Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has said President Muhammadu Buhari has got it right with the military approach to counter Boko Haram’s insurgency in the northeast, and that very soon the terrorists will be wiped out.
“There is no doubt that with the combined efforts at the local level, at the state level and at the federal level, even at the community level, that our security forces are on the ascendency over the forces of destruction and the menace of insurgency that we have experienced for almost six years now, ” Obasanjo said in Maiduguri Monday when he visited Gov. Kashim Shettima.
According to him, the international community is concerned about the progress of Buhari’s counterinsurgency, and there’s no doubting the fact that the president is sincere and committed to the effort.
Assessing the level of peace in Borno, Obasanjo added he was impressed with the level of change he saw in Borno, compared to what he saw in 2011.
“There is evidence that things are changing, the situation is improving. We pray that by the end of this year, no one will be in the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camp again,” he said.
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He encouraged politicians and opinion leaders to come physically to the state for proper assessment of the situation.
“I think the more we have men and women of goodwill within and outside Nigeria coming here to show that the situation is gradually getting to normal the better it is for all of us,” Obasanjo said.
His host, Shettima, was full of praise. He described Obasanjo as a courageous leader who could have rescued the missing Chibok girls if he were the president at the time the insurgents abducted the 279 girls from their hostels.
Shettima said Obasanjo was committed to peace and unity when he was president, unlike former President Goodluck Jonathan who, he said, was unconcerned.
According to the governor, it took Jonathan 19 days after the Chbok girls abduction to send his sympathies.
“I brought this mainly to show the difference, because we will only appreciate scenarios when we make comparisons,’’ Shettima said.
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Vincent London
March 31, 2016 at 7:00 am
HERE IS THE OBVIOUS PROBLEM (inherent hindrance) IN THE PSYCHOLOGY OF Nigerians Obasanjo and his likes do not want to consider (all because of that lack of the right political training hence my suggestion to IBB’s administration for need for a National Orientation programme in 1992 for Nigeria before the handover policy) needs to work on so as to make things begin to work to perfection for the people in Nigeria! Obasanjo is known to have disparaged opponents in areas where he ought not to have therefore, the attitude does not portray him as a good but rather as as uncouth leader! It is on record that even the ‘Sage’ for the Western Region – Chief O. Awolowo, he (OBJ) failed to accord him such recognition as the Yorubas deemed befitting for his contributions in the Region! From what my observations are, you can see the amount of illation on the faces of the Northerners both in their civil servants and the NASS persons (members) like the Senate House leaders Alhaji Ndume, Danjuma Goje, Governor Shettima and obviously in the Emirates; again for the Yoruba Chief Osaba and Chief Shittu said of it clearly and you can easily feel it in Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, that President M. Buhari’s administration appears to have given them a blanket opportunity and recognition what they could not and or have from Obasanjo! So, what I am saying is that Nigerians appears (in reality) to show much enthusiasm in things happening in the country when their kind or man is on the seat of authority, like the presidency! The phenomenon, if you’re truly a political analyst with the right disposition, negates the ways the other developed economies like Singapore or Malaysia were evolved to become great eventually – is a ‘stigma’ they need to work hard to correct in Nigeria!
By the time you become familiar with my new leadership solution, you’ll discover that it is one important aspect of our politicking that it portends to correct – i.e. success in that level of political leadership will henceforth be broadly based on the sensitization of Nigerian electorates and not on ethnicity or religious considerations per se!
Having observed all these shortfalls, failings or counteracting traits on the people so afar, I resolved in my ‘New political leadership’, what can help us across the board to play down this unfortunate phenomenon obviously militating on the kind of achievements possible in/ for Nigeria – the idea that it is only when my man is in power therefore I shall not only work but also show such enthusiasm for him/ her; I mean we saw a lot of this in Dr. G. Jonathan’s case – the insurgency and the Chibuk girls case, for example let’s be honest; the Northerners were not all that (wholeheartedly) in support of Jonathan – it was clearly evident even exhibited in some of Obasanjo’s critiques that rated (looked more) as incitements – like “….. Dr. Jonathan wanted to handover to the Military” and Prof. Wole Shoyinka’s “… over 6o reasons!” – heinous allegations, you wonder even at that, from which kettle of the fish did Obasano come and the Prof. now expressing “…cautious optimism” about what is happening in the country? Like I said it, it is all happening in Nigeria portraying a kind of delirium otherwise delusory in the so-called leadership in the political circles! It is obvious that it is that “it is my man in the seat of authority” that is driving the seeming successes in the North-East going by my explanation! It is therefore dangerous for nation building hence my insistence for need for a ‘National Orientation’ programme for Nigeria as far back as 1992 under IBB’s administration, which usually is the norm and with measured success under Military interregnums! If you do not consider this flaw as important – i.e. divided loyalty in Nigeria’s political and economic set up, your expectations for Nigeria may well be farfetched!
Discussing the issues about the insurgency and gamut surrounding the rescue of the girls and the swyoe by Governor Shettima there is one factor about Nigeria whaich comes to minds which I am not sure Obasanjo and his like minds have not considered and am sure they deliberately do not want to bring to bear in their thinking! This factor forms part reason for my suggestion for a National orientation for would be politicians as early as 1992 and that is irrespective of who the leader for Nigeria is officials in the civil service and the armed forces must be made/ weaned to not only respect but acknowledge such persons as duely entitled to be on that seat of leadership for Nigeria! I do n;t want to raise to length the chasm that exists in the minds of some public office holders and in the military as to according respect and respond dutifully to the leaders whoever it is reflecting on the problem we had in 2010/11 about Jonathan’s ascendance to the Presidency which no doubt resonated in the sum total of the conduct of his own presidency and how this contrasted in the demeanours of the officers and those in the NASS from the North since the 2015 election! Recall the body language of the Senior Police officer at the pronouncement of Buhari as the ‘Pro-tempo’ President-elect’ at which point the officer declined or was reluctant to answer a call from Dr. Jonathan – an action you will not entertain in any well informed/ organized nation – was considered not only an insult but a dereliction of duty which will normally attract serious sanction against the officer! We don’t know what action was taken against the officer so, in effect, success of leaders in Nigeria depends sadly on the kind of loyalty such leaders receives from his subordinate officers – a thing Obsanjo should have considered (he knows is) germane in Nigerians psychology!
I mean, after all is said, we want to know what the value of Council of State is for Nigeria if with ex-Military Heads of State (Field Marshals) constituting the membership, Nigeria could not deal with the issue Chibuck girls abduction promptly at the time, and OBJ has the temerity to blame Jonathan! I mean OBJ has his own blemishes, which Jonathan should be able to tell us about – for example how is it that Nigeria let our crude to be taken to foreign countries to be refined and we (Nigeria) pays for such referning and then we impost the finished produces and pay for them under subsidies! The host countries use our crude not only to afford employment for their people but enhance the supply of fuel in the (host) countries such that they do not have fuel scarcity in the host countries as we have in Nigeria and we pay for the exercise of refining with our foreign exchange lodged in the host countries! In other words we are surrendered our God given natural gift – like in my native parlance, you gave your yam produce to somebody to keep and he now cuts or ‘dishes out’ the bits and pieces for you and your family at his own volition, as it were, and you are now over whelmed with demand problem to feed not only your selves but your families – that is what this simple illustration tells! So, the issue is also who arranged for the transfer of our ‘chattel’ in the crude and gas to countries in Europe and thereby (as a result) leave us in Nigeria with our petrol tanks and jerry cans begging or queuing for fuel perennially? The question now is where does OBJ come into this arrangement because it is now affecting everything we can do in Nigeria irrespective of your background? I mean talking seriously about failures of leaderships for Nigeria!