I was disturbed watching videos of a young man dressed in designer outfits, adorned with expensive wristwatches, wearing exotic shoes, displaying bags of costly perfumes, and being chauffeured around in flashy vehicles. His entourage includes a motley crew of well-armed bodyguards with sophisticated weapons, attendants, allies, and hangers-on, whether striding with him in processions or moving in long convoys. To top it off, he even took to the skies in private jets.

What is evident is the young chaps clear cultivation of celebrity culture, steeped in material flamboyance, whether in balling with music superstars like Davido, driving about in supercars and hosting associates to flamboyant gourmet dinners which are all deliberately videoed for showboating on his social media platforms, for maximum publicity.

What I found deeply disturbing was that this young man, who goes by the name Abba Yusuf Bichi, is a Nigerian. Yet, with his over two million followers on social media, he remains largely unknown among the hardworking Nigerian businessmen and multimillionaires who could afford such a life of extravagant opulence.

Surprisingly, he shares a name in a manner that appears too close for comfort with a humble, modest, and result-oriented spymaster Yusuf Magaji Bichi, the Director General of the Department of State Security Service (DSS). Could they hail from the same fast-developing Bichi Emirate Council of Kano State? I havent bothered to verify, as it ordinarily would seem absurd to associate the pompous and flashy young man with the accomplished spymaster.

Spymasters play a pivotal role in intelligence and covert operations worldwide. They lead and manage sleuth networks while overseeing critical tasks related to national security, counterterrorism efforts, and other clandestine endeavours on behalf of the state.

Due to the delicate nature of their veiled assignments, spymasters function behind the scenes. They ensure that their family members, spouses, children, and even parents remain shielded from public scrutiny to avoid unnecessary exposure.

The spymaster we know well, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, boasts extensive intelligence work experience. He has performed in various operational roles before assuming leadership positions within the Department of State Services as its Director-General.

Many within the security and intelligence services can attest to Bichi’s professional integrity. For instance, Chief Peter C. Nwaoduah, one of the longest-serving directors-general of the DSS (1992-1999), vouched for his competence and dedication.

In a foreword to a book on the legacy of Yusuf Bichi, Nwaoduah wrote: “The personality in whose honour this collection was put together is not used to being celebrated. If anything, he would be embarrassed, if not blushing! Bichi is known to be taciturn, even indifferent and shy to take credit for the numerous services rendered to the Nation.

“Bichi is used to everyday life packed with action fast-paced and non-stop in the protection of his fatherland! He is addicted to his job. He always has been, and this explains why, from the beginning, he chose a life of being an operative of what Nigerians call The Secret Service or The Secret Police.

“He had a successful first outing and, after that, retired! But again, service to the Fatherland came beckoning. It was not what he prepared himself to do again. He needed a quiet life after retirement. However, imbued with patriotism, he was back to work!”

Similarly, the shortest-serving DG of the DSS (August to September 2018), Mathew B. Seyefa, narrated their relationship, which spanned some 40 years. As he recounted, they joined the service on the same day, and their first point of convergence was their mutual attraction for Mallam Aminu Kano’s enduring legacyan epitome of modesty, populism, and aversion to primitive material acquisition.

Seyefa emphasised, “People change when power is entrusted to them, but Bichi, as DGSS, has remained his simple, unassuming, warm, and unflappable self.”

Therefore, it is not surprising that on several occasions, the DSS, under Bichi, has issued warnings to Nigerians regarding the dangers of flaunting wealth in public. In one such advisory, the service stated that ostentatious displays of affluence pose a significant security risk and attract the attention of criminal elements, including kidnappers and bandits.

Since flaunting wealth endangers the individual, the family, and the broader community, the Secret Service advises citizens to adopt moderate lifestyles and avoid unnecessary show-offs.

One may wonder about the real background of the young celebrity, Abba Yusuf Bichi. And while his means of livelihood remain shrouded in mystery, he maintains predictable routines. He boasts an ostentatious attitude akin to Yahoo Yahoo boys, who expose themselves easily to security scrutiny and public irritation, often leading them to hire legions of security agents for protection as they embark on their various acts of ridiculous and conspicuous material exhibitions and consumption.

While public officers and businesspeople are urged to lead modest lives appropriate to their positions and income, ostentatious displays of questionable affluence should be discouraged due to their negative impacts on society. The seeming glitter of these highly impressionable displays can lure vulnerable youth down perilous paths, including the yield to fraudulent activities, prostitution, and even money rituals.

However, it is essential to differentiate between these so-called celebrities and genuinely accomplished and wealthy individuals. True wealth often resides in modesty and humble lifestyles, even amidst enormous financial success. The overnight flaunting of opulence by money-miss-road celebrities serves as a bad influence, inadvertently signalling to impressionable youth that material wealth is attainable through any means, including illicit ways. Moreover, such displays attract the attention of violent criminalskidnappers, armed robbers, and banditsworsening crime rates in society.

Nigerian youth must be encouraged to acquire digital literacy and financial education. Wise investments can secure their future without resorting to criminal activities. Additionally, safeguarding personal information in todays digital age is crucial. Even cybercriminals exploit such data for extortion and attacks. Citizens should remain vigilant and take measures to protect themselves and society.

Meanwhile, to stem the tide of reckless wealth flaunting, responses like those recently taken against naira abusers should be activated. Relevant law enforcement bodies, including anti-corruption and revenue agencies, should scour social media accounts to find many who might be engaged in opulent displays, verify their sources of income and tax compliance, etc., and ascertain their social rectitude. Prosecution should follow where necessary.

It is fascinating how two individuals sharing the name Yusuf Bichi can lead vastly different lives one in the spotlight of luxury and the other a conservative dwelling in the shadows of covert operations.

By the way, who is the young and over-protected celebrity?

Yushau A. Shuaib is the author of “An Encounter with the Spymaster.” www.YAShuaib.com, yashuaib@yahoo.com

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It was on August 23, 2021, that a man in a black suit walked into our office at 9.30 am. He introduced himself as the Protocol Officer in the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy and announced that the Minister, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, would arrive at our office by 11.00am.

Prior to that, we had sent out invitations to the Minister and the agencies under his Ministry, to a close-knitted and private event of a book presentation in our modest conference room at PRNigeria Centre, Wuye District, Abuja

While aware of the fact that a Monday morning is usually a hectic period for many chief executive officers, we had kept our expectations moderate and hoped that at least the Minister and the CEOs of associated agencies would send representation to the event.

As we went about organising the sitting arrangement of the anticipated guests with the protocol officer, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, arrived, followed shortly by the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of cognate parastatals of the Communications Ministry.

The CEOs included Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Muhammad Abubakar of Galaxy Backbone Limited, Dr. Abimbola Alale of the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), Engr. Aliyu A. Aziz of National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC), Dr. Ismail Adebayo Adewusi of Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) and Mr. Ayuba Shuaibu of Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF)

We were flabbergasted and exhilarated in equal measure by the arrival of the minister at about a quarter to 11 a.m, before the start of the event, which is highly unusual for an official of his calibre in Nigeria. Following this, our premises became a beehive of uncommon activities.

Before that day, the last time I had met the Minister Face-to-Face was in August 2020, when I led editorial members of the Economic Confidential publication to his office for an interview. That encounter motivated one of our staff writers, Inyene Ibanga, to develop a keen interest in covering the Information Technology sector, going forward.

As a Mass Communications graduate, with a Master’s Degree in Public Relations, Ibanga not only started filing in reports on the sector but he equally wrote weekly articles on Digital Innovation, with a particular focus on activities at NITDA.

By July this year, Inyene Ibanga, who currently edits TechDigest, had developed a remarkable portfolio of published articles on the digital economy sector in Nigeria and other related developments in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Blockchain technology, Big Data, the Internet of Things, cybersecurity, social media, among others.

In realising the paucity of literature on the Information Technology sector in Nigeria, the parent company of our publications, Image Merchants Promotion (IMPR), which was declared the Most-Creative PR Agency Worldwide in 2020 (check Statista), decided to compile and publish Ibanga’s articles into a book form entitled, Digital Innovation for Prosperity in Nigeria.

The book comprises eight chapters of 40 well-researched and articulated subjects, with the chapters of the book including, “Enhancing Start-ups”; “Strengthening Innovative Solutions”; “Managing Data for Productivity”; “Protecting Cyber Security”, and “Accessing E-Learning”. The other chapters consist of, “Promoting Digital Inclusion”; “Transforming the Way of Doing Things” and “Advancing the Digital Economy.”

Analogous issues and areas mediated upon in the book include elucidations on the smart city, smart campuses, digital transformation, disruptive technology, e-commerce, e-learning, e-tourism, fact-checking, the Industrial Internet of Things, virtual reality, augmented reality, e-voting, among others.

We were delighted, at the compilation stage of the book, when the Minister accepted to write the Foreword. And, in his recommendation, the erudite scholar and professor of cybersecurity noted that the “book will help expose its readers to the benefits of digital innovation and digital economy.”

As earlier mentioned, with the arrival of the Minister, the programme started with a welcome address by Chairman of the Board of IMPR, Dr Sule Yau Sule, who hailed the rapid development of the digital economy in Nigeria, with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) being the fastest-growing sector of the economy.

Whilst speaking in the same vein, the DG of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, who was also celebrated at the occasion for clocking two years in the saddle, expressed excitement that the well-thought-out policies, initiatives and promotion of digital innovation, as engineered by the Minister, are already yielding huge positive results.

As I reviewed the book, I informed our August visitors that the compendium explores ways in which Nigeria does not get left behind in the deployment of technology for providing solutions to economic challenges. The book also examines the roles of regulatory bodies, especially NITDA in the promotion of Information Technology across all the spheres, through the development of frameworks, standards, guidelines, regulations, and policies.

As the Special Guest of Honour, the minister commended the contributions of IMPR’s titles in constructive engagements and the media coverage of various sectors.

Pantami said: “The publications of IMPR, especially PRNigeria, Economic Confidential and TechDigest have demonstrated the quality of evidence-based journalism.”

Speaking on the book, the minister noted the author, Inyene Ibanga, as highlighting how digital innovation has led to surging economic prosperity in Nigeria, within the framework of the ground-setting and key initiatives of the Ministry of Communication with the full endorsements of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Minister, therefore, urged Nigerians to develop the habit of reading, as “Readers are leaders”, and that all noted world leaders are people who spend quality time reading.

Speaking on behalf of all other special guests at the occasion, the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Garba Danbatta praised the author and the publisher for the compendium on ICT in Nigeria, and with special reference to the significant milestones that have been attained by NITDA.

In commending the excellent synergy and rapport among the chief executives of agencies under the Ministry of Digital Economy, Mallam Yusuf Alli, one of the directors of IMPR, used the opportunity of the closing remarks at the event to also laud the rare leadership of Prof Pantami.

Mallam Alli, who is an award-winning investigative editor further stated that other ministries and agencies of government in Nigeria could learn a lot from the unity of purpose of these officials, as exemplified in their collaborations for the development of the country, alongside their humility, brilliance, intellection, and high senses of responsibility.

Days after, while the magnificence of that event still resonates, the coming together of a rich calibre of personalities to reflect on Nigeria’s digital journey so far, on a unique Monday Morning, is not only a great honour to many of us who have been toiling to produce information that enhances Nigeria’s image, but also a memory that will remain indelible in our minds for a long time to come.

To the August visitors, especially, the enviable Professor of Cybersecurity, we are indeed highly indebted for the surprise visit and kind words. As PR people, not just communicators, we cherish friendship and the sense of brotherhood through constructive engagements towards a greater nation.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Editor-in-Chief PRNigeria and Economic Confidential
www.YAShuaib.com

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The story of Major Generals Lucky Irabor and Ibrahim Attahiru, the new Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff, respectively, is like that of two blood brothers following one another.

Before their appointments as service chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari, Irabor and Attahiru were Commander and Deputy Commander at the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC Minna) of the Nigerian Army, located in Minna, Niger State.

Established in 1981, TRADOC is a research-oriented formation in the Nigerian Army. It is nevertheless dreaded by many officers who regard it as a kind of Siberia, a dumping ground or a quarter-to- retirement construct for senior officers who have fallen out of favour.

In reality, TRADOC is charged with doctrinal training and combat development, while supervising and coordinating research and development of all training schools, depots and the command college of the Nigerian Army.

Before the establishment of the Nigerian Army Resources Centre (NARC) in 2015, TRADOC had served as a major senior think-tank and a liaison centre between the Army and educational establishments, in ensuring the professional development of officers. It also serves as a corps headquarters for directing the operational tasks of various divisions of the Army that are on deployment.

Annually, TRADOC conducts and supervises the Senior Staff Course Qualifying Examination (SSCQE) for officers in the ranks of Major and Captain across all Army formations. This examination is a major prerequisite for officers to attend the Senior Staff Course in Nigeria or subscribed staff colleges overseas.

While Irabor, an Igbo from Agbor in Ika South of Delta State, was born on October 5, 1965, Attahiru, a Hausa from Doka in Kaduna State, was born on August 10, 1966.

Irabor is a member of Regular Course 34, whereas Attahiru is a member of Regular Course 35 of the Nigerian Defence Academy. They have both served as Theatre Commanders of Operation Lafiya Dole, the central counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency outfit of the Nigerian Army in North-Eastern Nigeria. It was Irabor, as Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, who handed over the leadership of the unit to Attahiru on May 30, 2017.

General Irabor, the new Defence Chief obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University and Master’s degrees from the University of Ghana, Accra and the Bangladesh University of Professional, Dhaka. He is an alumnus of the National Defence College, Bangladesh and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, USA. He also attended the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) and Ghana Armed Forces Staff College, Teshi, among several other military courses.

Attahiru obtained a Graduate Diploma from the University of Nairobi, Kenya and holds Master’s degrees from the Nigerian Defence Academy and Salford University in the United Kingdom. Attahiru also attended the National Defence College, Kenya; the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Special Forces Academy, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province,; Bournemouth University, United Kingdom; and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy.

Major General Lucky Irabor has held several appointments in the course of his career. Notable among these were the Nigerian Defence Academy Adjutant; Commanding Officer, 515 Signal Regiment; Commander, 53 Signals Brigade; Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of Army Staff; Coordinator, Nigerian Army Aviation; Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole; Force Commander, Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF); and the Chief of Defence Training and Operations.

Similarly, before his most recent posting, General Ibrahim Attahiru held top military positions, including serving as Deputy Director Office of Military Secretary; Spokesperson and Director, Army Public Relations; Commanding Officer, 146 Battalion in the Bakassi Peninsula; Commander, 13 Brigade (Pulo Shield) in the Niger Delta; and the General Officer Commanding 82nd Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu. He was also Deputy Chief of Policy and Plans at the Army Headquarters; Chief of Defence Transformation and Innovation; and Chief of Defence Logistics, at Defence Headquarters Abuja.

In terms of foreign operations, both Irabor and Attahiru in their ‘follow-follow-brotherhood’ have undergone tours of duty with the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), and served in peacekeeping with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) and the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), where they were honoured with medals and awards at various times.

The two Generals brought relative stability to the North-East region while they were Theatre Commanders of the counter-insurgency effort at different periods.

In fact, Irabor, as the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole in 2016, was responsible for the capture of Alargano forest, the acclaimed spiritual base of Boko Haram, and the rescue of thousands of civilians, including two Chibok girls earlier abducted by terrorists. He also led the MNJTF in the clearance and domination of the towns of Gashigar, Arege and Metele in the North-East, as well as the destruction of several terrorist camps and IED-making factories in the Lake Chad Basin.

Meanwhile, as Theatre Commander, Attahiru created dugouts along the crossing points of the Boko Haram terrorists, to deny the group freedom of action and stem the conduct of their nefarious activities, before launching Mobile Strike Teams (MSTs) to reinforce the Mobile Brigade Concept (MBC) adopted in the Theatre to facilitate the quick defeat of the terrorists. At least five top commanders of Boko Haram and over 70 of their fighters were killed in the offensive, while 72 other members of the terror group surrendered to the Nigerian troops through non-kinetic and coordinated media operations he commissioned.

Even with their closely related professional attainments, yet in terms of personal dispositions, Irabor could be diplomatic in approach on necessary exigencies, while Attahiru is noted as being quite rigid on the levels of military discipline and operations.

With the appointment of these new service chiefs, the next counter-insurgency campaign should not only be aimed at the deadly Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists but it must also be targeted at their informants and the communities that harbour terrorists. It is undeniable that terrorists do not drop from outer space to launch their attacks on troops, travellers and other innocent citizens, as they are also located in the same communities that Nigerian troops are trying to protect.

Therefore, in the two remaining years of President Buhari’s administration, the military should deploy sophisticated surveillance equipment for intelligence gathering, and to tackle informants and communities that are protecting and harbouring terrorists. It is high time the government puts an end to these treasonable acts of sabotage of the security and well-being of the country, which also undermines the effectiveness of our gallant forces and leads to the unfortunate erosion of their numbers.

The new service chiefs including Rear Admiral Auwal Z. Gambo, Chief of Naval Staff; and Air-Vice Marshal Isiaka O Amao, Chief of Air Staff. should be aware that is not how long they are in office that really matters, but the swiftness of the sea-change in the impact that they bring to bear on Nigeria’s deeply deteriorating security situation, towards the reclamation of national safety and stability. As they set out in their new, even if highly formidable engagements, may the best of their efforts be all that our country needs in restoring its balance.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Author “An Encounter with the Spymaster”
www.YAShuaib.com

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Yushau Shuaib and his parents

Most tributes are written to eulogise the dead and not the living. I often ask the questions: Must our guardians and mentors die before we honour them by commending their outstanding qualities and exemplary lifestyle as enduring lessons? How sure are we that we would not leave before the demise of such beloved ones, as we constantly defer or procrastinate about giving honour and expressing appreciations when due?

My father, Imam Abdulhameed Shuaib Agaka is very much alive, continuously playing a major role in my life, and generally being a source of wisdom for life situations in our very regular chats. I sincerely can understand the deep sense of loss of those who have lost their parents; some too early in life.

As a significant part of the reflections on my 51st birthday today, I wish to celebrate this courageous and resourceful man of God and father of mine.

With ancestry from the Kanuri nationality of the great Kanem-Bornu Empire, whose vestiges survive in the present Borno State, Imam Abdulhameed was born into the family of Imam Shuaib Said, a renowned Quranic teacher and Islamic leader in Agaka, a community with close proximity to the Emir’s Palace and the Central Mosque in Ilorin Emirate of Kwara State.

Yushau Shuaib as a child

Apart from teaching the children of the royal families and artisans about Islamic knowledge in the ancient city, the family’s Quranic Centre hosted one of the oldest handwritten Quran, reputed to be over 200 years old. Imam Said sponsored his male children to the best Arabic and Islamic Schools in Nigeria, with some of them attending Markas in Lagos and the Arabic Teachers’ College in Sokoto. My father attended the School for Arabic Studies (SAS) in Kano before proceeding to Bayero University Kano, where he obtained a Ph.D in Quranic Morphology and Arabic Grammar.

In the tradition of our family, my father ensured that we, his children, went to the Quranic Madrasa at tender ages, the Islamic School for secondary education, before permitting us to pursue other fields of endeavour at the tertiary level. Constantly showering us with gifts, especially when we performed well in schools, and applying the cane – the traditional African discipline enforcer known as Bulala and Koboko – when we misbehaved by performing woefully. He nevertheless allowed us to play, not only for fun but also for physical exercise, and raised us to be strong and fearless when it comes to calling a spade by its name. He still teaches us about the power of prayers and fasting, and the significance of “being our brothers’ keepers” till date.

In my father’s sojourn in Kano, he was the Head of Arabic Studies departments of top institutions of learning, including the School for Arabic Studies, the Women Arabic Teachers College and Aminu Kano College of Islamic and Legal Studies, among others. He has equally been a guest lecturer and Islamic preacher at various higher institutions, and during notable Islamic events. Even while ever busy as a scholar who regularly travelled when we were young, he has always been an overprotective father, closely monitoring our progression in life. He provides us a sense of physical safety and emotional security, with words of encouragement and assurance, and citing mostly verses from the Holy Quran and Hadith.

Yushau Shuaib and his beloved younger brother, Yerima Abdul

Due to his deep commitment to scholarship, he turned his homes at Kofar Nasarawa and Kofar Dukawuya in Kano City to semi-hostels for accommodating relatives and students from far and near, who come to school in the ancient city. Apart from facilitating the admission of some of the students into different institutions, he provided them with free meals, and paid the tuition of a number of indigent students, many of who grew close enough to become extended members of our family.

It wasn’t until I came into adulthood that I realised that many of those who I called ‘brother’ and ‘sister’ were not my father’s biological children, due to his non-discriminatory attitude among all of us. Although, back in the day, out of childishness and unfathomable jealousy, I once asked him if the equal treatment he meted out to everyone was necessary. He replied that: “You will be treated the way you treat others.”

When cakes were not yet fashionable, he had special ways of ‘spoiling’ us on our birthdays, with specially prepared Tuwo and Amala, which came with assorted meat. Also, preparatory to Islamic festivals, he purchased and distributed large yards of clothing materials to family members, relatives, neighbours and even the poor in the community. I enjoyed participating in cutting the yards of materials and labeling them with names of beneficiaries. On Sallah Days, we helped him in distributing minted coins of ‘Kobo’ to kids and the needy from currency pouches.

Imam Abdulhameed Shuaib Agaka

After the demise of our grandfather in 1996, my father, Dr. Abdulhammed Shuaib, voluntarily retired from the service of the Kano State government and accepted his appointment as Imam in Agaka, within the Ilorin Emirate in 1998.

He has committed his life to the service of God and humanity, as he facilitates the establishment of worship centres, offering educational scholarships to indigent students, providing guidance and counselling to the distressed and sponsoring Islamic moral teachings in radio programmes through a foundation named after him.

Even though in old age, with its attendant health complications, he remains in good humour and is persistently cheerful. A thoughtful jokester, my dad lifts our spirit and makes us smile and laugh a lot about life. He once asked me, “Where can we find a medic who will recommend sweet drinks and tasty meat for healthy living?” Also at the peak of the coronavirus infection curve, when elderly people were yielding to the infection and becoming victims of the pandemic in drones, he asked if we could pray for him to ‘depart the stage’ during the holy month of Ramadan. We obediently refused, and the mercy of the Almighty Allah has spared his life to survive till this moment, and very hopefully for many more years to come.

Yushau and his father, Imam Abdulhameed Shuaib Agaka Phd

While he stands behind me, as a strong moral pillar and prayer warrior who boosts my courage and confidence, he always tells me that ‘tolerance and compromise are not signs of weakness but tools for peace and relationship building.’ As an Islamic scholar, he buttresses his points in relation to various issues, while citing copious verses of the Holy Quran and the Hadith in fascinating acts of story-telling.

I’m still proud to be referred to as a “daddy’s pikin,” though devoid of the connotations of a pampered offspring. I will forever cherish his tutelage and guidance. In fact, after his initial reluctance, he ultimately supported me in the choice of a career in communication, which is also a channel for public outreach on a purposeful and virtues-driven experience. Apart from his unfaultable counsels on my family, works and matrimonial relationship, he guided me in making good investment decisions, such as in acquiring my first pieces of land in both Kano and Ilorin Emirates for residences.

Yushau and his father Imam Abdulhameed Shuaib

Dr. Abdulhameed Shuaib, our very dear patriarch, an honourable father, friend, and community leader, is an exemplar of good conduct, a reliable confidant, moral teacher, spiritual healer and my superhero. He is not only one of the friendliest dads ever, he also provided motherly care when it really mattered, easing the burdens of his children and saving us from pain.

Alhamdulillah, I am proud and blessed to have Imam Shuaib Agaka as my father as I pray to Almighty Allah to continue to bless him with good health, peace of mind and the uncommon wisdom that crowns decades in the service of God and mankind.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Author and PR Practitioner

The post PHOTOS: A Tribute to My Father, Imam Shuaib Agaka- YAShuaib appeared first on YAShuaib.

It was a tactful foresight, the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari in appointing people from Borno State into strategic positions in government, especially in sensitive areas that could address the challenges of terrorism in the country.

Nigerians expected that the Boko Haram insurgency would be history within fours years, with the appointments of the late Abba Kyari as the Chief of Staff to the President; Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd.) as the National Security Adviser and Lt. General Tukur Buratai as the Chief of Army Staff, because they are all from Borno State, the epicentre of Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria.

Yet, the seeming rivalry between these top officers from the same state is an open secret. It would be recalled that before his death from COVID-19, Abba-Kyari was at the centre of a leaked memo from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), as well as the alleged redeployment of military personnel attached to Monguno’s office, on the order of Buratai.

Following the death of Abba-Kyari, one would have expected a smoother relationship between the brethren from Borno who are at the top of the Nigerian security architecture, especially in tackling the menace of terrorism and armed banditry, which not only impacts gravely on the situation in their home state but also that of the North and larger Nigeria.

The ONSA is statutorily empowered by the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011, to co-ordinate and support “all security, intelligence, law-enforcement agencies and military services to prevent and combat acts of terrorism in Nigeria.” On the other hand, the Nigerian Army by convention is the lead agency on counter-insurgency operations and other joint military operations involving the deployment of ground troops. Therefore, Monguno and Buratai have unique roles to play in ensuring safety, security and stability in Nigeria through a collaborative battle against criminal elements and other nefarious malefactors.

It was therefore not surprising that after spending two months with the troops in the North-East, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukuru Buratai held a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and his Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari at the Presidential Villa on June 8.

Immediately after the meeting, Buratai told journalists that there have been “tremendous” achievements in the fight against the insurgents, and he expressed the hope that the security situation in the country would soon improve.

He said, “the troops are putting in their best and that has resulted in the tremendous successes we are recording. The fight is still ongoing and over 1,429 of this Boko Haram terrorists have been neutralised and we have arrested over 166 Boko Haram terrorist informants, their spies, couriers on logistics and their coordinators in the villages, the towns, and even the forest.”

Surprisingly, a few days later, over 80 people were killed, including soldiers and citizens, while hundreds got injured when the seemingly degraded Boko Haram terrorists invaded Gubio Village and Monguno, the hometown of the NSA in Borno.

Concerned about the unfortunate development, President Muhammadu Buhari had to quickly summon the Nigerian security chiefs to an emergency meeting on June 18.

Speaking on behalf of the President after the meeting, General Monguno castigated the service chiefs over their weak strategy and coordination in tackling insecurity. He also expressed displeasure at the lack of synergy amongst the security forces and charged them to work together in solving the security challenges.

Monguno stated that: “Mr President expressed great concern over the declining security situation in the country. He is extremely unhappy about what is happening and he feels that, even though the security agencies are doing their best, their best is not good enough for him and (he) wants an immediate reversal of the current trend and immediate reversal of our misfortunes in all their dimensions.”

In a similar interview in Hausa, Monguno specifically made a reference to one of the service chiefs as being ‘egocentric.’

Surprisingly, a few days later, a newly formed group, the Military Writers Society of Nigeria (MWSN), lashed out at Monguno over his attack on the service chiefs, especially the Army Chief, Lt. Gen. Buratai.

The group, led by one Dr. Abubakar Mohammed Sani from Borno State said that despite receiving billions of naira from the national treasury, many Nigerians still do not know what the NSA and his office have been doing to engage insurgents and terrorists, particularly through the identified carrot approach to bringing the present security challenges in the country to an end. It therefore asked Munguno to account for how security funds have been utilised under his stewardship, as this is barely impacting on resolving the security situation in Nigeria.

While one may question the rationale behind the NSA’s indictment of the service chiefs publicly, over a mission he is expected to coordinate, yet the seemingly sponsored attacks on him by those who appear to be supporters of the Army Chief are an addendum to the unnecessary distractions to the ongoing war on terrorism.

It is quite painful that while the blame-game went on unabated, Boko Haram fighters allegedly abducted some women and girls in a village in Biu Local Government Area, which is a mere stone’s throw from Buratai’s natal town. A day later the terrorists killed 9 soldiers in another attack on a military convoy on Damboa-Maiduguri highway

Despite the foregoing, the war on terror requires the sort of inter-agency collaboration that would ensure the effective formulation and implementation of comprehensive security and counter-terrorism strategies to address the protracted crisis.

Just as I clamoured in one of my recent articles, and for the sake of emphasis, towards addressing the seemingly intractable rivalry, the NSA and Service Chiefs need to devise a strategy that would involve the burying of their various differences and evolving a new collaborative security effort in the national interest, going forward. This is a period in which we need all hands on deck and to guard against unnecessary bickering within the security enforcement community.

In strategic communication, golden silence is apt, when actions become louder than words. Equally, credible bodies are better third-party endorsers, other than the recourse to charlatans parading as media consultants who merely aggravate a crisis.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Publisher PRNigeria and Author of Crisis Communication Strategies
yashuaib@yahoo.com

The post Persistent Insecurity: Monguno, Buratai and Inter-Agency Dilemma appeared first on YAShuaib.

The aftermath of unveiling the Digital Economy Complex built by Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) has been the negative commentaries in the public space over the seemingly frosty relationship between the Minister of Communication, Dr. Isa Aliyu Pantami and the Executive Vice President of the NCC, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta.

The event in mention was to showcase facilities in the complex and announce the coming into full operation of the newly established Emergency Communication Centres (ECCs) for responding to distress calls on security challenges, health problems, and even the spread of the deadly Coronavirus in Nigeria.

In the presence of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister allegedly broke the protocol three times, while attempting to stop the NCC boss from mentioning the Commission’s achievements in a speech. There is also the allegation that a day earlier, at the pre-conference briefing as part of the lined-up events, Dr. Pantami had cautioned Professor Danbatta to remain silent while he (the Minister) was speaking about his academic qualification, among others. There are several other allegations pertaining to misunderstandings on policy issues due to the deteriorating relationship between the Minister and CEO of the Commission that are too disturbing to be discussed here.

While there are instances where master-servant relationships exist between some Ministers and the heads of agencies under their supervision, however there are relevant laws that define what the relationship between ministries and the parastatals under them should be. As instance, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) are organisations under the direct or indirect supervision or guidance of the Ministers of Finance, Petroleum, Justice and Information respectively. Still, these establishments enjoy independence from the ministries under whose oversight they are.

It is even shocking to realise that Dr. Pantami and Prof. Danbatta are Northern intellectuals and academics, not politicians, whose relationship ought to be devoid of partisanship and political sentiments. While Professor Danbatta, from Kano State, obtained his B.Eng and MSc degrees from the Technical University of Wroclaw in Poland, Dr. Pantami, from Gombe State, obtained his BTech and MSc qualifications from the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) in Bauchi.

Danbatta obtained a PhD from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) and lectured in Bayero University Kano for more than 30 years, where he taught courses in telecommunications engineering and electronics and held the academic positions of Head of Department and Dean of the Faculty at different times.

Pantami, on the other hand, obtained his PhD from Robert Gordon University in Scotland and lectured for 10 years in ATBU, where he taught courses on multimedia and software engineering, before his appointment as Head of Technical Writing at the Islamic University of Madinah in 2014.

Apart from other positive innovations in the telecommunications industry since his appointment as NCC boss, Professor Danbatta ensured the completion of Emergency Communications Centres across the country to promote and enhance public safety through a toll free three-digit number, ‘112’, as the Universal Emergency Communications telephone number in Nigeria. The toll-free number can help distressed persons access help from the Police, Road Safety Corps, Civil Defence Corps, Fire and Ambulance Services and emergency responders.

Prior to his present duty call, some of the major successes of Dr. Pantami had been on his beat as Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). There he had not only been at the fore of organising strategic capacity building initiatives for the information technology sector, but he had equally been responsible for enforcing the Nigerian Guidelines on Local Content Development and Data Localisation Regulation. This remarkable feat had resulted in an unprecedented increase in the patronage of locally assembled devices, IT service providers and the repatriation of substantial data assets of the Federal Government, which had previously been hosted outside Nigeria.

Immediately, on his appointment as Communications Minister, Dr. Pantami had, among other things, tasked the NCC to link Subscriber Identification Number (SIM) cards, with National Identification Cards (ID cards) and Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) as a means of checkmating criminal and terrorist activities in the country. This action drew the ire of the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, who threatened to kill him.

While one may appreciate the burning desire of public officers to enable the provision of needed positive impacts in the lives of citizens, they also need to be aware that the public office is a position of trust, which is usually transient. One may be a Director today and become a Minister tomorrow and vice-versa, just like the current Minister of Youths and Sports, Sunday Dare was simply a Commissioner under Professor Danbatta in NCC, only last year, before his elevation into the Federal Executive Council. Public officers should keep finding ways of reconciling their differences, without exposing their acrimonious antagonisms to the public glare.

Meanwhile, the idea behind the Emergency Communications Centres was mooted in 2003 when the National Assembly enacted the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA), with Section 107 of the legislation mandating the NCC to promote and enhance public safety through the use of a particular number, while also facilitating the prompt deployment of reliable end-to-end infrastructure for emergency communications needs throughout Nigeria.

Yet, due to the bureaucratic red tape, political bickering and egocentric behaviour of major actors in the sector, this dream could not be realised over a long period. I recall from my time as a spokesperson at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in 2009, the failure of the then Minister of Information and Communication, the now late Professor Dora Akunyili to reconcile the positions of the incumbent Director General of NEMA, retired AVM Mohammed Audu-Bida and the then NCC boss, Ernest Ndukwe on the modalities for the operation of the Emergency Communications Centres. The disagreement had eventually hindered the realisation of the project at that time.

As the nation deals with the emergency situations arising from the global Coronavirus pandemic, the Presidential Taskforce inaugurated by President Buhari, as the central coordinating body on the COVID-19 response in Nigeria, need to painstakingly coordinate the activities of responders on the levels of security, logistics and mass care, in support of the anti-Coronavirus campaign.

With regard to this, the Emergency Communications Centres could be activated to process and attend to the distress and emergency calls from the public in this most crucial of national tasks. And, since NEMA is statutorily empowered to educate the public on disaster prevention and control measures, as well as to coordinate and facilitate the provision of necessary resources for curtailment activities, the agency and other critical stakeholders should be co-opted into the endeavours of the task force.

With NEMA currently under the supervision of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sadiya Faruk, the existing National Disaster Response Plan (NDRP) could also be activated to manage and respond to the Coronavirus epidemic beyond just phone calls.

The NDRP, which serves as a policy guideline for disaster management in Nigeria, is a multijurisdictional, multi-sectoral, multi-disciplinary and multi-resource initiative, has aspects that can be implemented through the Emergency Communications Centres. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has done so well in providing updates on the health status of Nigerians, availability of testing and other facilities, alongside contact tracing of infected persons, it should not be burdened with other components of crisis management, which are information, security and logistics related.

The presidential task force and other important stakeholders involved in seeking a resolution to this epidemic need a structure for the systematic, coordinated and effective delivery of federal assistance, and other levels of support to address the consequences of the current emergency. As such, the newly established Emergency Communications Centres, with its easy to memorise toll free 112 number, could play vital roles in this regard. Hence, the need to swiftly douse any brewing controversy around this vital information structure among the sector leaders, and quickly bring the operations of the Centres up to the presently required speed in enabling disaster response at this crucial period.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Author of “Award-Winning Crisis Communication Strategies”
yashuaib@yahoo.com

The post Pantami-Danbatta Squabble: Averting A Communication Sector Crisis appeared first on YAShuaib.

“My namesake, I commend your relentless counterinsurgency media campaigns against our enemies, on a pro bono basis without a penny from the military. Please sustain the tempo.” – General Yushau Abubakar

General Buratai, the above message was sent to me by the first Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Yushau Mahmood Abubakar, when he was redeployed to the Nigerian Army Headquarters as the Chief of Training and Operation in January 2016. He later died in a very mysterious accident along Damaturu-Maiduguri road two months later in March 2016. It is one of several goodwill messages receive from top military officers and soldiers. I must also appreciate your goodwill message too when I voluntarily retired from the public service last year.

As you are aware, this is not the first open letter to you or article that I have written about you and the Nigerian Army under your watch (https://cutt.ly/burataimemo). I am writing presently to draw your attention to the highly libelous and defamatory rejoinder written about me by one Terrence Kuanum, who is allegedly working as a contractor/activist for and supported by the Nigerian Army.

In his over 3000 words-long defamatory piece, reveling in insidiously false claims, Mr. Terrence labeled me a Boko Haram supporter, ISWAP propagandist and that I was on the payroll of terrorists, while offering his distorted and apparently suborned response to my recent Memo to President Buhari on the Service Chiefs.

In that Memo, I had argued on the need for the present service chiefs to be let go when the ovation is still audible, and after giving the best of their skills to the nation, while also allowing for a smooth progression in service through the promotion of other competent military officers to the Next Level. My argument was anchored on the necessity of enabling a new cadre of officers and set of competencies to come through in the national security architecture, if the war on terror in the country must be won.

Yet, President Buhari has the right to decide otherwise, since he has signed the revised, though restricted, document on the Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service for Nigerian Armed Forces Officer (HTACOS) in 2018, which now includes a provision stating that: “Notwithstanding (retirement age or expiry of tenure), the President, C-in-C reserves the prerogative to extend the tenure of CDS/Service Chief irrespective of his age or length of Service.”

From available records and an Internet search, the activities and statements of the said Terrence revolve around his membership of a so-called Global Amnesty International Network, a National Coalition Against Terrorism, an obscure website known as Television Nigeria (TVN) and other shadowy groups to support the Nigerian Army.

Surprisingly, in his deliberate effort to incite the military and the victims of terrorists against me, on the basis of false accusations, Terrence compromised the websites of highly credible, as well as notoriously incredible media platforms, by planting his offensive article, mostly without the knowledge of the publishers and editors of some of these platforms. Subsequently, about 15 of these media have had to delete the highly libellous content from their websites, while offering their profound apologies.

Considering the gravity of the false accusations and information that he has been sharing, coupled with the criminality of spreading fake news and hate speech, through the breaching of the standards of a number of media platforms, I have since petitioned security and intelligence agencies, including the Police, National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Department for State Services (DSS) to investigate these allegations and the motive behind the malicious attacks I have been subjected to. I have also provided these agencies with the details of the web links and screenshots of the websites on which this defamatory information has been circulated.

Surprisingly, more than two weeks after my petition, Terrence seems untouchable, as the security agencies have not been able to take any action on him, even as he has had the audacity to publicly launch a book in Abuja last week, where he blamed the victims of terror for being their own nemesis.

I feel disappointed that after serving critical institutions in Nigeria, the system appears not able or willing to protect one from malicious, inciteful and false allegations that could possibly lead to the loss of one’s life. Yet, only recently, security personnel arrested the young Editor of an online medium, the Webmaster of this medium, alongside one of its reporters, and arraigned them in court in another state over a harmless investigative report against drug addiction that was carried out. How come drawing attention to the sinister motivation behind such a grave matter as the false allegation of Boko Haram membership, which could possibly subject one to lynching, is being treated with levity?

General Buratai, sir, since your appointment as Chief of Army Staff, after your sojourn as the Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in Chad Republic in 2015, I and my organisation have reported the activities of the Nigerian Army at no single cost to the Nigerian Army till date.

When the alleged Dubai property of your family went viral, our platform, PRNigeria provided the other necessary perspective on the issue to the Nigerian public, on the basis of the information and documents provided to us by your associates and a presidential spokesperson. (https://cutt.ly/burataidubai)

During the Shiite-Army fracas in December 2015, our medium, in close liaison with your spokesperson, became the major source of syndication of news and videos of your appeal to the protesters before the situation went awry a few days later (https://cutt.ly/buratai).

We have also provided credible intelligence and engaged in and supported strategic media censorship for the protection of national security. These are facts that your respective spokespersons and spy chiefs can easily attest to pertaining to our professional integrity and ethical practice.

It, therefore, beats my imagination that a fellow associated with, patronized and allegedly funded by the Army could be allowed to disparage my reputation to no consequence till date.

My appeal to you as the Chief of Army Staff is to be wary of those who may be dropping your name or that of the military to engage in silly activities and criminal offences.

I also urge the security services to be fair and just in protecting and treating Nigerians equally before the law, especially on cases involved heavy cybercrime offences.

I trust that your sense of professionalism and reasonable conduct would make you investigate and call those behind this unfortunate situation to order. Thank you.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Founder PRNigeria and Author of An Encounter with the Spymaster

The post Memo to General Buratai on Alleged Army Consultants appeared first on YAShuaib.

Since his election as governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has endeared himself to the people by his unassuming disposition, gender equality initiatives, developmental programmes and the prompt payment of the remuneration of workers.

In fact, in October 2019, Kwara ranked third on the list of states that had attracted huge foreign investments, recording an accumulated inflow of $1.14 billion. It was next to Lagos and Abuja.

It was therefore surprising that the gender-friendly and youth-centric administration of Governor AbdulRazaq would commit a public relations blunder within a year of its first tenure by destroying Ile-Arugbo, a popular charity home for the aged (particularly old women) established by late Abubakar Olusola Saraki, the father of the former governor of the State and Senate president, Bukola Saraki.

The compound of the home had served as a constituency office where old and young beneficiaries converged to receive relief materials, financial support and health care services, as part of the philanthropy of the late politician’s family.

The government should have considered several factors before taking such a delicate decision in an environment riven by mutual suspicion and political sentiments that could easily revive the alleged old rivalry between the major patriarchs in the power elite of the Ilorin Emirate, including the Belgores, Gambaris, Akanbis, Oniyangis, Gobiris, Sarakis and AbdulRazaqs.

There is no denying the fact that the AbdulRazaq and Saraki families have huge influence in Kwara because of their very rich credentials and huge contributions to the development of the State. Nevertheless, there has been a seemingly strained, no love lost, relationship between the two families, reputed to have been passed down by their patriarchs, Alhaji AbdulGaniyu Folorunso (AGF) AbdulRazaq, an iconic legal luminary and the late Dr. Oloye Olusola Saraki, a renown political juggernaut in his days.

Born on November 13, 1927 in Onitsha, Anambra State, Alhaji A.G.F. AbdulRazaq is a Pan-Nigerian who attended secondary school in Buguma, Rivers State, obtained a law degree from the University of Ibadan, Oyo State and established his law firm in Zaria, Kaduna State. In fact, he was the first legal practitioner in Northern Nigeria, who subsequently became appointed as national legal adviser of the Northern People’s Congress.

Meanwhile, Dr. Olusola Abubakar Saraki was born on May 17, 1933 in Ilorin and attended Eko Boys High School, Lagos, before proceeding to University of London, and St George’s Hospital Medical School, London, for his medical training. On his return to Nigeria, he worked as a medical officer at the Lagos General Hospital and the Creek Hospital.

Apart from serving as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Cote D’Ivoire and a Member of Parliament in the Northern Regional House of Assembly, the senior AbdulRazaq was equally Minister in charge of the railway in the First Republic, and the first Commissioner for Finance in Kwara State. He also established the first private secondary school in Kwara State, Ilorin College (now Government High School, Ilorin), which provided affordable education for the children within the immediate and surrounding communities.

Although the senior Saraki failed in the 1964 parliamentary election for Ilorin as an independent candidate, he was nevertheless elected a senator in 1979, and became the Senate Leader. He was re-elected into the Senate in 1983, before the military took over political power shortly afterward. Subsequently, the elder Saraki set up a bakery and other ventures for empowering people in the state

Alhaji AbdulRazaq, who holds the traditional title of Mutawali of Ilorin, has groomed young people who became successful administrators and businessmen. He is also blessed with children that have excelled in different fields of endeavours, notable among who are the immediate past Chief Finance Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Isiaka AbdulRazaq; Senator Khairat Gwadabe; Barrister Alimi AbdulRazaq; Hajiya Aisha Lawal; and the current governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

On his own part, elder Saraki, who held the traditional title of Wazirin Ilorin, was instrumental to the elections of many of the former governors of Kwara State, including Adamu Attah in 1979; Cornelius Adebayo in 1983; Shaba Lafiaji, 1992; Mohammed Alabi Lawal, 1999; and his son, Bukola Saraki in 2003. His daughter, Gbemisola Rukayat Saraki was also elected as a member of the House of Representative in 1999 and a Senator in 2003, while his son emerged Senate President in June 9, 2015.

The rivalry between the two powerful Kwara families manifested in an interview granted by Alhaji AbdulRazaq to TheNEWS magazine in 2010, where he claimed that the Saraki family was not from Ilorin. The distinguished diplomat then said that Dr. Olusola Saraki’s father, the late Alhaji Muttahiru Saraki, who was a businessman across West Africa, had informed him about their ancestry during a discussion.

In Alhaji AbdulRazaq’s recollection: “He (Alhaji Muttahiru Saraki) asked me where I come from. I told him I am from Ilorin. Alhaji Saraki said he was an Egba man from Abeokuta. By this time, I did not even know the existence of Olusola Saraki. So, the man told me he was from Abeokuta, but he went to a Quranic School in Ilorin at Agbaji, an area reputed for Islamic scholarship. The man with his own mouth told me he was an Egba man from Abeokuta, not an Ilorin man. This was in early 1963.”

Alhaji AbdulRazaq also disclosed that Alhaji Muttahiru Saraki had later introduced his son, Olusola Saraki, to him, at a time when he was studying Medicine in London. He recollected that at their first meeting, as the younger Saraki had stretched out his hand to shake him, but his father slapped him instead. However, he managed to calm the elder Saraki down. After the meeting, the father informed him that he was putting the younger Saraki in his care, stressing that he should, “Take care of him for me.”

Meanwhile, the families have always been on opposing sides of the political spectrum, contesting against each other in elections for decades. In 1979 Alhaji AbdulRazaq contested the gubernatorial election under the Great Nigeria People’s Party (GNPP), while Saraki sponsored Adamu Attah under the National Party of Nigeria (NPN); also, in 1999, Dr. Alimi Abdulrazak contested for the Kwara governorship under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against the Saraki sponsored retired Admiral Mohammed Lawal of the All People’s Party (APP).

In 2003, Bukola Saraki contested for governorship of Kwara State under the PDP, against AbdulRazak’s in-law, Mohammed Lawal; and in 2011 AbdulRahman AbdulRazak constested under the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) against the Bukola Saraki sponsored Fatai Ahmed of PDP. Later in 2015 AbdulRahman AbdulRazak contested for the Senate under the PDP against Bukola Saraki of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

It was only in the year 2019 that Sarakis were defeated as the AbdulRazaq family won all the seats they sponsored and supported under APC, including that of AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as governor, against Saraki’s sponsored candidate, Razak Atunwa of the PDP. In fact, it was the year that all the candidates sponsored by Bukola Saraki were defeated woefully at various levels of election.

Meanwhile, since the interview of the patriarch of the AbdulRazaq family about a decade ago, neither Dr. Olusola Saraki nor his children responded or showed any sign of the rivalry between the two families, until after the demolition of Ile-Arugbo.

In a statement he signed, Senator Bukola Saraki described the revocation of the family’s land as ‘the height of vengeance’ against his father, adding that quite unfortunately, Governor Abdulrahman had been attacking his father’s legacies from the moment he came to power.

“This action is clearly a manifestation of vengeance … in his narrow-mindedness, the governor believes his victory at the polls is an empowerment, entitlement and enablement to settle scores, provoke and pursue inter-family rivalry… His open antagonism against my late father and his legacies is unwarranted and will not be tolerated,” he said.

Speaking in the same vein, the Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemisola Saraki accused Governor AbdulRahman of using security agencies to settle old generational family political scores in what she described as an ‘unwarranted assault on her late father’s heritage.’

While stating that that “revenge cannot be a policy thrust of governance,” she rounded off by saying that, “We must stand up against vindictive politics, driven by envy, motivated by jealousy and practised without integrity.”

My take in this family feud is that both patriarchs had been pathfinders, pacesetters and philanthropists who not only inspired and motivated younger generations to excel in their different endeavours, they had also provided employment opportunities, scholarships and financial support to their people.

In this regard, therefore, the children of these distinguished patriarchs and families should sheathe their swords and embrace dialogue to enable mutual understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

Kwara State should not be turned to a battlefield through heightened tension, like a state in Nigeria where due to a slight misunderstanding, the leader of a religious sect was shot and arrested, his properties destroyed, while his family members and followers were equally killed and nothing happened because of the powerful position of the aggressors in the polity.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Author, An Encounter with the Spymaster
yashuaib@yahoo.com

The post Ile-Arugbo: Beyond the Politics of Saraki-Abdulrazaq Feuds in Kwara appeared first on YAShuaib.

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
Author of An Encounter with the Spymaster
yashuaib@yahoo.com

The post General Magashi and the National Security Agenda- By YAShuaib appeared first on YAShuaib.

“Our country is bedevilled… (by) multifarious security challenges by which each agency must bring its wealth of experience and comparative advantage to compliment the effort of another”- DG DSS

The current Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi Magaji made the above remarks in his keynote address, while hosting the meeting of the Forum of Spokespersons of Security and Response Agencies (FOSSRA) on April 24.

The Forum was established in 2013 by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to enhance synergy and collaboration amongst critical institutions that deal with issues of security and its challenges in Nigeria.

As a sensitive security organ, the ONSA is statutorily empowered to coordinate the activities of military, security, intelligence and response agencies in combating terrorism, cybercrime and major issues affecting the wellbeing of the state in Nigeria. It is a known fact that during the previous administration, the ONSA hosted regular meetings of security and service chiefs in addressing issues that could create conflict in society.

While the meeting of the security chiefs was held almost every other week in ONSA, the meeting of FOSSRA was held rotationally among member-agencies every month until June 2015.

It is of utmost importance to highlight some instances when FOSSRA’s interventions doused tension and stabilised the polity within a climate of heightened agitations and security concerns in the country.

In June 2014, the then National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki officially tendered an apology to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal, who was allegedly harassed by joint-security operatives at an international summit on Farmer-Herder Crisis in Kaduna. Both the former NSA and the Speaker are from the same royal family within the Sokoto sultanate, even if of different statuses. (Link: http://bit.ly/31HNERy)

Similarly, in one of the Army-Shi’ite altercations in Zaria, also in July 2014, during which some members and children of Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky were killed by Nigerian soldiers, the Chairman of FOSSRA, who was then the Director of Defence Information, General Chris Olukolade, promptly issued an empathic statement, expressing regret over the incident and announcing that a panel would be constituted to unravel the remote causes of the fracas. The statement played a magical role in nipping the controversy in the bud. (Link: http://bit.ly/2TycxMD)

The following month, the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and two operatives of the Corps were allegedly disrespected and manhandled on different occasions by the Police. As the media were feasting on the controversy, the then spokesperson of the Nigerian Customs Service, Wale Adeniyi hosted the monthly meeting of FOSSRA in September 2014, where the erstwhile Police spokesperson, Emmanuel Ojukwu walked to the NSCDC spokesperson, Emmanuel Okeh and issued a joint statement which doused the tension. (Link: http://bit.ly/31G3eNg)

Meanwhile, since the appointment of Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd) as the National Security Adviser (NSA) by President Muhammad Buhari in 2015, he has neither shown keen commitment to nor hosted the meeting of the FOSSRA to guard against inter-agency rivalry. The meeting of the Forum, which has become occasional, is now being hosted by the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) and other security agencies that value synergy and collaboration in information management.

If FOSSRA, which is domiciled under the ONSA, is very active, the current acrimony between the Nigerian Army and the police over the killing of the Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT) operatives by soldiers in Taraba State could have been averted. There would most likely have been an existing synergy and a more cordial relationship between these two prominent actors within the Nigerian security architecture and system.

It was alleged that soldiers of the 93 Battalion shot the IRT operatives – including Inspector Mark Ediale, Sergeant Usman Danzumi, and Sergeant Dahiru Musa – dead after they had arrested a notorious kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Bala Wadume, who is now on the run. The Army claims that the police officers were shot after being mistaken for “suspected kidnappers” and blames the attack on a communication gap.

The initial statement from the Police spokesperson, DCP Frank Mba and immediate response by the Army spokesperson, Colonel Sagir Musa, would have been needless if an effective mechanism of inter-agency collaboration, as exemplified by FOSSRA, had been adhered to.

There are trending videos, audios and sponsored stories on the fracas that need to be contained before they further exacerbate the present situation and persist as drivers of tension. It is quite unfortunate that many Nigerians on the social and mainstream media have continued to react to the incident through inciting, inflammatory and embarrassing innuendoes.

It may not be surprising if the two public relations officers of the security organs involved were actually taking orders from their principals, rather than abiding by the ethics of crisis communication management, which guide professionals on their temperament, conduct and how to shape their messages during periods of high volatility.

As spokespersons of security agencies, they are expected to be courteous, restrained and conscious of the need to show great human understanding and empathy in their public communications, at this sort of time when such really matters. It is also very important that their messages, like press releases, should be clear, concise, concrete, correct and complete, without allowing for any form of ambiguity in communication.

In all these, the absence of strategic leadership in dousing the tension, beyond the critical levels of the individual service chiefs, merely escalates the inter-agency antagonism and fuels the heated debates and fury pervading the media from visible and anonymous sources.

Is it not embarrassing that different panels were allegedly constituted to investigate this incident? While one is said to be chaired by a military officer in the rank of a major general, the other is noted as being headed by a security officer in the rank of an Assistant Inspector General of Police.

As the coordinating organ of government on security matters, ONSA should step in and manage this crisis, more professionally and with experience, especially in the absence of a federal cabinet, as the Ministers of Defence or that of Interior are yet to be sworn in. The NSA can advise the Army Chief Lt General Tukuru Buratai and Police Boss IG Mohammed Adamu on the need to urge their officers to exercise restraint. In the alternative, the Presidential Media Adviser should intervene by calling on the spokespersons of the agencies to sheath their swords in this attrition and highly unfortunate media war.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Author of An Encounter with the Spymaster
yashuaib@yahoo.com

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