By DANJUMA MUSA

First a disclaimer. I know Dauda Lawal, the Governor of Zamfara State, though I have not spoken to him since he assumed office. This clarification is important because in Nigeria we have perfected the art of diverting attention from the message and unleashing attack on the messenger. This has become the unfortunate norm. It’s also important to stress that Governor Lawal has not asked nor paid me to write this rejoinder. This rejoinder is simply the reaction of a concerned Nigerian resident in the North, whose friends have been kidnapped and who is deeply incensed by the tragic reality that our dear country never solves any problem major or minor. The other reason is the painful truth that no one, not even those who today move around with heavy security, is truly immune from the consequences of the failure of tackling a problem that has made us a laughing stock. If no one is safe, then adding my voice to those calling for the defeat and not “technical degradation” of these terrorists is not just a duty, but an enlightened self-interest.

It Is noteworthy that the article published by Saturday Independent newspaper has no byline, which confirms the write-up as a hatchet job, with the obvious intention of lying the foundation for the so called declaration of a state of emergency. This no doubt is the motive of those behind the jaundiced article. In a matter as critical as call for the resignation of a governor there is no room for anonymity and responsible journalism demands attribution and verifiable sources and not shadowy insinuations cloaked in unnamed “top government officials.”

For those who do not know Governor Dauda Lawal, it is important to stress that Governor Dauda Lawal is not a frivolous person. So he didn’t make his statement lightly.

Governor Lawal deserves our commendation for speaking up and, in doing so, forcing Nigerians to confront the uncomfortable truths about our broken security architecture that is not working and the plight of the people of Zamfara,Benue,Plateau,Sokoto,Niger, Katsina states who continue to bear the brunt of the inexplicable security challenges.

Governor Lawal has committed no crime for admitting to the limits of his powers in tackling the security challenges in the face of the unrelenting terrorists attacks. Despite his political opponents weaponizing his factual statement President Bola Tinubu certainly agrees with the governor that there is the need for change. While receiving a delegation from Katsina State which like Zamfara State has a serious security challenges, the president admitted that there is an urgent need for the National Assembly to amend the constitution to allow for the establishment of state police. Those calling for Governor Lawal’s head must stop deflecting attention from the real issue and focus on addressing Nigeria’s broken federal security architecture.

Has Governor Dauda Lawal given the war against terror his all? Clearly, despite inheriting a state already overrun by banditry since assuming office, he has taken bold steps to fundamentally address the problem within the limits of his office. His frustration is that he can’t do more. So it goes to say that he cannot be held wholly responsible for a war he does not command.

For the benefit of the opposition and the media houses that are obviously ignorant of the Constitutional provisions as regards the powers of the Federal and State governments in the control of the armed forces and police; it’s important to remind them that the Nigerian Constitution vests the total control of the military, police, and other security agencies exclusively in the Federal Government. And that the governors of the 36 states have no legal authority to deploy the security forces or procure arms. They are so powerless that they cannot even direct a Commissioner of Police, let alone a military officer of any of the services. Yet, they are often held responsible whenever there are attacks.

Like Governor Lawal plainly said, why must the security agencies wait forever for Abuja to give orders before the military can go after the terrorists that often never come? Is this not a confirmation that governors are glorified Chief Security Officers?

If Governor Lawal is being asked to resign for stating this fact, then what about those who actually control the guns and have woefully failed to protect Nigerians? Why are Nigerians not holding the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu accountable, especially because the president campaigned on a promise to recruit more personnel to enable the military decisively wage the war against terrorism? What has happened to those campaign pledges? Where are the new recruits, the expanded firepower, and the political will to act? We can’t afford to continue playing the ostrich because the terrorists are becoming more emboldened.

Though there is no evidence whatsoever that the Minister of State for Defence ,who happens to be a former governor of the state and who has had a running battle with Governor Lawal is sabotaging the efforts of the military in Zamfara State, but we must not naively dismiss that possibility. It’s in the interest of the minister to join forces with the governor in spite of their political differences to ensure that the terrorists are defeated in the interest of the long suffering people of the state. The minister must not allow the good people of Zamfara State to reach the conclusion that Governor Lawal is being “punished” for the bold steps he has taken to address the rot he inherited, especially the recovery of over 40 vehicles that he took away after his defeat in the 2023 elections and which the courts backed the government to recover.

Nigerians should be worried about the failure of the military to defeat the terrorists. They must ask the question, why a country that fought a civil war against a well-organised secessionist army now appears incapable or is it unwilling to defeat the terrorists? Could it be that some people are profiting from the prolongation of the conflict while the people suffer untold hardship? It’s a known fact that wars create their own economies - intelligence contracts, inflated procurements, and other shadowy benefits. And that even in the IDP camps that people displaced from their homes are, that women are known to be taken advantage of before they can get ration for their families.

It’s a fact that there will always be vested interests that benefit politically or financially from the ugly situation. But they can “make” their money in other ways and not from the misery of the people.

It’s a shame that governors like Lawal and Radda of Katsina State are often left to plead with Abuja for deployment of military support, which never happens because the military doesn’t have the numbers. It’s important that Nigeria recruits more men and women into the security services.

Those pointing to security votes as evidence of negligence by the states miss the point entirely, because the Federal Government receives far more money than the states for national security and has not been able to defeat the terrorists.

It must be stressed that security votes are not magical wands. They are for coordination and support, which most governors provide. It has become routine for state governments to buy patrol vehicles, motorcycles, fuel, pay allowances for the personnel and communication gadgets for the federal security agencies operating within their states, despite having no constitutional obligation to do so. It’s a fact that this ad-hoc support has indeed become a lifeline for the underfunded commands of the various services.Yet, the governors are blamed when the terrorists strike.

When last did the Inspector-General of Police directly procure and distribute operational vehicles to state commands nationwide? The burden In funding the war against the terrorists has shifted quietly and unfairly to the state governors, same with the responsibility for failure when they are not in charge. This is utterly unfair.

Governor Lawal’s outcry is not an admission of failure. It is a call for urgent reform. He never said he won’t act, he only said he cannot decisively act like he would want to because the law doesn’t permit him to do so. For how long will Nigeria continue to live with the tragedy of unitary federalism?

To date, the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not officially at war, yet it has over 340 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, according to the 2023 National Bureau of Statistics. Borno State alone has 221 camps sheltering over 877,299 individuals, while the FCT has five camps with over 150,000 people. These are not just statistics they are evidence of state failure.

Those calling for Governor Lawal’s resignation should be bold to tell Nigerians exactly what crime he committed. Is Governor Lawal being asked to resign for telling the truth and nothing but the truth? For demanding long-overdue constitutional reform? Or for refusing to remain silent while his people are being kidnapped and killed? For daring to speak out? And why haven’t those calling for the resignation of Governor Lawal called on Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State to resign? It’s a fact that Governor Zulum has been far more outspoken about the worsening security situation, than Governor Lawal, yet there has been no call for his resignation.

Nigerians should resist the distraction. Nigerians must hold those with actual responsibility for the defeat of the terrorists accountable, blaming governors who speak out is not just unjust but a dangerous distraction.

We must insist that the real issue is not the resignation of Governor Dauda Lawal, but whether those who have the constitutional power to stop this bloodshed are willing to act to end this crisis. Until we hold the military which is more interested in building housing estates accountable, blaming the helpless governors is not only wicked but wicked. The real problem is the centralised security system that has clearly failed the people.

In Nigeria, we complicate simple issues and that’s why we have failed to solve any problem in the past 65 years. The prolonged insurgency is certainly worrisome and must be defeated and urgently.

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