All patriotic Nigerians, especially those devastated by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, once more commend President Muhammadu Buhari for inaugurating the Board of the North East Development Commission and for appointing two illustrious sons of the region, Maj. Gen Paul C. Tarfa (Rtd) and Mohammed Goni Alkali, as chairman and the managing director, respectively. The two, if given the chance, would actualise the expectations of Mr President.
As I pointed out previously, the inauguration of the board is additional testimony of the president’s concern for the North East and determination to put behind us the misfortune that befell the region. I dare say that nobody or government has shown more concern for the North East than President Buhari in the aftermath of the Boko Haram insurgency. The accolade for Mr. President is for arresting the rampage and wanton killings by the Boko Haram insurgents and initiating humanitarian measures to mitigate the effects of the disaster. This piece is, therefore, to express the gratitude of millions of the insurgency-impacted people of the North East and to humbly counsel those charged with the responsibility of translating the government’s intentions into reality.
The ball is now in the court of the North East people, especially those appointed to head the commission. While inaugurating the board, the president outlined a well articulated framework and programme direction for achieving the commission’s mandate. The commission should be guided by the president’s demands for transparency and resolve that is anchored on the imperatives of ameliorating the plight of the region. Mr. President’s charge to the board is that the commission should be insulated from the divisive, retrogressive and anti-development tendencies that have in the past sabotaged the good intentions of the government. The commission is expected to be fair to all people and areas impacted. This concern is well founded because previous commissions have been marred by corruption, sectionalism and parochial preoccupations. Particularly worrisome is how similar initiatives in the past have been transformed into cesspool of corruption that defeated the very essence of setting up the commissions.
The commission should, similarly, draw a lesson from the public assurances by the president of all inclusive approach to governance. It should be a time to break away from retrogressive practices of the past. This should be a guiding principle in the distribution of projects, appointments and the welfare of all by the commission. None of the affected communities should be neglected or marginalised.
The president’s other concerns are transparency and honesty to drive the process. Everything must be done to resist the pressure of those who see the commission as an opportunity to corruptly enrich themselves and frustrate the good intentions of the government. There are, unfortunately, sad reminders of certain experiences in the counter-insurgency efforts and the handling of the humanitarian crisis in the North East. Much progress would have been made in many areas but for the activities of those who have taken advantage of the misfortune of the people. The commission should do everything possible to be above board. The findings of investigations by the EFCC, the Senate and House of Representatives committees on the handling of some projects and humanitarian interventions affecting the Internally Displaced People of the North East are quite revealing. In the light of these, works to be undertaken by the commission should be well thought out, evenly distributed and awarded only to credible contractors to avoid the syndrome of abandoned projects. Equally critical is inclusive coverage of all areas devastated by the insurgency. The major complaints against current efforts are that some areas that are epicenters of the destruction by the insurgents have not benefitted from government’s intervention. There have been reports that projects and relief materials have been hijacked by some interests whose activities are patently inimical to the president’s good intentions. Sadly, some elite and politicians have been fingered in such malpractices.
Not much can be achieved by the commission in the absence of security in the areas that have come under incessant attacks by the insurgents. High level cooperation with all the security agencies and assisting them rebuild their presence in communities is, therefore, advised. Some critical logistic requirements by the security agencies, especially, vehicles and communication gadgets should also be considered.
The other strategic approach to address the plight of the insurgency impacted people of the North East is prioritising their critical needs. This is against the backdrop of alleged misplaced priorities. Available intelligence reveals the absence of security and habitable environment as the major concerns of impacted communities. These, incidentally, are the reasons why the displaced people are still in camps all over the country and in neighbouring countries such as Cameroun, Chad and Niger. The priorities of the commission, therefore, include addressing the pressing problems of shelter and rehabilitation of infrastructure in most of the communities destroyed. It is important to note that nearly 10 years down the road, not much has been achieved in rebuilding schools, health centres and security posts destroyed in most of the communities. The absence of these basic amenities is what gives the impression of lack of will of government to address major problems of the people. Lack of funds has been given as an excuse, but what happened to allocations made in successive years and assistance from international donors?
Socio-economic predicaments of the people, especially youth unemployment and poverty, are particularly worrisome, considering the problems of susceptibility to recruitment for subversive causes. Efforts should, therefore, be made to look into all human development shortcomings. The vicious cycle might not be broken without the commission assisting in asserting security presence and introducing sustainable economic interventions.
The commission should also note that some concerned stakeholders and informed observers believe that not much can be achieved without recourse to external assistance, good governance and best practices. The truth is that the public service approach has, so far, not worked. There is need for the commission to adopt a better management approach anchored on goal achievement, best practices and minimised interference. The commission should also not be allergic to constructive criticism and contributions from all well-meaning quarters, especially from the people in affected communities, because they know where the shoe pinches.
The commission will only succeed if it shuns sycophantic advice and sentiments that will undermine the realisation of its mandate. This, in our view, is the only way those at the helm of affairs of commission can safeguard their integrity and meet the expectations of the devastated people of the North East. Some of us believe that the current challenges of the North East are surmountable, given the president’s fatherly resolve and good will.
Gadzama OFR, mni is former director general, State Security Service
Former Director General
State Security Service
