Moment Of Truth

The Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, last Monday raised alarm over the worsening security in his state. He told the distinguished people  he summoned for an extra-ordinary security meeting in Government House that “…The reality is that while so much was achieved by our gallant military men and women, we are today faced with serious challenges in Borno State. “But then, these challenges should strengthen our abiding faith and resolve to continually do whatever we can, in support of our military, the police, the DSS, our civilian JTF, all para-military agencies and political authorities at the federal level, to end the Boko Haram insurgency”.
It is interesting hearing the unhidden truth from a man who had in the past almost four years of the current Federal Government, claimed that Boko Haram had been decimated in Borno State  even when the realities on ground indicated otherwise. Just last May, he told a newly-appointed Acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Abdulmalik Biu, who paid him a courtesy call that no part of the state was under Boko Haram occupation as was being insinuated in some quarters and that some pockets of attacks on soft targets were being adequately addressed by the military and other security agencies.
The same Governor who never missed any opportunity to attack former President Goodluck Jonathan for doing little to stem the insurgency problem during his tenure now finds it difficult to criticize President Muhammadu Buhari even in the face of the continuous destruction of lives and property in his state and other states in the region by the deadly Islamic group merely because the President has given him unrestricted access to the Presidency on the issue.
The truth is that covering the sins of one person probably because he is of the same religion, ethnic or political group with us and shouting that of another from the opposite on the roof tops side will never do us any good both as individuals, groups or nation.  We should learn to call a spade a spade no matter whose ox is gored.  And as Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, advised following the ongoing bandits attacks in Zamfara State, all well meaning people – political leaders, religious, traditional, opinion leaders and others, should no longer keep quiet or look the other way when things are going wrong in the society just because the persons or groups involved are affiliated to them in one way or the other. Indeed, “Silence is no longer golden”.
At inception, the President promised to wipe Boko Haram in no time. About one year down the road, in 2016 precisely, federal government announced to the world that Boko Haram had been defeated, following the destruction of Sambisa forest by the military. Similarly, Buhari has at several occasions claimed that the dreaded insurgency group has been defeated. Yet today, reports of the dastardly activities of the terrorist group across many states particularly in the North East still dominate the news media. Last February, dozens of girls from a boarding school in the northern town of Dapchi, Yobe State, precisely from Government Girls Science and Technical College, were abducted from the school compound by members of Boko Haram insurgency group, although few weeks later, following federal government’s intervention, all the abducted students except one, Leah Sharibu, were returned to the school by their abductors.  The big question is, is anyone deceiving the nation?
Definitely, it will be wrong for anyone to say that the military and other security agencies involved in fighting Boko Haram have not recorded major achievements, especially in confining the group to a certain part of the country. But to boast that the group is defeated will mean being economical with the truth and that will not help the matter. And until we begin to tell the truth and stop playing politics with everything, evil will continue to grow in our land.
As it is always said, security is everybody’s business. So all hands ought to be on deck in ensuring that our communities and the nation at large is conducive to live in. But those saddled with the responsibility of securing the nation have a greater work to do. Some have suggested that the service chiefs be changed since they are not leaving up to expectations of many Nigerians. Perhaps it is high time the suggestion was considered.
It is also high time urgent, sincere measures were taken to create jobs for our teeming unemployed youths many of who become willing tools in the hands of those wanting to foment trouble and destabilize the nation. As this year’s general elections draw nearer, some selfish politicians are daily co-opting young ones who they will use as thugs and to commit crime during the elections, only to dump them at the end of the exercise. Similar attitude in the past is largely responsible for the insecurity challenges we have across the nation and towing that line again will continue to plunge the nation in deeper security quagmire.

Calista Ezeaku