In Buhari’s 36 Days, Boko Haram Kills 406 Nigerians

Buhari’s administration is clearly not making any progress in the war against Boko Haram terrorists. Ever since lost territories were recovered from these bastards by the Jonathan administration, there has not been any proactive/pragmatic effort to minimize suicide bombings by the terrorists. I was shocked when I compiled the casualties in the last 36 days of this administration. 406 innocent Nigerians have been killed in the last 36 days by Boko Haram in the North-east. That is an average of 11 people killed daily. Please, check out the timeline below.

It is a shame that some people have suddenly relegated reports about these atrocities to the background. We are not putting pressure on this administration to take proactive action. Even Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State and Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe State have suddenly become quiet. So, these lives no longer matter because two of them now belong to the party at the centre? The Buhari administration has simply been grandstanding about taming Boko Haram; all words no action. Running to the leaders of Chad and Niger Republic for help is not a bad idea. Goodluck Jonathan did the same; but it cannot put an end to suicide bombings in our country.
Troops from the MNJTF won’t come into Maiduguri or Damaturu to help stop suicide bombings. They can only help battle cross-border infiltration. The trip to G7 Summit by President Muhammadu Buhari where this same issue was tabled was obviously a waste of time. Deep down, the G7 guys are not bothered one bit about the war against Boko Haram. Buhari should be moving close to Russia and China.

Aside from moving the Command and Control Centre of the war to Maiduguri, Buhari has so far not done anything special in the war against Boko Haram in the last 36 days. This is basically because he has no blue print for tackling the crisis. While campaigning for the Presidency, Buhari simply played politics with the Boko Haram crisis. He did not have any Think Tank working on strategies for taming the monster. The movement of the C and C to Maiduguri did not impact positively on the war as seen from the data below. The movement itself is an archaic war technique. There is clearly no sense in this. Buhari simply wants to jeopadise the Command and Control Centre.

The United States did not move the Pentagon to the Gulf region before decapitating Iraq troops. Just as I clearly stated in an earlier piece, the suicide bombers are within the country, manufacturing and using Improvised Explosive Devices. They are using petrol and gas cylinders, all obtained within the country. Intelligence gathering and technology are vital for detecting and curtailing the deadly activities of these suicide bombers. Community policing is also key. We need to put our internal security in order instead of just running to G7 leaders, Chad, Niger, Cameroon and the rest of them. Of course, leadership matters a great deal if we are to curtail terrorism. Buhari needs to be told that occupying a position of authority does not make a man a leader. It is the ability to inspire others to achieve a positive goal that makes a man a leader.

Being honesty alone does not make a man a leader. Competence is a key factor in leadership. Ability to identify other competent people and then making positive use of them is also vital in leadership. If honesty is all that is required to turn around the fortune of a country, then, a country like Tanzania would have joined the league of developed country. Their former President, late Julius Nyerere who ruled the country for over two decades was one of the most honest leaders in the world. When he left office, he had no house of his own.  The country had to build one for him. In spite of his honesty, Tanzania remained on the inglorious list of very poor countries in the world. The point I am making is that in this war against Boko Haram and other challenges facing this country, we need a leader who combines competence and honesty. For now, I don’t think we have that leader. A man cannot give what he does not have. An honest leader who is not competent will not get us anywhere. A competent leader who is dishonest will also not get us anywhere. May Allah save us from the scourge of Boko Haram and Buhari’s ineptitude.

Timeline of Deadly Boko Haram Attack in 36 days

May 30    13 killed during an attempted night invasion of Maiduguri

May 30     26 killed, in bomb attack on a mosque near Borno market
May 31      Four killed at Gamboru market, Maiduguri
June 2     17 killed at Maiduguri abattoir
June 3     Four killed in attack on mechanical workshop on Baga Road
June 4    Female suicide bomber kills two near military checkpoint in Maiduguri
June 5     40 killed in suicide attack on Jimeta Night Market
June 7     Three killed in suicide attack on Baga/Monguno Highway
June 11     37 killed in separate attacks on six Borno villages
June 15     Twin suicide bomb attacks kill 11 persons in Potiskum
June 17     Accidental explosion kills 15 persons in Monguno
June 22     Eight killed in twin suicide attacks on Baga Fish Market, Maiduguri
June 23    15 killed in suicide bomb attack on Nannawaji Village, Gujba LG
June 23     20 killed in attack on Debiro, Hawul LG
June 27     Five killed at General Hospital, Molai, Borno State
June 30     48 killed in Mussaram I and Mussaram II near Monguno
July 1         98 killed in Kukawa Village
July 2         11 killed at Malari Village along Bama/Konduga Highway
July 3         29 killed in Mussa Village, Askira-Uba LG.

Why is Kwankwaso Afraid of EFCC?

I am astounded that Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor and strong man of Kano politics could be this timid. Kwankwaso has locked himself up in his house in Abuja in the last few days, to avoid arrest by the EFCC. His lawyer, Okechukwu Eze confirmed this. This is clearly a chicken signal from a supposedly strong man. Kwankwaso also sent Eze to a court in Kano to file an ex-parte motion to restrain the EFCC from arresting him. The court which is obviously still under the control of Kwankwaso granted the request. If Kwankwaso has no skeleton in his cup board, he should honourably submit himself to the EFCC. The anti-graft agency is working on a petition alleging that the former governor deposited N2 billion in the Kano branch of a failed bank. The petitioners added that soon after the deposit was made, the bank went into liquidation. According to the petition, Kwankwaso did not take any step to recover the deposit. Kwankwaso, who handed over power to Abdullahi Ganduje, is believed to have left behind a N300 billion debt for the hapless people of Kano State.

Wike’s Horrendous N30bn Loan

I still can’t understand why Governor Nyesome Wike’s major ‘achievement’ in his first 30 days in office was the N30 billion debt he dragged Rivers State into. A highly compromised House of Assembly gave him express clearance for the funny loans without thinking about the future of this state. Of course, the interest can’t be less than 24% APR. It is preposterous to learn that one of the reasons Wike took the loan is to be able to fence Government Girls Secondary, Rumuokwuta. Haba, how can a governor take a loan to fence a school? How can a state with an average of N14 billion monthly revenue (IGR plus Abuja money) still go on a fatal spree like this? I know that the state still got about N7 billion from the Federation Account last week.

With prudent management of the state’s resources, Rivers can safely survive on N14 billion monthly. Projects like that of Rumuepirikom-Iwofe Road, Elelenwo-Akpajo Road, Oroigwe-Igwuruta Road, Igwuruta-Chokocho Road and Abuloma-Woji Road can clearly be completed without any bank loan. If care is not taken, the state may soon be plunged into financial crisis like Osun State. The founding fathers of this state must rise up to check Wike before it is too late.

Memo to Rochas Okorocha

My dear Governor Rochas Okorocha, the way you go about presenting yourself as a honest politician has left me bewildered. This is particularly so, in the face of glaring evidence that you are actually owing civil servants salaries, contrary to what you claim to stand for. To quote Comrade Austin Chilakpu, Chairman, Imo State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress, civil servants in the ministries have not been paid May and June salaries. Workers in some of the parastatal have not been paid for several months. I have been reliable informed that some of the parastatals where salaries running into several months have not been paid are Imo Newspapers, 11 months; Adapalm Nigeria (Imo Palm Plantation), 7 months; IBC/Orient TV, 4 months; and Imo Specialist Hospital, 6 months.

Pensioners are also being owed 6 months while teachers are being owed three months.
This talk about government’s verification panels “discovering irritating padding of salaries for non-existent staff and high-profile corruption” in the parastatals should not lead to non-payment of salaries for several months to other innocent civil servants. One of your media aides was quoted as saying that you will only pay those in the affected parastatals “when the issues in question must have been rectified.” Genuine verifications should not take this long. Of course, you have been leading the clamour for a bail out for failed states. The fear is that you don’t even have the cash to pay these unfortunate workers. Otherwise, why would you spend months trying to weed out ghost workers in these parastatals? Please note that you were not elected to give excuses.

What’s Oby Ezekwesile Up to?

I now agree that Oby Ezekwesile, who led so many BringBackOurGirls campaigns during the days of Goodluck Jonathan has gone to sleep ever since Muhammadu Buhari emerged President. I decided to closely observe her for about five weeks (post Jonathan) before reaching a conclusion. The result? After five weeks, not a single BringBackOurGirls campaign rally was held in Abuja or any part of Nigeria. Does it mean that we no longer need our abducted Chibok girls?  So, it was all politics? Oby, please, wake up. We need to sustain the pressure on Buhari to BringBackOurGirls. The news early in the week that the Co-Founder of the BringBackOurGirls campaign, Hadiza Bala-Usman had been appointed the Chief of Staff (COS) to the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasiru El-rufai left me so disheartened.

How can some people key into such barbaric abduction of our dear girls for political gains. Does it mean that some BringBackOurGirls campaigners worked for Buhari (using the tragic abduction as a tool) against Jonathan during the Presidential election as widely speculated? This is a food for thought following Hadiza’s appointment.

Freedom at Last for Fani-Kayode

My brother and very good friend, Femi Fani-Kayode is free at last after seven horrendous years of persecution. I never for once doubt his innocence. In the last seven years, he was subjected to the most malicious, vicious, sinister, well-orchestrated, insidious and devastating form of political persecution and wickedness by the EFCC.

They had no evidence to prosecute him, yet they spent years harassing him. The whole process almost destroyed his life, his family, his reputation, his health and my career. The nightmare is finally over for this former Aviation minister, thanks to Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia who dismissed all the corruption charges against him.