JUST IN: Obasanjo writes Buhari again, warns him to end violent attacks across Nigeria

– Says Boko Haram potency remain undiminished
– You treated Farmer/herders crises with cuddling glove instead of
harmmer
– Our diversity being managed poorly

Few hours after the Noble Laurel, Professor Wole Soyinka said
President Muhammadu Buhari has been overwhelmed by the insecurity
in the country, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that
onerous cloud is gathering saying the result can only be a rain of
destruction, disunity and disaster.

The former President, in an open letter released by his media
aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, said despite claims by President Buhari’s
administration, Boko Haram potency remains undiminished in areas
where the group hold sway.

Obasanjo said the recent outburst of the Chief of Army Staff
that Nigeria Army is unmotivated speaks for itself saying the
potency of the deadly sect has put lies to the claim of the
government.

The former President said its time for the administration to
introduce carrot and not stick alone to addressing the issue of
Boko Haram.

The most important thing, Obasanjo said, is the mismanagement of
the diversity of the country which is said is the most important
and great asset.

He noted that the crises of herders and farmers were made worse
by the cuddling glove, instead of harmer, with which the President
handled the issue.

He however called for dialogue as the only solution to the
crises.

SEE FULL TEXT

OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT, GENERAL MUHAMMADU
BUHARI
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. Since the
issue is of momentous concern to all well-meaning and all
right-thinking Nigerians, it must be of great concern to you, and
collective thinking and dialoguing is the best way of finding an
appropriate and adequate solution to the problem.

The contents of this letter, therefore, should be available to
all those who can help in proffering effective solutions for the
problem of insecurity in the land.

One of the spinoffs and accelerants is the misinformation and
disinformation through the use of fake news. A number of articles,
in recent days, have been attributed to me by some people who I
believe may be seeking added credence and an attentive audience for
their opinions and view-points. As you know very well, I will
always boldly own what I say and disown what is put into my mouth.
But 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 glove. 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. Without being immodest, as a Nigerian who still bears the scar
of the Nigerian civil war on my body and with a son who bears the
scar of fighting Boko Haram on his body, you can understand, I
hope, why I am so concerned. 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, 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. Say what you will, Boko
Haram is still a daily issue of insecurity for those who are
victimised, 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 government
treating the issue with cuddling glove instead of 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, very onerous cloud is gathering. And 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 signalled 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 smouldering
violent agitation if he fans the embers of hatred, disaffection and
violence. It will continue to snowball until it is out of control.
A stich 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 rumours, 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 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 mobilisation for national unity,
stability, security, cooperation, development, growth and progress,
there is no consensus. Like in the issue of security, 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 programme. 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 its colour and leaning.

Some of the groups that I will suggest to 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 para-military 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 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 favour. 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”.

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