Terrorist insurgence: How Nigeria can start defeating Boko haram (2)

I hereby appeal to the Nigerian Army Training and Doctrine Command, TRADOC to make a policy to recruit at least a child of any late officer and to give at least 70% of their recruitment slot in the junior cadre to children of soldiers. At least 10% of recruitment should be drawn from accredited military styled voluntary organizations like Man ‘o’ War, Scout Association/Girls Guide, Boys Brigade, RBG, etc. The rest 10% should be open to the public. Also, the population of females in the Army and Police need to be cut down not because of gender prejudice but for objective operational purpose. Back in time, as a barrack boy/girl, you don’t run at the sound of gunshot or bomb blast. You just first make sure you know what’s happening and if to run or not. But these days you see even soldiers that lose their nerves so soon at the sound of gunshots. Sometimes, the Boko Haram succeeds in overrunning the Nigerian soldiers not because of superior arms but because of inferior minds. Imagine a fellow soldier who is supposed to be in the trench, or behind sandbag, or behind firing line running away even though you people just need to sustain a little even when a few comrades fall in the process after which you could just carry the day or chase the enemies back. Soldiers getting up and running away while their colleague unknowingly holds his ground and keeps shooting while the man who is suppose to cover him from behind has run away. Such Platoon, company, or battalion is doom of cause except the captain is brave and knows how to conduct troupes.

How do we defeat Boko Haram? Yes, the governor of Borno State said it long ago but the mediocre handlers of President Goodluck Jonathan only misled him to consider the governor an enemy of his government. The boys need advanced military weapons. Not the kind that will cease when hot or can’t deliver flawlessly. They need more advanced RPG’s, SML, SMG, etc at the right quantity. They need good reinforcement strategy to give the front guards confidence. They need to be paid more generous allowance even if it’s ₦ 100,000 a day allowance or ₦1,000,000 per foot soldier for each successful operation carried out. We need to give them good food. Any general or officer who eats troupe money should be court marshaled for firing squad. Enough is enough. Nigeria is greater than anybody. 

Yes, President Goodluck Jonathan needs to visit the men in front line incognito or unannounced. He has to speak words of encouragement to them and feed their imaginations with good things. He needs to speak passionately not by reading from papers. He may even speak Pidgin English but passionately as to inspire our ground troupes to be ready to lay down their lives and never to flee the enemy. Mr. President needs to visit the boys. The soldiers have been trying given the harsh circumstance in which they are working. The press must be carried along in our overall national security system. D-notices should be passed to press houses at the appropriate time. No journalist should be allowed to report sensitive news without security clearance. The Military authorities must stop revealing their secretes and plans on the news media. Our service chiefs so far have not helped issues at all. In fact, their comments have only help to worsen the security situation. Why should the Chief of Army staff disclose his operational strategies to news media? Why should the Chief of Defense Staff claim to know where the Chibok girls are before the world press? Our senior security chiefs have not been acting intelligently. They must be made to avoid the press as much as possible. The SSS spokeswoman, Ms Marilyn Ogar must stop blabbing and talking anyhow and know that she is an intelligence officer. Talking too much doesn’t serve any good in times of crisis.  The military should give all pot bellied officers 6months to get trim and fit or get sacked. Intellectual lethargy should be shunned in the armed forces. Intelligent officers should be given right of way.  The Nigerian security services especially the Army should urgently put in place a cyber command to handle all issues of email/telephone hacking, electronic/satellite tracking of terrorist activities and other forms of digital applications on military activities.

Like the a former US ambassador to Nigeria rightly stated recently at a forum on security in Nigeria, the Boko Haram is neither by the PDP or the opposition APC but both parties are merely trying to take advantage of the unfortunate situation created by Boko Haram to gain political advantage over each other by either linking each other to it or accusing the other of covertly supporting terrorism. The fact remains that Boko Haram is a foreign sponsored terrorist organization with internal collaborators in various public and private agencies in Nigeria. Terrorism is an unfortunate import to Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa. It breeds a culture of death and disregard to humanity and civilization hence; no sane person should aid or abet bestiality. The Politicians and leaders of various ethnic groups in Nigeria must stop accusing each other of aiding or abetting terrorism because each time such accusation is made, our collective fight as a nation against terrorism suffers setback while we lose more young men in the frontline. Our politicians at all levels must adopt responsible attitudes. Northern elders and politicians who have formed the habit of always accusing the president of being behind terrorism or threatening the president should grow up and start acting responsibly. 

Eastern leaders and politicians should stop denying the missing Chibok girls and show humane concern by advising the president properly for our collective good. The presidency must stop accusing the opposition of being behind poverty. The Likes of Asari Dokubo are to be warned to stop making inflammatory comments or get locked behind bars. The president should try and reshuffle his cabinets so that he puts the right minds who will advise him properly and lead the country aright.

The war against terrorism is as good as the way and manner information are being managed. Both the press and Nigerians must adopt patriotic attitudes in the way and manner they receive and circulate news on the ongoing war against terrorism. The Chief of Army Staff and his lieutenants must show leadership and stop threatening to flog or evict wives and children of troupes who protest against having their husbands sent to fight Boko Haram with inferior weapons. He must learn to win the friendship, trust, and supports of the families of ground troupes only then can they start winning this war. Things have changed and the marshal era of the medieval dark ages are long gone. Motivation can no longer be done to troupes with death threats and hard military language as it used to be. We are in democratic dispensation and information age for that matter. Beating up families of troupes may even endanger the Army itself and set the junior ranks (soldiers) against the senior ranks (officers).

Finally, the presidency and Nigeria’s leadership at all levels must understand that poverty and youth unemployment are the fuel for terrorism. Hence youth skill acquisition and job creation must be pursued with as much vigor as the military action against Boko Haram. Only through job creation can we fully and permanently chase terrorism out of Nigeria and get every potential terrorist recruits busy with meaningful livelihoods.  Nigerians must put hands together to support our Army. Though they may not be as competent as they used to be but they are all we have got and cannot afford to have them fall apart for the terrorist wolves to have a free day on us. God help Nigeria. The presidency must put the safety and welfare of citizens ahead of political gains and second term agenda. Let’s unite in one accord for our common good and kick out the devil called Boko Haram. 

Christian Okwori