A coalition of 300 Civil Society Organisations (CCSOs) has said that
President Muhammadu Buhari had been successful in the counter-insurgency
battles and deserves accolade and re-election.
The coalition enjoined Nigerians to re-elect President Buhari because
of his success in the fight against insurgents as contained in the
report of Centre of International and Strategic Studies (CISS).
CISS report on Thursday that President Muhammadu Buhari had been
successful unlike the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The coalition said it unanimously reached and adopted the positions
and conclusions of CISS of the unbiased and truthful accounts and
perspectives into insurgency in Nigeria operations and battles in the
country.
“The CCSOs endorsed without hesitations the general conclusions of
the report, which aligns with the consensus opinions among majority of
Nigerians, including the incipient opposition elements in the country,
traditionally obstinate in conceding to the administration of President
Muhammadu Buhari’s successes of the counter-insurgency battles.’’
The position of the coalition is contained in Communiqué Issued After
A Convention of Coalition of 300 Civil Society Organizations (CCSOs) in
Abuja on Thursday which Conscientiously Scrutinized and Deliberated On
the Report Titled “The Battle Against Terrorism in Nigeria: A Public
Dossier On The War”.
According to the CCSOs, the report “ yawningly re-echoes that
President Buhari has frenetically tackled the insurgency with so much
vigour, energy and resources.
“It stamps that the President has made the difference in
counter-terrorism combat and deserving of loud accolades and
commendations.’’
The organissations anchored on the report made by Centre for
International and Strategy Studies (CISS) Dated December 20, 2018 which
they reviewed, assessed and appraised.
The communiqué was signed by Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi, Chairman,
Communique Drafting Committee; Mr. Mshelizza Yusuf, Secretary of
Communique Drafting Committee; and Comrade Musa Nasiru, a member of the
communiqué committee.
According to the communiqué, “the report vacated previously erroneous
notions and fogs orchestrated by detractors to veil the successes of
the counter-insurgency operations under the Buhari Presidency.
“It also rated as very high, the performance of the Nigerian
Military, especially the Nigerian Army, under the leadership of the COAS
Lt. TY Buratai who is also the leader of the counter-insurgency.
“For the benefit of Nigerians yet to read the report on combat of
terrorism in Nigeria under the preceding and incumbent governments in
Nigeria, as compiled by the Centre for International and Strategy
Studies, the CCSOs have burdened themselves to highlight a few areas for
emphasis.
“The CISS report resoundingly reechoed that on assumption of office
by President Buhari on May 29, 2015, Boko Haram terrorists had violently
seized, occupied and dislodged natives in several local governments
areas in the Northeast.
“The insurgents exercised unchallenged traditional and religious
leadership of these communities by establishing its brand of Islamic
Caliphate.
Excerpts from the CISS report emphasized that a BBC report of
September, 20, 2014 that Boko Haram militants were in charge of at least
25 towns and villages in Northeast Nigeria , the region’s Roman
catholic Bishop has claimed, warning of a deteriorating security
situation.
Bishop Oliver Dashe said, 10 towns in Yobe state, the same number in
Borno and five in Adamawa had fallen to the rebels over the last month,
as they seek to carve out a hardline Islamic State.”
“Furthermore, the report elucidated that by the end of 2014 under the
Jonathan Presidency, Boko Haram had “ Before the declaration of state
of emergency, Boko Haram had overpowered local administrators and law
enforcement in Northern Borno close to Nigeria’s border with Cameroun,
Chad and Niger and taken over Marte, Magumeri, Mobbar, Gubio, Guzamala,
Abadam, Kukawa, Kaga, Nganzai and Mungono LGAs. After the declaration
and the massive deployment of soldiers to the region, Boko Haram
continued to operate relatively freely and seized additional seven
LGAs.”
CCSOs noted with a sense of responsibility that the Jonathan
Presidency could not arrest the drift and intensification of insurgents
conquest of Nigerian territories.
President Buhari inherited a country, whose no fewer than 24 LGAs
were firmly under the total control and administration of Boko Haram
terrorists.
Excitingly, the Buhari Presidency has reclaimed every territory previously held by insurgents as far back as 2016.
The CISS report, they said acknowledged President Buhari’s attention, strictness and victories against Boko Haram terrorists.
CISS said: “Among the earliest acts in office was to replace the
heads of the army, navy and air force. The new army chief and the
commanding officer in charge of operations against Boko Haram both hail
from Northern Nigeria and by many accounts, they have taken a more
proactive approach than their predecessors toward countering the group.”
Additionally, the report says; “Today, Muhammadu Buhari
administration has achieved much when pitched in direct comparison with
efforts of the former regime to manage the insecurity menace in the
Northeastern region of the country where insurgency has thrived over the
years.”
The CISS report identified Mr. President’s hard stand against
corruption, which hitherto rocked the Nigerian Military, frustrated and
weakened the battle against insurgency, as reason for his success.
Buhari’s insistence on transparency and accountability in the
prosecution of the war were added ingredients.
“President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda against corruption has
ultimately resulted in more transparency and accountability in the
prosecution of the war against the Boko Haram insurgency.”
The CISS report proceeded to chronicle several incidents of successes
and victories against Boko Haram insurgents under President which were
before mere dreams, but have become the subject of malicious denials by
political persecutors of President Buhari.
The report observed that the Buhari Presidency achieved remarkable
triumph over terrorists evidenced by “Creating suitable conditions for
the safe return of the more than two million people displaced by Boko
Haram’s violence has been ongoing since 2015. In early 2016, President
Buhari appointed a new committee led by a retired general, to oversee
its reconstruction and development program for the Northeast.
Independently, CISS also reiterated isolated milestones in the
terrorism combat under President Buhari, which have been in public
domain.
“These include, either the arrest of Boko Haram top commanders by the
Nigerian Army or their deaths during fierce battles with Nigerian
troops, such as namely Audu Ahmadu, a Boko Haram engineer who repairs
automobiles; Abu Rajal and Tuja Sa’inna Banki and Abu Nazir who had been
on military’s wanted list.
“Securing freedom for a greater number of the abducted Chibok and
Dapchi schoolgirls and tens of thousands of other Nigerians held hostage
by terrorists and the capture of Sambisa forest in Borno have been
reflected in the report.
“It applauded the Gen. Buratai’s excellent Civil/Military Relations
which he deployed positively in currying support of the populace to
battle the asymmetric terrorism war. And Army Chief’s establishment of
the Nigerian Army Call center and Human Rights Desk in all Army
Divisions in addressing issues of human rights abuses by its personnel
have been brought to the fore.
The report expatiates; “… the groups (Boko Haram sects) decline is
also the result of multiple processes at the regional and local level.
The new administration was pivotal in coordinating regional and
international response to Boko Haram, persuading the US to sell arms to
Nigeria again and working closely with regional states involved in the
fight.”
“Therefore, the CCSOs are ennobled by this report to state
empathically that Nigerians should not allow a reversal of the gains
recorded against Boko Haram terrorism under the current administration
by siding with selfish political jobbers and power mongers to oust
President Buhari in 2019. If Nigerians allow this conspiracy and gang-up
to work in favour of the plotters, terrorism will again assail the
nation more fiercely than experienced prior to the Buhari Presidency.
“Nigerians are persuaded to endorse and work assiduously for the
re-election of President Buhari for a second term in office to finally
lay to rest, the ghost of terrorism in Nigeria. A deviation from this
trajectory would be disastrous.
The CCSOs commended the Centre for International and Strategy Studies
(CISS) for their diligence, accuracy and time devoted to this
energy-sapping report, spanning the period of 2013-2018.
“Certainly, the CCSOs adjudged it as a priced document worthy of
attention by all Nigerians and indeed, members of the international
community in search of an unbiased and truthful accounts and
perspectives into insurgency in Nigeria operations and battles in the
country.
“We have no doubt about the issues articulated in the report as
reflective of Nigeria’s several years of struggle with the Boko Haram
terrorism, reflecting its evolution, its rise, government responses to
the insurgency under the regimes of former President Goodluck Jonathan
and the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, foreign interventions/
aids and local involvement in the fight as well as the performance of
the Nigerian Military in exacerbating or blighting the fires of the
terrorism scourge on Nigeria. ‘’