Fulani herdsmen are no killers, they are victims — Jubril Aminu

Posted by Unknown On Saturday, April 26, 2014 0 comments

Jubril Muhammad Aminu, a professor of cardiology, was the Nigerian Ambassador to the USA between 1999 and 2003. Aminu was elected senator representing Adamawa Central senatorial district in 2003.
 Jubril Aminu
Jubril Aminu
Prior to the ambassadorial posting in 1999, he had held office as Federal Minister of Education and Federal  Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (1989 and 1992). As Petroleum Minister, he was President of the African Petroleum Producers Association (1991) and President of the OPEC Conference between 1991 and1992.
In this interview, Aminu blames the face-off between Fulani herdsmen and host communities in many parts of the country on government. He also says unless government fights Boko Haram as if in a war, insurgency in the country will not abate.  Aminu is also a delegate to the on-going National Conference.  Excerpts:
By Levinus Nwabughiogu
Can you tell me the story of Fulani herdsmen?
The Fulani story is a tragic paradox because when we talk about the Fulani as a group, people tell you about the Fulani rule in Sokoto Empire and  sub empires like the one we have in Adamawa, and they talk about all the rulers in northern Nigeria where Fulani, consequent upon the establishment of the Caliphate and other
empires headed by Fulani and all the historical problems associated with that including emirate rule, including what some people call Fulani dictators, slavery and how Fulani rule dovetailed into modern politics with old parties like the NPC, NPN. People who might not be Fulani  often like to identify themselves as Fulani because of the pedigree.
And so, the ordinary Fulani man bears all the brunt of this historical animosity when truly he was not responsible. That is one side of the Fulani people. This is the one people are talking about especially in politics. There is another one that touches on the Fulani at all levels including the nomadic Fulani.
They are all lumped and tied as one and they have to bear the cost of the unpopularity of the ruling class. The Fulani man with his cows is seen now as belonging to the ruling class which he doesn’t belong to.
And, therefore whatever, animosity there is to the ruling class automatically is transferred to this poor man, poor woman or poor clan. And we all speak same language, we all look the same. How can you say ‘this one is not my own, or these people are not my people or the people in the ruling class are not  my people?’
You cannot say that. You have this problem. Now, on the other hand, you look at the poor, ordinary Fulani with no land, who are not even settled, the nomadic Fulani. Before the restrictions, they were moving throughout West Africa. And it is the same thing you find wherever you go. They don’t have their own land.
They are not interested in farming. They are nomads, grazing and they have not got what you call their own grazing land where they will keep their cows and give them food. That doesn’t happen.
So, they have to move from place to place. The move say from Plateau to Mambilla, from Mambilla to Plateau. They move all over the place and their contacts are the farmers particularly now that their brother Fulani are not ruling. You see, there is a a disadvantage to indigenous people, the indigenous  tribe. They drive them away.
They used to have cattle routes in the days of the British in the first republic. You have cattle routes everywhere. And no farmer will come to farm on these routes. But you now find out that they pass through this route this year, next year they come to find out it is either somebody’s house or somebody’s farm.
They are not aggressive people. Are they mad? They are not. They just come back and pass where they passed, where they grazed last year. But somebody has taken it and says it is his farm, his house, his land. That is what is causing a lot of the problems that you see. And what will they do with their cows?
‘I passed through here last year and I even stayed there.  Coming back, you now say I can’t even come there. You say I have eaten your corn, I have eaten your this and that. My cows have destroyed your farm’. Now, you can see the problems.
And this is not only with the minority tribes, the Christians, in fact, in a lot of Hausa land, Sokoto, Kano, Jigawa, you have this problem. And for a long time, they have been trying to establish grazing reserves. They are only talking about it. They have not done anything.
If there was anything like grazing reserve, when I was heavily involved in this, that was Plateau, not even a Fulani state or province. In short, government talks about it (grazing reserve) but they have not done anything.
They have not established anything for them. And these people supply meat, milk, hides and skin, manure. But they don’t care to look after them. The only time they are looking after them is to tax them.  Gen. Gowon abolished the tax. Today, they pay tax yet they are not looked after. Nobody cared about their education until I came with nomadic education.
Fulani-herdsmen-newThis is nothing more than just primary school education to make them accessible to information. Somebody who is an illiterate is not accessible to development information, information of any kind. So, we began to educate them.
All over, people talk about nomadic education yet I don’t know what they have been able to do. But what I know is that you pass a school and they tell you it is nomadic a school. But you find children from town in them. The society is not doing anything for these people.
Is that the justification for destroying people’s farms?
‘I passed this road last year and this year you say I can’t pass’. I don’t know any other alternative. This is the cause. I didn’t say it was a justification. It is the cause of these frictions. The Fulani are not mad. They can’t go round destroying somebody’s  farm but ‘I followed this road last year, I feel like coming to follow it again because my people have been doing it for a long time’.
When they come, you drive them away, saying they are destroying your crops. And you begin to fight and kill them.
In that case, would you blame the crisis on government for not establishing reserves?
Certainly, but the state governments in particular. The state governments haven’t  done anything.
In that case, what do you suggest?
The first is education. With the support of General Ibrahim Babangida when he was in power, we started nomadic education. Thank God it is still on.
Now, the problem has escalated to killings, deaths like we could see in Benue State?
Not just now. It started a long time ago.
So, how do you react because a lot of deaths have been attributed to it?
It is the responsibility of  government especially at the state level. These are their people. They benefit from them. These people move across state boundaries in the country as a whole. You find them as far south as  Awka in Anambra State, as far as the northern fringes of Abeokuta, as far as Abakaliki. They are there because of the encroachment of the desert. They keep going down there.
Can you say they are hostile?
They are not hostile. I have told you what happens. They go round with their cattle. These are areas that they have known for decades. Their fathers, forefathers were following these routes. And they are going on their legitimate business. Somebody driving cows from Adamawa to go to the South-east.
It is a long time, I have been hearing of Aba and Abakaliki and Umuahia and Onitsha. I know these places. And people have been taking cattle there, selling them and coming back. And people know about the route between Plateau and Mambilla. So, they have been going there. Now, next year, they come and find somebody saying it is his farm.
But they are armed with weapons as they move?
Will you carry your weapons when you are going to the bush? There are robbers. There are high way men. There are wild animals. There are competitors for cattle. It doesn’t mean that because they are all Fulani, they are all brothers and friends and all that. Why won’t you carry weapons? They are not carrying weapons to rob.
They are carrying weapons for self-defence and they have been doing that for a long time. But as the sophistication of the society increases, the sophistication of their weapon increases. Before ,it was a stick.
Doesn’t that now convey an impression that the cattle rearers you knew before are not the ones you know now?
What about the Igbo I knew? Are they the same today? What about the Hausa I knew? Are they the same today? So , everybody can move but the Fulani man cannot move?
Ok. What would you say about  Benue  where a lot of allusion is being made to the Fulani herdsmen?
It is a pity. It is failure of government, failure of the elite. Government has failed to do its job. One governor was even saying he will stop eating beef. Let them stop eating beef. This is nonsense. How can you say you will stop eating beef because you are fighting  the Fulani? What rubbish is that? The state governments in particular are not doing their work. And this is how all these crises begin.
Now, let me take you away from that issue. You are a delegate to the ongoing National Conference. So far, are you satisfied with the  proceedings?
No. We are not moving at all. But I am the only who is saying this. No body is saying that. We are now in the end of our 4th week. Theoretically, we have eight weeks left. Yet this is how far we have gone. You can see we are not moving fast.
Do you believe in the conference? Do you think it will achieve positive results?
I believe in the conference because it has already been set up. You set up somebody, you pulled the citizens, particularly the elder statesmen, you have to try to do your best to make it succeed in the interest of the whole country.
What do you say about the security situation in the country at the moment?
You are just asking me anything that is worrying you, you just throw it at me. You, too tell me about the security situation in the country. (general laughter). You have asked me three or four questions, let me ask you this one. (more laughter).
Bombings have continued to go off ceaselessly. Citizens are worried and confused.
Because Nigeria has allowed a very important, powerful organization with international connection and motivation, with paradise in many countries of the world to infiltrate here. What they are looking for is a territory.
Of course, they said they have a divine cause they are pursuing. And they will not relent. To them, death means nothing. Death is martyrdom.
Are you really sure it is a divine cause?
Anyway, it is not all of them but when you start something, some others will come but i believe  that if you ask them, they will tell you they are pursuing a divine cause.
With the killings?
That is not the point. You are coming from the point of view of Western, Nigerian oriented. For somebody who has dedicated his life here on earth, it is a struggle. To those people death is a welcome relief. They will never understand what is going on.
If it is true that these people are pursuing a cause to Islamize Nigeria and they feel it is their duty; if you become a Muslim, and you a good one by their own definition, they will do everything for you. But if you are not with them, then in these areas of theirs, they will fight you. I am not saying this is what is going on.
But you are a Muslim…
(Cuts in) A devout one.
Would you buy that idea?
People have different ways of pursuing their cause, pursuing their mission. Some of them we may consider to be extremists. But they will never do. They would think they are devoting a responsibility to God.  The same thing in the olden days of  Christians who said they were fighting in crusades or whatever they called it.
You do have it. It is not unusual. Look at what Jews are doing to Arabs in Palestine. You say it is their land. How can it be your land? Two thousand, five hundred years, it is still your land. Try to understand the dimensions of religious persuasions.
Do you think there will ever be a solution to this problem of insecurity?
Of course, there will be a solution. But we have to find it.
What do you think we can do that hasn’t been done? There is state of emergency in place…?
There are many things we have not done.
Like what?
We are not pursuing it like a war. This is a very important war, a terrible enemy. But we are not pursuing it like that. You can’t go round killing your own people or allowing them to kill others. To stop them from killing others is not by killing anybody who looks like them. That’s not what you will do.
So, what do you do?
You have to put more resources, more struggle, more political solution. Political solution is always the only one that lasts.
Political solution? So, how do we go about it because the Federal Government recently called for  negotiation…
(Cuts in) How much negotiation has gone on up till now? Calling is one thing. Doing is another.
2015, the election year, is almost here. Do you see Nigeria crossing the hurdle with the insecurity situation?
We have been having elections since 1959, maybe earlier, I don’t see anything. If we have any sense, it shouldn’t be difficult for us because we have done it before. We have INEC, we have the money, we have everything. Why should election be difficult?

Vanguard
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First built in Nigeria Nissan Patrol rolls off production line

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Nissan has become the first major manufacturer to build a car in Nigeria in response to the Federal Government’s new  Automotive Policy.

According to a statement from Stallion Motors, Nissan representatives in Nigeria, the inaugural vehicle, a black Nissan Patrol, rolled off the production line at the Lagos assembly plant, marking a key milestone in the company’s continued wave of expansion into the high-growth markets.
In addition to the Patrol, Nissan also plans to produce the Almera and NP300, starting in early May and followed by mass production in August. With these three models, Nissan aims to be a significant player in the Nigerian automotive sector.

Nissan is targeting significant growth in Africa as the company builds momentum towards achieving its Power 88 goals, a commitment to reach 8% profitability by the end of fiscal year 2016.
Elsewhere in the world as part of the high-growth markets strategy, plants have been opened in Mexico and Brazil with projects underway in Indonesia, Thailand and China. Last year Nissan announced it will be the first manufacturer to build cars in Myanmar, after the opening up of the economy in the south-east Asian country.

The first “built in Nigeria for Nigerians” Nissan Patrol follows the signing last year of a Memorandum of Understanding for vehicle assembly in Lagos between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and West African conglomerate Stallion Group.
Since then, preparing for production in Nigeria to global production standards has been achieved at a rapid pace, setting a new benchmark in responsiveness and organisational agility.

Vanguard
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PDP, APC must unite to crush Boko Haram — Okonkwo

Posted by Unknown On Sunday, April 20, 2014 0 comments
DEPUTY National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Annie Okonkwo spoke to some reporters in Lagos on burning national issues such as the challenges in the APC and how the party can win forthcoming elections, the National Conference, why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and APC must join forces to fight Boko Haram and insecurity instead of trading accusations.

BY CLIFFORD NDUJIHE
Abuja-bombing1
On accusations and counter-accusation between PDP and APC over insecurity in the country.
Boko Haram is the worst thing that has happened to this country and we must do something about it. Sometimes, I get baffled that: why can’t we as a nation go in and smoke them out once and for all? Whatever we can do to smoke all the Boko Haram out, let us do it and know that nobody talk about Boko Haram anymore.

The truth of the matter is that sometimes, I wonder how people for so many years would continue to hold the nation on hostage. When there was Biafran war, within 30 months, the war ended and everybody came together and we became one.
Nigerians came together to fight the civil war, so why can’t we come together and fight Boko Haram once and for all? It is so embarrassing and it is not good for our nation.
Insecurity situation
Today, we are talking about our GDP, economy, how can we boost our economy when some parts of the country are in disarray? So, it is something that I think we must come together and fight once and for all.

Don’t you think your party needs to work with the ruling PDP to solve the problem?
The insecurity situation in the country is what everybody must put hands together and solve. Whether you are APC or PDP, no party is happy with the way Boko Haram is terrorising Nigerians. You don’t know who is next. Boko Haram doesn’t spare people whether they are Muslims or Christians. So, we must unite to fight the insurgents.

On APC’s perceived double speak on the National Conference
APC as a party decided that they are not going to be involved but that does not mean that the states are not going to send their representatives to the conference.
APC as a party believes that the conference is a waste of time because previous conferences were not implemented.

Now, a lot of issues are coming up. Some delegates are saying that the outcome should be subjected to a referendum and that it should not be sent to the National Assembly. Some people also see it as Jonathan’s political strategy to win the minds of the people ahead of the 2015 general election.
Political strategy
Personally, I am not against the conference but my concern is for the outcome to be implemented. As a person, I believe that Nigerians should sit down and talk. I support it but my concern is that after this talk, what do we do with it? I am also afraid that there might not be any useful thing that would come out of it.

So, is the APC  right in boycotting the national conference?
As a political party and the major opposition party, it is better for APC to stay aside and watch but that does not mean that the governors would not send their representatives to the conference because they are not representing APC, they are representing the states.

On how the National Assembly can make the outcome of the National Conference yield results
The National Assembly has nothing to do because the truth of the matter is that if there is any amendment the people want, it goes through constitutional amendment and there is a procedure for amending the constitution, which is very rigorous. It is not just for the National Assembly to amend it; they don’t have all the powers to do that. It would still have to go to the states. One of the best things that can happen is if it is subjected to a referendum.

On whether APC can produce a formidable candidate that can challenge President Jonathan in 2015
APC is working towards that. Nobody can predict what is going to happen in 2015 but I can assure Nigerians that APC’s convention will produce a presidential candidate that Nigerians would accept. APC will produce a candidate that has the people at heart, a candidate that will transform the country. APC will dislodge PDP in 2015.

On his assessment of the on-going congresses of the APC
I am not happy over what happened during the ward congress especially in Anambra State. The state congress committee chairman, Chief Ezennia Ogbuehi, sidelined some members of the committee assigned by the party to conduct the congress and conducted the congress without following due process and guidelines of the congress. Honestly, I was disappointed.

The party promised to operate on internal democracy and that equal opportunities would be given to all members of the party but most of the aspirants were not allowed to participate in the congress. I believe it is something that should not to be allowed to happen in our party because Nigerians see APC as the only alternative party that can transform the country.
Nigerians are really looking forward to APC as a party that is going to bring true change.
I want us to use this opportunity to call on all our party faithful wherever they are to imbibe true democratic principles and subject themselves to internal democracy.

Internal democracy
That is the only way we can build a solid party that Nigerians would have confidence in but if we continue to do what other political parties are doing, it is not going to augur well for us.

I was excited when the party came out openly on the pages of national dailies to state the process of the congresses. The guidelines are very transparent and it shows that the party is ready to imbibe internal democracy.
But what happened during the congress especially in Anambra State was undemocratic. Someone who was appointed as the chairman of the congress committee messed up the whole process and despite the party guidelines and good intentions, the congress committee chairman acted contrary
Today, it is on record that all Anambarians are highly disappointed in the chairman of the congress committee, who completely ignored the party’s guidelines and started perpetuating what he was not told to do by the party.
I think it is a lesson and we cannot continue like that. I think this is an opportunity for the party to really look into the state and see that the problem is resolved. What happened in the last election in Anambra is all about disunity and we must make sure that APC is united in all states to be able to confront the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 and the only way to do that is to build a solid foundation.
On how the party leadership can build a solid foundation for the APC
APC is a very big party and there is no doubt that there is going to be some elements who are not ready to abide by the principles of internal democracy but the party should rise up and identify those elements. The good news is that APC has a vision and the party constitution is very clear. They must realise that it is very important that for the party to grow, there must be true internal democracy.

On comments that APC cannot truly be an alternative to PDP because it was built on faulty foundation and is now a dumping ground for people who were rejected in the ruling PDP, who they accept without screening and scrutiny
First of all, you should understand that there is freedom of association, so, there is no question of screening somebody to be a member of a party. The constitution gives you the right to belong to anywhere you want.
A member of the party cannot stop anyone from being a member of a party and nobody can also suspend anybody unless you go against the constitution or guidelines of the party.

And again, the party cannot say that people who want to join the party should not join, but the most important thing is that there is a principle and constitution of the party. I believe the only way the party can be strengthened is when the party works with the constitution and manifesto of the party, especially during the party’s congresses and convention.
I am happy the way APC put up their guidelines, which shows that for you to aspire as executive in the ward you will have to pay at least N2,000 to show a commitment. What that means is that anybody who comes and pays that N2,000 has procured the right to participate in the congress and any attempt by member or some members of the party not to allow the person to participate is undemocratic and that is exactly what has happened in Anambra State and I condemn it with all sincerity of purpose.

Culled: Vanguard
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We ‘re on Northern govs’payroll – Boko Haram

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By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor, AbdulSalam Muhammad, Victoria Ojeme & Ndahi Marama
LAGOS —The Boko Haram sect has cited the stoppage of its monthly financial support for the recent attacks on northern states, claiming that the group was until recently being bankrolled by some northern governors.
The claim by the group came as it also alleged that former President Olusegun Obasanjo was in its firing range last September but was spared because of his tolerance of the sharia Islamic code during his presidency.
An unnamed high ranking official of the group alleged that the Ibrahim Shekarau administration in Kano made a monthly N10 million donation to the group while the Bauchi Governor, Alhaji Isa Yuguda besides financial commitments was also an admirer of the military prowess of the group.
The group has, nevertheless, dismissed any personal grouse with President Goodluck Jonathan, alleging that the problems with the administration were carryovers from what it claimed to be the callousness of the Yar‘Adua administration in waging war against the group.
The allegations were made by a high ranking official of the group to the online publication 247ureports.com.
Mr. Michael Ishola, Chief Press Secretary to the Bauchi State Governor, Alhaji Isa Yuguda, however, debunked the claim as a “very, very strange allegation.”
The newly appointed Special Adviser (Media) to the Kano State Governor, Mallam Halilu Dantiye on his part, claimed ignorance of any monthly payment to the group by the Ibrahim Shekarau administration which the present administration succeeded as he claimed that there was no such issue contained in the handover note.
Noting that the attacks on Kano and Bauchi arose from the stoppage of the financial support to the group by some northern governors, the official in the disclosures to the publication said that the entire northern governors have ongoing relationships with the group.
“Most of them pay us monthly to leave their states alone”.
It was alleged that the Shekarau administration reached an agreement as far back as 2004 to be paying a monthly support of N5 million to the group which was later raised to N10 million sometime in 2009.
The agreement also reportedly included infrastructural support. The support was, however, allegedly stopped at the inception of the Kwankwaso administration in May 2011.
The publication alleged that the Kwankwaso regime also turned against the group dismantling its infrastructure in the state.
“We warned the Governor of the consequences. We concluded on Kano in December 2011,” the source said. Shekarau’s spokesman, Sule Yau did not respond to the allegations yesterday as he did not respond to a text message sent to him. Mallam Dantiye Special Adviser to Governor Kwankwaso claimed ignorance of the alleged support saying that nothing like that was contained in the handover note received from Shekarau.
On Bauchi, the publication reported that Governor Yuguda reached a similar agreement with the leadership of the group for the payment of N10million monthly to the group alongside the provision of training grounds on the many mountains scattered in Bauchi State. The governor it was reported also promised to give them security against arrests by the federal government.  The agreement was supposedly reached in June 2008 but mid 2011, the governor reportedly stopped the disbursement of the funds.
Mr. Michael Ishola, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Yuguda also refuted the allegation against Governor Yuguda. “It is a very, very strange allegation, because the Isa Yuguda I know cannot be involved in such an allegation. We in Bauchi have been living in peace. We are not involved in that,” he told Vanguard yesterday.
Why we didn’t kill Obasanjo — Boko Haram
While noting the group’s reservations on the mediation initiated by President Obasanjo with the group through Babakura Fuggu, in-law of Mohammed Yusuf, the slain founder of the group, the publication disclosed that the new leader of the group, Imam Abubakar Shekau, had considered priming Obasanjo for assassination as the September 15, 2011 exchange approached.
According to the publication:  As Obasanjo concluded his secret meeting the previous day at the Green House with three other religious group [Jamatu Nasirl Islam, JNI and CAN] in Jos, the capital of Plateau State on the Wednesday of September 14, 2011, and took off the following day to Borno State, the terrorist group, according to the source, marked the former President within their ‘firing range’ from the moment he landed in Borno State at minutes after 11am till he departed the State in the late afternoon of the same day. According to the source, “we were not sure of him”.
“He was going to be a big catch” said the source who explained that the leadership halted the operation as Obasanjo went inside the residence of Babakura.
“Obasanjo was good to us. We had no problem with Obasanjo. We had him. We could have taken him out”, as he recalled that the sharia movement took off during the period when Obasanjo was president. “The problem started during the late President Yar’Adua regime. Goodluck only inherited the problem. We have no problem with Goodluck. But his Ijaw people around him are deceiving him”.

JTF kills 4 Boko Haram members in Maiduguri
In a seeming fight back, the Joint Task Force (JTF), “Operation Restore Order” in Maiduguri, Borno State claimed success in gunning down four operatives of the Boko Haram sect in the town. The four were reportedly killed yesterday in Pompomari ward of Maiduguri , the Borno State capital.
According to a Press statement signed by the Field Operations Commander of the JTF, Col. Victor Ebhaleme the quartet was apprehended along with bomb materials.
He said: “Four members of the sect involved in the killings in Maiduguri metropolis and its environs and have been under the surveillance of security agencies were shot dead”.
The statement further claimed that, various Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) materials prepared for detonation were equally recovered from their Golf Saloon car.
The statement further warned those still harbouring the sect members to desist from such acts, urging them to report all suspects to security agencies for prompt action
Nigeria, US join forces against Boko Haram
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s effort to combat the activities of the Boko Haram sect received a boost yesterday as it resolved to collaborate with the United States in the fight against the group.
The meeting between the two countries held under the aegis of the US-Nigeria Bi-national Commission had US Deputy Assistant Secretary, Mr. William Fitzgerald leading the American side, while the Nigerian side was led by the Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Martins Uhomoibhi in company of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Andrew Azazi (Rtd.)
Both the Nigerian and US officials met in Abuja to formalize a response to the general insecurity in the northern part of Nigeria. Before retreating to a closed door meeting, Fitzgerald disclosed that, due to the intensity of the insurgent activities in the North, the security working group was split into two, with one group focusing exclusively on tackling the Boko Haram menace, while the other would focus on security of the Niger Delta region.
He said: “Today marks a new beginning, security issues in the North have taken up new significance, so we have chosen to split the regional security cooperation and the Niger Delta. The regional security cooperation has its own working group which will meet today (yesterday) and tomorrow (today).”
“I bring on behalf of the US government, the deepest condolences on the heinous attacks that have taken place during the past few days first in Kano and then Bauchi State. We deplore swiftly the reign of terror that has existed in the north of the country for many months. And we stand with you to work together to find a way to bring peace to the north,”  the US envoy added.
Ambassador Adefuye was quoted as saying that “the United States government has proposed that the Niger-Delta and regional security component of the commission be split into separate entities and the first meeting on regional security should hold immediately on 23 and 24 of January. We have agreed to this proposal.
“We are receiving adequate support and assistance from our international friends without compromising our independence and freedom of action.”

Culled: Vanguard
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INSECURITY AND INDECISIVENESS; THE MADDENING RACE DOWN THE HILL TO SELF DESTRUCTION; BY JAYE GASKIA; 14/04/14

Posted by Unknown On Monday, April 14, 2014 1 comments
We are indeed living in perilous times, a season of anomie, where life has become truly brief, short and brutish, and where not even the fittest can be sure of survival. This is the condition that best describes our existence in Nigeria at this moment.
Violent crimes and irrational insurgencies have taken over the land. We have become a people buffeted by violence driven by the rabid hatred of the alienated for society, sponsored by highly placed and connected members of our treacherous ruling elites.


Let us be very clear about this, there has been no incidence running organized violence in whatever form, either as criminal acts of kidnapping, armed robbery, or crude oil theft; nor of insurgency, has been initiated without the active mobilization, organization and sponsorship of different fractions of the treasury looting elites in their antagonistic competitive drive towards primitive accumulation.
Every enquiry into sustained violent onslaughts on the Nigerian people and state has indicted some members of the elite. The problem however is that no consistent and deterrent action has been undertaken against the indicted members of the ruling class sufficient to mitigate and curb their propensity to arm the hapless poor in their struggle for control of state power in order to gain unfettered access to our public treasury.
The same impunity that drives corruption and treasury looting also drives the competitive arming of alienated and impoverished citizens against one another.
For the avoidance of doubt, it does appear as if a sustained war of attrition and annihilation has been launched and is being waged against the poor, exploited, and oppressed subordinate classes and strata of our population by the rich. It does seem that there is an orchestrated campaign of extermination against the 70% of impoverished Nigerians, by the 10% of Nigerians who own and control 40% of National wealth; a status achieved through pillage and brigandage.
In the last five years, and certainly in the last decade alone, their have been at least two commissions of inquiry on the Boko Haram Insurgency, as well as other commissions on post election violence, and on the various inter-communal and intra-communal conflicts that have ravaged the country. Each of these commissions of enquiry, sat diligently, and produced reports with far reaching recommendations; each of these reports were dutifully submitted to the authorities; and almost nothing has been done to implement these reports.
Here lies the bane of our problem, the continued pretence in high places that the situation will blow over of its own accord; combined with a mindset that accepts mass murder and routine massacres of even children, as appropriate collateral damage not only by perpetrators of violence, but also by the state and its functionaries in high and low places.
We demand that the reports of all extant commissions of enquiry into the Boko Haram insurgency, into the Fulani herdsmen and farmers conflicts, into political violence, be dusted up and implemented immediately. If people in government have n o skeletons in their cupboards, the time to act is now, not tomorrow, and certainly not after the elections.
Tackling this menace which has now become a low intensity warfare, with more than 2,000 Nigerians murdered since January requires political will, matched by a combination of approaches; responses which must include better organized and coordinated military action, but which must also go beyond this to include building relationships of active equitable collaboration based on trust and confidence with affected communities in order to isolate the insurgents; addressing the developmental challenges that have created the massive impoverisation of citizens and excluded them from access to basic social services, based on an emergency development intervention plan of action; as well as improved intelligence gathering capability and coordination among security and armed forces.
This concerted long drawn war on the poor must come to an end; and we are very clear about where to place responsibility for the war and the war crimes being waged and committed against the poor. The responsibility lies squarely with the ruling political elites in general, and with the political elites in control of Local, State and Federal governments.
Enough Is Enough. How many more lives must be lost before those who claim they have our mandate to in the words of the constitution provision the security and welfare of citizens, take concrete action to fulfill their constitutional obligations to us?
Time is fast running out.

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