October 17th, the Jonathan-led Nigerian government suddenly announced a ceasefire deal with the Boko Haram terrorist group. This announcement was carelessly welcomed by much of the global community who still perhaps and out of desperation, hoped that peace could be miraculously delivered by the Goodluck administration after six years of consistent bloody failure.
The President of Chad, Idriss Deby, a two decade dictator and military war lord with exhibited links to the terrorist group and a Nigerian ex-governor implicated as a terror sponsor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff were allegedly behind this 12th hour, pre re-election campaign, ceasefire deal initiated at a private meeting held in N’Djamena this September, with the duo and Nigeria’s President in attendance. With hopes raised, after initially denying the connection, the Nigerian government admitted to this purpose of the meeting.
It is now painfully known that the so-called ceasefire deal was a mere ploy to allow Boko Haram gain the upper hand and devastate and conquer large chunks of the nation’s helpless northeast. While the Jonathan-led Nigerian government’s army, under the command of the defense chief, Air Marshal Alex Badeh who had just promised to equip civilians in the northeast to defend themselves and finish off Boko Haram, rather ordered the army to stand down; Boko Haram regrouped, re-equipped and swept across the northeast adding the top half of Adamawa state to their enlarging new independent ‘country.’ Hundreds of thousands of Nigerians were affected, with thousands displaced or enslaved and thousands more killed. The French were said to also be party to this fraudulent peace-deal.
The Nigerian government is yet to officially declare the unilateral declaration of a cessation of fire, over. The Jonathan government is yet to explain to Nigeria and the World how and why they made such a monumental blunder if it can be so mildly put. And no top official has been resigned for their responsibility in such a high level security failure with devastating effects to the sovereignty and security of Nigeria and protection of life, property and territory of the people.
This lack of admittance and responsibility for such “error,” weeks after its fruitation has been bitterly experienced in lives and hope losses for thousands, indicts the Nigerian President once again, for unacceptable incompetence, carelessness, nonchalance and reckless irresponsibility. Rather than apologize and retire those culpable, the Nigerian President was spotted Tuesday declaring his intention to run for a further four years in Aso rock onto of the eight he has already spent at the apex of power.
The implications of Nigeria’s recent error in the war on terror are frightening. Boko Haram has now thoroughly embedded within towns and local governments across the northeast. They have secured years worth of food and supplies and stolen trailer loads of explosives from a cement factory in addition to obtaining heaps of new ammunition and military vehicles from barracks’ they captured.
Boko Haram is not invincible by any means but, the process of dislodging the urban embedded terrorists is now going to be long, hard and devastating. If Boko Haram is ever to be expelled, bombs will drop like rain across Borno, Adamawa, Yobe and whatever new States they have captured by the time sensible action is initiated. Millions of Nigerians will die or be at risk of death. Life and the economy of the entire northeast will be all but extinguished. It is a sad day for anyone who understands the situation update courtesy of this ceasefire blunder and has empathy on the people of the north and nation.
We are talking of a war like has been in Afghanistan, Syria; like was used to defeat Gaddafi and destroy Libya. The type of war in Iraq. Every day that passes with continued government inaction takes Nigeria closer to either permanently losing its territory to the new Boko Haram terror nation to be annexed perhaps by its friends in francophone Chad, or to a recovery war that will leave millions dead and at risk of death.
Dr. Peregrino Brimah; http://ENDS.ng [Every Nigerian Do Something] Email: [email protected] Twitter: @EveryNigerian
