For compelling reasons, January 15 is seared in our memory.
This is because it is the date officially set aside to celebrate the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the day designated to honor veterans of World War I, World War II and the Nigerian Civil War. It is a day earmarked to honor the memories of our fallen heroes in various theaters of war.
January 15 remains a national landmark because it is the day on which Nigeria’s first military coup d’etat took place in 1966, thereby truncating our parliamentary democracy. It also coincides with the day the instrument of surrender was handed over by Philip Effiong of the secessionist Biafran Army to Olusegun Obasanjo of the Nigerian Army in 1970. This followed a 30- month war between brothers.
For Nigerians, January 15 is as significant, if not more significant, than D-Day. Whereas D-D commemorates the historic day of the Normandy landings by Allied Forces, thereby climaxing the efforts to liberate Europe from Nazi Germany on June 11, 1944, January 15 marks the end of the Nigerian conflict. It also cements the country’s unity.
January 15 thus encapsulates our very essence. It underscores our sovereignty. It asserts our martial prowess. It proffers useful insights into where we came from and what ails us. It also speaks lucidly to where we are headed.
This year’s Remembrance Day, like fourteen others before it, was celebrated in the context of our one and a half decade-long war against terrorism and insurgency. It was also marked against the backdrop of a number of unwholesome developments.
Even though insurgency and heinous acts of terror continue, our gallant Armed Forces have been able to significantly abate them. In the North East where terrorists hitherto held a significant number of local government areas in their thrall, nearly all have been liberated. Severely weakened and attenuated, their vestige in that theatre has resorted to hit and run strategies as recently witnessed in Damboa and Chibok.
In the North West only the notorious Bello Turji and his fellow travelers remain a menace. The Lakurawas, who recently reared their ugly heads, have been dealt a deadly blow. Fewer attacks have been reported in the Birnin Gwari, Shiroro and Erena axis of Kaduna and Niger States. The Abuja-Kaduna Expressway has not seen any major act of banditry or kidnapping in the last two months.
In the North Central, the Jos-Plateau, which was fast becoming an epicenter for unprovoked and large-scale attacks, has been relatively peaceful. Bar the attack at Riyom Local Government Area on Christmas Eve, the State was peaceful.
The Armed Forces have remarkably come to work in greater concert and synergy. Where boots on the ground are imperiled or threatened, air power is summoned. Each service brings to bear its expertise to the war effort. These have birthed successes.
In spite of these strides, a lot remains to be done to accomplish the mission of bringing insurgents and terrorists to heel. Greater premium should be placed on intelligence gathering. It is when concrete and unimpeachable intelligence is harvested that air power can be deployed. Once emphasis is laid on actionable intelligence, we should record less collateral damage or the wrongful strafing of innocents.
In addition to intelligence, our Armed Forces should prioritize pro activity. Most of the time, our armed forces arrive late to the party. It is after the insurgents or attackers have had a field day by mowing down hapless villagers that they arrive at the gory scene to the chagrin of the survivors.
Given the fact that this insurgency and attacks have been going on for one and a half decade, our armed forces should be able to discern and map out the pattern of these attacks and their modus operandi. They should also be able to anticipate them. More than a casual notice should be taken of their tendency to attack formations, and in their large numbers, when such military formations are in their early or inchoate stages. Apart from fortifying these formations with requisite arms and men, going forward, their commanders should be enabled to solicit quick reinforcements and air support in the event of such attacks.
One is delighted to learn that Nigeria’s Air force is ranked as the third in Africa. This ranking must be informed by its aircraft acquisitions and the professionalism of its men. But acquisition of weapons will not suffice if we are to occupy our rightful position and to win the war on terror. Our armed forces should be challenged to look inwards and to invent/manufacture weapons that meet our peculiar needs. This will make them less dependent on imported equipment as well as make them less subservient to conditionalities imposed by suppliers. Verve and resources should be invested in the Defense Industries Corporation of Nigeria(DICON).
To motivate our armed forces and to put them in the finest fettle, their members’ welfare should be uppermost and holistic. It is not good enough that only the high echelons of the Armed Forces are being considered for sumptuous allowances and retirement benefits. To get optimum commitment from their men, these benefits should cascade down the line.
It does not speak well of us as a country that retired members of our armed forces, who put their lives on the line for us, have to occasionally picket or storm the Ministry of Finance for their entitlements. No one who has served this country meritoriously, whether in uniform or out of it, should go, cap in hand, begging for what is due to him/her. It is demeaning. It does not show or convey gratitude by the government. Worse, it does not encourage those serving to give their best.
There is no doubting it that the Remembrance Day is pivotal to our country. January 15 is hallowed in our annals. Its sacredness and the dignity of Nigerians would have been further elevated if the President had honored this year’s celebration with his presence. His presence would have prompted us to enthuse, like William Shakespeare wrote:” Our legions are brim full, our cause is ripe.”
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