the epileptic electricity generation and water supply by public corporation, have boosted our local producers of candles, firewood and pure water for family sustenance.

Though government may ignore the service of public utility, the enthusiastic Nigerians have hailed the recently launched Nigerian Space Satellite which could run shivers of fear into the veins of lesser, though arrogant and ambitious African countries. America and Russia, the Ogapatapatas in space technology have used the same frightening expeditions and explorations to intimidate the rest of the world.

The angry nations may envy Nigerian for not recording a dose of suicide bombing against bad policies and programmes. Even the faceless militants who clamour for resources control and selfish elders who campaign for a sovereign national conference could not stake their life in their agitations but pretend in the struggle for selfish enrichment through secret negotiation with the so-called persecutors. While public officers hardly resign voluntarily in the face of indictment or nonperformance, some legislators recently embark on delightful hunger strikes over deprivation, where they keep adding weight from the effect of the excessive air they breathed during the protest.

To maintain our position as the number one Happiest Nation, we may encourage proliferation of worship centres including shrines to give succor to the poor souls. Our public officers too, known around the world for buying houses and lodging public funds in private accounts abroad should be honoured for making us proud. Afterall it is through the display of such opulence of the few in foreign lands that the world would know that we are truly happy here at home.

As we try to promote our traditional medicine we should encourage our herbalists to take over those ill-equipped hospitals to prescribe their AIDS Cure therapy, life-prolonging herbs and may even start producing Happinesine capsules and Smiledol tablets for export to many angry nations around the world as our major sources of foreign earning.

In conclusion, we should thank the effective leadership of the labour and academia who embark on consistent strikes that enable workers and students ample opportunity for extra vacations to supplement the few public holidays. At least wage-workers received their remunerations for the days and months they are on strikes. We should hail the workers’ strike on the deregulation of petroleum products which is indirect way for a deserved holiday, for joyous Nigerians, to celebrate the Happiness and Corruption Awards. Happiest Corrupt Nigerians indeed.

This article by Yushau A. Shuaib was originally published in Daily Sun Oct21 and Nigerian Tribune Nov, 2003

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I am bewildered by your incomprehensible acts of defiance and boldness when the rich, the powerful, the foreigners and indeed poor masses, where you always claim to belong to, are the victims of your audacity. Not so long ago, you attacked the offspring of our national leader, inspite of her bodyguards; you harassed a state governor and even killed his heroic security guard; you disallow legislators from visiting their constituencies as you lay ambush, probably to get your share of the monetisation policy; you arrest bullion vans including the police escorts and cart away millions of Naira in the process; you saunter into banks in the day light as if they are your offices; and without any emotions you walk into hospitals to terrorize the patients and medical personnel, only to take away lifesaving drugs.

To an ordinary poor citizen, you intimidate him to the extent of asking his family to provide you food and to play music for your amusement. Notwithstanding the desire of your victims to cooperate, you occasionally send breadwinners to the world beyond; rape newly wedded brides, smash the skull of innocent children, naked academicians, invade the houses of God and by extension you humiliate clergymen. The lists of your monstrosities are endless.

Since you have remained the daily issue of discussion by your network of escapades, I wonder if you are not part of the sponsors of the Bill for the Abolition of Death Penalty in our Penal Code. When all the motions passed by the legislators to curtail your cruelty failed, the passage of the proposed bill on the abolition of the death sentence, may give you the open ticket to advance your criminality. Your victims may therefore be ruthlessly annihilated to minimize the rate of witnesses against your arrest and subsequent prosecution. After all whether you are merciful or merciless to one’s life, you not only have assurance, but the guarantee by law to spare you from the gallows.

Sometimes I wonder how you remain an enigma in our national life. It beats my imagination that with the recruitment of more policemen and provision of more vehicles in addition to communication gadgets and bulletproof vests to the security personnel, you are not deterred, it only increases the tempo of your fiendishness. In other African countries including developed worlds, houses are built without fences, but because with your brutal incursions, houses in major cities and even villages in Nigeria, are well fenced with fortifications reaching high heavens and defensive arrow-like decoration on top.

We have listened to some of your grievances that prompted you into your reckless war against the society, even though they do not constitute any justification for banditry. One is mindful of the pain some of you undergone before embarking on robbery. To a degree, one may agree about your inability to secure good jobs, even when overgraduated and overqualified Nigerians, who are unemployed, roam the streets searching for jobs. We are aware that student-members of your group were disenchanted over the frustrative and intermittent closure of higher institutions, which resulted to their idleness and had to take consolation in your devilish workshop. It is also unfortunate that some custodians of our noble culture and religious leaders promote accumulation of wealth from whatever means. While some of your parents refused to give you a proper upbringing by neglecting your childhood, it is public knowledge that some of your guardians too, force you to fend for your self through street begging, touting, area-boying after dropping out from school, if you even started and subsequently graduating to robbery. It is painful too that even though it is the responsibility of the government to provide education and welfare to its citizens, the rich amongst us prefer only to take care of themselves to the detriment of the larger society.

I must admit that none of your parents, and I doubt if you too, would pray to have children to grow into armed robbery. But in the mosques, churches, public and private circles, you are daily cursed and denounced. I wonder if other citizens ever sat down to study and understand the rising crime rate in the society. We have seen emergence of your group cutting across all strata of social class. From rich homes, political class, royal courts, religious families, women’s folk not to talk of drivers and okada riders engaging in this nefarious activities. We learnt about the arrest and police parade of preachers, businessmen and sometimes members of security agencies who participated directly or indirectly in armed robbery.

In fact the rest of us may be guilty of other kind of robberies, which go on unnoticed and unchecked. What can we say about pen robbery, where public officers are alleged to have doctored documents to enrich themselves in service without being reprimanded; armed extortion by which some security personnel robbed their victims through coercion; intelligence robbery, where smart guys cleverly defraud foreigners and Nigerians alike, erotic robbery undertaken by beautiful ladies to seduce and corner juicy contracts without owning an office; spiritual robbery, employed by fake preachers to extort their followers; Oil robbery, in which bunkerers and connected barons illegally siphon our natural resources for export to their foreign accomplices; political robbery, in which the politicians hoodwink the electorates only to fail to deliver and instead undertake fictitious projects to embezzle the public funds. In fact there is even GSM robbery by which some operators charge subscribers on failed connection and extremely poor services. From the aforementioned robberies, an individual may make a profit that is higher than what the entire armed robbers generate.

While the society keep condemning your behaviours, it would be fair if we all rise to the occasion and cooperate with you in taming the menace of this ill in the society. Though no sane person could pray to have an armed robber within the family, no one knows what a child may become in future. It is therefore the responsibility of all of us to work assiduously at checking the threat of this ill.

The governments at all level must address the need for welfare for its teaming youths, by engaging them in activities that would improve their morale and encourage them to work towards self-reliance and the development of the economy. Back to farm policy and self-help projects are veritable-tools applicable at the moment. Since must of the arrested suspects always confessed of taking hard drugs to enable them commit their nefarious acts, the relevant agencies should arrest the situation by blocking the promoters of those illicit drugs and confiscate their properties to serve as deterrent. Programmes of activities such as sports, farming, small scale industries etc. need to be formulated that would keep the teeming youth busy at all time. Occasional camping in decent environments with recreational facilities could be provided for social interactions. Religious leaders and respectable elders in the society can be invited for interaction and healthy dialogues in those centres.

Considering the fact that government’s actions so far, in conjunction with National Assembly passed resolutions to stop your further exploit but to no avail, the individuals in the community have a stake to ensure that the crisis is reduced to a barest minimum. Every member of the society is a potential victim whether one is surrounded with all the advanced security networks or traditional charms. Therefore, each household should bear the number of children they could sustain economically and provide them with sound education. They should also strictly monitor their behaviour and that of their peer groups who have greater influence in molding their character and characteristic as they grow up. The parents should also disabuse the mind of their wards on the craze for wealth considered as the source of all-evil by admonishing them on the virtue of self-contentment with the little their right-hand purchases. They should guide them against some foreign and local movies that promote ostentatious life and violent crimes. In fact, a lot must be done by the government, the society, individuals and spiritual institutions in stopping this atrocious rampage.

While I pray to God to change your devilish way of life and join the righteous ones, I may find it difficult to give you my address which may be in Aso Rock, Army Barracks, Central Bank or even in places like under the bridge, cave, prison and slum areas. But I give you the benefit of my name, which several people bear, so that you may not think I am a ghost of your numerous victims.

This article by Yushau A. Shuaib was originally published in Daily Trust September 12, The Sun September12, New Nigeria September 12, Nigerian Tribune September15, Daily Independent September 18, Daily Times Oct6-7, 2003

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