Danjuma: What next for the giant of Africa?
By Enoch Kaanti
The long-standing hostility and the grave evil perpetrated by herds men on us must be stifled indeed otherwise the future is too dim to forecast its features.
I love and do enjoy the legacy of Robert Greene and Joost Elfer (their wise counsels). I take their documented sayings as scholarship and do hinge my arguments on them whenever l think there is need. The duo once scored another point by noting that:
…a feared enemy must be crushed completely. If one ember is left alight, no matter how dimly it smolders, a fire will eventually break out. More is lost through stopping halfway than through total annihilation: The enemy will recover, and will seek revenge. Crush him, not only in body but in spirit.
In the light of this it is my earnest and hearty call on all the states government in the middle belt, south-south, south east, and west to wake up to the challenge of herdsmen killings in their nobble states and constitutionally stand resolute to implement anti-open grazing law as a demonstration of their humanitarianism and love for their people and readiness to protect them as chief security officers in their respective territories.
In African traditional rituals it is said that when you send an owl to go and show a sign of what may befall and it does not obey then you climb the roof by yourself. When l was much younger l knew that Nigeria was been addressed as the giant of Africa and in my little thought it was an article of hope that in a very near future Nigeria would be decorated and addressed as the “dragon” of Africa.
On the contrary the great nation with big dreams, vision and groundbreaking mission in recent times is been given a new and despicable definition/ identity as the midget and dwarf of Africa. Agree with me that the strength of a country is measured in her military might, technological advancements and culture and economic growth. Now tell me. Among these which one can we boast of?
Is it the military might when our school girls are been adopted and released at will by few hoodlums, herders ransacking our homes and then only what our government could do is to adopt fire brigade approach by sending security agents after the whole clan is in flames which still the disguised herdsmen in military uniform would sneak in and be harassing us, intimidating and raping plus more? Or is it the dwindling economy where backlog of unpaid arrears is better imagined or technology growth where we are importing toothpick?
I called on the states government of the four geopolitical zones because l have been observing the trend at an impressive close range and think there is need to echo and re-echo their names on this issue. I stand to be corrected or this article countered or better still be improved upon by anyone who deems it relevant.
To confirm that there are herdsmen in military camouflage in the Nigerian army, the Minister of
Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali Monday that he had received reports from Nigerians on the misconduct of soldiers as regards the farmers and herdsmen’s clashes.
A former Chief of Army Staff, Lt . Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd ), had on Saturday at the maiden convocation of the Taraba State University, raised similar alarm and told Nigerians to defend themselves against killers , saying the Nigerian Armed Forces were not ready to defend them . He was right by observing that our armed forces are not neutral. Thanks to T.Y Danjuma for this humanitarian gesture.
However, l must be meticulous and vivid to prick the conscience of the former chief of army staff by equating his action with the proverbial story where a slave died in the early hours of the day but everyone was indifferent. They all went about their normal businesses as if nothing had happened but as the sun was still rising a son apparent died and everybody now rushed home just to discover that the son apparent died of the same strange desease that killed the slave which could have been averted if identified early as the cause of the slave’s death.
Danjuma should go down memory lane and recall that under his watch there was a nude and conspicuous military-assisted ethnic cleansing and banditry on the Tiv people during Jukun/Tiv crises in 2006 more notably in Zaki Biam and Gbeji.
However, we can always accommodate new convict into our assembly. All we need advocate is to learn how to reward virtue and punish evil if Nigeria must stand and be called a great nation.
