It is however a statement of fact that this organisation [Boko Haram] was to grow beyond measure of control during the life of the present administration for many reasons. Some of the reasons, if properly evaluated, are internal while some are external. It may be prudent, if only for purposes of historical documentation, to put the reasons in perspective, as doing so will help in identifying areas of blames whenever the need would arise in the future.
First and major was the incident that preceded Jonathan’s coming to office as President during the “eve”, so to say of Yar’Adua’s tenure, when the leader of the sect; Abubakar, was arrested by the Military in Maiduguri and properly handed him over to the Police for diligent investigation and prosecution but the Police turned around to do one of the things they know how to do best – extra-judicial killing, as the man was summarily executed without approaching the judiciary. It came to pass, for that reason, that even before the death of President Yar’Adua, and before the assumption of Goodluck Jonathan to office, through the “doctrine of necessity”, the Boko Haram sect had declare war against the Nigerian State.
This was followed by religious factor as the sect quickly found a more dangerous ally in the most dreaded Al’ Qaeda movement, strongly rooted in the Middle East with its stupendous financial empire. The Nigerian Government under President Jonathan, was either ignorant or entirely naïve, to acknowledge and understand the enormity of the enemy. This was to become its great undoing for the government and people of Nigeria.
The events of 2011 general elections did not help matters as far as Boko Haram was concerned. Some people believed, with measure of religious and tribal emotion though, that the presidency must “return to the North, at least to complete Yar’Adua’s tenure”. For this group of people, Goodluck Jonathan “dare not compete” and “if he did and wins”, this group warned, “We shall make Nigeria ungovernable for him”. Of course, Boko Haram “operational base” was strengthened by this declaration of “making Nigerian ungovernable”, more so when Boko Haram is viewed from its Islamic religious background. Jonathan made it to the presidency of course, but not without paying the price of the threat quoted above, which partly helped the escalation of the insurgency with its total siege over three States of North/East Nigeria: Adamawa, Bornu and Yobe. The rest is now history.
The war began when Boko Haram hoisted its flag and set up administrative and governmental headquarter units around that part of the country and re-named it a Caliphate of sort. It was glaring at the beginning that the Nigerian Military was not ready for the “rule of operational engagement” as our Armed Forces was losing ground, men and equipment to the insurgents daily . People could not comprehend why the Nigerian Armed Forces they expected much from had become such a rag- tag before Boko Haram until some appalling facts began to emerge.
One, the Nigerian Military, unknown to many, has outlived its operational efficiency in material equipment of modern warfare. It was to be proved later that more than 35 years before Jonathan’s arrival to the Presidency, successive Nigerian leaders [either Military or civilian] refused to equip the military with modern weapons of war. So, the Armed Forces President Jonathan inherited from his predecessors, was a bunch of professionals without professional equipment. And President Jonathan himself did not understand this dangerously intricate situation on time until, as Commander-in-Chief, he presided over deployment of his troops for slaughter by the more equipped Boko Haram insurgence.
This lack of modern fighting equipment was again compounded by lack of professionalism in means and ways of deploying field commanders to the battle fields. How on earth the President’s Service Chiefs would deploy, sometimes “relation of the enemy” [as reflected in deploying core Northerners and die-hard Muslims as General officers Commanding – GOC] to the warfronts shall remain a big puzzle for students of combat warfare. Yet this is just one of the many blunders that bordered on deployment of troops. What about the great sabotage of some key service personnel which of course resulted into the multitude of deserters and those for Military Court Marshals, where conviction for death and imprisonment became easily secured? With all these calamities the conclusion drawn by majority around the globe was that “a clueless President Goodluck Jonathan” could not defeat Boko Haram as he could not PENETRATE SAMBISA FOREST, the fortress and symbol of hostility.President Jonathan, at his exit point, is dancing a victorious dance in sambisa forest. THIS VICTORY, MR PRESIDENT, IS YOUR FINEST HOUR. We salute you on your way out as we welcome Muhammadu Buhari to continue from where you stopped.
*Mr. Etakibuebu, a commentator on current affairs , wrote from Lagos.
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