THE SILENCE OF OUR “PUBLIC COMMENTATORS” AMIDST IMPROVED SECURITY
By Capt. Jauro Musa Liya (Rtd)
“It is in our best interest to have peace, and this can only be achieved when we criticise constructively, appreciate and support efforts and sacrifices of the security agencies towards bringing lasting peace. The enemies of Nigeria must not be allowed to set our nation ablaze.”
It would seem that our “security analysts” have gone to sleep. The effort and gallantry of the men of the Nigerian Army that is currently yielding results, and the laudable success that is evident by improved security across the country has suddenly become a sleeping pill for some naysayers.
They had time and means to criticise and castigate the processes and arrangements that were put in place in response to myriads of security threats by the Nigerian Army and other security agencies, without recourse to the challenges and prevailing difficult circumstances, but have lost their voices now that the results are positive.
They fiercely criticized the commencement of Exercise Sahel Sanity on 6th July, but silent on the 103 bandits killed by the Nigerian Army since then. They are silent on the arrest of 147 bandits, they are silent on the arrest of 39 informants/collaborators, they are silent on the arrest of five gun runners.
They are silent on the rescue of 137 kidnapped victims. They are silent on the 3,948 cows and 1,627 sheep recovered. They are silent on the arrest of 13 buyers of stolen cattle. There is generally an improvement on our state of security, but there is a conspiratorial silence by some of our public commentators. Perhaps, they are more thrilled by negative news about Nigerian Army.
As a firm believer in the strategic, organized and disciplined men of the Nigerian Army under the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, the tides will soon be upturned. The sacrifices to keep Nigeria safe might go unnoticed to those who find profitable business in politicising insecurity, but I know that history will judge the COAS and his men fairly and that the sacrifice will definitely yield results as we are currently witnessing.
Going forward, the Nigerian Army must not rest on its oars and as the COAS promised on his last visit to the theatres of operation in the North West, the tempo must be sustained until lasting peace is achieved. It is in our best interest to have peace, and this can only be achieved when we criticise constructively, appreciate and support efforts and sacrifices of the security agencies towards bringing lasting peace. The enemies of Nigeria must not be allowed to set our nation ablaze.
