By Adetunji Ayobrown
Denial of truth causes pain. Our refusal to speak truth, worsened Nigeria’s insecurity situation, Northern elders finally agreed to the undeniable. President Muhammadu Buhari had no or little consideration for professionalism and proven competence. Weakened the zeal with which the war against terrorists was being waged by most handlers of the crisis, thus emboldening and encouraging the adversaries in day light.
A true national confession best be heard in the open and not behind any closed door. As if they live their whole life for this moment and not afraid to die anymore, Northern Elders’ confession is very loud. What they thought was their paradise suddenly became prison though actually from first day of their actions and inactions.
Any vast way to hide the true past, is a better way to hide the true role, as taught in reverse psychology. Since there are few truths in our world, when one came up, instantly everyone recognises it. As true moments deserved true talk, Nigeria’s war against insecurity ought to have been won but only for president Muhammadu Buhari made no good and ill-informed decisions.
Now, almost the entire regional became prison and nothing more. Regrettably, not same as those FG’s sugar-coated descriptions that all is well. But as northern elders who are concerned about the peace, security and stability of their dear nation, appealed to those people of influence in the North who have access to the president to always speak only the truth to him especially in appointments or reforms in the security sectors and others even if it does not favour our region and religion provided such appointments will bring lasting peace and unify Nigeria.
Openly without holding no bald, many continued to blame his choice and choices. Saying faith should never contradict wisdom. Gripping narratives unworthy of historical buff. The wrong advice from leaders and elders of the region to the president in making such decision was the greatest historical undoing.
Spoken like true leaders, straight out of the truth. Justice and karma are here. They gave their attachment of religious and regional considerations in dealing with the crisis as the bane of progress in the war against insecurity.
No subject is terrible if the story is true. War against insecurity should have been a thing of the past only if he had made good and informed decisions. Stunning recipes for his failures, accordingly such his ill-advice and bad considerations lead Buhari against picking security chiefs outside the North. The elders under the aegis of Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development, particularly traced the origin of heightened insecurity in the North to the wrong appointments made.
True courage is knowing when to talk and none to spare. Northern elders have blamed the festering insecurity in the country especially in the North East and North West geopolitical zones on some leaders and elders of the region whom they accused saw the danger in the beginning of the crisis but refused to say the truth.
Truth is nothing, but whatever is believed to be true is everything. We believe the complete consideration of our interest in making appointments into security agencies among other things led us to this present situation. Our decision resulted in deep drop in the pursuit of the war against terrorists thus emboldened the adversaries on the other hand.
Guilty and apologetic. Many lives and property have been lost and destroyed, frontline troops were falling every day to a more determined group of insurgents and bandits but our decision to remain quiet and not say the truth as things were happening, led us to this present situation”, oh! the elders’ cry
Greed of sectional leader; Nigerians are no anymore impressed by his reputation which defeat his actions. Therefore, all this while Nigeria nation had been on wrong many directions. But he and others who we saddled and suppose to see and know better are too incapacitated to see anything.
Polity determine its military. World over, military is not trained to it best, but to go and get done the job was the training. No bad army but bad general as seen in Nigeria case of study.
Military cannot determine our polity, but some elders, leaders misled Buhari to make wrong appointments of security chiefs, such decisions should be immediately reviewed. This in particular should reflect the various geopolitical zones as well as other major appointments in other areas of our national life.
But it is not possible to turn to a ghost when still alive. Even after all this while, some are buying into such stinking illusion. More than ever before, citizens are now in desperate need of reassurance, Nigeria is sick, ill-cohesion seems certain. Though, the president is urged to henceforth stop adhering to advice from people of narrow interest and begin to take only decisions that are pro-Nigeria with a view to correcting the many ills of his administration towards a better country.
Doing nothing makes you guilty of doing whole lots of things. Many had raise alarms over the deteriorating state of security in the North. Others yelled, crying and continue to cry on deteriorating security situation in the country without getting any better. Buhari ought to ignore every sectional, regional, tribal and religious sentiments and go for the best hands that can do this job of securing our country.
Let editorialise the common sense, perhaps by this self-confession many miles might be recovered in our national rebirth and revival journey. Because the president seems to be too comfortable in those unworkable style. What happens next did not end something but starts something ugly. Now slipping into the red zone, our country’s name is among the world’s vilest. That must change.
If truth can ease their guilt. After all, true nation restructuring and better citizens’ understanding has to be first upon the culprits. It’s time to move forward now, Nigeria is losing it as a country and Mr President needs to take more and extra steps to stop this tide of insecurity. Era of doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is over. In this modern age and time, our nation can no longer continue to dwell in the past.
It is obvious that it is good to be right, this may in a large extent encourage true patriotism and commitment of our forces and the citizens at large.
*Ayobrown, Senior System Analyst, National Pilot Newspaper, writes via [email protected]
