Featured

Military: Why falsehood can not prevail

Published

7 years ago

April 9, 2020

By Adamu Kabir

Falsehood, though a social discordance, has become trade for some unscrupulous elements of the society. More worrisome is the involvement of some media practitioners who are at the fore front of speeding lies in the name of journalism with out minding the repercussion of such to the society.

Before now, the media was an instrument for public enlightenment and education. It was also a tool for mass mobilization. In Nigeria and else where, the media played a vital role for gaining independence and other developmental strides. Regrettably, the media today is being highjacked by some unscrupulous elements for societal destruct.

For instance, the recent redeployments carried out by the Nigerian Army has again elicited reactions from some certain quarters after a news medium in their opaque wisdom twisted the narrative in an attempt to mislead the general public into believing what is not the case.

It is unfortunate that the likes of Sahara Reporters has consistently proven to strive on falsehood and malicious reportage which if not checked could destroy Nigera’s unity.

It is no secret that Sahara Reporters has turned itself to propaganda platform where the highest bidders with malicious motives are serviced. Its editorial style smacks a mockery of what journalism entails. Its writing style is unprofessional and lacks every sense of standard editing protocols. It’s more like a copy and pastes session where they are eager to publish in return for their paycheck.

This brings me to the recent publication by the same Sahara Reporters wherein it stated mischievously that the recent redeployment of the Theater Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole in North-East Nigeria by the Nigerian Army was done because Major General Olusegun Adeniyi complained and exposed the inefficiencies of the operations of the Nigerian Army in North-East Nigeria.

This was not surprising coming from the stable of Sahara Reporters. But the challenge here is the fact that the news medium would elect to pass such falsehood to the unsuspecting general public with so much impunity, not minding whose ox is gored.

Funny as it might sound, Sahara Reporters is not conversant with military operations, and as such, it is smacks of a mockery for it to attempt to blackmail the Nigerian Military for a purely military action. I am constrained to pen this article to put issues in proper perspectives as one conversant with the operations of the Nigerian Military with regards to promotions, demotions, appointments, and redeployments.

Its worth of note that there are standard procedures in the Nigerian Military with regards to the above mentioned. The operational strategies of the Military are always subjected to routine appraisals, and based on reviews, such things as promotions, deployments, and the likes are effected in boosting the operational effectiveness of the force.

It is standard procedure, not just in the Nigerian Military, for occasional rotation of officers in their various commands. This is so because when an officer stays too long in a duty post, there is a tendency for such officer to get compromised in the cause of the discharge of their duties. This practice is not just restricted to Nigeria but the world over. This is easily verifiable.

So, that Sahara Reporters sees the redeployment of Major General Olusegun Adeniyi as witch-hunting is a function of two variables. One is the fact that they must have acted in crass ignorance of standard military practice, and two, they carried out the instructions of their paymasters to cause disaffection in the polity.

Either of the above, their action is quite despicable and capable of causing unrest in the country. And not just that, their actions can go a long way in causing mutiny in the Nigerian Military for very obvious reasons. It must be stated that since the formation of Operation Lafiya Dole in North-East Nigeria, scores of commanders have been appointed and replaced by the military hierarchy in line with standard practice. And this standard practice was what led to the appointment of Major General Olusegun Adeniyi in August of 2019 when he took over from Major General Benson Akinroluyo.

It also suffices to add that Major General Olusegun Adeniyi has been in the theatre of operations in Maiduguri for a while. He was the deputy theatre commander to Major General Benson Akinroluyo, whom he subsequently took over from as commander in 2019. So in a way, the narrative been pushed by Sahara Reporters is not only defective, but it is also of poor taste given the fact that Major General Olusegun Adeniyi has been in the theatre of operations for over four years as deputy theatre commander and subsequently as commander.

I must emphasize that, this is the standard practice, and this much as seen to the various rotations of officers across military formations in the country. Mind you; the recent redeployments didn’t affect Major General Olusegun Adeniyi alone as scores of officers were also affected.

The public ought to be aware and Sahara Reporters desist from crucifying the Nigerian Military for no justifiable reason. It must also do well to learn not to delve into issues that are routine military practice the world over. It is, therefore, my considered opinion that this is not a time to play to the gallery. They can continue their money for stories regime, but I beg that the Nigerian Military is spared their shenanigans.

Considering the magnitude of the task at hand, all well meaning citizens would realise that there is need for serious concentration, and this much Sahara Reporters must realize and come to terms with. They should also do well to educate their paymasters that spreading falsehood against the Military serves no good now and always.

A cursory assessment of Sahara Reporters reportage on issues especially in recent times reveals it all that they are paid to do hatchet job. This much the public must know and disregard the tissues of lies it dishes out under the pretext of journalism.

Adamu Kabir, writes from Maiduguri, Borno State

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Featured

Alake Inaugurates Nigeria-US Solid Minerals Committee, Dismisses $700bn Claim, Says No Assets Sold

Published

5 days ago

October 28, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, on Tuesday inaugurated the Nigeria-United States Committee on Strategic Cooperation in the Solid Minerals Sector in Abuja, dismissing reports that Nigeria sold $700 billion worth of solid minerals to the US.

The inauguration followed the strategic cooperation framework established between Nigeria and the United States during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head PRESS and Public Relations Department Mrs. Kania Maliki Andeyaba stated that, Alake in the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed with the US is a government-to-government platform to facilitate business-to-business engagements between American investors and Nigerian local operators, not a sale of assets.

Harping on the importance of the solid minerals sector to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic diversification agenda, he noted that the administration was committed to reducing dependence on a mono-product economy through the sustainable development of Nigeria’s vast mineral resources.

According to him, the Nigeria–US partnership as a strategic initiative to attract investment, promote technology transfer, strengthen local mineral processing and create employment opportunities.

“There is no sale of any Nigerian asset. There’s nothing exchanging hands,” Alake declared.

“We created a platform to facilitate mingling of US investment ventures with Nigeria’s local operators. It is in the public domain. We signed it in public and published it in four or five national newspapers.”

The Minister said reports claiming the US was coming to take over Nigeria’s minerals and security architecture were untrue at best and products of riotous imagination at worst.

Explaining the policy thrust, Alake said Africa has historically held the short end of the stick in global economic transactions, and Nigeria is determined to change that model.

“We have the resources, the critical elements the world needs to transit to clean energy. So we are creating a new paradigm — you bring your capital, expertise and technology, to match with our natural resources and create a win-win situation . The investor gains, Nigeria gains.’’he said.

Nigeria, he stressed, had operated a mono-cultural economy dependent on oil, while solid minerals were exploited informally — with ores taken “from pit to port” without value addition.

Alake said government has now made local processing mandatory, refusing to grant mineral titles to investors without a clear pathway to processing in Nigeria.

He said the policy led to the springing up of processing factories, including the largest lithium processing plant in West Africa commissioned recently in Nasarawa by the Vice President, and informed the formation of the African Minerals Strategy Group.

Alake noted that investor confidence has returned due to macro-economic reforms by President Bola Tinubu that guarantee security of tenure and repatriation of profits.

He charged the committee to discharge its assignment responsibly, saying its work is strategic to achieving the President’s $1 trillion economy target.

To this end, he told the Committee to ensure effective coordination, identify investment opportunities and translate the framework into measurable outcomes capable of positioning Nigeria as a competitive player in the global solid minerals industry.

In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, said the inauguration translates growing bilateral engagements into a structured framework for practical cooperation and investment mobilization

Economic Officer at the US Embassy, Jonathan Baas, said President Donald Trump has prioritized three areas for US embassies — energy, artificial intelligence/super intelligence, and critical minerals.

Baas said Washington’s direction is to work with partners to secure critical supply chains while ensuring partners capture value.

“We just signed a contract today on looking into building AI data centres in Nigeria at the Nigerian Economic Summit. That’s the direction Washington wants us to go,” he said.

In his vote of thanks, CEO/Managing Director of Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, NSMC said that the committee

is expected to coordinate implementation, facilitate investment and monitor progress towards achieving the objectives of the Nigeria–US cooperation framework.

The inauguration reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning the solid minerals sector as a key driver of economic diversification, industrial development and national prosperity under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

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