BOKO HARAM: IT IS TERRORISM AND NOT INSURGENCY

BOKO HARAM: 

IT IS TERRORISM AND NOT INSURGENCY

OPENING SHOT:

Fellow citizens, welcome to this issue of THE MANDATE MONITOR, Nigeria’s soar away political news story platform gauging the standard of political conduct, actions and inactions of those in political leadership (both the elected and appointed).

Just got the news from the wife of a senior brother that their vehicle had an accident killing a drunken pedestrian. It’s so frustrating; I mean all these death news here and there. It is even more frustrating when the person involved is related to you, thus placing an emotional, intellectual and resource burden on you. I condole with the families of the deceased, praying that God grant the deceased eternal rest.

President Buhari has been quoted to have told state governors that since they won’t be seeking his opinion in choosing their commissioners, he in turn won’t be seeking the governors opinion in choosing who becomes his minister. Wao! This is one position that has far reaching positive effects that will trickle down. The choice of ministers and presidential aides was a noticeable low point of the Jonathan administration, and the reason is not farfetched since established governance system in Nigeria does not recognize merit and creativity in governance. Again, curtailing the excesses of state governors will be a smart move for the new President, they are booby traps and President Buhari will do well to be weary of them.

Now, what is the power situation in your area? In Surulere where we are domiciled, we experience a minimum of 22 hours of electricity and this has been so in the past three week. We particularly celebrate this milestone here in Surulere. It’s a thumb up for the PHCN here.

 “Be not afraid of change for it is constant. Believe that life is all about change and therefore worth living, and your belief will help create the life you want.” -----  OBUESI PHILLIPS

TRENDING:   

FIFA President Sepp Blatter Resigns Amid Corruption Scandal

So much is trending both locally and internationally, but for us, the FIFA president Sepp Blatter announcing his reignation amid corruption scandal is the juiciest. Speaking at a news conference in Zurich, Blatter said a special election would be held shortly to appoint his successor.

It will be recalled that Mr. Blatter was just re-elected to a fifth term as president at the FIFA Congress on Friday, two days after a corruption crisis erupted and seven officials were arrested in Zurich.

For us here, we have always known it, how is it possible that all but Sepp Blatter is corrupt? The truth is the Blatter’s FIFA is the most corrupt global institution; its continental and national affiliates represent independent local definitions of corruption. So, when they begin to grandstan.

REVERSE GEAR:  

Mr. President, It Is Terrorism And Not Insurgency

Do you know, listening to Mr. President’s inauguration speech and subsequent commentaries thereafter, one cannot fail to notice the continuous use of the word “INSURGENTS” in reference to Boko Haram and their activities. We are appalled at this; it is misleading and designed to garner the sympathy of the global community towards supposed insurgents.

This deliberate and calculated reference to Boko Haram fighters as insurgents we argue is the singular reason why the immediate past government were not able and the present government will not be able to defeat Boko Haram. So the question will be, are Boko Haram activities the activities of insurgents?

It will be recalled that the US government calculatively refused to sell arms to the Nigerian government during the heat of military onslaught against Boko Haram. The US government was told by Boko Haram sympatyhisers that the Nigerian military were using such arms to commit human right abuses and military atrocities against insurgents in Northern Nigeria. To the extent that a section of the country continues to see attacks on Boko Haram as attacks on insurgents, the government will not be able to tackle the terrorists.

The truth is that these people are not insurgents but terrorists, at least having regards to what we know about them, their leadership, mode of operation and activities. At this point, we must attempt a definition of both concepts.

INSURGENCY: 

This is an organized rebellion against a constituted government through subversive activities and armed conflict, the objective amongst others usually will be to attract governmental attention, forcing government’s action or inaction. A section of the population may feel aggrieved with a government’s policy, such persons having presented their grievances to the government vide legitimate means and subsequently believing that the government has failed or is failing to attend to their expectation may resort to subversive armed struggle against the state/government to drive home their point. Usually their subversive activities ceases as soon as the government addresses their concern. Their activities will be referred to as that of insurgents.

TERRORISM:

On the other hand, terrorism is the calculated use of violence (or threat of violence) against civilians to attain objectives that may be political, religious or even ideological. The main objective of terrorism is to foist a religious or political ideology usually on a civilian population and this is achieved vide violent intimidation of the general population by instilling fear.

An individual acquiring a new knowledge usually through divine revelation may want to foist that new revelation on the wider community, he gradually begins to recruit and coerce his immediate community into his new thinking and knowledge. As his recruits increase, he indoctrinates them and those not willing to accept his usually perverse new ideology are intimidated into accepting what they ordinarily will not accept by instilling fear through violent activities, usually suicide bombing, plane hijacking  etc.

Having regards to the above definitions and analysis, we will call on the government at the federal level, and the states where the activities of the terrorist group Boko Haram are dominant to begin to redefine their activities.

It is because sympathizers of Boko Haram have gradually sold this concept of insurgency to the people of Nigeria, the international community is not able to situate its response to the challenges of the Nigerian government in combating the activities of the group.

For us at THE MANDATE MONITOR, it will be a pipe dream to continue to refer to Boko Haram as insurgents and hope to defeat them.

OBUESI PHILLIPS

2014 Dream Prize Winner