HARUNA: Let’s have more intelligence, strategies

Major General Ibrahim Bata Magwai Haruna (rtd.), a lawyer, former Federal Commissioner for Information, former Adjutant General of the Nigeria Army and former Chairman Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in this interview with SAXONE AKHAINE, wants government to be more strategic.

What is your candid advice to the government on how to end the terrorism in the country?
Government is all-powerful, what advice can I give them than for them to make sure they achieve the objectives of the Nigerian State. It is clearly stated what the State should do and the present political leaders should try to achieve it. In what area do we advice government? Is it on banking, production, electricity and security? All I need to say is that we should join our hands together to solve the problems affecting our economy and security.

Where can we start? You see the people who are elected to distill and put things together are the legislature and the executives. So, where will one start with the advice?  In fact, there is lots of advice in the air and there are lots of recommendations. There is National Conference recommendation, political parties manifestoes, programmes that have been voted for by the general citizenry. So, it is hard to say that you give specific advice other than the general objectives of the Nigerian State to ensure that Nigeria is made to work and security for all of us.

The defence institutions should be strengthened and they have to be sustained, so that they can work and achieve greater successes over Boko Haram. We have challenges of militancy in the Niger Delta region, the secessionist Biafra and challenges in other fronts. You see, there are also certain advice that may not be given in public. I am not a politician. I don’t belong to any party, so whatever advice anybody can
take from me is what I have said. They have the facts, they have the figures, they have the intelligence and they can plan the necessary strategies and tactics. But we all know that the constitution clearly states what we should do to achieve a strong country. You see, we all know the aims and objectives we want to attain and the available resources that we can use to attain these laudable national objectives.

The only thing and admonition I would give is what I have said earlier to you. We pray that with what they have to address the situation, it will bring peace, so that we can move forward. The resources are there, but if they are stolen or scattered all over the world so that we cannot use them to solve our problems or get our country out of the woods, then there are people who have been put in place to address all the problems, all we expect is to see results.

We can say that the military has performed its best under the present circumstances for engendering peace and security in the country because the living condition in the country is deplorable.