By Steve Osuji
Giant In A Hole: The only thing certain about Nigeria at the moment is that she’s in trouble, deep trouble.
Nigeria is indeed at the crossroads and if there was any time requiring national introspection and concerted thought leadership, that time is now.
This is not to say that she had never had ruptures and cataclysmic moments in her history. In fact, it can be said that Nigeria was conceived in the heat of a cunning colonial coitus and birthed in a charged atmosphere of upheavals waiting in the rafters. The flight of nationhood has therefore, been one of endless turbulence all of her three scores and five years.
This has spanned two military coups, one civil war, many skirmishes in between and now, 17 years of sustained extremist Islamic insurgency and terror which currently threatens Nigeria’s very sovereignty. Terror which has overwhelmed three successive presidents, including the incumbent.
And now this: America, or shall we say Mr. Donald Trump, incumbent POTUS walking into Nigeria, “gun a-blazing.” Nigeria is today besieged on many flanks and whatever is left of her sovereignty is being shredded before the eyes of the world.
IN NEED OF GOOD MINDS: The country is like a lady looking on helplessly as she’s being ripped apart by contending barbarians.
Nigeria has never been in need of thinking heads at any time more than now. We are in a moment begging for introspection. We are at a dire juncture where we are in need of eggheads, think-tanks, wise and wizened elders, just any elevated caucus of leadership that can piece our jigsaws together right now.
The point is that Nigeria must think herself out of this mess. It’s a matter of urgent national importance.
NO LEADERSHIP SUPPORT: But the trouble with Nigeria today is that she has become intellectually lame and bereft. It would seem that all the good minds in the land have gone into hiding.
Apparently, many don’t seem to want to be associated with the Bola Tinubu presidency.
President Tinubu himself has proved to be anti-intellectual. Not being a man of letters, not giving a damn actually, Tinubu’s main joy is playing political and power games. Tactic, stratagem; to wheel, to deal and to capture power. Not one for high ideals or the rigours of philosophy.
By the same token, Tinubu has no (high-minded) friends. He only has ‘boys’ and he has installed them in places requiring huge gray matter. But now is the time for mind work and he has no one to press to work.
IN THE CROSSFIRE: Nigeria is caught in the crossfire of the two major contending forces in the world today and sadly, she has no leadership. Nigeria is a miserable pawn in her own chessboard.
In 17 years, Nigeria couldn’t manage to devise a coherent strategy to defeat extreme Islamic insurgencies on her soil. Today, Nigeria still has no clear-cut roadmap for engaging the American intervention led by President Donald Trump.
Early November Trump had warned that the US would intervene if Nigeria’s leadership continues to dilly-dally on the extremists’ terror that’s encircling Nigeria.
On the midnight of December 25th the US struck in Sokoto, northwestern Nigeria. About 16 guided missiles were targeted at ISIS forward camps.
President Trump was first to inform the world via his social media handle that as Commander-in-Chief, he had ordered a strike in Nigeria.
Of course, he never mentioned any collaboration with the Nigerian government. There was probably none.
But hours after the reality of Trump’s brash offering had hit the world, Nigeria’s officials (Foreign and Information Ministers) made separate statements telling the world about “close coordination.”
Of course nobody believed Nigeria’s government. Not even Nigerians.
NEED FOR AN EMERGENCY TEAM: This initial embarrassment is more reason Nigeria must do more in this US-Nigeria collaboration. Setting up a small WAR-ROOM Team to manage this process may be in order.
A team with a leader that can be trusted by the US will deepen collaboration.
The leader must present as the face of the ‘war’ effort. He must be well respected by all. There must be regular briefings. There must be timelines, broad strategies, there must be regular briefing of Nigerians, most important, there must be timeframe for closure, etc
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC APPROACHES TOO: As the missiles fly and the mop-ups follow, there’s need not to neglect the social and even economic aspects so that the problem would be properly closed.
For instance, the almajiri system which provides manpower for terrorism in Nigeria must be outlawed.
Open grazing must be phased out and Sharia practices curtailed. Nigeria is a secular state.
On the economic front, the US could provide both technical support and funding for the rapid creation of model ranches across the 19 states of the north in the first phase. This would be a precursor for the gradual phase out of open grazing in Nigeria.
These are just pointers to some of the thoughts president should be thinking right now. He needs good minds around him now, more than ever.
BOTTOM LINE: THE SOVEREIGNTY BALONEY. Debates have raged about Nigeria’s nationhood in the face of the US hauling missiles on her soil almost unilaterally. The point is that Nigeria has been unable to protect her sovereignty for well over a decade. Nigeria has therefore, been exposed as a mere swathe of unmanned territory.
Nigeria definitely needs help to guard and manage her space like other countries.
America can provide that support right now and Nigeria should actually count herself lucky to have such a lifeline.
Recall that successive POTUS’ didn’t want to get involved.
Yes, it won’t come free, or cheap, but let it come, it’s the lesser evil. CAVEAT: Are we keeping our eyes open in all of this?
