Below is the text of the letter:
OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT, GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI
I am constrained to write to you this open letter. I decided
to make it an open letter because the issue is very weighty and must be greatly
worrisome to all concerned Nigerians and that means all right-thinking
Nigerians and those resident in Nigeria. Since the issue is of momentous
concern to all well-meaning and all right-thinking Nigerians, it must be of great concern to
you, and collective thinking and dialoguing is the best way of finding an
appropriate and adequate solution to the problem. The contents of this letter,
therefore, should be available to all those who can help in proffering
effective solutions for the problem of insecurity in the land.
One of the spinoffs and accelerants is the misinformation
and disinformation through the use of fake news. A number of articles, in
recent days, have been attributed to me by some people who I believe may be
seeking added credence and an attentive audience for their opinions and
viewpoints. As you know very well, I will always boldly own what I say and disown
what is put into my mouth. But the issue I am addressing here is very serious;
it is the issue of life and death for all of us and for our dear country,
Nigeria. This issue can no longer be
ignored, treated with nonchalance, swept under the carpet or treated with
cuddling glove. The issue is hitting at
the foundation of our existence as Nigerians and fast eroding the root of our
Nigerian community. I am very much worried and afraid that we are on the
precipice and dangerously reaching a tipping point where it may no longer be
possible to hold danger at bay. Without
being immodest, as a Nigerian who still bears the scar of the Nigerian civil
war on my body and with a son who bears the scar of fighting Boko Haram on his
body, you can understand, I hope, why I am so concerned. When people are desperate and feel that they
cannot have confidence in the ability of government to provide security for
their lives and properties, they will take recourse to anything and everything
that can guarantee their security individually and collectively.
For over ten years, for four of which you have been the
captain of the ship, Boko Haram has menacingly ravaged the land and in spite
of government’s claim of victory over Boko Haram, the potency and the
activities of Boko Haram, where they are active, remain undiminished, putting
lie to government’s claim. The recent explanation of the Chief of Army Staff
for non-victory due to lack of commitment and lack of motivation on the part of
troops bordering on sabotage speaks for itself. Say what you will, Boko Haram
is still a daily issue of insecurity for those who are victimised, killed,
maimed, kidnapped, raped, sold into slavery and forced into marriage and for
children forcibly recruited into carrying bombs on them to detonate among
crowds of people to cause maximum destructions and damage. And Boko Haram will
not go away on the basis of sticks alone, carrots must overweigh sticks. How else do you deal with issues such as only
about 50% literacy in North-East with over 70% unemployment?
Herdsmen/farmers crises and menace started with the
government treating the issue with cuddling glove instead of a hammer. It has festered and spread. Today, it has
developed into banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and killings all over the
country. The unfortunate situation is
that the criminality is being perceived as a ‘Fulani’ menace unleashed
by Fulani elite in the different
parts of the country for a number of reasons
but even more, unfortunately, many Nigerians and non-Nigerians who are friends of Nigeria
attach vicarious responsibility to you as a
Fulani elite and the current captain of the Nigeria ship. Perception may
be as potent as reality at times.
Whatever may be the grievances of Fulanis, if any, they need to be put
out in the open and their grievances, if legitimate, be addressed; and if other
ethnic groups have grievances, let them also be brought out in the open and
addressed through debate and dialogue.
The main issue, if I may dare say, is poor management or
mismanagement of diversity which, on the other hand, is one of our greatest and
most important assets. As a result, the
very onerous cloud is gathering. And the
rain of destruction, violence, disaster and disunity can only be the
outcome. Nothing should be taken for
granted, the clock is ticking with the cacophony of dissatisfaction and
disaffection everywhere in and outside the country. The Presidency and the
Congress in the US have signalled to us to put our house in order. The House of
Lords in the UK had debated the Nigerian security situation. We must understand
and appreciate the significance, implication and likely consequences of such
concerns and deliberations.
No one can stop hate speech, violent agitation and
smouldering violent agitation if he fans the embers of hatred, disaffection and
violence. It will continue to snowball
until it is out of control. A stitch in
time saves nine, goes the old wise saying.
With the death of Funke, Chief Fasoranti’s daughter, some
sympathetic Nigerian groups are saying “enough is enough”. Prof. Anya, a
distinguished Nigerian merit
Laureate, has this to say “We can no
longer say with certainty that we have a nation”. Niger-Delta leaders, South-Eastern leaders,
Middle-Belt leaders and Northern Elders Forum have not remained quiet. Different ordinary Nigerians at home and
abroad are calling for different measures to address or ameliorate the
situation. All the calls and cries can only continue to be ignored at the
expense of Nigerian unity, if not its continued existence.
To be explicit and without equivocation, Mr President and
General, I am deeply worried about four avoidable calamities:
abandoning Nigeria
into the hands of criminals who are all being suspected, rightly or wrongly, as
Fulanis and terrorists of Boko Haram
type;
Spontaneous or planned
reprisal attacks against Fulanis which may inadvertently or advertently
mushroom into pogrom or Rwanda-type genocide that we did not believe could
happen and yet it happened.
similar attacks
against any other tribe or ethnic group anywhere in the country initiated by
rumours, fears, intimidation and revenge capable of leading to pogrom; violent
uprising beginning from one section of the country and spreading quickly to
other areas and leading to the dismemberment
of the country.
It happened to
Yugoslavia not too long ago. If we do not act now, one or all of these
scenarios may happen. We must pray and take effective actions at the same time.
The initiative is in the hands of the President of the nation, but he cannot do
it alone. In my part of the world, if
you are sharpening your cutlass and a mad man comes from behind to take the
cutlass from you, you need other people’s assistance to have your cutlass back
without being harmed. The madmen with serious criminal intent and terrorism as
core value have taken cutlass of security.
The need for assistance to regain control is obviously compelling and
must be embraced now.
A couple of weeks ago at a public lecture, I had said, among
other things, that:
“In all these issues
of mobilisation for national unity, stability, security, cooperation,
development, growth and progress, there is no consensus. Like in the issue of security, government
should open up discussion, debate and dialogue as part of consultation at
different levels and the outcome of such deliberations should be collated to
form inputs into a national conference to come up with the solution that will
effectively deal with the issues and lead to rapid development, growth and
progress which will give us a wholesome society and enhanced living standard
and livelihood in an inclusive and shared society. It will be a national programme. We need unity of purpose and nationally
accepted strategic roadmap that will not change with whims and caprices of any
government. It must be owned by the
citizens, people’s policy and strategy implemented by the government no matter
it’s colour and leaning.
Some of the groups
that I will suggest to be contacted are: traditional rulers, past heads of
service (no matter how competent or incompetent they have been and how much
they have contributed to the mess we are in), past heads of para-military
organisations, private sector, civil society, community leaders particularly in
the most affected areas, present and past governors, present and past local
government leaders, religious leaders, past Heads of State, past intelligence
chiefs, past Heads of Civil Service and relevant current and retired diplomats,
members of opposition and any groups that may be deemed relevant.”
The President must be seen to be addressing this issue with
utmost seriousness and with maximum dispatch and getting all hands on deck to
help. If there is a failure, the
principal responsibility will be that of the President and no one else. We need cohesion and concentration of effort
and maximum force – political, economic, social, psychological and military –
to deal successfully with the menace of criminality and terrorism separately
and together. Blame game among own
forces must be avoided. It is
debilitating and only helpful to our adversary. We cannot dither anymore. It is
time to confront this threat headlong and in a manner that is holistic,
inclusive and purposeful.
For the sake of Nigeria and Nigerians, I pray that God may
grant you, as our President, the wisdom, the understanding, the political will
and the courage to do what is right when it is right and without fear or
favour. May God save, secure, protect
and bless Nigeria. May He open to us a window of opportunity that we can still
use to prevent the worst happening. As
we say in my village, “May God forbid bad thing”.
OLUSEGUN OBASANJO
July 15, 2019
Released by
Kehinde Akinyemi
Special Assistant Media.
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