Sheath your swords; let’s move forward

The current electioneering campaign does not fit in the equation of our nation. We are all aware that decades of military regimes produced the various states instead of the former regions which finally transformed into the concoction of the Presidential system instead of the Westminster system.  After the return to the democratic system, we held […]

The current electioneering campaign does not fit in the equation of our nation. We are all aware that decades of military regimes produced the various states instead of the former regions which finally transformed into the concoction of the Presidential system instead of the Westminster system.  After the return to the democratic system, we held elections with few mistakes which should have taught us some lessons, rather, we resorted to hate speeches instead of tolerance. It shows that we have not learnt anything from the past. It is unfortunate that such attitudes tend to heat up the polity and in some cases nearing violation of the country’s laws.
Politicians should ensure that their utterances are not provocative.  All criticisms should be constructive instead of the current negative and destructive campaigns in the media. Nigerians are enlightened enough to understand national productive issues instead of the current parochial slogans being pushed through the throats of the public. Political parties should campaign based on their manifestos and not on personalities. One tree does not make a forest. We should be told what a party wants to do to move the nation forward instead of digging old negative records from some archives with some inconclusive reasons for such happenings. It is absolutely unheard of to ask for the basic educational certificates from a person of a General’s rank. It is also wrong for an uneducated but literate professor to utter comments regarding subjects taken in an examination which I believe he probably was not even born at that time. The questioning of General Buhari’s certificate was an insult to the military institution. I sat for the examination at the same time with General Buhari in 1961 and joined the Navy while he went to the Army. It is also on record that the first establishment of Christian pilgrimage was in 1984 during Buhari’s regime when the present Alake of Egbaland, then Lt Colonel Adedotun Gbadebo, was assigned to handle. So the talk of Buhari Islamising the nation is totally false. Before then, such an organisation did not exist.
It is also disturbing to hear some individuals threatening to go to war if one party or the other does not win the coming election. Those of us who fought the unfortunate civil war, when those now who are making senseless statements were either not born or in kindergarten should go and ask what happened before their areas were liberated by us. I am sure I speak for the majority of us that “cowards we are not, but none of us pray for a repeat action“. However I am also sure that most of us can still fit into our uniforms if the need arises. The military needs to totally detach itself from politics. It had been the people’s saviour and must maintain the status quo. Our forces had good peacekeeping records internationally; a status that must be maintained at all costs. We had in the past a Lt Colonel who commanded a Division in action very successfully, now with the generals in formations one expects the usual fast action we were known for and less press appearances. Let our forces move fast to win not only the battle but the war as well. We do not need help from other places. Give them the tools and they will deliver. Also in order to win the war we need to add dialogue at the same time unless we want to repeat what one country has been doing by winning battles but losing the wars in Asia and Middle East, which is counterproductive.
It is hoped with the remaining few weeks before the current elections we can make headway by eliminating those negative campaigns and instead face national issues and matured peaceful campaigns devoid of thuggery and violence. No country progresses without internal peace as no country survives two civil wars. So let us sheath our swords and be progressive Nigerians. Although being religious is inbuilt in us, yet prayers alone cannot save us. We need to help each other in order to achieve the desired goal of a united and peaceful nation. After passing the proverbial three scores and ten, and having been involved in the administration of this country, one way or the other, I felt it is time I contributed the above non-partisan points.
Rear Admiral Saidu (rtd) is a former Chief of the Naval Staff