OUR SECURITY SITUATION AND INCOMPETENCE PLC

Source: pointblanknews.com

I believe that those who voted for a Jonathan presidency during the last April polls would have realised how wrong they were.

They simply brought us to this sorry hour when we have to battle with all sorts of challenges almost on a daily basis.

It is not difficult to see that Jonathan is not a leader and was never meant to be one, at least of Nigeria. I thank God I didn't make that mistake otherwise I would have had to live the guilt for the rest of my life.

The senseless killings of the last couple of months arising from the orgy of violence unleashed by the illegal Islamic sect Boko Haram has become a major factor that might fast-forward the doomsday we have all been waiting for.

This mindless violence came to its head with the Madalla and other killings all over the country on Christmas day.

May God in his mercy grant eternal rest those who died in these incidents and console their families and loved ones.

It is not as if we were not expecting these evil people to try the resolve of government and make a bold statement that they can strike wherever and at whatever time they want and send people to their early graves at will. 

A serious and proactive government should have taken bold steps to bring the Boko Haram members to justice with all the powers at its disposal.

But very unfortunately, we have a president who cannot preside and a commander in chief who cannot command even a fly.

For how else can you explain why Boko Haram is still on the prowl up till now?

While I blame the Boko Haram for their misdirected understanding of Islam and the Islamic authorities in Nigeria for not calling them to order, I blame an impotent and acutely incompetent government for not putting paid to the Boko Haram nuisance.

If a whole president of Nigeria was so scared of this bloody sect that he could cancel the celebration of our independence anniversary, then we should know that we are all in trouble.

While the killings have been indiscriminate all this while, they seem to have taken a step further by attacking Christians most especially the Catholic church.

In their love for blood-letting, they could not spare a sacred day in Christendom: the celebration of the birth of Christ.

It was a declaration of war and from now, it is incumbent on all Christians to be on their guard. 

In all, I think government has encouraged the Boko Haram that we may not be saying too much to say perhaps Jonathan is their benefactor. I therefore put the blame entirely at the doorsteps of the Jonathan administration.

I think his policy of transformation is being applied in a rather negative sense such that Nigerians can hope for no respite from this sect that has declared war on all decent and law-abiding people in this country.

   
It is why I think the people who are in charge of our security in this country could rightly be called “incompetence plc” with Jonathan as CEO. 

War against terror is not one you can fight with an empty head or weak will. All resources must be mobilized to fight this war.

In fact, you must fight it with two eyes wide open. Our people are dying today because we have a president who has no clue about leadership and how to deal with this deadly insurgency. He just doesn't get it.

He is a coward, his politics of compromise is telling on his government in a rather profound way.

Just look at the people in charge of security: the President himself, his IG and the National Security adviser.

All these main characters are weak and unintelligent to deal decisively with the particular problem at hand. 

The president himself has dropped a very pronounced statement about the Boko Haram harassment recently when he said that “it is a burden we have to live with.”

What more should anyone say? The man is saying he has given up.

It is a northern phenomenon and those behind it are sacred cows or another cabal perhaps.

My take is that if we are going to resolve the Boko Haram menace, it would not be done by this president.

He is too weak and inept to apply the right solution. This present IG is the worst in history of this country.

This is one of the weaknesses of Jonathan. Just because the man was your Police Commissioner as governor of Bayelsa state does not mean you should make him your IG.

As IG, he is not only working for you but the entire country and so while he could have served you well perhaps on a limited level does mean he can effectively man the entire police force nationally.

The man is not only short on paper qualification, he is deficit in integrity, competence, ability, patriotism and good will.

It during his regime as IG that criminals have taken over the entire country. 

Neither in our homes nor our our streets nor in the Churches are we safe.

Just go and look at the road blocks all over the country and the way his men are extorting money from motorists.

By the time you put this number of men on the road, you cannot have enough people to deploy to gather intelligence. 

The third member of the unholy group is the National Security adviser who incidentally is from the president's home state. Neither in his public statements nor in his outward look has this man demonstrated that he knows what to do.

He looks like a man who is neither willing nor able to deal with our security challenges. With what we are witnessing at the moment, it is crystal clear that his quality of advice is poor or non-existent.

   
With this crowd in charge of our security, all we can hope for is more killings of hapless Nigerians in Churches, Mosques and on our streets. More people will go for national service and only come back in caskets.

With the present incompetence plc still in charge of our security, all that awaits us in an uncertain future.

If these people will not resign now, I urge the national assembly to commence the process of impeachment forthwith.

If nothing is done to do away with the Jonathan presidency, what we are witnessing may only be the beginning and not the end.

It will however get to a point when those are on the receiving end of this mindless violence will say enough is enough.

After all, our people say when you chase a goat to the wall, it will turn back and face

We should not wait till such a time when people will resort to self-help but I believe we are moving closer to that final hour. That will be Armageddon itself.

Fr. Emmanuel Ogundele is with the Department of Philosophy, Ss. Peter and Paul Seminary, Bodija, Ibadan.