By MarkAnthony Nze
On countless times, the Nigerian military leadership under the All Progressives Congress (APC) thus far has clearly shown that it is collectively a body of incompetent fellows who were in the first instance appointed Generals, given the exalted positions based on the quota system of Nigeria’s government appointment or nepotism, and not particularly on merit.
The maladministration of APC which has brought untold hardship to the masses of Nigeria has further wrecked the security structure of the country with the sort of incompetent military leadership it parades, who ostensibly are the pride of the country.
Basically, Nigeria parades the following incompetent fellows or politicians as service chiefs currently (in subsequent paragraphs, you would realise why they are being addressed as politicians); Minister of Defence – Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi (Rtd), Chief of Defence Staff – General Gabriel Olonisakin, Chief of Army Staff – Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, Chief of Naval Staff – Rear Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas, Chief of Air Staff – Air Marshall Abubakar Sadique, National Security Adviser – Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd), Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) – Mr. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, Inspector General of Police – Mr. Mohammed Adamu, Director General of Department for State Service (DSS) – Yusuf Magaji Bichi.
The above named persons were supposedly appointed by the presidency to ascertain adequate security in the country, and duly maintained with tax payers money but regrettably, their efforts are in no way commiserate to the jumbo remuneration packages they have been enjoying from the largesse of the country’s polity.
Their efforts towards security are as worthless as that of the presidency that appointed them into their various offices in the first place, and if it were in saner climes, they would either have been sacked a long time ago and replaced with competent individuals who would do their duties passionately with encouraging results or resigned honourably, since they have failed woefully just like their principal that appointed them to tackle insecurity in the country.
These dishonorable men claim to be core professionals either in the military or counter-terrorism attacks, and security but unfortunately, their ridiculous failures in handling the Boko Haram insurgents, and menace of the Fulani herdsmen have palpably become shameful. The most disheartening thing here is that these politicians that camouflage as core military or intelligence experts are not perturbed by their ineptness one bit.
One billion dollars ($1 billion USD ) was approved by Nigeria Governors’ Forum in December, 2017 at the National Economic Council meeting from the Excess Crude Account to combat the Boko Haram insurgents which the purported President Muhammadu Buhari and his team of maladministration had earlier declared, “technically defeated” some months before the approval.
Regardless of this fund, the insurgence by Boko Haram in the country is skyrocketing terribly, to the extent that former Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno wept unabashedly on live broadcast due to the way that the Boko Haram insurgents were taking over towns in Borno, and rapidly advancing towards the state government house.
Shettima feared for his dear life, and wept shamelessly, begging the presidency like a toddler in dire need of a candy, to come quickly to their aid before the terrorists could invade the government house, and inflict mayhem.
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Was that not preposterous that a governor had to beg the presidency to get the military to do their job of protecting the country’s territory integrity in spite of the fact, that the military was well funded to tackle such menacing attacks by the insurgents?
These politicians masquerading as security experts are only good at playing the Nigeria’s filthy politics, and that was how they earned their ranks as a matter-of-factly, not necessarily because they merited them by their professionalism, and diligence in meritorious service.
Anybody who doubts the above assertion should explain in clear terms why it was so possible, and very easy for armed robbers to attack police stations, and conveniently defeat the members of the police force, also why has it always been a smooth ride for the Boko Haram insurgents to sack military bases, Fulani herdsmen indulging in incessant abductions and killings of the country’s citizens without the armed forces putting up a restrictive force?
The recent attack by Boko Haram on the Nigerian military where they claimed that the insurgents ambushed the troops in Damaturu, Yobe state and carted away fifteen million naira meant for the troops’ cash allowance, and their weaponry was not only laughable but went a long way to explain how feeble the incompetent leadership of the security chiefs who were underqualified for such sensitive positions but were over promoted beyond their actual abilities.
Their incompetence in deed had made the country lose respect among the league of nations, and that succinctly explains the reason South Africans could have the audacity to carry out xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa without any fear of counter attack by the Nigerian military.
The morale of the soldiers they lead is collectively low now as they watch their colleagues being wasted in the battlefield against insurgency by Boko Haram due to the inadequate technical expertise of their leaders.
All, these politically promoted military generals have is perfect understanding of aiding election rigging via the use of force, and when it comes to the harassment of the defenseless masses, they suddenly become gallant generals who would orchestrate strategies in mercilessly dealing with the poor masses. These words, “bloody civilians” become sweeter than honey in their mouths even as they spew them forth while marshaling orders to their subordinates.
They exhibited this brazen show of shame when they ordered a full military force against the unarmed Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and members of his organisation – Independent People of Biafra (IPOB).
It is so ironical that the Hausa-Fulani oligarchy overseeing the affairs of Nigeria in their bid to perpetually cling unto power, appointed almost all the security chiefs from their region with the exceptions of Chief of Defence Staff – General Gabriel Olonisakin, and Chief of Naval Staff – Rear Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas who are southerners, still has an embarrassing rate of insecurity in their region.
The only solution of Nigeria’s insecurity is to expunge sentiments, and retire these incompetent security chiefs, however it is pitiable that the APC led maladministration can not even summon the courage to bring itself to carry out the task because the security chiefs who are equally members of APC successfully assisted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to enable them perfect the rigging that brought APC into the presidency, in spite that these security chiefs ought to be apolitical while still in service.
It should not come as a form of bewilderment to any Nigerian when these men hurriedly go into active politics as soon as they retire. This is the sad reality of the present Nigeria’s situation which had been marred by a rigged system that ushered the clueless APC party into the country’s apex leadership.
Finally, when one condemns their incompetence, APC, and their ignorant supporters are often quick to label the person as a wailer from the Peoples Democratic Party, their strongest opposition that the APC defeated first in 2015, and again in 2019 through an apparent rigging thus it is pertinent that I state here unequivocally that I am neither a member of PDP nor any other party in Nigeria. I am simply an advocate of good governance in Africa generally.
