By Andy Ezeani
In an interesting gesture that marks either a departure or mere tokenism, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, over the weekend, went visiting military troops combating terrorism on the Katsina front. The war phrase “front” here captures the reality of present-day Nigeria. The country is littered with fronts – few declared, numerous others undeclared.
In truth, virtually every part of Nigeria, at this moment, is a war front. Every inhabitant of the country is, by implication, either a war victim of sorts or a prospective prisoner of war, otherwise known as kidnapped person.
Tinubu’s visit to soldiers on the frontline of the escalating war against terror may be belated but it certainly cannot be dismissed as being too little, too late. Indeed, it can be morning yet, depending on the real purpose and motive of the visit. The outing, actually, holds out varied interpretations. For one, it offered the President an opportunity to directly address the soldiers, with such exhortatory messages expected of his station.
It bears stating, though, that Tinubu’s main problem has not been shortage of pronouncements and promises. Bridging the gap between what is said and what is done is the challenge.
In the course of his visit to the troops of the Nigerian Army in “Operation Fansan Yamma” in Katsina State, Tinubu reminded the soldiers that the war they are “waging in Katsina and across the country is not just a battle for territory. it is a battle for the soul of Nigeria.” He went further to underscore the importance of his visit by adding that it underscores the urgent need to bring an end to the “ongoing conflict”. Exactly which “ongoing conflict” he was referring to needs proper clarification, but that can wait.
Down the line in his remarks, he told the troops that “the war (they are engaged in) will not be won by weapons alone, but by your will to stand, resist, fight and triumph”. He went on further, “To those who seek to destabilize our nation, be they domestic collaborators or foreign agents, hear this: Nigeria will not bow. Not to fear. Not to terror. Not to treachery.” Hear, hear!
It is commendable that Tinubu ventured to the Katsina front to visit with and spur the troops. Even at that, fundamental questions on leadership are still dogging his government’s disposition to various critical issues, neglect of which are leading precipitously to the unravelling of the beleaguered territory he superintends over.
For instance, at about what point does the leadership of the country come to grips with an existential threat confronting the country? While there may not be any universally defined red line at which countries respond to threats, there is no doubt that only very few countries will waste time to respond sharply to any breach of their territorial integrity or acts of aggression against their citizens.
This does not appear to be the case with Nigeria under Tinubu. His government has become, to a large extent, a big absurdity, to the extent that it is watching as both the territories and citizens under its care are being assailed by alien invaders, while it keeps busy preaching hollow patriotism. The situation beggars comprehension. Could that be politics? Or lack of will? Or something much more serious, possibly including external influences? At Katsina, Tinubu alluded to those “who seek to destabilize our nation, be they domestic collaborators or foreign agents…”. Was he struggling to say something? Can he respond with more will and vigour?
Millions of Nigerians are bewildered and frustrated at the manifest listlessness of the Tinubu government towards problems of insecurity that have escalated to the point of life-and-death scenario across the land.
The inability, or failure of the government and its security apparatuses to leverage technology to offer a shield over Nigerians in the face of the menace of rampaging terrorists, remains curious. It is sheer dereliction of a primary duty by the government. Within the queer context of Nigeria, Nigerians came to terms with the grievous reality that the preceding government headed by Muhammadu Buhari would not, and could not wage any sincere campaign against invading terrorists from the Sahel.
That government unapologetically defined who its enemies were, and the bandits, euphemistically so-called, were not exactly on the wrong side of its schemes. Surprisingly, since the advent of the Tinubu presidency, the invaders have become far more barbaric than they were under Uncle Muhammadu.
It is true that the mindset and concern of politicians are always at variance with those of ordinary, or normal citizens. Even at that, it is mind-boggling that while the country, as it is known, is steadily being asphyxiated by an unrelenting assault by imported terrorists and Janjaweed troops from across the Sahel, possibly, otherwise normal citizens would be preoccupied with jostling for foothold in a political dispensation two years away, as if 2027 is guaranteed anyone.
As national discourse focuses primarily, in recent times, on the shenanigans within the political class, with governors and leaders from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) queuing up to empty into Tinubu’s ruling APC, the poverty of leadership in Nigeria is once more underlined. The concern by the politicians with political survival, as they see it, over and above survival of the territory known as Nigeria, speaks loudly of the tragedy of the country.
The territorial integrity of Nigeria is not only being eroded so sharply on a daily basis, courtesy of invading alien Fulani terrorists, Nigerians are being killed in their numbers regularly in their ancestral homeland. Yet no politician, hustling for 2027 has made any comment about any strategy or policy to secure citizens.
The disposition of the Tinubu government and much of the political class, tends to reflect a sharply different reality from what is. Is there anything the government knows differently about the state of insecurity in the country, from what majority of the people know? Maybe.
In Katsina last weekend, Tinubu declared, characteristically that he will reclaim the forests from terrorists and bandits. It would have been wonderful if people believed him. Maybe he will. How, is the nagging question. It is good though, that he knows that the forests across Nigeria are now substantially occupied by terrorists. The war fronts are expanding by the day.
The alarming spectacle of thousands of menacing, gaunt and dusty invaders, amassing on the north-eastern fringes of the country, from where they pour into forests across the country, is foreboding enough for a country and its security machinery to swing into emergency mode. That, certainly, is not yet the response people see. Only recently, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State raised fresh alarm about the influx of these invaders. His alarm ended as an echo in the wild. Who are those out to overwhelm Nigeria with this danger?
For many Nigerians; political commentators, the political class, concerned citizens and all, the focus at the moment appears to be on the prospect of Nigeria becoming a one-party state. The possibility of Tinubu and APC dominating the landscape to the point that 2027 will be a formality, even before the game starts, rankles many.
There is however, another prospect that not many seem to give considerable attention to. That is the unnerving prospect that unless something drastic is done to stem the inflow of Fulani invaders at the rate they are pouring in and displacing natives in their homes, there may not be a state in the first place, by 2027, not to talk of a one-party state.
There is nothing inconceivable about this prospect, except that in Nigeria, reality is often a very difficult subject for many to confront. For those who believe the prospect of a no state is far-fetched, they may do well to contact the indigenous peoples of Benue and Plateau states. This is not to discourage those who are adjusting their garbs for the march into APC.