A seeming spirited attempt by the Nigerian Army to downplay the Fulanisation agenda that is stoking the fire of the deepening division in Nigeria, does not appear to be dousing the security crisis in the country.
Senior citizen, Chief Robert Clarke, is even warning that Nigeria might not survive the next six months.
Clarke, a legal luminary, was reacting to the insecurity challenges in Nigeria
“Many things are happening and I swear by my father’s grave if care is not taken Nigeria will collapse in six months time,” the senior lawyer said while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
He lamented the atmosphere of insecurity in Nigeria, while reacting to the recent warning issued by the Department of State Services (DSS) to come after elements causing disunity in the country.
Clarke said. “You see, the problem with Nigeria is that those who should know don’t want to know and they do not know.
“The security section is talking and talking and talking. What are they doing? The security in this country is so bad today that I, Robert Clark, I cannot guarantee Nigeria staying another six months.
“The problems are overwhelming and have been created by these same politicians since 1999 Constitution came into being and this crop of politicians who were swimming in Abacha’s loot and trying to form as many political parties as possible for him (Abacha) got into money and came into politics, Nigeria has never been the same.
“Nigeria is worse than it was in 1982. What is the cause? The cause is the leadership we have.”
On his part, former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, wants President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a panel to interrogate the causes of all non-violent agitations in the country.
Anyim, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, in an open letter to Buhari, said the commission should be modelled after the Willink’s Commission of 1957, named after its chairman Mr. Harry Willink.
He said the commission produced a far-reaching report after extensive hearings of the complaints and suggestions from the people, adding that no other document in the history of Nigeria has had a far-reaching impact on our political structure than the Willink report.
Anyim in the letter dated May 3, 2021 and titled, “The State of Insecurity in the Nation,” urged the President to heed the concerns of Nigerians.
Anyim said it had become apparent that the foundation of the various agitations in Nigeria today was that the comfort provided at Independence by the Willink’s Commission Report was no longer working.
He said, “I make bold to recommend that Mr. President should make history by empaneling another commission of inquiry to inquire into the violent and non-violent agitations in Nigeria and make recommendations on the immediate-, short- and long-term solutions as a way of first de-escalating the rising tension in the land and a process for the renewal of our march to nationhood.
“It is important to note that in a democracy, no action is deemed successful or completed until the buy-in-of the people is secured through a democratic process. This buy-in- is an imperative that is yet to be pursued in the fight against violent agitations in Nigeria. I must say that as long as the people are not part of the process of finding solutions to the conflicts, a permanent solution will be a mirage.”
He added that he was forced to write an open letter to Buhari because the President didn’t get an earlier private letter sent to him.
He wrote: “Mr. President, you may recall that on the 5th of October 2018, I had an audience with you in your office. In that meeting, with your then Chief of Staff, the late Mallam Abba Kyari, in attendance, we touched on a number of issues including the insecurity in the country and about which you directed that I should do a short brief on my suggestion and forward to your Chief of Staff.
“Mr. President may wish to know that I did as you directed and submitted my suggestion to your then Chief of Staff on the 20th of October, 2018.”
The Army has however, countered reports of killings going on in the ranks of senior Igbo and Middle-Belt officers as part of a grand Fulani conspiracy, saying the rumours were baseless and failed attempts to sow disunity in the service.
According to the Force, there was no Fulani agenda in the military.
Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima, described the authors of the report as enemies of peace, adding they are deploying their rhetoric against the sovereignty of the nation.
The Army said: “For the umpteenth time the callous and cowardly enemies of Nigeria’s peace and unity are at their worst moments of divisive and subversive rhetoric against the formidable sovereignty of our beloved nation and its patriotic Nigerian Army.
“The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to an online publication anchored by the online medium Opera News Official at https://stories. 6chcdn.feednews.com with the heading “Secret Fulani Plan Unveiled – THE COMPROMISED ARMY CHIEF.
“Ordinarily, the Nigerian Army would have ignored this illogical and pathetic narrative especially as it continues to record tremendous successes in its on-going operations nation-wide under the able leadership of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, nevertheless, for the benefit and awareness of our peace loving and patriotic citizens whom the Nigerian Army owes a duty.”
It added: “Part of the poorly scripted article states that ‘Last week, two Igbo officers, Lt Col Okeke and Lt Col Ajah,’ alongside 44 others, predominantly Southern and Middle Belt Christian officers lost their lives in a conspiracy hatched by Fulani senior officers.
“Alas, this is the dumbest narrative that has the potential for a Guinness Book of Record. However, to put the record straight, it should be clear that the Nigerian Army does not train, deploy or operate along ethnic, religious, tribal or regional divides thus the name NIGERIAN ARMY.
“In the past, several subversive elements have attempted to infiltrate the formidable ranks of the Nigerian Army to sow seed of discord among its personnel but failed. This is due largely to the loyalty and belief of the Nigerian Army in one great country, Nigeria.
“The amateurish article presented in self-styled stages 1-9 in a fictitious movie like scenario devoid of even the basic rudiments of a news report but yet laced with potent hatred and venom for Nigeria and its proud citizens. One cannot but forgive the illiterate writer of this article and his sponsors for referring to the Chief of Army Staff as Lt Gen Jega (Stage 1, paragraph 1).
“Similarly, on the alleged killing of some personnel, a quick check on the Nigerian Army personnel database returned negative for Lt Cols ND Okeke and Aja as there are no name matches currently in service of the Nigerian Army who were alleged to have been killed in a conspiracy whatever that means.
“In general, summarizing stages 4–9 of the uncoordinated article exposes the real intent albeit the very low IQ of the writers and publishers Opera News.
“They have distinguished themselves as enemies of our existence and should be seen and treated as such.
”Furthermore, the Nigerian Army would like to request all peace loving citizens to disregard the content of the said article by Opera News Official in its entirety as it lacks common logic.”
