Termites In The House

When President
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan told the public that Boko Haram members had infiltrated his government, he was taken to the cleaners. Critics said that statement was to score cheap political point for his government and his party-Peoples Democratic Party.  Others reasoned that Jonathan’s claim was diversionary – only intended to divert the attention of Nigerians from the intensity of Boko Haram criminality in the land.  The Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces was also challenged to expose the alleged insurgents dinning and winning with him in his government.
What probably emerged out of that challenge was the sacking of security chiefs and replacement of new ones.  Nigerians heaved a sigh of relief that the overhaul of the security chiefs would produce tangible results to douse security challenges but were disappointed the more when despite claims of the security operations that they were on top of the situation, the Boko Haram terror group repeatedly harassed and assaulted the polity with impunity especially in the North East zone of the country with scores of loss of lives at every attack.
The height of  the sects’ assault was  the kidnap of over 200 girls of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State and of course the successive incessant attacks on military formations in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States which are currently under emergency rule.  The question is why the Boko Haram having a field day, so to say, in their operations?
Boko literally means book (western education), while forbidden is the literary meaning of Haram. While the claim that the Boko Haram militants are against  western education remains questionable, the activities of the muslem sect so far lend credence to the fact that they have hidden agenda beyond their so-called grouse against western education.
The worsening security situations especially in the North East where Boko Haram attacks have led to a rising number of deaths on a daily basis have consumed Nigerians in fear.  While the service chiefs reportedly reassure that the military is on top of the situation, Nigerians are yet to come to terms with escalated killings  within the last one year despite heavy reliance on military operations to restore order in the troubled areas.
As a matter of fact, the revelations by some soldiers engaged in fighting insurgency in the North show that there are termites in the house and that explains why no appreciable progress has been recorded in routing out the insurgents in the worst affected states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa; a situation that has brought President Jonathan and his government under local and international pressure to act fast and save the people from destruction.
One of the soldiers (name withheld) painted a clear picture that all is not well in military camps.  The source  alleged that four officers brought military kits with arms and ammunition, preparatory for army attack on known insurgents’ camps in the night but the enemy in the house sold the military plan and strategy out and the terrorists struck at army camps and took away the military kits and ammunitions with embarrassing casualties on the side of Nigerian army.  What could make the four officers to be absent at the army camp when Boko Haram allegedly invaded the camp and made a mess of the soldiers?  The answer can be found in the dictionary of sabotage.
“Boko Haram militants are not faceless, not invisible.  We know their locations.  Oga see, when an order is given for the soldiers to prepare for war against the militants, before you know it, a counter-order is issued for the soldiers to stay out of action. You will not be surprise to see the militants attacking and killing the soldiers when we have given up the spirit for action”, the source recounted bitterly.
In both instances, you can see the handwriting of sabotage and this remains the bane of the military in the fight against insurgents in the land.  If it is not sabotage, how can Boko Haram, in a show of nothing ‘mega’ attack and kill alarming numbers of Nigerian soldiers well-known for military and peace-keeping operations across the globe? Even when security information are provided from impeccable sources on how best to rout the insurgents and restore order, such security information are hardly acted upon or tactically delayed to enable the sect re-strategise towards beating the military to her plan of dislodging them.
For instance, a young man trained by Boko Haram on map reading outside Nigerian shores surrendered himself to security authorities in Nigeria when he returned back to the country and found out that his country home in Borno State has been leveled by those he was trained to work for. Vital information provided by the acclaimed Boko Haram point man have been reportedly hoarded by the power-that-be and even divulged to the militants.  Today, the life of the young man is in danger.
The military’s seeming weak response to most of the Boko Haram attacks may have prompted the alleged investigation of some officers and men of the armed forces for offence such as cowardice,  negligence and failure to perform military duty and leakage of information to the enemy.  Though, the military authorities may not be favourably disposed to the report that some officers and men are being probed, it is also not untrue that the army had “put some personnel believed to be involved in unacceptable military conduct under close watch as part of the efforts to sanitise the service.
Always on daily basis, members of the Islamic sect increasingly dare the military and civilian targets.  The attacks, in some cases are carried out with pre-information, and the casualties remain unimaginable, no thanks to the poor intelligence gathering of the security operatives in the country.  The era of armed-chair intelligence gathering has gone.  We need to protect our democracy, national unity and political stability by waging total war against terrorism with proper and efficient intelligence gathering mechanism.
The soldiers may be willing to give their best in the terrorism war, but they are being subdued morally by corruption, ill-equipment and challenges in welfare.  The ineffectiveness of military operations against the insurgents, apparently culminated in the mutiny of soldiers at the Maimalari cantonment recently, against their General Officer Commanding while addressing them.  A better tonic for the weary soldiers is to ensure that they (soldiers) are not in want in terms of ordnance and materials.  Overhauling the military and its strategy on insurgency is not a bad idea.
Security challenges have assumed higher dimension and have left serious demands on the resources of the military. But the military is crying of inadequate funding. The Chief of Accounts and Budget (Army), Maj-General Abdullahi Muriana, at a training programme for the Nigerian Army Finance Corps Warrant Officers and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers at Jaji, near Kaduna, said that inadequate funding of the military was hampering the ability of the soldiers from halting the insurgents.  The review of budgetary allocations of the military especially in the area of equipment acquisition and welfare is necessary to boost strength and psychology in winning the war against terrorism.
In a country that insecurity has created the atmosphere of tension, fear and helplessness, the problem of corruption and bureaucratic bottlenecks in the release of approved funds  for military operations is a problem that demands urgent attention.
The media are awash with reports that some civil servants in the Defence Ministry demand and receive commission before approved funds for military operations are released. While the report may remain an allegation for now, there is no smoke without fire.  Many people are feeding fat at the discomfort of the system and it matters nothing to them if such acts ground the system to a halt.
Insurgency is a global phenomenon and the only language the insurgents understand well enough is the language of force.  The military has the capacity to march force with force with the insurgents and deliver with good reports.  That can be achieved when the termites in the house are extinguished.  Even more important is the need to check the activities of highly-placed individuals and groups that give tacit support to terror groups.
Saving Nigeria from the stronghold of insurgency should also go beyond military engagement. It must include education, sensitization and advocacy by the media and community-based organizations to save vulnerable minds from being recruited for acts of terrorism and criminality.

Samuel Eleonu