BOKO HARAM: And the politics goes on

Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād or (Group of the People of Sunnah for Preaching and Jihad") -Wilāyat al-Islāmiyya Gharb Afrīqiyyah (Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP). Both of the names here stands for BOKO HARAM. One group that has continued to draw attention for its notoriety and murderous actions. The Topic of Boko Haram can easily pass for one of the most researched and most analysed issues in Nigeria since 2010. Such as the heightening popularity of the group that it gained international recognition following the abduction of over 200 school girls in the town of chibok in April 2014.

The regime of Umar Yardua witnessed the Nigerian state winning the first battle against the Sect following the capture and extra-judicious killing of the leader of the sect Mohammed Yussuf in 2009. At the turn of this, the new leaders one who was uncompromising in nature compared to Yussuf promised and did fulfill to reign terror on Nigeria and the other one who probably became a president by accident was soft in his handling of the group. From bombing the Luis Edet Police headquarter in Abuja to the attacks on the UN building in Abuja and subsequent attacks targeted towards Christian religious worship centers, the Sect's terror grew in bounds and width. In no way is it exaggerative to assert that there was no week between the years of 2011 to 2015 that a a news on fresh attacks by the group was not reported. In fact like every other abnormality turned normal in Nigeria, we soon came to accept reports of attacks of the Sect as normal everyday occurrence.

While the group unabatedly and in some cases aided in perpetrating its evil and dastardly acts, the Nigerian State was too busy playing its dirty hard ball politics. By Nigerian State i mean the government and the people(s) within.  The federal government under GEJ as rightly posited by now vice president during his lecture at the Harvard University's Weatherland Centre for International Affairs, United States. " the ruling party also somewhat cynically seemed to have considered that since BH attacks were actually in the heartland of the opposition it was not necessarily an unwelcome development as it could only weaken the opposition."  Even the opposition was not left out. Buhari once speaking as a sectional leader ( which he actually is) accused the federal government led by GEJ of killing Boko Haram members and burning their homes while Militants in Niger Delta were being pampered and paid by the government.

Rather than strategize on defeating a common enemy (i may be wrong to think the enemy is actually common), Boko haram became an issue of political discuss not a security discuss. While the ruling PDP saw positive news emanating from the battles with BH as points to ensure Nigerians give them their votes in 2015 the opposition APC saw every negatives as a weapon to continue to use in attacking the government and reduce the credibility of the PDP to rule. ( EVEN AT DOING THIS, THE APC NEVER PROVIDED ANY SOLUTION TO THE ENDEMIC OF BH). While FFK was strong in claiming the BH was the military wing of the APC the APC was claiming BH was a state sponsored group). Even the international community led by no other than the USA some what participated in this politics while lives in counting in thousands were been lost.

Religion played its fair deal of the wicked politics. Ayo the controversial erstwhile CAN president following attacks on a church in madalla Niger state in late 2011 called on Nigerians across all religious and ethnic divide to come in solidarity to mount pressure on the government. We refused to listen, instead our Muslim brothers up north kept quiet since the initial attacks of the Sect was targeted at "Christians and non-believers" . It was only after the attacks of the Sect started wearing a universal and non-discriminatory front that serious voices were being raised from the Islamic world. We allowed our faith differences to play in and BH capitalized, resulting in not just the crash of religious and social institutions but also traditional institutions( ask the sacked emirs of their ordeal).

Ethnic politics was also employed, as cited earlier, Buhari accused GEJ an IJAW man of killing his Hausa/ Fulani fellows under the guise of fighting terror, when you read through the pages of on-line forums l, especially the comment section, your eyes will bleed blood for the future of Africa when you see the hate and maliciously invented comment of Nigerians against Nigerians. We place race and ethnicity before Humanness. It is ok for them to continue to kill themselves, are they even human, only goats will kill in the name of religion were some the comments. Universities were attacked and so were polytechnics, colleges and secondary schools but NANS from the south never saw it a responsibility to hold solidarity walks or protest mounting pressure on government to wake up. Yes i agree, it is only animals that kill over religion but it takes a bigger animal to not feel perplexed by human lives lost simply because you have no sense of affiliation to the departed soul(s).

Even BH became a tool of political entrepreneurship in the hands of some. You only need to follow the dynamics surrounding the #BRING BACK OUR GIRLS GROUP to understand me better on this. And our tabloids saw reportage of BH activities as first a duty of cash inflow and popularity rather than a duty to inform. In one way or the other we played passive and active politics in ensuring the un-restricted rise of BH and the politics still continued in far away USA over the weekend.

Boko Haram continued to grow wings and was even preparing to fly until GEJ suddenly woke up, perhaps realising that BH strength had done more harm to his popularity than good,  In weeks before and after the election in 2015, the once seeming indomitable nest of BH started cracking to the fire power of the Nigerian military. Hitherto lost territories were gradually been regained from the terrorists and this was the position until Buhari finished what was started by the erstwhile GEJ.  So many reasons have been cited by different research individunals and persons for the drastic rise and fall of BH. from the defeat and fall of Ghadaffi in Libya, to Shekau's guerilla tactics doggedness to so many other factors, none to me is more visible and responsible  for the rise and seeming fall of BH than the political factor.

It was claimed that monies for arms procurement ended up in the protruding stomachs and deepening pockets of politicians and army generals. The effect was a weak, demoralised and greatly under armed army(as they claim). However, with Buhari becoming president and stating emphatically that he met an empty treasury and with no known records of any borrowing for arms procurement at that time, the Nigeria army was now winning the war with ease and superior fire arms. Did we buy them? they said no, then where were these weapons all along? ask the new chief of army staff Buratai who co-incidentally was the chief procurer of the military under GEJ said a retired Col (unfortunately i cannot remember his name) on the channels current affairs programme sunrise. The same politics played by last administration has been adopted by the present dispensation and we all continue to be spectators. The government is in negotiation with BH but has tried to keep it away from public knowledge ( trust me it is called top intelligence abiiiii...). Just like the previous regime, BH attacks started like a joke and right now we have an emerging security issue in Herdsmen rampage( i dare to say they are BH members again in disguise.) and we have adopted a stance of political patronage.

We seem to always stay cool and on top every situation until it proves other wise that the situation is on top of us. To the average black politician irrespective of ethnic or religious inclination " the lives of people are just a beginning tool in the politics of interest and bargaining": and the politics goes on from whence and where it first started. But as a reminder, it is still early days to rejoice Mr VP because the politics continues. Conflict remains a veritable tool of political bargaining and that is why our governments will never be serious about fighting social injustice which is the root cause of the problem.

PAX

AYODELE KELVIN
kevinayodele99@gmail.com