Politics
Botched Chibok Trip: Riding In The Storm
“Man is not the creature of circumstances, circumstances are the creature of men
-Benjamin Disraeli
Until April 14, 2014,
Chibok, a subsurb community of about 90 kilometres from Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital, was perhaps not known by many people outside the state capital or better still the North East geo-political zone of the country.
But the unfortunate incident of April 14 rather opened another window in the history of Chibok, where a government secondary school is sited. Like the history of many communities, the unfortunately circumstance that played out in Chibok and eventually lifted the Borno community to what many called a national embarrassment or a slap on the nation’s security, was better imagined than experienced.
No fewer than 200 girls of the secondary school were abducted by Islamic militants of Boko Haram sect; a situation which Borno State governor described as, “a dark era in the history of insurgency in the state.”
Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states are under emergency rule as a result of terrorist attacks that have claimed many lives. Though, the actual number of the girls in the den of the abductors is still not certain, days and weeks came by, but there was no report where the girls were camped. This perhaps heightened the fear that all may not be well with the abducted girls, more so with unconfirmed reports that they were allegedly being raped, abused and enslaved by Boko Haram gunmen.
Just as the security personnel continued to comb the forest for the abducted girls without success, parents and well-meaning Nigerians, most of whom went into fasting for divine intervention, demanded for the release of the female students. The nationwide protests by labour and civil society groups added a new dimension to the unfortunate incident, coming on the heels of the arrival of foreign anti-terrorism experts to assist in the ongoing search and rescue of the abducted Chibok girls.
United States of America (USA), which had earlier predicted the disintegration of Nigeria by 2015, saw the Boko Haram terrorists attacks as an opportunity to act the Big Brother role of protecting Nigeria from terrorist insurgency. Britain, Israel and few other nations reportedly offered their counter-terrorism experts to carry out the surgical operations of the cancerous growth at the neck of our dear country; a price, which is still shrouded in secrecy.
There was optimism in many quarters that with the international community deploying its considerable military and intelligence-gathering skills and assets in support of Nigeria’s efforts at fighting terrorism, success was in sight. But as weeks went by with no hope of the abducted girls being released, hopelessness and betrayal became the mood of most Nigerians with several accusations of the Presidency being incapable of steering the ship of the nation.
As the riddle of the Chibok girls abduction remains unsolved, Nigerians woke up to the claims and counter-claims about President Jonathan’s aborted trip to Chibok, apparently designed to reinforce confidence on Nigerians on his administration’s ability and capacity to fight Boko Haram insurgency to a stand still.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) took the President and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the cleaners and the latter replied not without casting aspersions on the former’s alleged plan to pull down the President or discredit his actions and programmes.
APC, yearning for change in the political landscape of the country, believed that Jonathan’s aborted visit to Chibok betrayed Nigerians who voted him into office. In a statement in Lagos, APC Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, accused Jonathan of bungling the fight against the sect as well as exhibited cluelessness in handling the abduction of the school girls.
As if that was not strong enough to pull the carpet off the feet of Jonathan, APC added that the President’s action, “deepened the pains of the parents and guardians of the girls and indeed that of the whole nation, when he should have been the consoler-in-chief at such a difficult time for a nation he leads.”
Side by side with that discredit, APC noted that Jonathan threw away to the winds the chance of redeeming the battered global image of his administration in handling the abduction of the school girls.
APC’s reaction to Jonathan’s alleged aborted Chibok visit, no doubt, suggests that the President, who is afraid to visit a crisis zone, cannot lay claim to being a Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Importantly, APC’s presentation of garment of shame on the Jonathan administration is not ignorant of the fact that its supporters are likely to decode such message with partisan lens and operationalise their stand for a change in Nigeria.
But the ruling PDP refused to be taken to the gallows as a sacrificial lamb. Jonathan’s spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati, discountanced the report that Jonathan refused or cancelled the visit to Chibok.
According to him, there was no plan on the itinerary of the President to visit Chibok even when it was widely reported that the president’s advanced team had landed in Borno State.
Wondering how the Press may have carried the report of the president’s visit to Chibok, Abati believed that it might be the handiwork of mischief makers.
If Reuben Abati was economical with his defence and explanation, Special Adviser on Media to the Rivers State PDP Chairman, Jerry Needam, was not. He took the prosecutor’s bread back to the prosecutor. In an attempt to unmask what he called “APC’s self righteousness and political glory,” Needam said the opposition party’s action was only intended to nail PDP and the President to the wall for the populace to see.
“We know the stock in trade of APC. We are not unaware that APC is all out to pull the President down or discredit his actions”, “Needam said.
According to him, APC cannot justify what he called the “noise” it was making about the Chibok girls side by side the fact that both the Borno State Governor (Shettima) and the government are of APC stock. “Who is fooling who?,” he asked.
Rather than shift the goal post, Needam said Shettima and APC have the moral burden to tell Nigerians what happened at Chibok especially against the backdrop that the Borno State governor reportedly directed the students to sit their WAEC examination at Chibok against security advice of the examination body and the Federal Ministry of Education.
It may not be a matter of who is right or wrong in the alleged aborted Chibok visit by Mr President, if Nigerians realise that in security matters, one plus one is not usually two.
While the botched Chibok visit rides in the storm, Nigerians are unanimous that the abduction of the Chibok girls should be devoid of politics, and if we must play politics, it must be done objectively.
Surely, the last may not have been heard about the abduction of the Chibok girls, but making a mincemeat out of it amounts to a show of shame for Nigeria and Nigerians when the citizens should be united irrespective of party affiliation in the war to free the nation from the clutches of terrorists.
Samuel Eleonu
Abducted students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State
The Tide source reports that Prof. Akinoso was elected alongside 38 other executive members of the party at the congress held on Saturday.
Other executive members are Dr Abiola Olaonipekun, who emerged as Secretary, Alhaja Latifah Latifu, Women Leader and Mr A. Adeleke, elected as Youth Leader.
It was learnt that the congress, which took place at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke Ado in Ibadan, was attended by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police, other security agencies and prominent members of the party.
The election was supervised by electoral committee members, among whom were Prince Diran Odeyemi, who served as Chairman, Hon. Awoniyi Tolulope, Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi, Queen Stepheine Oyechere, Alhaji Yusuf Abidakun, Mr Olumide Aguda and Dr Phillips Adeniyi, who served as Secretary.
Prof. Akinoso, in his inaugural address, urged members of the party to set aside intra-party differences.
He advised them to concentrate their resources on the promotion of the party, saying, “The primary responsibilities of party executive members are to coordinate party activities, ensure harmony among members, and ensure party victory during general elections.
“Our immediate assignments are to key into INEC released 2027 general election time-tables. As directed by the National Caretaker Committee of PDP, our party e-membership registration starts next week. We must be fully involved and do a membership drive.
“A political party is only relevant and benefits its members if it wins the election. This is our goal. We should set aside intra-party differences; concentrate our resources towards the promotion of the party. We will make necessary consultations and dialogue to actualise this”.
President Tinubu disclosed this during an interfaith breaking of fast with senior journalists and media executives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Saturday.
He also disclosed that his administration had opened up on the principles of true federalism to the extent that local governments now get direct allocation from the Federal Government.
“There’s no morning that I ever leave my house without going through the newspapers. It’s an addiction. I read all of you.
“It might not be in full detail, but headline, the one that would hit me and the ones that won’t.
“At the beginning of this administration, I was just a little bit stubborn, looking at opportunities to correct things and make life more easier for the downtrodden.
“We’ve opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money, but how they use it is in your hands. So, don’t bombard me alone,” President Tinubu said.
The ruling party said the ADC had turned criticism of the APC-led administration into its operating manifesto instead of presenting concrete solutions to Nigeria’s economic challenges.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, the party dismissed the ADC’s interpretation of a report presented at a policy dialogue organised by Agora Policy which suggested that the country’s poverty rate had risen from 49 per cent to 63 per cent.
Mr Morka said the opposition party’s reaction to the report as a “damning verdict” on the government’s economic policies reflected either ignorance of economic realities or deliberate political mischief.
“The African Democratic Congress’ attempt to spin a recent report presented at the Agora Policy dialogue indicating a rise of poverty rate of 63 per cent from 49 per cent as a damning verdict on this administration’s economic policies speaks either to its shocking ignorance of economic policy or its wilful blindness to the justification for, and transformative impacts of, ongoing economic reforms,” he said.
The APC spokesman noted that the report itself recognised the necessity of reforms aimed at correcting long-standing structural distortions in the economy.
According to him, the ADC had failed to present any credible alternative policy direction for Nigerians.
“Clearly, the ADC does not recognise itself as a political party. The ADC has not articulated a single alternative policy position or prescription of benefit to Nigerians. Condemning the APC and its policies has become its operating manifesto,” Mr Morka said.
He explained that major economic decisions taken by President Bola Tinubu, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of multiple foreign exchange windows, were necessary steps to rescue the country’s economy from collapse.
Mr Morka said the subsidy regime had for years placed a heavy burden on public finances, consuming trillions of naira annually while encouraging corruption, fuel smuggling and inefficiencies in the system.
He added that the reforms had helped redirect national resources to key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education and social development.
The APC spokesman acknowledged that economic reforms often come with short-term hardship but stressed that the measures were essential to build a stronger and more resilient economy.
“Economic reform is never cost-free anywhere in the world. The transient hardship experienced by Nigerians was an inevitable cost of reforms meant to build and guarantee a better future for all Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Morka maintained that the country’s economic outlook was already improving, citing recent growth figures and stronger external reserves.
“Our economy has rebounded and is expanding steadily. The country’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.4 per cent last year and is projected to expand by 5.5 per cent this fiscal year, with foreign reserves now exceeding $50 billion,” he stated.
He also pointed to government initiatives designed to cushion the effects of economic adjustments on citizens, including cash transfer programmes, student loan schemes and the rollout of compressed natural gas (CNG) initiatives to reduce transportation costs.
Mr Morka reaffirmed that the APC-led administration would remain focused on rebuilding the economy and expanding social investments to support vulnerable Nigerians.