It was Steuart Henderson Britt, the famous professor of advertising in the Medill School of Journalism, who, in his bid to stress the need in the importance of being noticed and patronized in business, once said that “doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing, but nobody else does.” In the same vein, being a writer or newspaper columnist without building a readership base is also like winking at a girl in the dark.
Keeping with promises that many columnists make to allow the voices of their readers heard by guaranteeing them a right of reply is at times not easy, especially in the globalized world we live in, where happenings in far-flung corners of the globe could get to be heard the next minute everywhere in the world. Nonetheless, this column is today devoting space for the publication of responses sent to me by email and text messages. Excerpts:
Malam Suleiman, I wish I was a columnist like you. I so support the Nigerian military and the Buhari administration in general that I could write projecting them week in, week out, until every Nigerian understands that these soldiers are our brothers and sisters fully deserving our love and support. They are Nigerians like me and you, who are defying the elements and risking everything they have, including their lives, to ensure we have the freedom to continue to live in peace. No. I can’t point an accusing finger at such diligent people. I can only show them ceaseless love and support and ask everyone around me to do so. May God continue to grant President Buhari the grace to diligently carry on with his noble role as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. May the Lord also protect and bless our troops and grant them the victory to wipe out all terrorists and bandits in our midst.
– Kabir M.M., registrar/CEO
Surveyors Council of Nigeria
Once again, you lived up to my high expectations, sir. I was one of those who was losing hope in the capacity of the Nigerian military to rise to the occasion in the constitutional task of defending our beloved country, as Boko Haram kept giving them a bloody nose with relative ease. It took your article for me to confirm that the terrorists were getting sanctuary in Chad, where some powerful persons in that country were giving them cover whenever they were pursued by our galant forces. Now that Chad is doing the right thing by closing these sanctuaries, Boko Haram has limited spaces to hide and operate.
Our galant army, led by no less a personality than the Army Chief himself, is combing the nooks and crannies of Sambisa Forest and the vast lands of Borno and Yobe states searching for these renegades and neutralising those that have refused to surrender. For the first time since the beginning of this needless war prompted by reckless, desperate politicians, as you correctly put it, our armed forces have so uprooted the terrorists that their heartless leader, Shekau, was heard weeping and pleading for help.
This was a man who, in his heyday, was fond of taunting President Goodluck Jonathan and the top military brass, making a jest of them on regular basis, thereby ridiculing the pride of our nation, the Nigerian army. I join other well-meaning Nigerians in wishing the Nigerian military, led by the diligent Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin, the best of luck in its efforts to rid the country of terrorists. Our support is assured.
– Salim Umar Ibrahim, editor, thecampuswatch.com, 07032965551
The other day, I saw Abdullahi Sule, Governor of Nasarawa State, in an audience granted him by President Buhari, asking the country’s leader to send soldiers to tackle issues of insecurity in his state. The army has been in operation in almost all states of Nigeria, as the Nigeria Police has come short of discharging its constitutional responsibility of protecting the nation, owing to inadequate funding and obsolete equipment. Can the Nigerian Army do it? I mean, is it possible for them to continue sustaining the present heavy onslaught against the terrorists? Early this week, the same army was dispatched by President Buhari to root out bandits from Katsina and other states. This army is already overstretched, even if the top brass is now injecting enthusiasm in the rank and file. I want us to be realistic and cautiously optimistic.
– Adeola Praise Agboola, 08143082751
This is to thank you for your consistent support for the nation’s military, and urge you to keep it up. I am happy that more and more Nigerians are getting to see the need to rally round our armed forces, in the task to liberate this country from the shackles of terrorism and banditry. We should never allow our hatred for President Buhari or any other leader for that matter, to deny us our sense of nationalism. As you rightly pointed out, the military is a Nigerian institution that has been in existence for 250 years, before anybody presently living in Nigeria was born.
The structure was only changed to what it presently is in 1960 when we attained independence as a people. The unprecedented strides by the Buhari administration to rid this great country of ours of all crimes and criminalities are yielding big fruits in the huge successes now being recorded by our beloved armed forces. I doff my hat for the Nigerian military. Bravo, Chief of Army Staff General T.Y. Buratai. You and your men deserve our love and support.
– Ishaq Modibbo Kawu, director-general,
National Broadcasting Commission
That was a good piece, my Oga. I tagged it “Brutal Buratai humbles BH Shakara.” But there is another angle to the story that many critics of this whole exercise are interested in reading. It is the issue of repentant Boko Haram members. Some are of the opinion that the leopard can never change its spots. Therefore, a Boko Haram member remains a Boko Haram member. Worst still, there is a rumour that the so-called repentant Boko Haram members are being integrated into the Nigerian Army. This is not to talk about their (BH members) integration into the society. The army needs to check these allegations to ensure they do not roll back the gains they have made.
– Nick Udenta, 08033888485
For me, we are paying the price for our lackluster approach to security issues in Nigeria. Or else, how can you imagine N100 billion being budgeted for the entire armed forces of Nigeria, while the American army has spent over $3 trillion in its endless war against the Taliban in Afghanistan alone? We have politicised our military to the extent where a former President of this country was doing at best very little to curtail terrorism because he felt the whole thing was being orchestrated by his political enemies. If anything, a serious nation should leverage on the gains being recorded in the last few years to equip our military and make the salaries of our officers and men some of the highest in the world. Instead, in Nigeria, we are only encouraging indolence by making our senators earn higher than the President of the United States while our armed forces are earning peanuts. It doesn’t portray us as a serious people at all.
– Chinedu Chukwuma, 08176012288
If Army Chief, General Tukur Buratai, knew all along that his presence in the theatre of operation would make such a huge difference, what stopped him from going there much earlier? And where are the other service chiefs? I call on the Chief of Defence Staff to ensure all the others also relocate to Sambisa Forest, until they exterminate the very haughty Shekau or force him to sign the instrument of surrender. Enough of this irresponsibility.
– Abubakar Uba Mohammed, 07036941275
Keep churning out, sir. You are a great Nigerian. This country will surely reach its manifest destiny. The naysayers should, of course, have their say. But we that believe there is hope in the future are definitely in the majority. And we should be allowed to have our say. Nigeria, we hail thee!
– Adam Suleiman, Cotonou,+22998228541
Articles like this shed a lot of light on areas hitherto unknown by many of us. I will now set aside my dislike for the Nigerian military as presently constituted. Let this war against Boko Haram be over. We will then sit down and assess what needs to be done. Perhaps, one of these days, I also may count in support of the Nigerian troops. You are making me do so.
– +447452038447
I am a serving personnel of the Nigerian Army and shouldn’t be speaking on operational issues without due clearance from my commanders. This, therefore, is just to commend you for the well-scripted piece, ‘Day Tukur Buratai made Boko Haram’s Shekau cry’, and assure you that, very soon, we are going to witness the day General Buratai will force the terrorist Shekau to surrender. I am in the theatre of war and know exactly what I am saying. Thanks for letting us know that Nigerians are appreciating our sacrifice.
– Warrant Officer Suleiman Hadejia,
08118295981
Thank you for standing by our troops, the fighting forces sacrificing their precious lives in the battle to ensure Nigeria is free of terrorists. The role of Chad was a good exposition, and I have no doubt that Nigerians will get to love and appreciate our military after all the dust is fully settled.
– Ezra Jahadi, 08186987450
Great piece. Let no one doubt it: the Nigerian Army will prevail. It is a great institution serving the common good. It’s officers and men are surely the best that we have. Well done, my brother.
– Sani K. Usman, 08037044903
In your article, you mentioned that Ahmed Salkida is your friend. Are you Kanuri from Borno? Thanks for the support for our fighting forces. They are going to prevail and continue to keep Nigeria safe for all of us.
Ruqaiya Yusuf, 08137793388
Well done my favorite columnist. Even those of us living abroad know that the Nigerian Army is trying its best, more so when viewed against the staggering odds facing it. You did well.
– Hajiya Altine Nababa, London, +447466022795
The labour of our heroes past shall never go in vain, so says our National Anthem. If there is any Nigerian institution working very hard to ensure this remains so, the military is it. They are not perfect, and surely no human being has ever been so, but my support for them is eternal. That’s the least I can show them for all the sacrifices they make for me and you. We may have grudges against the service chiefs, but they remain the best that we have. And they are not going to remain there forever. One day all of us will be gone, but Nigeria will remain.
– Adebayo Omotunde, 08084872323
It is too easy for us to open our mouths and condemn the troops or their commanders. But we can only hazard a guess as to what they go through to keep us safe. Surely it is still a work in progress, but then so is the evolution of states. God will continue to steer the army aright. Tukur Yusuf Buratai is a man I love. He has brought decency and enthusiasm to a very difficult job. Those who say nasty things about him will root for him and the other service chiefs long after they have gone. May it be well for the Nigerian army under the leadership of this great Nigerian. I pray for them everyday.
– Abdullahi Mohammed Sheka,
Leadership Hausa, 08036891869
It is in human nature to always crave for more. There is no doubt the Nigerian Army is trying its best. But we want more from them. We are sure they are capable of producing more excellent results, just like the General Buratai example has proven. Nigeria also needs to appreciate this man of integrity and valour, who has continued to give the Boko Haram terrorists a tough time even during Ramadan, even when he lost his mother about two weeks ago. It is a sacrifice like no other.
– Sakinat Musiliu, Medina, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, +966567483656
The army is trying. No one in his senses can dispute that. But I am disturbed about the indiscriminate integration of Boko Haram members that it is said to be engaged in. These are guys who have been heavily indoctrinated. I do not see anything that can be done to make them love Nigeria. The military is just wasting its precious time. Let them, like the Chadians have done, simply kill the criminals so that we do not waste our resources feeding enemies of the Nigerian state.
– Ruqayya Mustapha, 08039661429
The love of one’s country should ideally supersede every primordial interest. Surely these are abnormal times in Nigeria, where many citizens prefer the news of terrorists killing our troops, just because they are not directly affected, or because of political differences. The army hierarchy should do well to ensure such disturbing writings in the traditional and social media do not get to the troops. It will demoralize them. Americans are divided along Republicans and Democrats. But all of them unite in supporting their military. When our troops kill Boko Haram members, we give it scant attention. But when they kill our troops, we share the news with glee, just to portray the government of the day as a weakling. Very unfortunate.
– Safiya Abdulsalam Sadiq, 08124400170
When the Nigerian Army set up a university in Biu, Borno State, some uninformed Nigerians criticised the move, saying it amounted to miss-application of priorities. But I have since argued that to conquer the terrorists members of Boko Haram, you need education. You need to remove the speck placed in the eyes of the young Nigerians that Boko Haram has been hiring as soldiers. It requires what the Army Chief once described as spiritual warfare. These days wars can at times be won even without firing a bullet. I am sure education is playing a key role in the present success rate in the army’s war against terror. We will partner with the Nigerian military to make it even more effective. The forces of darkness can never defeat those of light, which the Nigerian military ably represents.
Prince Adeniyi John, Rector/Chief Executive
Global Scholarships Trust, 07035143299
Nigeria is going to survive all its enemies. But its present set of leaders need to buckle up. History is there to judge them. Let them never take we, the followership, for granted That’s all I have to say in response to the good piece you penned celebrating Shekau and Boko Haram’s imminent defeat. It is a bright new day for Nigeria.
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