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LT. GEN. BURATAI : SECURING NIGERIA IN THE FACE OF INSURGENCY

Published

5 years ago

June 2, 2020

By Mike Msuaan

The war against terror assumed a disturbing dimension especially with the commando manner and sophisticated weapons coupled with the devastation these attacks left on the people and communities.

Since 2009, when the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists originated in Borno state, lives, properties and destruction of inestimable proportion has been recorded. Life has not been the same in the state and a large percentage of North East geopolitical zone. Sometime ago, the sect occupied local government areas in Borno state and foisted their way of life and flags signifying total conquest and capture of such territories.

These attacks permeated almost the whole of the North East zone and beyond almost plunging the nation into a full blown religious war. This has led to a mutual suspicion that exist between the predominant Muslim North and Christian South.

Gen Buratai assumed office in July 2015, at the time the country was bedeviled with a preponderance of insecurity, ranging from the youth restiveness in the Niger Delta, the dreaded Boko Haram/ ISWAP in the North East, armed banditry and the herders and farmers clashes in the North Central geo political zone posed a very difficult time for the country requiring a firm and thorough bred force led by a well groomed, dedicated and experienced leader.

At the time Lt Gen TY Buratai took over the reins of the NA, Boko Haram/ ISWAP attacks were almost been accepted as normal occurrences all over the the country. It was becoming strange to wake up and not hear news of Boko Haram ransacking a community or bombing a place, killing and maiming innocent Nigerians.

With the appointment of Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusufu Buratai as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and leader of the counter-insurgency operations. Many who knew him heaved a sigh of relief. Gen. Buratai parades excellent credentials in such warfare. Gen. Buratai had led the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF). As such this was a familiar terrain.

Gen. Buratai, faced the war against terror with the disposition of a no nonsense combatant, clearing and establishing military formations in territories hitherto occupied by the insurgency. He quickly realized that to win the war, a strong and professional army was mandatory. He understood the danger of fighting with a demoralized army. Gen. Buratai introduced several measures to boost the morale and welfare of the army.

He began the process of purchase and refurbishing military hardware, equipment and weapons to combat the insurgency who oftentimes appeared to be daring in their posture. It is to the credit of Gen. Buratai that the Nigerian Army boasted of having enormous military hardware. Such that was never bought in the history of the army.

The chief of Army staff has consistently called on Nigerians to provide credible intelligence to the army as intelligence gathering is key to tackling insecurity. He has advanced in blocking sources of information, food supply, arms and ammunition to the insurgents. This led to the fall of the dreaded sambisa in 2016 and several other towns formerly in firm control of the terrorists.

Through the super camp strategy, Gen. Buratai has evolved a master plan of taking war to the door steps of the terrorist, away from the reactionary approach adopted in the past. This art of war coupled with credible intelligence gathering has seen the destruction and killing of several terrorists leaders, camps and hide outs through a coordinated ground and aerial bombardment.

Buratai having studied the strategy of the terrorists who descend on motor bikes in a guerrilla style and not the usual conventional war approach to attack identified spots has retooled the troops with Motor Bike battalion to forestall attacks from the terrorists. This battalion uses the same asymmetric warfare employed by the insurgents. This has added capacity and ability to move swiftly. Thus reducing the BokoHaram/ISWAP attacks to isolated soft targets.

Gen. Buratai has demonstrated leadership by abandoning the comfort of his office in Abuja to join the troops at the war front and lead the war himself. This will not not only boost the morale of the troops but will further enhance proper coordination of intelligence, logistics and man power to finally clear and destroy the remnants of the terrorists and their hideouts. He has maintained that Insurgency has ended, that BHT has been technically defeated but terrorism will still persist as in any other country that has experienced it. For example, Colombia that experienced over 50 years terrorism still experiences pockets of terrorist acts going on. The same thing with the Middle East.

The terrorists having suffered major defeats from the fire power of Gen. Buratai and his troops have shifted attention to propaganda and make belief especially on social media platforms. The nature of social media which allows easy access to information and it’s wide spread. In reportage of conflict or insurgency, the media, be it conventional or social media owe the country a patriotic responsibility to remain objective.
sensational reportage of some news agencies especially online news mediums and social media contribute to instilling fear in the citizens while painting a picture of the troops loosing the war. The Nigerian army deserve the support of all and sundry in this last lap of the war.

Countries that have fought wars with terrorists and insurgents understand that bringing an end to terrorism is beyond having a good armory and sophisticated weapons especially that the sophistry of the army is threatened by the nature of the guerrilla warfare and the uncooperative posture of the civilians whose settlements the terrorist hide in.

General Tukur Buratai a combatant, on assumption of office as chief of Army staff swung into action, studied the nature of the war and introduced strategies which has destabilized the terrorists. They took the terrorists by surprise in their fortress killing and destroying their hideouts, arresting their informants and cutting their food and logistic supply chain. The aftermath of taking the war to the door steps of the terrorist has resulted to their being caged. Abubakar Shekau, recently rained curses on Lt. Gen. Buratai in lamentation of the devastation and number of foot soldiers he is losing to the Nigerian troops.

To Gen. Yusuf Buratai, Officers and men of the Nigerian Army owe it a duty to save our country from the menace of terrorists, bandits and all forms of criminalities and victory is non negotiable.

Msuaan, a public affairs commentator writes from Kaduna, Nigeria.

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Dikko And The New Vision Accountability and Development in Sports

Published

1 week ago

December 16, 2024

The Gleamer

Felly Mammah N.

Since the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhaji Shehu Dikko assumed office on the 30th of October, 2024, he has systematically and deliberately been putting in place structures that would result to proper development of sports in Nigeria. Shortly after he was first appointed by President Bola Tinubu as a leading strength of sports, the Director General (DG), Hon. Bukola Olapade was appointed to compliment his efforts.

Many sports analysts believe that the duo of Dikko and Olapade who have been very visible in sports administration will be one of the best combination to take the sports sector to the next level. The DG no doubt, is the head of administration in the Commission, but it should be noted that the financial enablement to manage the affairs of staff and the political might that shops for the finance needed in the running of the sector rest on the Chairman who has the task of liaising with the President directly.

It is also, worthy to note that there is a huge difference between the administration of in the Civil Service as it is controlled by a Permanent Secretary and Directors while the administration of a Commission involves Board Members and experts whose voices and actions are also, game-changing; more so as Commissioners are likely going to take charge of the different zones to proffer solutions for a way forward. The defunct Ministry of Youths and Sports Development which later in 2023 metamorphosed into the Ministry of Sports Development on the assumption of President Bola Tinubu, produced a minister who was not versed in sports administration and as a result, faced mass criticism especially from men of the media.

These men of the pen profession are the torchlight of global sporting activity; they equally keep the history of both sports participation globally as well as the records of athletes’ performances. Their torchlight on past Minister’s and particularly the recent past, have revealed that most of the people who presided over sports administration do not really have any knowledge of the sector before their appointment.

The exit of the immediate past Minister, Sen. John Owan Enoh, refreshingly paved the way for change and this has brought in sports personnels that are expected to place sporting activities in the digital world. Suffice it to also, say that the new management of Sports Commission in parts of her changes is expected to sanitize athletes’ attitude and character for better reflection of children who have seen and communicated with their peers in the Western world.

However, the clarion call for President Tinubu to remove politics in sports may have changed the leadership of sports going by what many sports fans saw in the last outing of both Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, where a country like Nigeria did not measure up to her potentials.

Despite the poor performance of atheletes during the World Olympics Games, the past immediate past Minister deserves to be commended that during his tenure, the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Games was reawakened as the participation of our Super Eagles brought back hope and jubilation to sports fans including the President and higher authorities. Yes whopping sum of N12 Billion was released two weeks to the Olympics Games and at a time the country was not financially stable. Despite the presidential financial support, the medals presented to the country were crisis and ignorant of both the atheletes, Nigeria Olympic Committee and the Atheletic Federaton to do the needful.

Therefore, it is heart-warming that the President harkened to the appeal of his fellow sports lovers to handpick a known figure in the sports arena to share his wealth of experience that gave him both a name in Sports and positions as the former Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Chairman League Management Company (LMC), FIFA match Commissioner of significance, 2nd Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and presently, CAF Committee Member, in addition to his new portfolio as Chairman NSC.

My reference point here is that Alh. Dikko has been given the authority to effect positive change in sports sector, co-ordinate over 40 Sports Federations in the sector, welcome ideas of both sports stakeholders, individuals and veterans of sports that will enable him x-ray the reasons for poor performances in the sector and to chat a way forward for success story. There can never be a new testament without an old testament, thus the reason Alh. Dikko’s doors have remained opened to receive courtesy calls that included the visits by past administrators and foreigners who want to facilitate with whom the cap fits.

Still, in the mood of celebration to formally welcome Alh. Dikko to office was the peculiar power of sports which gathered momentum and the crowd for happy moments as seen in the recent novelty match organized by his friends, associates and sports veterans at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja recently. That gathering clearly announced not just a man who has made a name for himself at a height in global political decision making in sports circle, but a man who has also, given voice to our country’s leagues and international activities.

Sports is a significant sector that comprises emotion, tension, happiness, sadness even death and hope irrespective of the fact that it has the potential to feed many mouths. The sector cannot be compared to other Ministries with delayed bureaucracies and frustration of abilities. While in the civil service the head will rather submerge a growing talent for fear of power thrown, a coach who discovers a talent takes the credit for showcasing a star athelete discovered. Sports has been proven to generate revenue as well as attract public partnership which are all aimed at enhancing podium performance by the athletes.

Shehu Dikko’s business vision and wide participation in football contributed in making him the right candidate to place the sector in its expected level, increase the GDP of the country’s economy and equally be accountable with administrative roadmap for success.

The novelty match organised for him by his sports fans and League managers had the likes of Samson Siasia, Victor Ikpeba, Mutiu Adepoju, Dominic Iorfa, Ahmed Musa in attendance to share their joy with him as they displayed their talent with their foot.
Others that graced the occasion were Super Sports General Manager, Felix Nwogu, former and present Chairmen of House Committee on Sports, NFF President, NOC members and persons from across the globe. That singular act indicated a clear fact that Dikko can actually gather momentum with persons that can support his ideology to deliver as charged by the presidency.

However, the Chairman’s meekness to open his doors to all does not mean weakness neither does it mean that he has not commenced work officially. His work is more of brain tasking because ideas actually rule the world. I will boldly say that he has resumed work with like minds that will not only be on the same page with him but will as well be on success Guinness Book with him.

Felly Mammah N.
Press Officer (NSC).

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