Insecurity: Compulsory military training is the answer

By Ayodele Fagbohun
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When all or most of the able-bodied Nigerians, male and female, are trained militarily, our needs for defence, and for the suppression of large-scale internal disturbance of a violent nature, can be effectively met by appropriate adhoc mobilization” – Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Preparatory to the deliberations of proposed Constituent Assembly (CA) to usher in civil rule in the ill fated Second Republic (1979-1983), lateChief Obafemi Awolowo, an elder-statesman vigorously advocated compulsory military training to prevent and combat envisaged unforeseeable security challenges which could arise and become inevitable due to the adverse effects of abnormally prolonged military rule in a fast developing, but unplanned economy like Nigeria.

Our problem of insecurity does not arise from our ethnic differences nor diverse religious backgrounds. But essentially through sheer failure of our contemporary leadership ranging from temporal, secular and spiritual that fail to harness the right ingredients of leadership for national development.

The post-war Gen. Yakubu Gowon military era was weak megalomaniac, morally bankrupt and not decisive to take the bull by the horns in effectively planning the economy; to channel the enormous resources realised from the oil receipts in meeting the basic social needs of the people by way of free education, employment, infrastructural development across the country and providing for the raining day.

It stands to reason therefore that as a result of extreme planlessness of the economy, corruption in official quarters and greed all over the place, the nation is ignited with unrestrained youth restiveness, brigandry, unemployment, lawlessness and bloodletting, ritual killings reaching the anticlimax of dirty sing song and unpleasant narrative of everyone to himself and God for us all.

Law and order have taken flight in the country, giving ample room for anarchy and daredevil insecurity to reign unhindered in a society which professes democracy and good governance.

This has been the unfortunate scenarios and lots of the country after the unfortunate civil war whose masterminds in the two opposing camps were youth under 35 years old, trained and over pampered by their privileged positions in the Nigerian army which is a public institution.

Odumegu Ojukwu, the former Biaran war-lord and General Yakubu Gowon, war-time Head of State are devout Christians who brought civil war and tribulation upon the country.

Ever since, the security situation of the country has taken to the worse, in global terror heinous and nefarious activities of Boko Haram, Islamic State in West African (ISIS-WA) and other contemptible groups lurching around which could not have seen the light of the day let alone rear their ugly head if men of violence and soldiers of fortune have not hijacked and infiltrated our government right from the onset, that is, independence.

Successive governments, military and civilian alike are unable to tackle the attendant security menace arising from the civil war imbroglio; and the wound continue to fester and rise astronomically beyond their capabilities, and with all venom and monstrosity to swallow the country hook, line and sinker.

It is indeed a clarion call for all stakeholders in Nigeria’s project to heed the timely advice handed down by Dr Myles Munroe, an international motivational speaker, educator and consultant for government and business, to save our nation from chaos and imminent disintegration.

According to Munroe, “every country on earth is challenged by absence of resolute leadership as it struggles under precarious times. Politically, economically and socially, our nations are experiencing turmoil and moral decay-characterised by crime, religious conflicts, economic uncertainty, unequal distribution of resources, political corruption, civil unrest and disintegration of the family, cyber-crime, poverty, disease, famine, sexual abuse, greed, racial clashes, ethnic cleansing, global terrorism and war”.

He was quick to proffer solution in the following terms: “However, time and again, history has shown that the most important quality a true leader should and must possess is the moral force of a noble and stable character” for any embattled nation to overcome her own crisis and challenges.

To pull Nigeria out from the present security quagmire, we must urgently reconsider the compulsory military training as obtain in USSR and Israel to be enshrined in our constitutional provisions.

Fortunately the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), introduced by General Gowon military junta in 1974 could be streamlined and restructured to serve and bolster the security needs of the people.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo, leader of men, canvassed compulsory military training for able-bodied men and women out of the intrinsic advantages which could be derivable from this bold policy.

Nigeria will not need the indulgence of keeping and maintaining a large standing army for Nigeria, being the so called giant of Afrca, has the largest army in Africa, South of Sahara and use to spend conservatively about 50 percent of our total recurrent expenditure on a negligible few of our teeming population on the army uniform.

In fact, common sense and modern trends in warfare dictate that effectiveness of an army as an offensive and defensive outfit does not necessarily consist in the preponderance of numerical strength. It consists basically in discipline morale and efficiency.

That is the secret of huge success ascribed to the nation of Israel which came into existence in 1948. It is high time we eschewed our arrogance and vain religious piety and learnt fast at the feet of Israel to overcome our security and agricultural problems.

As a result of abolition of large standing army, the nation would be able to divert to economic and social development funds which otherwise would not have been available for beneficial purpose.

According to Awolowo, “one of the major causes of inter-ethnic suspicions in Nigeria would be removed. For, when all able bodied Nigerians have been given military training, no group or groups would be prone to accuse or suspect the other group or groups of actually using or wanting to use their predominance in the army to dominate the country. Nor would any group or groups have the incentive or audacity to make any open, misguided, and inflammatory pretensions to this effect.”

If we still persist in error and folly; and fail to utilize for national development the invaluable assets and treasure of the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo, as codified in his numerous thought provoking political literature which have grown as masterpiece, our national efforts in nation building, I am afraid may be tantamount to child play, mere prattle of hare and hounds which in the ultimate is national mirage and wild goose chase. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

Obasanjo at 83: While congratulating the former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on his 83rd birthday anniversary, how I wish at the evening of his chequered career in the political history of this country, he should descend from his Olympian height. As old war horse to be humble enough, make necessary amends and atonement for the present political flip-flop at democracy experiment courtesy of Olusegun Obasanjo’s role as military Head of State.

Since he handed over political baton to Alhaji Shehu Usman Shagari in 1979, the nation has been bedeviled with political vicissitudes and instability. The nation is in a state of perpetual and permanent political flux.

The second coming of Obasanjo (1999-2007) was erroneously mistaken as a political master stroke to undo what had gone wrong in his previous military administration. Alas! All hopes in Obasanjo’s administration were calamitously dashed at the point of fulfillment.

The only blemish on Obasanjo was the cold blooded murder of his Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Ajibola Idowu Ige, a.k.a. Uncle Bola Ige. His sudden death was an open invitation for murder with intents and purposes to silence the voice of Yoruba politically even in the very government pretended to be presided over by another Yoruba personage.

At 83, Obasanjo’s call for a brand new constitution to restructure the country is a mere after thought not grounded in the policy and political belief of the erstwhile generalissimo.

And his comment: “Nothing has united South West like Amotekun since Independence.” This hasty assertion is very unfortunate and far from the truth. In Yoruba land, issues like free education, free health services, full employment and rural development and integration have more than now united the people with their leaders of staunch political and intellectual worth like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Adekunle Ajasin, Bola Ige, Lateef Jakande, Bisi Onabanjo, Ambrosse Alli and others too numerous to mention.

Mike Omoleye at 80

Chief Mike Omoleye, a veteran journalist, former publisher of weekly provincial tabloid “Sunday Glory” now rested, circulated throughout Yoruba land including Ilorin, Kwara State. An accomplished mystic and traditional High Chief in Oye Ekiti has turned 80 years.

Mike Omoleye, founder of Divine Society, a spiritual organisation for spiritual development not opposed to any religion but believes that the best abode of true religion is man’s heart.

Although, not a politician who carries politics on his forehead, Mike Omoleye and Chief Obafemi Awolowo shared similar mystical virtues and sentiments for upwards of two decades!

Omoleye claimed that Chief Awolowo had divine sparks akin to Oduduwa, the progenitor of Yoruba race.

On the sudden transition of Awolowo, Omoleye believes that the death of Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1987 marked the beginning of the slide of Yoruba nation from political pinnacle to the present deplorable grass level in the country.

Coupled with incessant betrayal and schism among Yoruba politician, false neo-Awoists have derailed from the true political philosophy and welfarist programmes of Chief Awolowo for the Yoruba race.

Yoruba, according to Omoleye appears to be in the twilight as there is no specific dynamic political leader, the Afenifere socio-cultural and political organisation in total disarray, virtually dead or in comatose.

Nonetheless, Mike Omoleye at 80, a chieftain of Yoruba Council of Elders, Oyo State chapter is still vibrant and relevant to deploy his God given mystical prowess and innate talent to stir Yoruba intelligentsia from the present stupor, mental inertia and to cultivate self discipline, moral restraint and patriotic zeal to move the Yoruba nation forward.