Generals Buratai and Ibrahim, the duty and the moral
By Uji Abdullahi Iliyasu
While enemies
of the state strive to detract the leadership of a country by their
overzealousness in hypocrisy and mischief, there are some public servants who are
heroes of their times.
I am moved to write this piece because of the
number of eulogies that poured out for late Balarabe Musa, governor of the old
Kaduna state. Late Musa was impeached by his people and ridiculed for his
principles, but in death, they suddenly turned him to a hero, through deserved
tributes to him. Eulogising
heroes in death is a disservice to humanity.
The
activities of two military officers in the Buhari government are worthy of
celebration. These officers are the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur
Yusuf Buratai and the Director-General of NYSC, Brig-General Shuaibu Ibrahim.
Before them,
there had been other distinguished public officers who served since the return
to democratic government in 1999.
We had
Professor Charles Chuwuma Soludo, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria;
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Finance; Nuhu Ribadu, Chairman,
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); and Nasiru Ahmed el-Rufai,
Minister of FCT.
El-Rufai made sure the distortion in
Abuja Masterplan was corrected; he demolished houses built on waterways and
green areas without fear or favour.
Others
are Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Governor of Central Bank; late Professor Dora Akunyili, Director-General, National Agency
for Foods Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and later Minister of
Information before her demise.
The
nation grows if it gives recognition to those who deserve it in life.
When Lieutenant-General Tukur Yusuf Buratai
took over as Chief of Army Staff in 2015, security threats by Boko Haram
insurgents in major cities and FCT were halted by security agents and the climate
of fear created by the insurgents dispelled.
Before Buratai, there were enervating
roadblocks mounted on every important road and the traffic was at snail speed
in Nigerian cities. These soon gave way to normalcy.
Under Buratai
military engineers began to manufacture military vehicles designed specifically
to withstand improvised explosive devices attacks and ambushes by insurgents.
Buratai,
represented by the Commandant, Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Jamil Sarham, at
the inauguration of these military
vehicles said, “The vehicles have significantly improved our capability to
defeat our common adversary, Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa
Province.’’
Earlier,
Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, United Nations House and Nyanya, all in
Abuja, had witnessed the horror of death.
It
still baffles my imagination that some Nigerians, even highly placed, are
calling for the sack of the present Service Chiefs.
Buratai,
combining the call to duty and the moral, was able to wipe away the tears of an
85- year old Staff Sergeant Paul Ojo, who was evicted from his rented house at
Kabala Costain in Kaduna, and presented to him a house a more befitting house
at No 26 Yakowa Street, Anguwan Galadima,
Kaduna.
Another
officer worthy of mentioning is Brig-General Shuaibu Ibrahim, Director-General,
National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Within a short period that he assumed
office, he carved a niche for himself in the Nigeria project.
Brig-General
Ibrahim assumed office in May 2019 after a spell at the Nigerian Army University,
Biu, as a pioneer Registrar.
Ibrahim,
an accomplished soldier and academic, has gone through the gamut in the Scheme.
He knows the problems and prospects of Nigerian youths because he had served as
Military Assistant (MA) in the past before now. Under the current DG, the incident
of highly connected corps members who decided where and how to serve is no more. Now corps members are posted to areas of
national needs. Apart from that, since March when the national lockdown began, the
vibrant and intelligent graduates go out as part of their community service, to
fight against the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic by providing protective equipment
in form of hand sanitisers, face masks, ventilators and the like, which they
generously donate to their host communities.
The morale of Nigerian youths is raised by
Brig-General Ibrahim who personalises his relationship with corps members like a
father to a child.
Also,
the acquisition of skills that helps prepare corps members for life after
service year and the raise in corps members’ allowance, all combine to bring out
unquestionable patriotism in vibrant youths. This officer also instituted
insurance for corps members.
Brig-General
Ibrahim makes sure that the security and welfare of corps members form the
focal point of his policy trust. To
corroborate this, he visited families of corps members in distress, a clear
testament of his love for the youth.
He visited and condoled with the family of Precious
Owolabi who was killed in 2019 in Abuja during one of the violent clashes
between Shiites and security agents.
“I am here on behalf of NYSC
management, staff and corps members to express our heartfelt condolences to you
over the death of Precious, our son. I was devastated when doctors told me we
lost him.
“Although the sad event left us grieving, we are
consoled by the fact that he lost his life in the service of his fatherland.
“I, therefore, see him as a great hero whose story has become part of the
history of the NYSC scheme. I urge the family to take heart,” the General solemnly
told Owolabi family in his condolence message.
In
December last year, the DG also visited the family of Nuradeen
Tahir
at Gwarzo,
Kano state, and donated to him artificial limbs. Tahir lost his arm in a road accident after
leaving orientation camp in Taraba state to Zaria.
In a similar vein, the DG visited
the family of another corps member, Abraham Amuta Abah, who was abducted by
Boko Haram insurgents earlier in Borno state and reassured his parents of his rescue.
Now
parents feel comfortable because they know their children are in safe hands.
“Security
and general welfare of corps members and staff are among the key areas of focus
of this administration, especially because corps members are given to us on
trust by the nation. “It is therefore, our responsibility to ensure their
wellbeing during orientation and the rest of the service year,” the DG said.
This
friendly and fatherly posture has endeared the DG to Nigerians. We therefore,
urge the General to continue to identify with these agents of change now that
Nigeria is divided along ethnic and religious lines.