By: Inuwa Bwala
I have been an optimist of peace in the North East sub- region, and anytime the issue of peace is being discussed my unreserved interest is often elicited.
When a friend forwarded an obviously sponsored piece by an obvious pseudo character Sadiq Ali, writing on behalf of an amorphous group, North East Peace Congress, my curiousity was naturally aroused.
At first, I thought the group(if it exists) will live up to it’s name as harbingers of peace in the North East, and the write up will address issues; but it seems I was wrong.
Reading through the write up, I was initially moved by the flow of the narrative, to the effect that, the security situation in the North East, and indeed the country has taken a turn for the worst. I was also impressed with manipulation of language by the writer, where in he employed a somehow sociological analogy of the cause and after effects of the situation.
I was however not impressed by the sudden illogicality in the analysis, where the writer blamed the situation on perceived actions of former Governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima. To the writer, while the escalation of the crisis was the consequences of the retirement of the erstwhile Service Chiefs and their consequent replacements with others, their retirement was masterminded by the Senator.
If not because the issue at hand is a serious national issue and the allegations were weighty, to the effect that, it attempts to pitch key stakeholders in the fight against terrorism against each other, one could have dismissed it, as just another of the jesters’ entertainments.
But I feel the need to correct the misconceptions, to the effect that the service Chiefs were hurriedly and unceremoniously removed and that, Senator Kashim Shettima was the arrowhead of alleged lobby for the removal of the service Chiefs.
It was a national truism that the replacement of the erstwhile Service Chiefs was long expected, given the general clamour across the country. It was equally a fact that their retirements followed due processes and they were accorded due protocols and courtesies deserving of their offices, when they were eventually disenggaged. It is a fallacy to say there was an underground lobby for their removal, different from the general clamour by Nigerians.
My radar could not locate Senator Kashim Shettima, or any Nigerian in any secret lobby. I therefore consider it uncharitable and callous for anybody to blame the action of the President/ Comnander-in-Chief on any particular person.
It may be true that, in the heat of the general clamour for the rejigging of the security architecture, Senator Kashim spoke openly on the floor of the Nigerian Senate, which was quite in tandem with the general mood of the nation. He cannot be singled out for blame in speaking the minds of the people who elected him.
The write up by the do called North East Peace Congress, was a great diservice to the peace efforts of the Senator now and before, and a sheer attempt to create a narrative different from what Nigerians know as the truth.
By the name adopted to cover up for this outing, the North East Congress, or the author seems to have missed the point. You cannot achieve peace by instigating mischief.
inuwabwala89@gmail.com
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