A recent statement credited to the former Chief of Army Staff of the Nigeria Army, Lt. General Theophilus Danjuma has been raising dust both in the political and in the military circles. While the opposition camp in the political arena had applauded the bold statement of the former Army General, there is great discountenance to the statement in the military circles. In politics, the opposition party scouts for every cheap opportunity to win political points and may always be too explosive and not actually objective in their analyses of issues or at their best, blows issues out of proportion due to over-emphasis; all in an attempt to sway people’s allegiance and support from the ruling party. All the same, the opposition would always have points to make, primarily (in sane climes) to put the ruling party on their toes. If wisdom and objectivity is allowed to play in the camp of the ruling party, it then means that the roles of the opposition parties are very sacrosanct in the successful governance of any democratic nation. But because Nigeria politics have their eyes on their napes, they most times reason against conventions and the reality on ground. This is the irony in Nigerian politics.
The former Army General, Danjuma called for self-defence of civilians at the maiden Convocation ceremony of the Taraba State University recently, saying that the Nigeria Armed Forces was not ready to defend them. He also accused the Army of not being neutral, and that they collude with the bandits to kill our people…to kill Nigerians. Taraba State is one of the States in Nigeria that has satisfactorily taken the dose of the reckless killings of the emboldened Fulani herdsmen. This accusatory call ought to be investigated by the federal government, and appropriate steps taken, especially as it has indicted the Nigerian Army of taking covert support to these demons of death. A statement credited to a person of General Danjuma must not be taken lightly. The Army also knows this. But in the character of Nigerian system and structure, the Army has quickly come up to defend itself against the statement. One understands the psychological pains and pressure inflicted on the Army by General Danjuma’s statement, at the same, one must appreciate and celebrate the Nigerian Armed Forces for the various feats they have accomplished in the defence of this great country at various fronts, and especially as they are seen to be overwhelmed by the security challenges in the country from the past administrations. It is not also wrong to point out where they need to carefully examine where there is possible betrayal from the bad eggs among them, and not bursting into an emotional defence to what is very obvious. I am completely in support of General Danjuma’s statement because the civil populace should complement the Army in the security of the defenceless citizens f this country. The Army can’t be everywhere at the same time. What is the difference between what Danjuma has said and the establishment of the government-backed Ciivilian Joint Task Force in the North-Eastern Nigeria supporting the army in the efforts to crush the boko haram vampires? If anything at all, the Elder statesman, Danjuma must have made that statement in utter frustration, ‘desperation’ and disappointment. As a former General, his statement must have been to prop the Army to objective discharge of the national duties, and not to denigrate them, being his former constituency.
Sadly as well, the Army who quickly jumped up for self-defence should look critically at the excercise Ayem Akpatuma earlier launched in Benue and Taraba States to curtail the mindless killings of the innocent lives in the mentioned states. In the midst of akpatumising the areas, there are still ceaseless killing going on there as reports have it. Why is the exercise a failure compared to when Pythons went to dance in the South-East, and the Crocodiles smiled in the South-south, the records were evident and telling. The effects were undeniably substantial. Are we saying that the Fulani marauders are simply invincible or does the Army actually sympathize with their cause? Marry the statement of General Danjuma with the flagrant insubordination leveled against the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris by the people of Benue State when President Muhammadu Buhari went to pay a condolence visit to that state after the brutal massacre that left 73 people dead on the new year day of 2018 in that State.. Against the express directive of the President for the IG to relocate to Benue to closely monitor and effect peace in the troubled State, the ‘smart’ man was alleged to have passed only a night there and relocated to safe havens on personal discretion and directive. Is this not weighty enough to substantiate the call for self-defence by the local populace? This is not a call to anarchy as the Nigerian Army wants Nigerians to believe.
Just of recent, the governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello made a similar call for people to defend themselves. He was accused by the Nigerian Senate through his political ‘arch-enemy’, Senator Dino Melaye of recruiting and arming State Armed Forces and political thugs for the 2019 general elections, and that this action by Governor was a fragrant violation of the Nigerian constitution. But few days after this parochial statement by the enemies of Kogi State and Nigeria, the so-called Fulani Herdsmen, who are actually terrorists disguising in that name, attacked and killed about thirty-two innocent people from the state. Similarly, these marauders came to Northern part of Edo State to launch their havoc. It took the coordinated efforts of the local Vigilante groups to ward off the attacks. Consequently, ten of these physical demons were arrested and handed over to the Army who took them to Governor Obaseki in Benin-City. Though that was the last I heard about the arrested herdsmen, but their attacks were forestalled by that collaborative effort and lives were consequently saved. They only succeeded in chopping off the wrist of a farmer in that attack.
Nigerian Army should not take General Danjuma’s statement personal. Let the Buhari-led administration take the opposition’s views objectively not minding the insulting over-emphasis of the weakness of the administration. For any democratic structure to be so-called, the opinion of the opposition should be respected, whether the opposition is in form of a single person, a group, a political party, Civil Society Organizations, etc. After all, no matter our views and takes on issues, one denominator bounds us all together, we are all Nigerians, working for her peace and progress in different dimensions and perspectives!
