WAR AGAINST TERRORISM: LESSONS FROM AMERICA

By Seun Adeogun

September 11, 2011

T

today, Americans solemnly remember their fellow countrymen who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks on the New York Twin Towers, shanks Ville, Pennsylvania and the Pentagon building.

Having being following the steps taken by the US leadership since the September 11 2001 attack, it marvels me how the American government and people value their countrymen. In the past ten years consecutively, measures were undertaken by the American government to reduce the spate of terrorism and September 11, each year, the victims of this terrorist attacks are fondly remembered, not just with words but with positive action from the government, living on the promise of curbing the menace of terrorism around the world. This is one promise the American government from Bush’s administration to Obama’s have been living up to.

With this promise in mind, the Al-Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden, who claimed responsibility for the attacks, was laid to rest by the US Navy seal in his stronghold. This promise had also led to the American invasion of Afghanistan and other terrorist haven across the world.

Here in Nigeria, a lot is being dedicated to commemorate with America. Quite a number of newspaper reports, TV and radio programmes were dedicated to remember the victims of the September 11 2001 attacks, while promoting the campaign against terrorism all over the world. Good and hearty as this may be, albeit, one question kept coming to my mind, what is the Nigerian government and people doing to combat terrorism and remember those innocent citizens whose lives were lost due to the recurring crisis in Jos, the several bomb attacks and the ethnic-religious crises in different part of the nation?

The answer is too obvious to an abreast citizen of this nation. The Nigerian government and its agencies are yet to find an alleviating solution to the rising spate of insecurity across its territory. Up on till now, nothing meaningful has been done by the government to either unravel or bring to book the perpetrators of these dastardly acts, neither has it solemnly remembered its fallen citizens. It has totally shown a complete disregard to its constitutional responsibility of protecting its citizens. This is a government that have found pleasure in treating its citizens with contempt.

Despite some security lapses, the American government took up the due responsibility to protect its citizens within and outside the state. Far beyond this, it has kept on reassuring its people, by way of consoling the families of the victims of the terror attack, due justice and the persecution of the perpetrators of this dastardly act.

President Obama recently asserts that America is stronger ten years after the terrorist attacks.  Without gainsaying, the American government place high esteem on its citizens, it has demonstrated the capacity to handle the situation. This is just the way to go for all other government of nations across the world.

I therefore hope the Nigerian government learn from this and live up to its due responsibilities by instituting Justice and protecting its citizens within and outside the nation. It is high time Nigerian government stopped playing politics with security issues. The feeble response of government to the Jos crisis alone has brought about different panels of investigation but it’s so disgusting that none of the recommendations of the panels has been given a pragmatic consideration. Besides, nothing has being done to curb the rising spate of terrorism, unravel or bring to book the perpetrators of the several bomb attacks in some part of the country most especially in the northern region of the country. Nigerians on their part must be security conscious and be genuinely patriotic. We must act in unity and see ourselves as brothers and sisters.

OF THE CURRENT EVENTS IN THE JUDICARY

The current mess witnessed in the Nigerian justice system will no doubt, douse the anti-graft war. It is becoming clearer to us that we have a failed, corrupt and lawless justice system in the nation. We therefore need a total value re-orientation in the nation’s polity. Our values are so eroded that they depletes legitimate means of survival to roguery and crooked avenues for survival.

THE AGONIZING UNEMPLOYMENT SITUATION N NIGERIA:WAY FORWARD

THE AGONIZING UNEMPLOYMENT SITUATION IN NIGERIA

By Seun Adeogun

July 2011

The dawdling approach of government to the issue of mass unemployment is opening up more avenues for social outburst, unrest and crisis.in the past few years the situation has not been able to get a thorough and positive action form the authority, thereby putting the nation’s security and corporate existence at jeopardy.

In the past twelve years of democratic governance in which the unemployment rate have soured high than ever, so much fund has been expended by the Federal Government to stimulate the nation’s economy but the lack of strong-will to ensure full utilisation and monitoring of these funds on the part of the government led to the misappropriation of these funds by some public officers and political jobbers leaving the common majority to languish in suffering.

Early in 2000, the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo came out with the privatization policy which was expected to facilitate infrastructural development, economic viability and also create massive employment opportunities but the recent revelation from the incumbent vice president Nimadi Sambo indicated that about 80% of the privatised companies are not working. This has however led to the colossal loss of the expected economic returns from the much publicised public enterprise privatisation exercise.

Majority of the privatised public corporations that expected to generate additional employment opportunities such as the Delta Steel Company that ab initio employed up to 20,000 at creation now have less than 4,000 workforces. Going by a World Bank report, the steel industry alone could have created at least 40,000 jobs while saving us a lot of foreign exchange putting into consideration the massive revolution in the auto industry. In like manner, the Electricity Metre Company of Nigeria, Zaria, privatised in December 2002 recently retrenched about 90% of its workers thereby compounding the unemployment figure in the country.

 In 2007 under the late President Yar’dua, N 500 billion naira industrial fund was devoted as an intervention fund to resuscitate the ailing real sector. Till date the industry is yet to bounce back into operation despite having the ability to absorb the teeming unemployed youths. The agricultural sector and textile industry alone if revived are viable enough to absorb a large percentage of teeming unemployed youths. But one unfortunate thing is that no one has really felt the impact of these intervention funds. 

Against this background, this social economic challenge is fast brewing a massive social crisis which the government is already finding very difficult to manage. One would think the government of the day would have learnt some lessons from the uprising in Tunisia, Egypt and lately, the reactions in some parts of London, and brazen up its economic recovery and job creation effort.

Psychologists have opined that one of the greatest instincts in man is the instinct for survival and the moment there’s no legitimate or meaningful way to survival, man is tempted to look the other way for sustenance. This high rate of insecurity in the nation in recent times is nothing other than a litmus test for this psychological assertion.

Not only has the unemployment situation rendered some of our best hands idle, largely enough, it has resulted into value and productivity degradation. A handful percentage of our unemployed youths are turning into different kinds of illegitimate ventures in a bid to survive. Some of them now find solace in armed robbery, fraudulent activities, drug peddling, smuggling, terrorism, militancy, prostitution, ritual killings, suicide, etc. which are all  prominent within the society today.

The Council for Unemployed Nigerians said about 48.9 million Nigerians are currently unemployed. This figure coincides with the World Bank 2009 statistics that state that about 40 million Nigerian youths (28.57%) are unemployed.

The Way Forward

If we must find a lasting solution to the flying rate of unemployment, then we must begin to look inward to effect a positive change. Good and practicable economic policies would go a long way to engender the economy, hence creating avenues for productivity, employment and small business growth.

The government must play no joke with the issue of corruption. There must be Zero tolerance to corruption if we must curtail the unemployment situation. Funds released for infrastructural development and other developmental initiatives must be utilised as proposed.

Noting short of a viable business environment is needful. The government must provide a viable business environment for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises to thrive. The government has the jurisdiction and resources to create a viable business environment for the small and medium scale enterprises to excel. The SME’s have the potency to absorb the teeming unemployed people.

Infrastructural development is no doubt an important issue that should be treated with urgent attention. The stability of power is a cogent aspect of this reform. Regular power supply alone could engender business activities, hence reducing the excess amount of money spend by business owners on alternative power generation. These amounts could be expended on some other profitable aspect of business process that will in turn boost business expansion and perhaps create more job opportunities.

Nonetheless, emphasis must be place on Human capacity development which is a core aspect of employment generation. Funding and effective management of the educational system is essential. Emphasis should be made on professional and creative entrepreneurship courses. This will do more than enough in equipping our teeming youths to becoming job creators and employers of labour rather than being job seekers.

The activities of the Ministries of Youth and Development, and that of Labour and Productivity should be redefined. Really one can’t identify what both ministries are doing to empower the youthful population and managed employment generation in the country. It’s obvious that we need Social reformation within the public service, one that can be instituted by an effective & conscientious leadership at all level of governance. Our present predicament requires an effective leadership, one that has the will power to implement favourable economic policies regardless of stepping on the toes of those benefiting from the Nigerian negative situation.

Seun Adeogun can be reached via luseunbravura@gmail.com  or http://www.seunadeogun.blogspot.com/

On Workers Minimum Wage and Impending Strike

It’s an irony that in a nation where an average Senator and Honourable of the National Assembly and the State Assemblies earn millions of naira per month (doing no meaningfully thing), we have workers fighting to receive just N18, 000 per month. This is pure injustice!

WHERE NEXT IS THE BLAST POINT? (The Rate of Insecurity in Nigeria)

By Seun Adeogun

www.seunadeogun.blogspot.com

21 June 2011

The inability of the present administration to curb the incessant spate of terrorist attacks ranging from the outlawed Boko Haram activities in the north-eastern part of the country, the resurgence of kidnapping in the south-eastern and south-southern part, the violent robbery and gang clashes in the south-west and the communal clashes between Fulani herdsmen and local farmers in the north-central, amongst several others, has again brought to fore the weakness in the nation’s security system and governance.

For almost Nine months now, some states in the north-western part of the nation including the federal capital territory, has being witnessing recurring terrorist and violent attacks claiming lives of innocent Nigerians.

On October 1 2010, the nation was turn into mourning after it celebrated the independence anniversary with serial bomb blast in Federal Capital Territory -about few meters to the eagle square-the venue of the celebration. In similar circumstance, on December 31 2010, at a time of preparation to enter into the New Year,  serial bomb blasts were witnessed right inside the Mogadishu Barracks, Abuja, the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, and on the outskirt of the city of Jos respectively. Prior to, during and after the general election in April 2011, some parts of the country were not spared as bomb blasts were witnessed serially in places like Borno, Niger, Kaduna, and Bayelsa states respectively.

In one of the series of bomb attacks, some members of the National Youth Service Corps were killed in a bomb blast that occurred in Borno state Independent National Electoral Commission office. Similarly, the post-election violence in some parts of the north claimed the lives of corps members together with other innocent citizens.

Few weeks ago, two police stations and a church-St. Patrick‘s catholic church in Maiduguri were destroyed by a bomb attack purportedly carried out by the dreaded boko haram sect. Few days after, four men at a drinking joint were reported to have been shot by members of the Boko Haram Sect. The references are endless.

According to the recent report by the National Commission for Refugees, NCFR, about 1.3 million Nigerians have been displaced by communal crises, natural disasters and other mayhems that have turned them to become refugees in their country. Countless others have lost their lives, love ones and properties.

Our fear now is that the terrorist acts might spread all over the nation given the fact that the nation’s security outfits are yet to devise a clue to curtailing the dangerous situation.

It should be worthy to note that, until the problems of poverty, corruption in public offices, unemployment and dwindling standard of education are alleviated, there are likely to be more dangers ahead. Most of the security challenges witnessed in recent time are as a result of mass unemployment, mass illiteracy, poverty, corruption and abysmal character of our leaders.

Alone, the uncurbed rate of corrupt activities among some top government officials and other public officers at the different tiers and levels of government poses a strong influence on national security and desperation amongst Nigerian youths some of whom are most neglected, depressed and frustrated.

Without doubt there is serious social crisis in the system today which in similar, vein poses greater threat to the nation’s security and most importantly its future.

Before now, some of us thought it bad for US to have enlisted Nigeria amongst the terrorist nations, but for the past one year, occurrences have shown that truly Nigeria can be ranked aside Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, etc. as a terrorist nation.

With three bomb blast recorded in three military barracks, several others in the police stations in north-eastern parts of the nation including the most recent one within the premises of the Nigerian police force headquarters- which is a few meters from presidential villa and the national assembly complex in Abuja-, one during the nation’s fiftieth independent anniversary celebration amidst countless others, only fate knows where next..

It is time for the nation’s leadership together with various security agencies to take decisive actions against the fast rising menace of terrorism. We need more action and less talk at this point in time. It’s time for us to stop travelling on the wrong road.

The Likely Implications

§  The current situation would, no doubt, affect direct foreign investment in Nigeria. An average investor looks forward to a safe haven for his investments

§  The recurring tragedies will do more damage the reputation of the nation. Before now the nation was battling with the image of corruption and bad leadership, now it is terrorism (the worst of all).

The trend of insecurity has the tendency of inciting more counterproductive actions especially as a larger percentage of the nation’s youth are unemployed and ill-educated.

§ 

§  It also poses additional threat to religious crisis and the corporate existence of the nation

The Boko Haram Attacks Dateline 2009-2011

§  July 2009. The group struck in Maiduguri, Borno state killing several innocent residents of the state.

§  September 7, 2010. The sect attacked a prison and freed about 700 inmates in Bauchi state

§  November 24, 2010. The group carried out serial bomb attacks in the some part of Jos plateau state killing about 10 people

§  October 31 2010. The dreaded insurgent group carried out another attack in Mogadishu barracks (aka Sani Abacha barracks) mammy markets killing 11 while leaving several others injured

§   January 28, 2011.  Boko haram claimed responsibility for the gruesome murder of the ANPP Gubernatorial candidate in Borno state who was murdered along with his brother and four police men.

§  April 1 2011. Members of the boko haram sect launched an attack on a police station in Bauchi state.

§  April 15 2011. During the election period, the Borno state Independent National Electoral Commission office was bombed by suspected boko haram members.

§  April 20, 2011. Suspected boko haram sect murdered a Muslim cleric together with some police officers in Maiduguri.

§  April 22, 2011. Prisoners were set free after a jail break carried out by members of the boko haram sect in Yola, Adamawa state.

§  April 25, 2011. Three bomb blasts was witnessed in Tudu Palace Hotel and Kano Motor Park in Maiduguri Borno State, allegedly carried out by the sect.

§  May 28 2011. A bomb blast occurred in Shandawanka Barracks mammy market in Bauchi state killing 14 people and injuring about 40.

§  May 29 2011. The sect carried out serial bomb attacks in Bauchi, FCT, and Maiduguri.

§  June 1 2011. The group killed the Sheu of Borno’s brother, Abba El-kanemi in Maiduguri.

§  June 16 2011. The group carried out its first successful suicide bombing in the premise of the Nigerian police force headquarters, Abuja, killing about eight police men while valuable properties were destroyed.