NIMBY is an acronym for ‘“Not-In-MY-Backyard” – a derogatory term used by people who live far away or are not affected by something. They tend to belittle the protests of those in their immediate vicinity who feel the adverse effect. This aptly describes the attitude of some Nigerians in the South to the murderous activities of the Boko Haram sect in the North. They assume that the phenomenon only affects those in the North, so why should they bother or be bothered in the South.
The story was in the news recently of a Police Inspector from one of the Southern States who declined a posting to Maiduguri, Borno State because he didn’t see the need for him to be involved in the fight against the ferocious terrorist group called Boko Haram. Ordinarily, this should be a serious offence in the security outfit in any country with appropriate sanctions that come with it. It would have been considered an act of gross indiscipline, demanding summary dismissal in the least.
Just a few days ago, the Presidency proposed that it would be borrowing a billion American dollars to equip the Nigerian Army in its fight against Boko Haram. Why do we need to go borrowing when there are billions of dollars lying around in the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) as well as in the Excess Crude Account (ECA)? Apparently, these funds are jointly owned by all levels of government. The state governments, especially the Southern ones, are likely to kick against the Federal Government dipping its fingers into these funds even for something as serious as the terrible scourge of the Boko Haramites.
These two examples above show that many Nigerians are carrying the ‘not-in-my-group’ posture, which threatens the corporate existence of Nigeria. The Nigeria Army and other security outfits, historically, respected internationally for their roles in world duties on behalf of the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) be it in the Congo, Lebanon, Liberia, Sierra Leone and recently in Mali need all the help they can get in quelling the insurgency of Boko Haram. Of course, the urgency of this need does not mean Nigerians do not deserve explanation on how previous allocations were utilised.
Be that as it may, Boko Haramism is our collective headache. Today, the crisis is located in the North East of Nigeria but it could be an all-encompassing problem tomorrow.
Recently, the mouthy Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau claimed that his group bombed a fuel depot in Lagos. The veracity of that statement has not been established and, so far, the Federal Government has not denied it either. The question is whether silence means affirmation. There were panics, in the past few months, in the South East and the South-South about Boko Haram infiltrations. Arrests were made and there have been accusations here and there about the genuineness of the arrests. The arrested individuals may or may not be true Boko Haram members. However, the furore generated is enough to make foreign investors think twice about committing their capital into an unstable country that Nigeria has become in the eyes of the world. There is also the risk of this Nigerian security challenge becoming a regional problem engulfing other West African countries. This might have prompted the intervention of the French President Francoise Hollande. France holds their duties to the African Francophone countries very seriously and always take preventive measures before situation gets out of control, knowing fully well that they will have to come in to sort this out at a stage.
The attacks by the Boko Haram sects are becoming very daring and equally ferocious by the day. That much were attested to by no less a personality than the former Chief of Army Staff / Defence Minister General Theophilus Danjuma in a recent meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan. Danjuma, a man who should know, is known to say it the way it is without fear of whose ox is gored. It is a matter of luck, may be divine intervention, that the sect has not laid its hands on more lethal armaments. They wouldn’t hesitate to use these against defenceless Nigerians. Grenades, bombs and other lethal weapons do not discriminate once they go off. Those who may be thinking that Boko Haramism is a sectional issue should remember the shooting down of the Malaysian Airline M17 over Ukraine on Thursday, July 17, 2014 by a yet-to- be-identified but generally assumed to be Russian-backed separatists. Malaysia is not at war with these people and no Ukrainian has been identified in the manifest. The passengers: predominantly Dutch, Australians, British and of course Malaysians, were just harmless civilians going about their businesses but happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. They have become victims of what they know nothing about. That is the problem when issues that should have been resolved are allowed to linger on. Innocent people are bound to get caught in such mess.
Initially, one thought that the Boko Haram issue could be resolved by negotiations using the Niger Delta militants’ template pioneered by the late President Shehu Umaru Yar’Adua in 2007. It is becoming increasingly clear that Boko Haram is not going to accept negotiations. Thus, it seems as if the only option here is that of military victory by the Federal Government. In sane climes, when your country goes to war especially a just war such as the one against the likes of Boko Haram, it is one’s patriotic duty to support your soldiers. Ours should not be an exception. This is the time for Nigerians to rise above sectional and partisan sentiments.
Bamigboye is a Consultant Gynaecologist in the United Kingdom.
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