Buhari's Promise: Are Nigeria's Army Chiefs Not Meant To Be In Maiduguri?
Correct me if I misunderstood, President Muhammadu Buhari clearly and categorically promised us that he was moving the Army central command to the northeast as the necessary action and impetus to quickly and reliably bring the Boko Haram menace to an end..
On best advice and after wise counsel, Muhammadu Buhari realized as indicated by his promise and the touting of it during his independence speech and later on across the world, that having the heads of service resident in Maiduguri and Adamawa was strategically and technically invaluable in restoring safety and security, the constitutional rights of the citizens.
However since making that promise, apart from routine photo-ops doing push-ups with the troops and breaking bread every now and then, Chief of Army Staff General Tukur Yusuf Buratai has been anywhere but relocated-to-Maiduguri.
To make matters worse, it was now, for the first time in years that Maiduguri was attacked successfully, twice by Boko Haram. Once at Christmas last year and the recent Dalori massacre of as many as 300 innocent men, women and children. After the December Boko haram deadly attack on Maiduguri, the people protested that the city still remained vulnerable to attacks.
After the Dalori attack, when Nigerians showed their frustration at the government's appearing insensitivity and indifference towards the victims of the rampaged town, a government delegation went to visit and Secretary of the Government, David Babachir accused the people of "lack of vigilance," being responsible for their tragedy.
However, is the protracted success of Boko Haram against Borno and Maiduguri not because Buhari broke his promise of stationing Buratai and co there to put a final lid on the menace? We the people recognized the military wisdom in stationing the chiefs there. While they refuse to stay there, we have rather noticed them getting involved in a lot of politics, local and international sectarian and other controversies, including massively deadly actions and events currently under global investigation, in the stead of the police.
The Kaduna massacre which 'coincidentally' happened to take place just two weeks after Boko Haram attempted to disband the processions of the same group in Kaduna, with a deadly bombing of the same victims, on procession in the same Kaduna , has put the army chief without doubt in a mangled web of controversy and global sectarian hooey. The national natural consequences of breaking promises cannot be better elucidated.
Can President Buhari please tell Buratai to go to Maiduguri and end the insurgency?
Dr. Peregrino Brimah @EveryNigerian