What Buratai should have told Buhari

Sir: It is easier for Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, to be telling military officers that their perseverance, endurance, and self-sacrifice are not satisfactory, than taking stock of the size of the Army he inherited, his own recruits, the gains and the losses. Twice the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (GMB) negotiated with Boko Haram to free some girls but not Nigeria from carnage and economic annihilation. What did Buratai say to GMB on that step? When GMB’s son had accident on an expensive motorcycle, he flew him overseas for treatment. How many wounded soldiers and other security operatives are flown overseas for treatment? The most shameful thing was that GMB’s son was not even taken to a military but private hospital and then overseas. I read that there is no such thing as military hospital, properly so-called, and that many wounded soldiers are taken to private hospitals by their own families.

What did Buratai say to GMB when he was squandering money on June 12? GMB came and worsened Nigeria’s insecurity and economic situation by adding the Fulani herdsmen terrorism to the unjustifiable war against the Boko Haram Islamic sect-community of men, women, and children that did not attack anybody until attacked. He doubles himself as the Petroleum Minister and is recovering looted funds without accountability for anything to anybody. When the former Security Adviser to the former President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, Andrew Azazi, told his employer (Jonathan) that the war against Boko Haram was politically motivated, he was sacked, and not too long after, he died in a mysterious circumstance.

Was the sacking of the forced to retire Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, not politically motivated, or that he was the only one who did not declare all his assets? Is Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II facing probe because of corruption or that he was criticising Governor Abdullahi Ganduje? What has the Emir’s corruption got to do with creation of four emirates by the state Governor? You can see arbitrary use of political power by Nigeria rulers, politicising Islam and Christianity, in the unjustifiable war against Boko Haram, the attempt of the former governor of Oyo State, Isiaka Ajimobi to hijack the Olubadan Council and so on.

Buratai thinks that soldiers should offer to die for political instability and prevalent abuse of political power, whether GMB cares about well-equipped military hospitals or not and whether the financial remuneration is anything to write home about or not. Why did Buratai not tell GMB to negotiate with Boko Haram for Nigeria’s peace rather than merely for the freedom of some girls? You cannot understand the underlying conspiracy, but they will all face the wrath of God for the carnage and economic annihilation of Nigeria. Someday, common Nigerians will rise above Islam and Christianity to demand justice and accountability, and Nigeria Army will emulate The Gambian Army that refused to collaborate with Yahya Jammeh.

Prof. Ọlọjẹẹde Oyeniran Abiọjẹ, University of Ilorin.