Monday 28 January 2013

Dialogue With Boko Haram?

Of recent there have been series of calls on President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to Dialogue with Boko Haram. First it was former President Olusegun Obasanjo who suggested the “carrot and stick” formula as a tool to dialogue with an acclaimed terrorists group that has well defined connections with Al Qaeda. It is annoying that this is coming few days after the same Obasanjo had accused President Jonathan of being too soft on Boko Haram at a function in Warri, Delta State where he suggested an Odi solution (genocide) to the Boko Haram insurgence.  

When an elder statesman speaks from two sides of his mouth on state matter it goes beyond attempting to create more confusion in the already fragile system to include discrediting those in authority. The double standard talk is intended to undermine President Jonathan’s administration and set him against the people. It is as diversionary as it is ill conceived. By asking President Goodluck Jonathan to blow hot and cold at the same time Baba is setting the stage for his eventual dislodgement come 2015.  Either way, the conflicting advice is designed to open up avenues for more criticisms; condemnations and possible rejection come 2015.

Then the former President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, who called on the Federal Government to exploit the option of dialogue with members of the insurgent group Boko Haram in order to arrest the prevailing drift in the nation’s security.  

He pointed out that the use of force has failed to address the insecurity propagated in the country by Boko Haram and advised that “We must put hands together to find a more rewarding and meaningful end to this security concern”. To the retired army general, “Dialogue is my number one preference in this regard”.

But, unlike a resolute army general of the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps and former President that we know him to be, he went further to instruct a sitting President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to use bedroom voice (or is it language of weakness) when talking on issues concerning the Boko Haram sect and to advice his aides to do the same. In his words, “Language of force will not help us in our strong determination to address this insecurity problem” (emphasis mine). He maintained that President Goodluck Jonathan and his able lieutenants must learn how to talk to the Boko Haram terrorists with “respect”. Haba, Baba! We all aware of frantic efforts that President Jonathan have made to make Boko Haram insurgents and their sponsors to pull their mask and come to reason with the Federal Government but they turn down all advances and are so bent on causing havoc in the land, destroying lives and properties. What Boko Haram is doing in northern Nigeria is sinister; it is evil and should be condemned by all in totality.  

As Festus Eriye rightly said, “Anyone investigating the short history of failed dialogue between the government and the insurgents will find that Jonathan and his administration have been anything but hawkish over the matter. Even in the face of the worst outrages the president was always advocating talks – much more to the chagrin of many”.

Adopting a motion titled “Urgent Need for the Federal Government to Open Avenues for Dialogue as a Means of Addressing Security Challenges in the Country” moved by Muhammed Bashir Galadanchi representing Gwale Federal Constituency, Kano Sate, members of the House of Representatives at a plenary session endorsed the use of dialogue as a means of addressing security challenges posed by Boko Haram. To Galadanchi and his colleagues in the Lower House military action, random arrests and imprisonments are not only ineffective but also escalated trends of insecurity. Lamenting on the direction of the ill wind called Boko Haram, Galadanchi said further, “If this approach is not reversed and more long-term solutions deployed, the incessant incidents will pose serious threat to our security, to our democracy, the rights and freedom of our innocent citizens and ultimately destabilize the nation’s fragile stability and unity”.

The law makers’ called on the Federal Government to initiate programmes that will promote rule of law, strengthened civil institutions and address the underlying factors that fuel insecurity and violent extremism is right on course.

What I cannot agree with the law makers is to tell President Goodluck Jonathan to dialogue with shadows or faceless band of criminals who has refused to see reason and down their weapons. Besides, on what basis are we talking dialogue with Boko Haram? Dialogue does not just happen. It is usually propelled into action or initiated by the perceived losing side to secure a safe landing ground.  In other words, fighters only come to a negotiating table when they realize that their cause cannot be achieved by force of arms. Has Boko Haram come to this realization? Until Boko Haram and their sponsors come to this realization the Federal Government should not be pushed around.

 No legitimate government will just hurry into talks with every illegal or pseudo group that challenges its authority. Besides, Boko Haram has scattered like a pack of card with criminal elements in the north cashing in to benefit from the crisis. With the fragmentation of Boko Haram into many factions, which do we begin to negotiate with? If we hack a deal with one group will the other factions abide by such agreement?  

Although Nigeria has no clear cut procedure for dealing with terrorists’ groups, the global best practice is not to dialogue with them.  It is disservice to Nigeria to attempt to politicize Boko Haram and of a more disservice to advice a President who is in total control of all parts of the country to abandon State matters and go begging terrorists to come to a negotiating table.

Is President Jonathan’s tough talk already generating ripples between the faceless sponsors of Boko Haram and their puppets of destruction? Those suggesting dialogue should bold enough to tell us only two things:

1.      What Boko Haram insurgents actually want from Nigeria?

2.      Who they are?

The answer to these questions will enable President Jonathan to know beforehand what is expected of him and how to go about finding appropriate solutions to them.

While I am not totally against dialogue, I am of the view that dialogue with Boko Haram will be reasonable and effective only when the sect come to its senses, put down their arms and come to the government with clear cut demands. Because, if the issues they continue to parade or to be addressed centered around the following, the Federal Government should be wary of the push into dialogue since most of the voice we are hearing is that of Jacob but the hand is that of Esau. Is the dialogue all about:

1.      Replacing western education with Islamic education in Nigeria in this 21st century?

2.      Establishing Sharia or the Islamic legal system in the whole of Nigeria, the direction OBJ wanted Nigeria go when he approved Sharia law in some States in the country in 1999?

3.      Or Islamizing Nigeria as planned by IBB when he smuggled Nigeria into the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the G8 Islamic Countries in 1986,

4.      Or, to negotiate political takeover of the nation by the north come 2015 an issue that is already tearing PDP apart?

However, if the dialogue is to center around the problems of unemployment, underdevelopment, social decay, rights abuse, separation of power and the rule of law, and true federalism etc. it make sense and these are attainable demands of citizens in any true democracy.

Perhaps the apostles of dialogue are seeing the “carrot” as some juicy contracts for the Hausa/Fulani Boko Haram sect.  Possibly they are of the opinion that since the Niger Delta militants are now pipeline security contractors earning over half a billion Naira, the Federal Government should contract out our northern borders’ security to Boko Haram at a cost double that amount?

Next, the Yoruba OPC will eventually take up arms to destabilize the west, and then we will respond with “carrots” by means of contracting them to secure our western coasts? Do you not think that in this arrangement, the Igbo MASSOB will eventually lose out because they will have nothing to hold in order to pull Nigeria to their angle? Except MASSOB will embark on arms struggle and front commerce and ingenuity as instruments of negotiation; and because it concerns the Igbos we will at that time pullout armoured cars and tanks to massacre them?

Although the 30 months civil war have contributed to check arms bearing in eastern Nigeria, the ongoing events in Nigeria is enough to change a people’s perception of peace, gentleness and loyalty. This endless circle of dialogue and negotiation with tribal based outlaw or pseudo groups for the soul of Nigeria and share of the national cake should stop. We should always remember that Nigeria is not comprised of the four major groups alone namely: Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba, Ibo and Ijaw. What of the minority groups that cannot bear arms or engage in senseless killing of fellow humans and destruction of valuable properties? Or how will the carrots of arms struggle get to the minority of minority groups that cannot afford a catapult?

By systematically institutionalizing dialogue with terrorists’ groups will are legalizing terrorism, through our utterances, actions and inactions? If Boko Haram is not qualified for a terrorist group by Nigeria standard, then Al Qaeda can pass the test for a freedom-fighters’ group or Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).

The OPC, we can testify were very careful in their selection of targets and attacks in the west. The Niger Delta militants demonstrated caution and maturity in their operations in the Niger Delta region. What we are seeing of Boko Haram is a manifestation of madness. It is condemned even by Islam which they profess to protect.

If the Boko Haram sponsors are afraid to show their faces so as not to obliterate their political career, let the Boko Haram leaders themselves be bold enough to step forward for dialogue with the Federal Government.

Let us keep ethnic sentiments and political masquerading out of this and call a spade a spade! The Federal Government has the right to know who to dialogue with, on what conditions, and for what purposes. 

Nigeria cannot be Islamized. Nobody should think along that line. I dreamt of a Confederation of Muslim States. Even then, those behind it parading Boko Haram as the hand of Esau while speaking with the voice of Jacob should as a matter of priority reconsider their plot.

Which of the states do they want to drag in to this ill conceived Confederation? Is it the entire Federal Republic of Nigeria or just the northern Nigeria? Whichever it is, they only want to break up Nigeria which is practically impossible. They cannot for instance drag the eastern states along because the Ibos have a very negligible percentage of Muslims, and the Ibos will be right to opt out of the sinister group. It cannot successfully drag the western states without sufficient resistance to render the whole operation bloody and expensive to contain. The ratio of Muslims to Christians in western Nigeria is now about 40 to 60 which show that the Christians are in the majority making it difficult for them to be dragged into government run purely on religious basis. In any case, the people, Muslims and Christians, are so wedded together even within the same family that it is impossible to split them.

Those sponsoring Boko Haram may therefore be thinking of cutting the North away from the rest of the federation. But then, this truth must be told too: that the majority of the people in the north are not Muslims. It is a known fact that the majorities of the people in the Middle Belt States are not Muslims and therefore cannot be dragged into a pure Muslim State. Here too, it would require a bloody operation to get the people of the Middle Belt into this primitive arrangement.
Those agitating for Islamic nation will therefore be left with the far north and even then, the minority Christian population there will resist and definitely help must come their way! If they choose to do nothing, then good luck because, the rest of Nigeria would have succeeded to rid itself of the main danger to democracy in this country. We need peace in Nigeria not war and massacre of innocent citizens and destruction of valuable properties

Sunday 27 January 2013

Dialogue With Boko Haram?

Of recent there have been series of calls on President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to Dialogue with Boko Haram. First it was former President Olusegun Obasanjo who suggested the “carrot and stick” formula as a tool to dialogue with an acclaimed terrorists group that has well defined connections with Al Qaeda. It is annoying that this is coming few days after the same Obasanjo had accused President Jonathan of being too soft on Boko Haram at a function in Warri, Delta State where he suggested an Odi solution (genocide) to the Boko Haram insurgence.  

When an elder statesman speaks from two sides of his mouth on state matter it goes beyond attempting to create more confusion in the already fragile system to include discrediting those in authority. The double standard talk is intended to undermine President Jonathan’s administration and set him against the people. It is as diversionary as it is ill conceived. By asking President Goodluck Jonathan to blow hot and cold at the same time Baba is setting the stage for his eventual dislodgement come 2015.  Either way, the conflicting advice is designed to open up avenues for more criticisms; condemnations and possible rejection come 2015.

Then the former President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, who called on the Federal Government to exploit the option of dialogue with members of the insurgent group Boko Haram in order to arrest the prevailing drift in the nation’s security.  

He pointed out that the use of force has failed to address the insecurity propagated in the country by Boko Haram and advised that “We must put hands together to find a more rewarding and meaningful end to this security concern”. To the retired army general, “Dialogue is my number one preference in this regard”.

But, unlike a resolute army general of the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps and former President that we know him to be, he went further to instruct a sitting President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to use bedroom voice (or is it language of weakness) when talking on issues concerning the Boko Haram sect and to advice his aides to do the same. In his words, “Language of force will not help us in our strong determination to address this insecurity problem” (emphasis mine). He maintained that President Goodluck Jonathan and his able lieutenants must learn how to talk to the Boko Haram terrorists with “respect”. Haba, Baba! We all aware of frantic efforts that President Jonathan have made to make Boko Haram insurgents and their sponsors to pull their mask and come to reason with the Federal Government but they turn down all advances and are so bent on causing havoc in the land, destroying lives and properties. What Boko Haram is doing in northern Nigeria is sinister; it is evil and should be condemned by all in totality.  

As Festus Eriye rightly said, “Anyone investigating the short history of failed dialogue between the government and the insurgents will find that Jonathan and his administration have been anything but hawkish over the matter. Even in the face of the worst outrages the president was always advocating talks – much more to the chagrin of many”.

Adopting a motion titled “Urgent Need for the Federal Government to Open Avenues for Dialogue as a Means of Addressing Security Challenges in the Country” moved by Muhammed Bashir Galadanchi representing Gwale Federal Constituency, Kano Sate, members of the House of Representatives at a plenary session endorsed the use of dialogue as a means of addressing security challenges posed by Boko Haram. To Galadanchi and his colleagues in the Lower House military action, random arrests and imprisonments are not only ineffective but also escalated trends of insecurity. Lamenting on the direction of the ill wind called Boko Haram, Galadanchi said further, “If this approach is not reversed and more long-term solutions deployed, the incessant incidents will pose serious threat to our security, to our democracy, the rights and freedom of our innocent citizens and ultimately destabilize the nation’s fragile stability and unity”.

The law makers’ called on the Federal Government to initiate programmes that will promote rule of law, strengthened civil institutions and address the underlying factors that fuel insecurity and violent extremism is right on course.

What I cannot agree with the law makers is to tell President Goodluck Jonathan to dialogue with shadows or faceless band of criminals who has refused to see reason and down their weapons. Besides, on what basis are we talking dialogue with Boko Haram? Dialogue does not just happen. It is usually propelled into action or initiated by the perceived losing side to secure a safe landing ground.  In other words, fighters only come to a negotiating table when they realize that their cause cannot be achieved by force of arms. Has Boko Haram come to this realization? Until Boko Haram and their sponsors come to this realization the Federal Government should not be pushed around.

 No legitimate government will just hurry into talks with every illegal or pseudo group that challenges its authority. Besides, Boko Haram has scattered like a pack of card with criminal elements in the north cashing in to benefit from the crisis. With the fragmentation of Boko Haram into many factions, which do we begin to negotiate with? If we hack a deal with one group will the other factions abide by such agreement?  

Although Nigeria has no clear cut procedure for dealing with terrorists’ groups, the global best practice is not to dialogue with them.  It is disservice to Nigeria to attempt to politicize Boko Haram and of a more disservice to advice a President who is in total control of all parts of the country to abandon State matters and go begging terrorists to come to a negotiating table.

Is President Jonathan’s tough talk already generating ripples between the faceless sponsors of Boko Haram and their puppets of destruction? Those suggesting dialogue should bold enough to tell us only two things:

1.      What Boko Haram insurgents actually want from Nigeria?

2.      Who they are?

The answer to these questions will enable President Jonathan to know beforehand what is expected of him and how to go about finding appropriate solutions to them.

While I am not totally against dialogue, I am of the view that dialogue with Boko Haram will be reasonable and effective only when the sect come to its senses, put down their arms and come to the government with clear cut demands. Because, if the issues they continue to parade or to be addressed centered around the following, the Federal Government should be wary of the push into dialogue since most of the voice we are hearing is that of Jacob but the hand is that of Esau. Is the dialogue all about:

1.      Replacing western education with Islamic education in Nigeria in this 21st century?

2.      Establishing Sharia or the Islamic legal system in the whole of Nigeria, the direction OBJ wanted Nigeria go when he approved Sharia law in some States in the country in 1999?

3.      Or Islamizing Nigeria as planned by IBB when he smuggled Nigeria into the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the G8 Islamic Countries in 1986,

4.      Or, to negotiate political takeover of the nation by the north come 2015 an issue that is already tearing PDP apart?

However, if the dialogue is to center around the problems of unemployment, underdevelopment, social decay, rights abuse, separation of power and the rule of law, and true federalism etc. it make sense and these are attainable demands of citizens in any true democracy.

Perhaps the apostles of dialogue are seeing the “carrot” as some juicy contracts for the Hausa/Fulani Boko Haram sect.  Possibly they are of the opinion that since the Niger Delta militants are now pipeline security contractors earning over half a billion Naira, the Federal Government should contract out our northern borders’ security to Boko Haram at a cost double that amount?

Next, the Yoruba OPC will eventually take up arms to destabilize the west, and then we will respond with “carrots” by means of contracting them to secure our western coasts? Do you not think that in this arrangement, the Igbo MASSOB will eventually lose out because they will have nothing to hold in order to pull Nigeria to their angle? Except MASSOB will embark on arms struggle and front commerce and ingenuity as instruments of negotiation; and because it concerns the Igbos we will at that time pullout armoured cars and tanks to massacre them?

Although the 30 months civil war have contributed to check arms bearing in eastern Nigeria, the ongoing events in Nigeria is enough to change a people’s perception of peace, gentleness and loyalty. This endless circle of dialogue and negotiation with tribal based outlaw or pseudo groups for the soul of Nigeria and share of the national cake should stop. We should always remember that Nigeria is not comprised of the four major groups alone namely: Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba, Ibo and Ijaw. What of the minority groups that cannot bear arms or engage in senseless killing of fellow humans and destruction of valuable properties? Or how will the carrots of arms struggle get to the minority of minority groups that cannot afford a catapult?

By systematically institutionalizing dialogue with terrorists’ groups will are legalizing terrorism, through our utterances, actions and inactions? If Boko Haram is not qualified for a terrorist group by Nigeria standard, then Al Qaeda can pass the test for a freedom-fighters' group or Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).

The OPC, we can testify were very careful in their selection of targets and attacks in the west. The Niger Delta militants demonstrated caution and maturity in their operations in the Niger Delta region. What we are seeing of Boko Haram is a manifestation of madness. It is condemned even by Islam which they profess to protect.

If the Boko Haram sponsors are afraid to show their faces so as not to obliterate their political career, let the Boko Haram leaders themselves be bold enough to step forward for dialogue with the Federal Government.

Let us keep ethnic sentiments and political masquerading out of this and call a spade a spade! The Federal Government has the right to know who to dialogue with, on what conditions, and for what purposes.  

Saturday 26 January 2013

Living on Loans

The revelation that the Federal Government of Nigeria, the State Governments and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) are seeking loans totaling $4.8 billion, $3.39 billion and $1.5 billion respectively in order to finance welfare and development of the country at a time of high crude oil prices have made majority of Nigerians to question the basis of the bourgeoning debts in their name. Besides, investigations have revealed that the authorities concern has began the process of securing the loans before coming to the National Assembly to seek approval. Perhaps that accounts for the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debt headed by Ehigie Uzamere on Monday warning against the reckless borrowing of money which would enslave future generations of Nigerians. What has Goodluck Jonathan’s administration done with all the loans taken so far, as it appears that majority of Nigerians cannot point to any on-going projects to justify the mountains of debts being stacked up in their name?

 Conversely, it is not the loan that worries; it is how the money is going to be spent if they are actually needed? Can they be utilized for the purpose advanced? We have a government which is as reckless in its public spending as it is shameless in its silence over some of the financial scandals already exposed to the Nigerian public. It threw away more that N2 trillion fuel subsidy scam last year and the N4.4 trillion collected by the MDAs between 2006 and 2009 which was not remitted into the Federation Account has remained shrouded in mystery. The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) also reported that oil companies failed to pay into the Federation Account about $10 billion from 1999 to 2008. The Nuhu Ribadu-led Petroleum Revenue and Special Task Force revealed that the nation was short-charged to the tune of almost $100 billion. What happened to all these monies? Are all the people indicted in the case of Siemens, Halliburton, pension scheme, ghost workers and other scandals not walking freely? The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which was involved in the illegal withholding of the N4.4 trillion diverted from the Federation Account by the MDAs is daily cooking up issues such as sacking 50% of civil servants, banning all socio-cultural and religious organizations and so on to divert attention of Nigerians. All are frantic efforts to  cover up the role of the apex bank in the illegal release of N2.3 trillion for fuel subsidy in 2011, when actually N245 billion was appropriated. What an illegality?

Yet the Federal Government wants N1.8 trillion loans from array of sources including China, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank. Apart from its conflicting figures we were told that only a meager N29 billion oil subsidy scam was recovered.  The revenue from the privatization and commercialization processes have not only remain unaccounted for by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) but our moribund refineries, the steel industry, transport and energy facilities have continued to be drain pipes on the nation’s economy in the hands of corrupt government officials.  The $12.4 billion gulf war oil windfall was public money used to fill the pockets of individuals. What a shame?

The reckless manner in which the Excess Crude-Oil Account (ECA) is being managed also call for caution. The governors are not only demanding for the release of the $1billion ECA funds, a week after the three-thiers of government shared about N567.70 billion from the same account. The speed with which the Federal Government withdrawn $1 billion from the same ECA account in December to pay subsidy to oil marketers even when the dust raised by oil subsidy scams is still high in the air leaves more to be desired.   What happened to the N161 billion supplementary appropriation that was approved by the National Assembly late last year for the government to take care of the shortfall in the fuel subsidy budget? If NNPC owes major foreign oil traders, including Glencore and Mercuria about $3.5 billion is the $1.5 billion loan and the mortgaged 150,000 barrels of crude oil daily (as long as the debt lasts?) meant  to offset this “pointless” debt? Who is fooling who?

Again, if according to People’s Democratic Party (PDP) National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the approved external borrowing of $7.9 billion in the 2012 budget covered expenditure over a three-year period ending in 2014, why is the PDP-led government asking for more loans (payable in 40 years) with the intention of rising Nigeria’s loan profile now?

It is not enough for the Senate to merely warn against creating debt burden for future generations of Nigerians but to ensure that they stop the excessive borrowing. We are aware that during the President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida’s IMF loan debate Nigerians chorus a louder NO to the loan abracadabra but the government nodded silently and went behind to collect the loan at the detriment of Nigerians. Nigeria exited the Paris and London Club at great pains in 2005. Why dragging Nigeria back to that unfortunate economic era when Nigeria groaned under the debt burden? Must we always live on credit? Is Nigeria cursed to live on loans? As representatives of the people, the National Assembly must act decisively to check this frivolous but wicked borrowing. A borrowing ceiling should be pegged by appropriate legislation and enforced, and any breach thereof (without necessary amendment) be made impeachable offence. This is the only way to check the excesses of our leaders who are bent on amazing wealth at the expense of the nation.    

Those outside the country who may get to know how reckless our leaders are will certainly hesitate to give the money except those interested in enslaving this and future generations of this country; or, the kill-and-divide-cabals who would not mind milking a dead cow to satisfy their greed. The political leaders of China and other countries to whom we may be looking for help do not live in luxury as do our political leaders in Nigeria. What rights have we then to call on them to help? How can we convince them that we really need the money when we show that we live in extravagance?

 

Nigeria is a country blessed with tremendous human and natural resources, but corruption, lack of good governance has left the nation impoverished so that currently Nigeria ranks as the 13th poorest nation in the world. This ugly trend can be reversed with good governance, transparency and integrity on the part of Nigerian politicians and top government officials.

The National Assembly, traditional rulers, religions leaders, leaders of thought, women and youths organizations, students and the general public should rise up to say NO to more senseless loans. The issue should be seen as very serious matter of State. They border on good governance, accountability, transparency, and diligent management of State resources and national development. This is an opportunity to properly place these matters. Let us not miss it. We must stop this borrowing jamboree!

We say No to any plan to return this country to pre-Paris and London Club days. Stop committing Nigerians to debt. Enough is enough!

Tuesday 22 January 2013

Containing Fire Disasters in Nigeria

The alarming cases of fire incidents recorded in the country of recent resulting in high percentages of fatalities, injuries and loses, has made the need for awareness on the danger and hazard of fire incidents imperative. In this write up we shall examine fire incidents and planned measures to battle it. Fire incidents are commonplace during harmattan as currently obtained in the country, but, what is of concern is the speed with which the wind of fire is blowing across the country. From the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo in Oyo state, to the plank village inferno in Ebute Meta and the explosion at MRS Petroleum Tank Farm in Tincan Island Ports; to the petrol tanker fire that occurred at Okogbe community in Ahoada-West Local Government Area of Rivers State; to the Abuja Headquarters Office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fire outbreak; to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s hilltop residence in Abeokuta firestorm, it is the same story: deaths, injuries and losses.

A brief review of havoc caused by fire in some selected Nigerian cities in 2012 is necessary to drive home the importance of planning for fire disaster in this country. In 2012 no fewer than 69 people were killed in fire incidents in Abuja and property worth N765 million were also destroyed during the period reported the Federal Fire Service Magazine.

According to the publication, in Rivers State no fewer than 230 persons died while 73 others received various degrees of injuries in 222 recorded fire incidents that occurred in Port Harcourt and other parts of the State in 2012.

In Osun State fire incidents claimed 31 lives and destroyed N227 million worth of property in 2012. In Gombe fire killed 60 people and damaged N790 million worth of property.

Recently, Governor Murktar Ramalan Yero confirmed to newsmen that Kaduna State records 40 fire incidents per month. Alarming?

During the period, the intervention of the fire service saved 9,771 persons from death and property valued at over N2 billion. The various fire stations responded to 558 fire calls with the Federal Fire Service recording the highest fatality rate of 288 deaths, followed by Kano State with 268 persons, while Kebbi and Adamawa recorded no casualties though they experienced 144 and 69 fire incidents respectively.

Ogun State, with 10 fire stations, lost property worth over N26,095,80 while the Federal Fire Service which had 19 fire stations spread across nine state capitals, recorded a loss of property worth N11,687,40.

Year 2011 was not better as no fewer than 990 lives were lost in 7,129 fire incidents in the country and property worth over N53 billion were destroyed during the same period.

 Most of the fire incidents happened in private homes, public buildings, warehouses, markets, sawmills and fuel tankers. The causes of these fires range from candlelight, electrical faults, storage of fuel wrongly to fireworks and other human carelessness. It has been observed in several quarters that the scarcity of petroleum products experienced in the country from time to time which made people to store fuel in their homes and wrong places also contributes to rising fire incidents. Epileptic power supply which also made the people to resort to candle to light their homes is another contributory factor.  Indiscriminate refuse and bush burning is another major factor of fire during the harmattan period. And apart from fires spreading quickly during the harmattan, the season has peculiar health implications like cold and catarrh.

Fire is a basic security problem. Fire as a weapon in the hands of a terrorist or arsonist can bring a promising organization to its knees or deplete national resources through calculated loss provocations. An innocent but careless handler of fire can also cause havoc in the environment and bring untold hardship upon himself and others.

Fire outbreak is an emergency which requires a well coordinated and effective response to reduce injuries, protect assets, and prepare the organization for a smooth and rapid recovery. The impact of fire on families, organizations and society are enormous. Many business organizations that have major fires never recover. They are forced by fire to go out of business for good due to the loss of vital business infrastructures and records. Fire results in, and is a major cause of accidental or untimely death. Injuries and burns from fires can disfigure their victims permanently for life. They become reclusive and do not want to be seen in public. The healing process from serious burns can be painful and traumatic. Property and indirect losses from fires are often so large to be wished.

The fire fighters who put their lives on the line to minimize and if possible eliminate the impacts of fires around us face so many challenges. According to Mrs. Ateme John-Bull of the Rivers State Fire Service some of the challenges faced by the agency include obsolete equipments, poor training of fire fighting officers, and negative attitude of residents to fire fighters as well as indiscriminate refuse and bush burning.

Another worrisome side of fire problem in Nigeria is the volume of false calls. Fire authorities have come to term with the fact that some distress calls are not genuine but mere hoax. For instance, the Rivers State Fire Service received 304 emergency calls in 2012 out of which 82 were false calls. In December 2012 alone, the Federal Fire Service, Lagos State Command recorded 27 incidents of fire outbreaks and 16 false alarms which the agency Public Relations Officer, Mr. Chike Njoku said were made with both good and bad intentions.

So irritating is the incessant attacks on firemen and their trucks by the Nigerian masses for allegedly arriving late at the scenes of most fire incidents.

It is time we begin to appreciate the challenges facing our firemen in their efforts to attend to fire emergencies in this country. Apart from lack of hydrant points to refill their tanks along the traffic, improper direction by the distress callers and absence of access to the scene of fire incident constitute challenge to timely end effective firefighting. Timely and effective response is major key to saving both lives and property from fire and other emergencies.

Nigerians lack basic control and management of inflammable and combustible waste materials. Even, in our industrial set up, this high level of ignorance is demonstrated in the total or near absence of an established or written fire prevention plan. Many organizations do not have a list of potential fire hazards; their proper handling and storage procedures including potential ignition sources and control procedures. They also lack the types of fire prevention equipment and systems necessary to control hazardous fires. Poor housekeeping and careless accumulation of flammable and combustibles waste materials and residues also contributes to several corporate fire outbreaks. 

It is disheartening to note that companies operating in Nigeria are not under any obligation to have an emergency response capability in place. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation sets the minimum standard for response planning. It requires every staff to maintain emergency action and fire prevention plans. The regulation also defined requirements for all emergency response operations and emphasize that the plans must be in writing.  This is where our legislators should focus their attention to put in place appropriate legislation to check increasing loss arising from fire incidents and other emergencies in the country.

The recent call by the Controller-General of the Federal Fire Service, Mr. Olusegun James Okebioru for the Federal Government to give all necessary support for the promulgation of the National Fire Safety Code and the National Building Code (in respect of safety approval for buildings in the country) into law by the National Assembly should be taken seriously considering the rising spate of fire disasters in the country leading to deaths and massive destruction of valuable properties. There is urgent need to re-strategize and take stock with a view to overhauling the entire fire service, increase fire awareness and education and create conducive environment for citizens’ involvement and participation in fire prevention and management.

During the recent flood disasters in many parts of the country, the firemen did not live up to expectation because they lack the necessary equipment and skills to make them efficient. In most serious democracies, the government prepares, equips and motivates firefighters to handle emergencies that result from floods, lightning, hurricanes, tornadoes, plane crashes, earthquakes, and so on. The prevailing global best practice is for firemen to be the first help line in times of emergency.

This cannot be achieved in the present dispensation wherein the Nigerian firemen are poorly equipped to serve its primary purpose which is fire prevention and management. The fire service in Nigeria was established in 1901 and still operates with an obsolete law, relying on the 1963 Act which entitled a fireman to N10 (ten Naira) hazard allowance.

It is annoying to come to the realization that in a nation of more than 160 million citizens, only 250 fire stations scattered across the country serve the teeming population, while London city alone, with a population of about 8 million, has almost the same number of fire stations.

There is therefore immediate need for a holistic approach to the review of the fire service laws and regulations to cope with emerging trends and global best practice in fire risk control and management. The Federal Government must show due commitment to fire safety by putting in place appropriate statutory framework and organizational structure necessary for a world standard fire department in the country.    

The fire management capability of the fire service must be strengthened to ensure effective delivery in the areas of fire preparedness, awareness campaign, and education.

There is urgent need for increased awareness campaign. The relevant authorities are not doing enough to enlighten the people on fire prevention. The various fire agencies, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the various State Emergency Management Agencies should as a matter of priority carryout enlightenment campaigns among the populace and in schools on fire prevention and management. The fire awareness campaign should be decentralized and extended to embrace the entire segments of the society. The Federal Fire Service should also consider introducing Fire Safety Education into Nigerian primary school curriculum to inculcate fire safety habits in the people from early age.

Apart from the use of the mass media, community leaders, women and youth organizations, CBOs and NGOs should be involved to educate the people on fire prevention and management.

Again, as we march into the harmattan season proper, Nigerians are advised to take precautionary measures against the effects of the harmattan in order to avoid fire occurrences. There is urgent need to improve on our housekeeping culture, check indiscriminate refuse and bush burning, avoid wrong and improper storage of petroleum products, use of candle and firewood to light the house at night and the use of proper electrical appliances to avoid sparks and electrical fires as well as proper storage and handling of inflammable substances.   

We know that times are hard, but, the use of candle and firewood to light the house at night should be discouraged. The tendency to forget such light and go to sleep is there and the result is usually disastrous. Those living in thatch houses in the rural areas and those living in plank houses in the city ghettos need extra caution about the use of firewood or other smoldering objects and heating materials. Such fires should be put out immediately after use.

The Harmattan and Fire Disasters


 
The alarming cases of fire incidents recorded in the country of recent resulting in high percentages of fatalities, injuries and loses, has made the need for awareness on the danger and hazard of fire incidents imperative. In this write up we shall examine fire incidents and planned measures to battle it. Fire incidents are commonplace during harmattan as currently obtained in the country, but, what is of concern is the speed with which the wind of fire is blowing across the country. From the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo in Oyo state, to the plank village inferno in Ebute Meta and the explosion at MRS Petroleum Tank Farm in Tincan Island Ports; to the petrol tanker fire that occurred at Okogbe community in Ahoada-West Local Government Area of Rivers State; to the Abuja Headquarters Office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) fire outbreak; to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s hilltop residence in Abeokuta firestorm, it is the same story: deaths, injuries and losses.

A brief review of havoc caused by fire in some selected Nigerian cities in 2012 is necessary to drive home the importance of planning for fire disaster in this country. In 2012 no fewer than 69 people were killed in fire incidents in Abuja and property worth N765 million were also destroyed during the period reported the Federal Fire Service Magazine.

According to the publication, in Rivers State no fewer than 230 persons died while 73 others received various degrees of injuries in 222 recorded fire incidents that occurred in Port Harcourt and other parts of the State in 2012.

In Osun State fire incidents claimed 31 lives and destroyed N227 million worth of property in 2012. In Gombe fire killed 60 people and damaged N790 million worth of property.

Recently, Governor Murktar Ramalan Yero confirmed to newsmen that Kaduna State records 40 fire incidents per month. Alarming?

During the period, the intervention of the fire service saved 9,771 persons from death and property valued at over N2 billion. The various fire stations responded to 558 fire calls with the Federal Fire Service recording the highest fatality rate of 288 deaths, followed by Kano State with 268 persons, while Kebbi and Adamawa recorded no casualties though they experienced 144 and 69 fire incidents respectively.

Ogun State, with 10 fire stations, lost property worth over N26,095,80 while the Federal Fire Service which had 19 fire stations spread across nine state capitals, recorded a loss of property worth N11,687,40.

Year 2011 was not better as no fewer than 990 lives were lost in 7,129 fire incidents in the country and property worth over N53 billion were destroyed during the same period.

 Most of the fire incidents happened in private homes, public buildings, warehouses, markets, sawmills and fuel tankers. The causes of these fires range from candlelight, electrical faults, storage of fuel wrongly to fireworks and other human carelessness. It has been observed in several quarters that the scarcity of petroleum products experienced in the country from time to time which made people to store fuel in their homes and wrong places also contributes to rising fire incidents. Epileptic power supply which also made the people to resort to candle to light their homes is another contributory factor.  Indiscriminate refuse and bush burning is another major factor of fire during the harmattan period. And apart from fires spreading quickly during the harmattan, the season has peculiar health implications like cold and catarrh.

Fire is a basic security problem. Fire as a weapon in the hands of a terrorist or arsonist can bring a promising organization to its knees or deplete national resources through calculated loss provocations. An innocent but careless handler of fire can also cause havoc in the environment and bring untold hardship upon himself and others.

Fire outbreak is an emergency which requires a well coordinated and effective response to reduce injuries, protect assets, and prepare the organization for a smooth and rapid recovery. The impact of fire on families, organizations and society are enormous. Many business organizations that have major fires never recover. They are forced by fire to go out of business for good due to the loss of vital business infrastructures and records. Fire results in, and is a major cause of accidental or untimely death. Injuries and burns from fires can disfigure their victims permanently for life. They become reclusive and do not want to be seen in public. The healing process from serious burns can be painful and traumatic. Property and indirect losses from fires are often so large to be wished.

The fire fighters who put their lives on the line to minimize and if possible eliminate the impacts of fires around us face so many challenges. According to Mrs. Ateme John-Bull of the Rivers State Fire Service some of the challenges faced by the agency include obsolete equipments, poor training of fire fighting officers, and negative attitude of residents to fire fighters as well as indiscriminate refuse and bush burning.

Another worrisome side of fire problem in Nigeria is the volume of false calls. Fire authorities have come to term with the fact that some distress calls are not genuine but mere hoax. For instance, the Rivers State Fire Service received 304 emergency calls in 2012 out of which 82 were false calls. In December 2012 alone, the Federal Fire Service, Lagos State Command recorded 27 incidents of fire outbreaks and 16 false alarms which the agency Public Relations Officer, Mr. Chike Njoku said were made with both good and bad intentions.

So irritating is the incessant attacks on firemen and their trucks by the Nigerian masses for allegedly arriving late at the scenes of most fire incidents.

It is time we begin to appreciate the challenges facing our firemen in their efforts to attend to fire emergencies in this country. Apart from lack of hydrant points to refill their tanks along the traffic, improper direction by the distress callers and absence of access to the scene of fire incident constitute challenge to timely end effective firefighting. Timely and effective response is major key to saving both lives and property from fire and other emergencies.

Nigerians lack basic control and management of inflammable and combustible waste materials. Even, in our industrial set up, this high level of ignorance is demonstrated in the total or near absence of an established or written fire prevention plan. Many organizations do not have a list of potential fire hazards; their proper handling and storage procedures including potential ignition sources and control procedures. They also lack the types of fire prevention equipment and systems necessary to control hazardous fires. Poor housekeeping and careless accumulation of flammable and combustibles waste materials and residues also contributes to several corporate fire outbreaks.  

It is disheartening to note that companies operating in Nigeria are not under any obligation to have an emergency response capability. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation sets the minimum standard for response planning. It requires every staff to maintain emergency action and fire prevention plans. The regulation also defined requirements for all emergency response operations and emphasize that the plans must be in writing.  This is where our legislators should focus their attention to put in place appropriate legislation to check increasing loss arising from fire incidents and other emergencies in the country.   

As we march into the harmattan season proper, Nigerians are advised to take precautionary measures against the effects of the harmattan in order to avoid fire occurrences. There is urgent need to improve on our housekeeping culture, check indiscriminate refuse and bush burning, avoid wrong and improper storage of petroleum products, use of candle and firewood to light the house at night and the use of proper electrical appliances to avoid sparks and electrical fires as well as proper storage and handling of inflammable substances.    

Similarly, there is urgent need for increased awareness campaign. The relevant authorities are not doing enough to enlighten the people on fire prevention. The various fire agencies and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) should as a matter of priority carryout enlightenment campaigns among the populace and in schools on fire prevention and management.

Apart from the use of the mass media, community leaders, women and youth organizations should be involved to educate the people on fire prevention and management.

We know that times are hard, but, the use of candle and firewood to light the house at night should be discouraged. The tendency to forget such light and go to sleep is there and the result is usually disastrous. Those living in thatch houses in the rural areas and those living in plank houses in the city ghettos need extra caution about the use of firewood or other smoldering objects and heating materials. Such fires should be put out immediately after use.

Friday 18 January 2013

Nigeria's Military Campaign in Mali


Nigeria’s Military Campaign in Mali

The first contingent (NIBATT 1) of the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s proposed 1,200 Nigerian troops to be deployed to Mali as part of its contribution to the Africa-led International Support to Mali (AFISMA) to enforce peace or perform “limited combat duties” are now in Mali. Their responsibility includes reclaiming a country that had almost fallen to Al Qaeda offshoot MUJAO, and the Islamist jihadists’ rebels, restoring law and order and ensuring that President Dionconda Traore takes total control of the country.

The President’s decision to commit troops to Mali and the promptness with which the Senate responded show the leadership’s determination and seriousness to tackle the issues of Nigeria’s national security, considering the threats posed to Nigeria by the activities of Al Qaeda and the Islamists jihadist groups. It is a welcome strategy to check and eliminate terrorists’ activities outside your territory or so close to your boundary. Because it is not only difficult to provide the necessary logistical support for an operation so close to your boundary but also the costs in terms of human and material resources always bring to question the rationale for government use of the military force to dismantle insurgent activities, especially in the Nigeria context where government every action is interpreted based on sentiments and ethnicity.  

Those who are bent on questioning the legality of AFISMA should look at Article 52 of the United Nations Charter for the appropriate and expected role of Sub-regional organizations such as ECOWAS world-wide.  The relevant chapter of the United Nations Charter states:

1.      ”Nothing in the present Charter precludes the existence of regional arrangements or agencies for dealing with such matters relating to the maintenance of international peace and security as are appropriate for regional action, provided that such arrangements or agencies and their activities are consistent with the purpose and principles of the United Nations.

2.      “The members of the United Nations entering into such arrangements or constituting such agencies shall make every effort to achieve pacific settlement of local disputes through such regional arrangements or by such regional agencies referring them to the Security Council.

3.      “The Security Council shall encourage the development of pacific settlement of local disputes through such regional arrangements or by such regional agencies either on the initiative of the states concerned or by reference from the Security Council”.

President Dionconda Traore had earlier requested the United Nations (UN) to help save Mali. By resolution 2071 of 2012, the UN declared its readiness to respond to Mali’s request for an international military force. Mali also requested military assistance from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). ECOWAS acted swiftly by writing to the UN Secretary General requesting a Security Council resolution authorizing the deployment of a stabilization force in Mali under Chapter VII Mandate of the UN Charter. The authority was granted with dispatch giving the basis for deploying Nigeria soldiers to fight insurgents in Mali.

France responded with the deployment of ground troops, armoured tanks and fighter jets as they bombarded rebels’ strongholds. Other countries including European Union (EU) and the US are pledging men and material support.

However, I can perceive a slight difference between AFISMA operations in Mali and ECOMOG that was in Liberia and Sierra Leone. All the factions in Liberia conflicts were Liberians and ECOMOG‘s primary mission was to separate the warring factions. ECOMOG soldiers then were soldiers without enemies or favoured faction in the conflict. ECOMOG was in Liberia to restore peace and normalcy, so that its citizens and other nationals there can live in peace and security and contribute to the general progress and development of the sub-region. ECOMOG tasks in Liberia were therefore two-fold: protective and promotional, in the interest of all Liberians and mankind.

Compare this to AFISMA which is in Mali to dislodge and if possible eliminate well established enemies of humanity namely: Al Qaeda and the Islamists’ Jihadists; enforce peace and restore normalcy to a country that had been socked in terrorists’ activities over time. In the words of Sunny Ugoh, Spokesman of 15-nation ECOWAS, “The end goal is to take back the north and then flush out those elements”. He emphasized, “It is not just about Mali. It’s also about us – the region and the international community”. To France, Mali’s colonial masters, the seizure of northern Mali by armed militants posed a security threat to Europe. According to France’s Defence Minister, Jean –Yves Le Drian, “The President is totally determined that we must eradicate these terrorists who threaten the security of Mali, our own country and Europe”.   

In his letter to the Senate, President Goodluck Jonathan said, “Nigeria is currently facing daunting security challenges and given its proximity to the Sahel region, the crisis in Mali, if not brought under control, may spill over to Nigeria and other West African countries with negative consequences on our collective security, political stability and development efforts”. The President reiterated the “Security Council’s concern on the continuing deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in the north of Mali, which is further complicated by the presence and entrenchment of armed and terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and their activities”.

Having satisfied that Nigeria’s security was under imminent threat or danger as a result of the crisis in northern Mali, President Jonathan in consultation with the National Defence Council “approved the deployment of a contingent of 1,200 members of the armed forces to serve in Mali for limited combat duties”. After hours of deliberations, the Senate resolved to consent to the President’s request. In its capacity as responsible member of the international community, a prominent member of ECOWAS coupled with the activities of Boko Haram in northern Nigeria, the president ordered the deployment accordingly.

Nigeria Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, agreed that “What is happening in Mali has great security implications for Nigeria”. In the interest of Nigeria he said, “Like America, we have to take the war to their home…take the war to the home of the terrorists”, he emphasized.

The Commandant of the Nigerian Army Peace-Keeping Center (NAPKC), Jaji in Kaduna State, Major-General John Samuel Zaruwa rightly said, “Peace enforcement is much more difficult than peace keeping”. Every conflict has its own context and character. The genesis of the Mali dispute, the scenario it evolves, character it exhibits, parties involve and the expectations have all combined to make it unique and if not confronted decisively can  cause adverse spill-over effects on Nigeria and the international community.

Nigeria cannot fold its arms and watch events capable of threatening its stability, peace, security and development. It is therefore necessary to take measures to enhance our national good neighour policies, based on shared common interests and aspirations for peace, security and economic progress.

Nigeria must continually seek a role to play to strike a balance between the need to remain the Africa leader and the quest to conquer by trade. Nigeria is a special country with a special mission and it is time Nigerians think so and act so.  Our military campaign should look beyond guns and bullets. We must look to foreign markets. Nigeria cannot have full employment and prosperity without the foreign markets.

Every of our moves outside the soil of Nigeria should be economic driven. The world is a give and take theater. Common adversary offers opportunity for leaders to look beyond tanks and bombs to examine core political and economic issues and take far reaching decisions. Besides, self-interest and profit have always been the objectives of international relations and foreign policies of nations. Tools such as trade, military power and politics have been repeatedly applied by the developed world to get what they want. We have witness military power assisting political power to serve America and Europe trade and profits interests. Those who could not beat them have joined them. Nigeria is not destined to be a perpetual loser in such a world economic system, especially if we order our priorities right and sort out our domestic policies to drive our foreign strategy.

The clear trend now is that the US is battling to rebuild a weak economy and collapsing domestic infrastructure under a heavy budget deficit and external debt (despite cover up). Germany is trapped in fiscal crisis while the rest of Europe is redefining their economic priorities; Japan and China are battling with the embarrassments of a surplus economy. Yet, Nigeria, despite her enormous contributions to international peace and security is talking no trade advantages but is engrossed in corruption and resources depleting leadership crisis fuelled by sentiments, ethnicity and nepotism.

Nigeria came into the international arena through Britain, as a colonial country, and has survived on tokenism. She took what was handed to her, and developed along the lines approved by others. It must not always be so any more. Today, certain developments have come on the scene that acts to Nigeria’s advantage. Nigeria is the largest black population in the world and an exemplary democracy in Africa. Her market is deep and wide. Her military prowess has been tested severally and is a force to reckon with. Her influence has grown and her economy is buoyant. It is time to equate Nigeria’s military position, when it comes to maintaining world peace and security, with her trading situation with the rest of the world. One position must be made to lead to, or lay credence to, the other.

Trade rules the world and no manufacturing country will ignore Nigeria. Our leaders can use this alone to negotiate trade partnerships. Nigerians are also very viable, not a dominant population. Trade liberalization and open market and free trade are giving rise to trade blocks and groups are seeking friendship. Nigeria has something to offer and must not waste this. The borders must be properly policed to enable the government decide what to allow in and in what condition and who is to come in and for what purpose. This is the only way the government of Nigeria can decide who her friends are, else, some banana republics around will use their ports and borders to decide who imports what into Nigeria. This is crucial and dangerous.

Nigeria is a big power within Africa, especially in West Africa. A combination of her population and wealth has ensured this. Nigeria stands in great stead to lead Africa. South Africa may be strong but it is not a black power due to the compromise of the Boers. Egypt may be strong but it is an Arab nation. In this new world led by regional powers, Saudi Arabia will continue to represent the Arabs, Japan and China for the Caucasian, US for the Americas, Britain and Germany for the Europe, Russia for the Eastern Europe, Nigeria will have to represent the black race. So Nigeria has a large and legitimate constituency. All we have to do is to put our acts together and this will come on stream.  

Nigeria is today amongst the fastest growing economies. “Our GDP has grown very significantly, we are really on the part of becoming one of the 20 greatest economies by 2020” said the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Ngama. Nigeria was selected with 15 other countries based on the strength of the economy, the performance of the economy in terms of growth rate and the contributions of Nigeria to global financial architecture. According to the World Bank President for Africa, Mr. Makhtar Diop, “…despite downward trend of economies around the world, Nigeria remains one of the fastest growing economies”. With the increase of our World Bank share volume from 1,100 units to 1, 219 units, Nigeria’s voice is now louder and more respectable in the committee of nations; our request for special trade consideration will be highly welcomed.  

Nigeria has often demonstrated power or relevance in global emergencies.  Nigeria must therefore continue to assist the world by providing stability in Africa so that the West can trade well in Africa. That is all they need, protection and guarantee for their goods and they are ready to refund part of the costs; and give Nigeria some economic concessions to help defray other costs.

In the world economic system nothing goes for nothing. Nigeria must know how to articulate this, and must build the industrial base that will take up the quotas and retain the world attention.

Nigeria’s membership of several international minor power groups should be harnessed. Nigeria belongs to the Commonwealth. This body, made up of 54 countries began meeting as far back as 1918. Nigeria is a big player in this body, outside Britain. Nigeria can work for certain concessions including the reparation of her stolen wealth. Lobbying and persuasions will ensure that any country that refuses to repatriate Nigeria’s loot would be boycotted by the 54 member nations. If Nigeria will continue to be used to secure concessions for other countries, she can ask for such important concessions for herself too, or no deal. The same can be done in OPEC and AU. As a regional power, with a large army and big population, a huge market to go with it, Nigeria stands a big chance of securing bilateral and multilateral trade concession that will boost her economy. Arguing in groups as in the failed Boha Summit brings no significant results because countries do not possess equal attractions.

Our crude oil is a good instrument of trade negotiation. Anywhere oil, safe oil, is found it is bound to attract the attention of America. The free flow of crude oil has been identified as an objective of America’s international policy. Also as an OPEC member, Nigeria will hardly be discarded by the US. This is because, when everything else failed, it was OPEC that sustained the dollar globally by pricing oil in dollars. OPEC is the strongest pillar of the weak dollar and America is grateful. Nigeria is part of both the system and pillar that supports the dollar. It is therefore up to Nigeria to state what she wants within the world political system and show determination for it.

Nigeria is in a position to use its regional power to argue for Export Quotas so as to appreciate the benefits of AGAO, WTO, GATT, NEPAD, etc. Countries that seek our face will be made to lose something to gain something. Nigeria has greater chances than even the Asian Tigers because Nigeria is a frontline nation in the world political order. Nigeria’s regional political expenditures can then have a chance to bear economic fruits because we can then ask for things while we do something for our neighbours. Only then will unemployment disappear and the youths will have a sense of direction because often, someone gets a job. Social tension will reduce and a sense of competition in the right direction will emerge. For now, the only competition is in the evil direction: cultism, human sacrifice, kidnapping, corruption, 419, terrorism, robbery, assassination and so on. The youths of this country have energy and initiative, but these must be harnessed and managed properly for it to fuel a new economy that is both industrial and agricultural based. Our contributions towards fighting international terrorism should be seen as investments and modalities must be put in place to recoup same plus profits through trade expansions and partnerships. When the victory song begins to rend the air, Nigeria should not turn her back leaving the developed countries to share the economics of war but must endeavour to participate in the reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation processes not on the peripherals but in the mainstreams as a power in world affairs.       

 Terrorism is a mobile war. The violence perpetuated by terrorism is highly movable. The battle of terrorism has no fixed front or field. The entire earth is terrorists’ battle field. Al Qaeda and its various offshoots or network is scattered all over the world. Our borders are porous; our security is laze. Then, as we chase the enemy, with widespread tentacles, into their homes what happen to our own home front?   What arrangements have been put in place to ensure the protection of Nigeria’s national boundaries and to ensure that events in Mali do not spill over into Nigerian territory sooner or later? Noting that as we defeat terrorism, trade will boom, economic activities will increase and profits will accrue.