Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned President Muhammadu Buhari
of a looming danger ahead with the insecurity in Nigeria and the
unchecked menace of the Fulani Herdsmen in an open letter.
Obasanjo’s open letter which was released by his media aide, Kehinde
Akinyemi on Monday, accused Buhari of treating killings allegedly
perpetrated by Fulani herdsmen with kid gloves.
The letter read, “I am constrained to write to you this open letter. I
decided to make it an open letter because the issue is very weighty and
must be greatly worrisome to all concerned Nigerians and that means all
right-thinking Nigerians and those resident in Nigeria.
“The issue I am addressing here is very serious; it is the issue of life
and death for all of us and for our dear country, Nigeria. This issue
can no longer be ignored, treated with nonchalance, swept under the
carpet or treated with cuddling gloves.
“The issue is hitting at the foundation of our existence as Nigerians
and fast eroding the root of our Nigerian community. I am very much
worried and afraid that we are on the precipice and dangerously reaching
a tipping point where it may no longer be possible to hold danger at
bay.
“When people are desperate and feel that they cannot have confidence in
the ability of government to provide security for their lives and
properties, they will take recourse to anything and everything that can
guarantee their security individually and collectively.”
“For over ten years,” Obasanjo said, “for four of which you have been
the captain of the ship, Boko Haram has menacingly ravaged the land and
in spite of government’s claim of victory over Boko Haram, the potency
and the activities of Boko Haram, where they are active, remain
undiminished, putting lie to government’s claim.
“The recent explanation of the Chief of Army Staff for non-victory due
to lack of commitment and lack of motivation on the part of troops
bordering on sabotage speaks for itself.”
Continuing, he added, “Say what you will, Boko Haram is still a daily
issue of insecurity for those who are victimized, killed, maimed,
kidnapped, raped, sold into slavery and forced into marriage and for
children forcibly recruited into carrying bombs on them to detonate
among crowds of people to cause maximum destructions and damage. And
Boko Haram will not go away on the basis of sticks alone, carrots must
overweigh sticks. How else do you deal with issues such as only about
50% literacy in North-East with over 70% unemployment?
“Herdsmen/farmers crises and menace started with the government treating
the issue with cuddling glove instead of a hammer. It has festered and
spread.
“Today, it has developed into banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and
killings all over the country. The unfortunate situation is that the
criminality is being perceived as a ‘Fulani’ menace unleashed by Fulani
elite in the different parts of the country for a number of reasons but
even more, unfortunately, many Nigerians and non-Nigerians who are
friends of Nigeria attach vicarious responsibility to you as a Fulani
elite and the current captain of the Nigeria ship. Perception may be as
potent as reality at times.
“Whatever may be the grievances of Fulanis, if any, they need to be put
out in the open and their grievances, if legitimate, be addressed; and
if other ethnic groups have grievances, let them also be brought out in
the open and addressed through debate and dialogue.
“The main issue, if I may dare say, is poor management or mismanagement
of diversity which, on the other hand, is one of our greatest and most
important assets. As a result, the very onerous cloud is gathering. And
the rain of destruction, violence, disaster, and disunity can only be
the outcome.
“Nothing should be taken for granted, the clock is ticking with the
cacophony of dissatisfaction and disaffection everywhere in and outside
the country. The Presidency and the Congress in the US have signaled to
us to put our house in order. The House of Lords in the UK had debated
the Nigerian security situation. We must understand and appreciate the
significance, implication and likely consequences of such concerns and
deliberations.
“No one can stop hate speech, violent agitation, and smoldering violent
agitation if he fans the embers of hatred, disaffection, and violence.
It will continue to snowball until it is out of control. A stitch in
time saves nine, goes the old wise saying.
“With the death of Funke, Chief Fasoranti’s daughter, some sympathetic
Nigerian groups are saying ‘enough is enough’. Prof. Anya, a
distinguished Nigerian merit Laureate, has this to say “We can no longer
say with certainty that we have a nation”. Niger-Delta leaders,
South-Eastern leaders, Middle-Belt leaders, and Northern Elders Forum
have not remained quiet.
“Different ordinary Nigerians at home and abroad are calling for
different measures to address or ameliorate the situation. All the calls
and cries can only continue to be ignored at the expense of Nigerian
unity, if not its continued existence.
“To be explicit and without equivocation, Mr. President and General, I
am deeply worried about four avoidable calamities:
1. abandoning Nigeria into the hands of criminals who are all being
suspected, rightly or wrongly, as Fulanis and terrorists of Boko Haram
type;
2. spontaneous or planned reprisal attacks against Fulanis which may
inadvertently or advertently mushroom into pogrom or Rwanda-type
genocide that we did not believe could happen and yet it happened.
3. similar attacks against any other tribe or ethnic group anywhere in
the country initiated by rumors, fears, intimidation and revenge capable
of leading to pogrom;
4. violent uprising beginning from one section of the country and
spreading quickly to other areas and leading to the dismemberment of the
country.
“It happened to Yugoslavia not too long ago. If we do not act now, one
or all of these scenarios may happen. We must pray and take effective
actions at the same time. The initiative is in the hands of the
President of the nation, but he cannot do it alone.
“In my part of the world, if you are sharpening your cutlass and a mad
man comes from behind to take the cutlass from you, you need other
people’s assistance to have your cutlass back without being harmed. The
madmen with serious criminal intent and terrorism as core value have
taken cutlass of security. The need for assistance to regain control is
obviously compelling and must be embraced now.
“A couple of weeks ago at a public lecture, I had said, among other
things, that in all these issues of mobilization for national unity,
stability, security, cooperation, development, growth, and progress,
there is no consensus.
“Like in the issue of security, the government should open up
discussion, debate, and dialogue as part of consultation at different
levels and the outcome of such deliberations should be collated to form
inputs into a national conference to come up with the solution that will
effectively deal with the issues and lead to rapid development, growth,
and progress which will give us a wholesome society and enhanced living
standard and livelihood in an inclusive and shared society.
“It will be a national program. We need unity of purpose and nationally
accepted strategic roadmap that will not change with whims and caprices
of any government. It must be owned by the citizens, people’s policy and
strategy implemented by the government no matter it’s color and leaning.
“Some of the groups that I will suggest be contacted are: traditional
rulers, past heads of service (no matter how competent or incompetent
they have been and how much they have contributed to the mess we are
in), past heads of paramilitary organisations, private sector, civil
society, community leaders particularly in the most affected areas,
present and past governors, present and past local government leaders,
religious leaders, past Heads of State, past intelligence chiefs, past
Heads of Civil Service and relevant current and retired diplomats,
members of opposition and any groups that may be deemed relevant.
“The President must be seen to be addressing this issue with utmost
seriousness and with maximum dispatch and getting all hands on deck to
help.
“If there is a failure, the principal responsibility will be that of the
President and no one else. We need cohesion and concentration of effort
and maximum force – political, economic, social, psychological and
military – to deal successfully with the menace of criminality and
terrorism separately and together.
“Blame game among own forces must be avoided. It is debilitating and
only helpful to our adversary. We cannot dither anymore. It is time to
confront this threat headlong and in a manner that is holistic,
inclusive and purposeful.
“For the sake of Nigeria and Nigerians, I pray that God may grant you,
as our President, the wisdom, the understanding, the political will and
the courage to do what is right when it is right and without fear or
favor. May God save, secure, protect and bless Nigeria. May He open to
us a window of opportunity that we can still use to prevent the worst
happening. As we say in my village, ‘May God forbid bad thing’.”