AS the nation forges ahead in its
strenuous struggle against Boko Haram
insurgency with the imposition of
emergency rule in Borno, Yobe and
Adamawa states, one can confidently say
that we are out of the state of seeming
indecision that characterized the
government’s response to the challenge
of insecurity.
Prior to the widely-applauded
declaration of state of emergency in
three states by President Goodluck
Jonathan the nation was gripped with
agonizing anxiety over the apparent
deadly resilience of the insurgents to
what was supposed to be a robust
military intervention. This
disillusionment spurred the concerted
calls for dialogue and possible amnesty
in palpable desperation.
Unfortunately, there was no reciprocal
response from the insurgents who
defiantly doubled their attacks in the
North-East sector where they had
retreated to but certainly not for
surrender purposes.
By the time reliable reports confirmed
that up to 14 of the 27 local government
areas in Borno State had practically
fallen to the forces of insurgency,
there could not have been any
alternative to a drastic intervention to
re-assert Nigeria’s sovereignty and
decisively halt and eliminate the
entrenched insurgents.
Since the massive deployment of the
military with all its arsenals to the
three worst-hit states no one can deny
that the battle has indeed been taken to
the doorsteps of the terrorists with
salutary effects on the situation.
While all these scenarios are
reasonable, logical and progressive in
pursuit of the national interest, it was
somehow objectionable to some groups of
Nigerians for reasons that are patently
unpatriotic to say the least.
Signs of the presence of hypocrites,
blackmailers and allied refuseniks
lurking around came up even before the
state of emergency broadcast by
President Jonathan as orchestrated
opposition to the option erupted even
from such unlikely quarters as the
Northern Governors’ Forum.
All sorts of contrived arguments were
bandied about dedicated to discouraging
the government from moving in the right
direction. It is to the credit of the
President that he was able to execute
the policy swiftly and deftly, thereby
earning the re-considered endorsement of
the nay-sayers soon after his broadcast.
Now we know that the Northern governors’
unexpected cold feet reaction was
propelled by their selfish interest
which was fixated on the likelihood of
emergency rule ousting some of their
colleagues, recalling what happened in
the Obasanjo era.
Others who rallied round the governors
in objecting to the imposition of
emergency rule must be similarly
motivated. Appropriately, the majority
of Nigerians who supported the
imposition of emergency rule in Borno,
Yobe and Adamawa states have correctly
concluded that the critics could not
care less if the country gets overrun by
the insurgents because it is so glaring
that the nation was tottering on the
brinks of destabilization.
Not even the pro-dialogue advocates can
successfully sustain an objection to the
necessity for emergency rule. The carrot
of dialogue and negotiated ceasefire and
even amnesty have all along been on the
table but was unattractive and
unproductive due to the condemnable
failure of the state governors concerned
to muster their supposed local clout and
connection as chief security officers of
their states to effectively check the
deadly activities of the insurgents in
their midst before everything went hay-
wire.
Even in pursuit of the dialogue and
amnesty option the governors performed
woefully and had no encouraging results
to show. The case for ousting them from
office during the period of emergency
rule was unassailable! As if to score
another point, the President again
directed for the release of all women
and certain category of the insurgents
to complete the circle of the carrot and
stick initiative.
The inclusion of Adamawa State in the
emergency rule cover was also the
subject of agitated comments questioning
the rationale. Even Governor Nyako who,
as a retired military top shot, ought to
know better went on air to express
misgivings even as he had no choice but
to submit to superior authority.
It should not be difficult to understand
that the borders of the three states now
under emergency rule are strategically
critical to the success of any military
offensive in the areas affected, given
the increasing evidence of cross-border
incursions and foreign elements’
involvement in boosting the insurgency.
As with the emergency rule it is not
surprising that the people of Adamawa
have since come to terms with the
strategic sense of it all.
All said, President Jonathan has cleared
any lingering doubt about his capacity
to act decisively when the occasion
arises and has proven his innate
patience and focus to address emerging
issues copiously.
He should use the lessons of the
politics of imposition of emergency rule
to put governors in their proper place
down under whenever the national
interest is the subject matter.
After all at the end of the day, he is
the Commander-in-Chief as well as the
President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria and on his shoulders rest the
fate of the nation, especially in times
of adversity. Posterity will prove him
right!
Mr. MUSTAPHA MINJIBIR, a commentator on
national issues, wrote from Kano, Kano
State.
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