Nigeria’s ill timed military foray in West Africa

Nigerian soldiers

By Paul Arhewe

It is rather perplexing that it is when there are knots to untie in the continent that the magnificence and might of Nigeria is overtly and absolutely embraced. Juxtaposing the gains the country has received from her big brother sacrificial roles in Africa with the accruable benefits, what one sees is a non-commensurate reward. Why this assessment one may ask? Nigeria’s past Afrocentric engagements, whether solidarity supports or foreign military pacification operations, are known to attract momentary applause, but quickly forgotten as soon as the problems are fixed. The problems associated with military usurpation of power the West African states of Mali and Guinea Bissau, are engaging the attention of the leaders of the sub region in particular and both the Africa Union and the UN in general.

 Expectedly, Nigeria is being wooed to spearhead West African security force to trouble shoot in these two hot spots.It is an incontestable fact that Nigeria has always played the big brother role in the African continent, and contributed in no small measure in restoring stability in countries in the sub Sahara region.

But when the backings of these countries are strategically germane in Nigeria’s quest for global or continental reckonings, what one sees is a painful rebuff. Nigeria’s intervention in some African countries spans from sending troops, financial aids and copious support to see the black race live in harmony.
This is the philosophical underpinning of her foreign policy focus with Africa as centre piece.Since 1964 till date, Nigeria has deployed troops in numerous African and global theatres of peace-keeping opera-tions, bilateral security and observer missions, including Congo Kinshasa (1960-64); Tanzania (1964); Indo-Pakistan (1965-66); Chad (1979); New Guinea (1962-63); Lebanon (1978-82); Angola(1991-95), among several others.
It is a fact that prior the Gulf War (1989-90), Nigeria was the only country in West and Central of Africa that has participated and sustained in military operations abroad.
In the 1990s Nigeria played a major role, via the ECOMOG Mission, in counter insurgency operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone. She was also in Somalia.While such interventions and foreign missions may have increased the country’s profile as a promoter of global peace and safeguarding the continent from the precinct of self annihilation and help in forging a convivial world, I do not think Nigeria has really gotten a commensurate compensation from these laudable actions when the need for regional supports arises. I do not want to be misconstrued as mixing sacrificial missions for a gain recouping venture.
But little appreciation when and where required, would not hurt. I dare say it would be the required push for Nigeria to participate in future missions.Last week, Nigeria joined other Africa countries in volunteering troops to Guinea Bissau and Mali.
I don’t think this lofty role is astute at the present moment, where the country is inundated with frights of insecurity from terrorists, kidnappers and men of the underworld.

It is no small problem that insecurity in the country is developing a firm root by the day. The litotes in the aforementioned underscores factors that would undermine the giant of Africa’s effort in contributing effectively in pushing for peace in current hot spots in the West African region.

Securing and maintaining a peaceful Nigeria is one of the litmus tests President Goodluck Jonathan needs to assure Nigerians and the entire world that he is indeed the leader the nation wants at these trying times.
As the country is fast slipping into another Somalia and Afghanistan, it is not an auspicious time to have a military whose focus is divided between internal security and foreign military operations.

As the most populous black nation on earth, God forbid that there is a catastrophic disorder in the country; our neighbouring countries would be hobbled by massive humanitarian problems, such as mass exodus out of the country that might destabilise them.

This is the more reason our government should be focused and utilised all available resources in plugging loopholes in the country’s security equation.Years of gap in crucial trainings arising from paucity of funds has hampered the development of our military into a fighting machine needed to contain the raging insecurity challenges in the country.

President Jonathan may have weighed the current might and fitness of the military in a frank statement abroad recently, when he said “Nigerian Army was below international standards.”

However, this self-indictment from the commander-in-chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has attracted criticisms, even from the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Professor Tam David-West. Nevertheless, the country at the moment is in dire need of a military that is focused and well equipped, this is paramount and should take prime precedence over any foreign military missions, at least for now.