After months of prevarication and watching the country wantonly besieged by the horrendous activities of the murderous Boko Haram sect; having advertised its gross incapacitation, having demonstrated in word and deed its cluelessness amid incessant taunts from audacious attacks on major towns and the continuous shameless occupation of the northeastern part of the country, the President finally decided to own the war. Jonathan took a pause from his fraternity with political power and paid surprised visits to recaptured towns in Borno and Adamawa states last Thursday. Like a Field Marshal, the President, dressed in military gear, got a firsthand appraisal of the situation on the frontlines; reiterating that all hope is not lost, after all, to halt Boko Haram’s devious declaration of a caliphate and restore peace to the beleaguered northeast. However, it is still a long way from peace, and no one is under any illusion of a short campaign to rout the insurgency. The soldiers must keep their patriotic verve to secure an enduring victory. Good news from the trenches is heart-warming, but the battle continues.
“I am very hopeful this time around that the journey to end Boko Haram insurgency has commenced very aggressively and will soon get to an end,” assured Jonathan, who was accompanied by the Chief of Defense Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Kenneth Minimah, the National Security Adviser to the President, Col. Sambo Dasuki and the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Suleiman Abba among others. The president’s optimism contradicted the slow, tacky and hitherto inept response of the government to the insurgency, which has been viewed as deliberate, giving credence to all shades of interpretations. No mollifying rhetoric could negate the barrage of hostilities bludgeoning the nation, and amidst the carnage, a mesmerizing state of perplexity seemed to have enveloped Aso Rock. The President, it must be said, has not given the impression of a sense of dire concern and urgency.
But the image of Jonathan and the troops sent a strong signal of the commander-in-chief, leading from the front, mobilizing the army to recapture territories held by insurgents, and restore its own lost glory. Historically, the Nigerian army has a reputation for gallantry and patriotic exertions. What is happening is a poor reflection of the past image and character of the men and women constitutionally charged with safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity. This nation expected them to deal with Boko Haram in the same way they dealt with other insurgencies with remarkable success; and bring to bear on the current situation, the commitment, dedication and valor with which they successfully addressed other wars. But success in this war requires a well-equipped army with its fighting spirit taken a notch higher by an inspirational leadership.
The exploits of the Nigerian military in recapturing the territories, are a heartwarming development indeed. Equally re-assuring, is the decimation of Boko Haram fighters and the seeming disarray in its ranks, forcing hundreds of them to surrender. In addition, the terrorists have had to contend with loss of weapons including rifles, rocket-propellers, machine guns and more. Jonathan visited the frontlines, as a major counter-offensive by Nigeria and regional powers is underway to secure and stabilize the restive northeast region to make voting possible at the general election on March 28. Certainly, with Jonathan’s visit, Nigerian troops are assured of the continued support of the government and the citizens in the onerous task of defending the nation’s sovereignty and checkmating Boko Haram’s territorial ambition.
While it is important to acknowledge and salute the gallantry of the soldiers, it is as well imperative to reflect on the way in which the war has been waged so far with a view to re-tooling for effectiveness and victory for the nation, going forward. If any credit is to be accorded the machinery of state, it is to the Nigerian soldiers that gratitude and appreciation should go. These are soldiers, many of whom are relatively untested in insurgencies or wars against their fatherland. These are young men and women who have recovered towns hitherto captured by the insurgents. They have patrolled dangerous terrains, found themselves in ambush, and holed in unfamiliar trenches. In these tours of duty they have faced the bullet on Nigerians’ behalf and have staved off the incursion of the insurgents. The Nigerian soldiers’ courageous display of commitment and patriotism; their unquestioned loyalty to the state and their chivalry to the tour of duty, is beyond compare.
What is even more heroic is the fact that these soldiers have been able to accomplish this feat amidst extreme deprivation. They are saddled with a daunting task that requires lavish motivation but are ill-motivated by needless politicization of the crisis. Besides the low morale, they are sent to face managers of sophisticated hi-tech terrorism with outdated second-hand weapons, miserly number of ammunition, most of which are said to be mechanically faulty. Treated as people already on death-row, the soldiers are reportedly paid a fraction of their allowances, supplied 50 liters of fuel for a Main Battle Tank that gulps 1,000 liters, and, upon death in battle, they are wished away unceremoniously with empty promises to family members. In such a climate of deprivation, low morale and uncertainty, these soldiers are displaying a high spirit of nationalism and valorous sacrifice that all Nigerians must salute.
Well-meaning Nigerians have been watching the devastating stealth with which Boko Haram operates, abducting women and children, sacking villages and mowing down helpless people, yet, beyond routine condemnation, the body language and the atmosphere in Aso Rock did not reflect the pain and vulnerability of the country; and begging the question: is the president so numbed and desensitized to sympathize with his fellow citizens? Jonathan must serve the people through whose mandate he got to power. Not only is the president expected to visit the troops in the trenches, he should also visit all places where Boko Haram has committed atrocities, because the depth of his leadership quotient is an index of the risk he takes on behalf of the Nigerian people.
Boko Haram, of course, is an ideology that will not be defeated easily going by experiences from other countries in the grip of insurgency. The latest counter-offensive may have turned the tide, but it is an invitation to the military to turn the heat on the bigots and scale up operations. The campaign against the insurgents demands more bite, so the troops must not waver. Nigerians now expect them to redouble their efforts to retake all other towns and villages under the control of insurgents.
Whenever the insurgency ends, which it hopefully will, Nigerians will remain resolute in their resolve to build a united and prosperous country. The offensives against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Nigeria are too shameful and belittling. As the nation’s number one citizen, Jonathan must own this war; the duty and obligation to end the war is principally that of the President. That is why he is the leader and commander-in-chief. Nigeria is in a state of war and the President, Commander-in-chief must not only lead but be seen to lead the charge.
