By Mohammed Alhassan
Most Nigerians remember the frenzy and fanfare with which President Jonathan and his aides celebrated the fact that an international coalition led by the United States was coming to rescue the abducted Chibok school girls as well as help fight and defeat the Boko Haram terrorists. The kidnapping which was the direct result of President Jonathan’s lacklustre leadership and the degeneration of the Nigerian Army under him, took place last May, 2014 and the coalition building also started in earnest.
It is more than 150 days since the 250 Chibok School girls were taken from their studies by an increasing confident Boko Haram terrorist group and the government has done little but make promises. Recently, in his characteristics style, the PDP sole candidate for the 2015 elections, according to the weary party, again promised Nigerians that by mid- October, the security situation in the country would improve. This again is a vague statement typical of the PDP president. He failed to say categorically whether by that date, the Chibokgirls will breathe the air of freedom and whether Boko Haram would no longer attack Schools, markets and public places leaving blood and tears as it did last two weeks in Kano and Maiduguri?
The question which Nigerians have not asked President Jonathan because they not accustomed to asking critical questions is what has become of the anti-terror coalition and promised campaign? Where are the Americans whom President Jonathan expected to whitewash his poor leadership and weary Army to free Nigeria from the menace of Boko Haram?
Pity for President Jonathan, the clever Americans from the outset made it clear that they would not sacrifice their valued soldiers to bail out an incompetent leadership from its internal security woes. Second, when the US realised that the reputation of the Nigerian Army did not really exist at least, under the present administration in the country, it strategically made a retreat. It is on record hat one US General, after a visit to Nigeria declared that the Nigerian Army was afraid of combat. Of course, typical Nigerian style, the officer was called names and told to go to hell. However, subsequent events notably the reluctance of Nigerian soldiers to confront Boko Haram on the excuse that they were under- equipped and other developments vindicated the US general.
Now the question is, when he assures Nigerians the way he usually does that things would improve security wise by mid- October, on what does he base his optimism? Though the Nigerian Army has been doing its best recently in fighting Boko Haram, the damage already done to the force by President Jonathan’s carefree and anything goes style of leadership means that it would take a long time and a more responsible political leadership for the Army to regain its lost discipline and combat ability.
One hopes for a quick and decisive defeat of the Boko Haram and the return of peace to our country. It is doubtful whether this transformation can be midwifed by the present PDP administration. This is because the leadership cannot transform overnight to a more purposeful one and second, the Boko Haram is not yet weakened rather, and it is reported to be building alliances with the dreaded Islamic State and the Al Shabab.
The problem for the nation is that naively, the present administration having run down the Nigerian Army, placed too much premium on a US- led coalition. That coalition has fizzled out without even coming on ground. It is curious that rather than try and gets its act together, the Jonathan administration is looking to Russia and China for help in the anti- terror war, according to media reports. One is of the view that like the US coalition, the approach to Russia and China will come to nothing because it’s unlikely those countries would like to accept an invitation that is clearly based on an after- thought. Second, like the Americans, neither Russia nor China will accept to endanger the lives of its soldiers for the internal security problem created by an unserious government.
It is important to point out to President Jonathan that he has to fashion an appropriate and effective response to the menace of the terrorists in conjunction with his military commanders being the President of Nigeria. To seek for the leader of another country to endanger the life of his country for his (Jonathan’s) benefit is mere wishful thinking.
Alhassan wrote from Maitama, Abuja.