The promise to wipe away Boko Haram in 3 months as a General who had tested wars and won laurels was one of the selling points of President Muhammad Buhari during the 2015 electioneering campaign. His promise to lead from the front warmed the heart of the people who did not know him very well as at then.
Boko Haram insurgency was heavily used to campaign against Goodluck Jonathan. All the gains he made in the fight against the terrorist organization Were downplayed by the APC.
One of the first thing Buhari did immediately he came to power was to move the military tactical command to the Northeast, and Nigerians rejoiced waiting for his promise of 3 moths to manifest. Like everything Buhari, it never came through, and it has stretched to 5 years, yet nothing. Meanwhile, many people had thought that the relocation of the tactical command would translate to decimation of the terrorist Boko Haram.
When Nigerian masses started demanding for explanations why Boko Haram was not ended in not just 3 months like he promised, but in years, Buhari through Lai Mohammed told Nigerians that Boko Haram had been defeated “TECHNICALLY”. They have been defeated series of times after that first announcement, yet they are attacking Nigeria military bases and are killing troops just like animals almost on daily basis.
Insecurity was one of the reasons they harped on to get rid of Jonathan. He was painted a weakling who did not know what he was doing and who had lost control. Even when he wanted to buy and equip the military from the black market due to arm embargo, they made sure they frustrated the deal even to the point of connivance with the then President of South Africa. Does it look like Buhari still have grip on what’s happening in Nigeria today? He has always been surprised at the resurgent Boko Haram and it’s renewed killings, and often feigned ignorance of the number of troops killed on daily basis.
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What’s actually happening today?
Where are those attack helicopters they ordered from the US? Remember the first meeting of Buhari and Trump?
Why haven’t they been supplied?
Has the military been equipped since then? Can anyone tell us what and what were bought for the military?
They accused Dasuki and held him in a dungeon for 4 years with the accusation that he spent 2.6 billion dollars arm money.
What have they done with all the billions of dollars borrowed to fight insurgency? They are still borrowing more billions of dollars to fight the resurgent Boko Haram’s renewed spate of attacks.
Isn’t it hard to believe that soldiers in the front still make and upload videos of them in war fronts ill equipped and underpaid?
It’s most surprising today that all those who crucified Jonathan because of insecurity have all lost their voices in the face of these renewed spate of attacks.
We have seen and heard a lot things in Buhari’s military, like when the junior officers ran away with hundreds of millions of naira they were meant to guard at the airport.
Nobody takes responsibility for anything anymore. It’s been all about telling people that his administration is still behind Jonathan’s in terms of terrorist attacks and deaths, and not to wipe out Boko Haram as promised.
Where’s Buratai who was showcasing his snake farm and was seen doing some pushups with soldiers, telling the world they were ready to flush out the terrorists?
A man who killed hundreds of civilians for blocking roads, but can’t replicate the same on terrorists.
Is he not the one declaring python dance, crocodile smile and other meaningless military exercises in the most peaceful parts of Nigeria, leaving out the Northeast?
You don’t expect a man who said that Boko Haram fighters are his misguided brothers and shouldn’t be killed to finish the war.
You don’t expect someone who rehabilitate terrorists and integrate them back into the security agencies to do much thing about terrorism.
Our minds are still sharp, and we haven’t forgotten!
By Odumodu Gbulagu
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK