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| A Cross Section of Borno Elder Forum with their leader Ambassador Gaji Galtimari sitting first right |
By Blogger
Elders of Borno state have yesterday called on the federal government to establish a judicial commission of enquiry to investigate the claims of former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Vice Marshall Alex Bade, that he was made to lead an ill-equipped military in the war against Boko Haram insurgency.
The elders said if the claims were verified to be true, they would be suing the former government of President Goodluck Jonathan for premeditated genocide against the people of the northeast Nigeria.
The elders said they were not pleased with the former CDS for keeping quiet on the fact that he was leading an army with faulty equipment to fight the Boko Haram terrorism which had consumed thousands of lives of both soldiers and civilians.
They said the same proposed judicial commission of enquiry should also quiz the former CDS on why he failed to blow the whistle at the right until many lives were lost and property worth millions of naira were equally destroyed.
The statement from the Borno elders under the chairmanship of Ambassador Gaji Galtimari, had issued a ten point demands that should be carried out by the federal government as a way of seeking redress for the victimised people of the northeast Nigeria.
"The Borno Elders Forum found Badeh's comments very revealing, an eye opener, a precursor to judgement day and extremely disturbing", said Galtimari.
"As Chief of Defence Staff under His Excellency, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, Alex Badeh was not just the most senior serving military man and head of all serving military men in Nigeria, he was also in the best position to know the State of affairs regarding the provision of military supplies and motivation of troops.
"What particularly baffles the Borno Elders Forum was that at some point in 2014, the Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, had said it publicly after assessing the true situation as the man on ground, that troops deployed in the fight against insurgents seriously lacked and required better military equipment and that those at battle fronts were poorly motivated. Several voices were raised in support of the Governor's position.
"The Governor's comments were completely rebuffed by the then President of Nigeria who went as far as threatening to withdraw soldiers from Borno as he spoke on live television interview relayed by the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, at a Presidential Media Chat. Not only did the President rebuke the Governor and by extension, the people of Borno State, his aides followed suite and roundly condemned the Governor. The Borno Elders Forum deliberately refused to make any comment at that time because the Forum thought that as Commander in Chief, President Jonathan was in the best position to speak on the capacity of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The Forum remained silent out of wisdom and not to complicate matters.
"To our very rude shock, it turned out on Thursday, coming from an authoritative mouth, that indeed the Governor was absolutely right after all. He has been vindicated by no less a person but the then Chief of Defence Staff who was the symbol of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
"In the light of the revelation by the former Chief of Defence Staff, the Borno Elders Forum therefore make the following demands from the Federal Government and the United Nations and the International community:
1. A National Judicial Commission of Enquiry under an incorruptible judge from preferably the Southern Nigeria be set up to ask the immediate past President questions on why his administration refused to provide the military with the required functional and superior equipment whereas our sons and daughters were exposed to mass murder, severe injuries and grave destructions of our communities
2. If the former Government is found wanting it should be charged for genocide against the people of Borno State or at least criminal negligence at the International Criminal Court of Justice.
3. The retired CDS retired should also be asked why he kept silent when the military under his command was not provided with the right equipment. He had the option of speaking or resigning as he ought to have done in order to draw attention of the world and by that he would have saved lives of Borno people.
4. A list of citizens of Borno State killed from the time the issue of military capacity became in question, is compiled and relations of those killed are fully compensated for the death of their loved ones as a result of criminal negligence.
5. A list of soldiers sent on missions without being properly equipped and exposed to death at different battle fronts in Borno State, is also compiled and that they are specifically celebrated with their survivors fully compensated since their bread winners died not just in combat but out of negligence of those in authority.
6. An unreserved apology is tendered by the immediate past President and his service chiefs to the people of Borno State, especially those lost relations and also to Governor Kashim Shettima for all the humiliation he was made to suffer for telling the truth about capacity of the military at that time.
7. The President Muhammadu Buhari administration in constitutional collaboration with the National Assembly considers the need to set up a Presidential Armed Forces Capacity Monitoring and Evaluation Unit which could be directly supervised by the President, Commander In Chief in order to at all times, have accurate data of the capacity of Nigeria's Armed Forces, monitoring military procurements and hardwares and their deployments, so as to avert future discrepancies unless if of course, there is already an established system of this nature.
8. The current service chiefs should learn from their predecessors by building on their successes and avoiding their mistakes with regards to refusal to tell the nation the true situation of things where political leaders fail to meet critical needs of the military on matters of national security.
"Finally, the Borno Elders Forum salute soldiers who laid their lives in defense of our sons and daughters. We remember them always for their supreme sacrifices, pray for the repose of their souls and the welfare of their survivors. We also salute all patriotic officers of all categories who genuinely worked with troops leading to the liberation of all captured territories. These officers include those who worked under the administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and those working under President Muhammadu Buhari's administration.
"We urge all sons and daughters of Borno State wherever they are to continually accord 100 percent support to our gallant armed forces and pray for them to succeed in their national assignment of keeping Borno safe and secured. We urge President Muhammadu Buhari to remain focused and not to be distracted in the fight against insurgency. We all Governor Kashim Shettima to continually accord complete cooperation to the Federal Government and complement the efforts of the Federal Government where necessary. We pray that peace returns to Borno, the entire northeast and Nigeria at large. May Allah bless our dear Borno State, our sons and daughters and the Federal Republic of Nigeria".
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Kareem Haruna
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