Re: TY Danjuma: How the mighty have fallen
These days, numerous commentators have expressed their opinions and comments on issues surrounding a clarion call on Nigerians by General TY Danjuma to stand up for self-defence on any terrorist activity against them and stop depending on the Nigerian Army/security as he accused it of aiding and abetting the mass killings of innocent people across […]
These days, numerous commentators have expressed their opinions and comments on issues surrounding a clarion call on Nigerians by General TY Danjuma to stand up for self-defence on any terrorist activity against them and stop depending on the Nigerian Army/security as he accused it of aiding and abetting the mass killings of innocent people across the country. This call he made on a convocation ceremony at Takum University in Taraba State.
Daily Trust edition of Thursday, 14th 2018, has published one of these opinions by one Mathew Gunki, titled: “TY Danjuma: How the mighty have fallen”. In it, he accused the General of being “a war mongering ethnic champion”.
Notwithstanding, who is Lieutenant General Theophilus Yakubu Danjum (rtd.)?
Danjuma, a one-time Army Chief in the Nigerian Army who joined the service since 1960, historically, he was one of the gallant military officers who made a tremendous sacrifices to keep Nigeria as one indivisible nation where through his patriotism and fearlessness participated in the counter-coup of 1966, a coup which led to the assassination of notable northern political leaders – the likes of Sirs Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Ahmadu Bello (the Sardauna of Sokoto). Through a daring effort, Danjuma and his colleques led the counter-coup same year which saw the removal of General Aguyi Ironsi’s government and replaced it with General Yakubu Gowon’s. During the Nigerian Civil War, Danjuma led a troop that captured Enugu and freed Jaja Wachukwu, a Royal Prince of Igbo Land, a Pan Africanist and elder statesman from detention by the Ojukwu government. He was the same selfless influential member of the Murtala/Obasanjo government who led to the foiling of Dimka coup and insisted that hierarchy must be respected by nominating the unwilling General Olusegun Obasanjo being the second in command to lead the government and yet nominated Lieutenant Colonel Musa Yaradua, a junior officer in rank, to be automatically promoted to the rank of Brigadier a rank above his (Danjuma) to be the second in command.
After military service in 1979, Danjuma was able to be among the successful business moguls where he brought a lot of investments into the country which earned Nigeria a lot of million dollars. Added to that, he became a generous philanthropist.
Fortunately, the writer admitted the fact that the General undoubtedly attained a position where he could be privy to some classified top security information. He do not need to be told that the General’s statement was borne out of such privileged information which he might have made some efforts through the government and probably other stake holders to address the issues but eventually got frustrated. As a concerned leader of his owned community whom they look upon and feel secure, he ought to feel duty-bound to tell his people the bitter truth.
Mr. Gunki ought to understand that, it is part of the General’s civic responsibility to go to anywhere in the world to appeal for assistance to his nation/community to remain peacefully secure. His refusal to attend any panel of enquiry could be out of his privy knowledge of the fact that the military may end up dramatizing/politicizing the whole severe matter. Therefore, the mighty is still standing firm!
Mohammed Ibn Ibrahim, Abuja