Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gunpowder. The administrative failures in properly addressing tensions, bridging gaps and importantly, reigning in justice, are steering the fragile nation towards total anarchy and tearing the nation apart.
I believe in solutions. Early in the Buhari economic crisis, with the continual crash of the Naira, I proffered defined solutions, some of which were applied by Vice president Yemi Osinbajo while Buhari was away. These solutions –which included the purposeful pumping of foreign reserves to strengthen the Naira – relatively stabilized the nation’s legal tender and rescued the nation from total deadly recession.” The article was captioned, “The Truth About The Recession and 10 Steps To Fix Nigeria’s Economic Crisis– Dr. Perry Brimah.”
Again what Nigeria needs now is not a sensational and vengeful conversation but the urgent steps to restore law and order, peace and hope.
10 Steps To End the Terror Crisis
1. Immediately procure locally or by import, tonnes of fodder to be deposited at designated ranches outside Benue state. Water should also be supplied to fully feed and hydrate cattle herds. No amount of money is too small to be spent on this intervention (however not the Babachir Grasscutter way) .
2. Discharge the police to arrest and prosecute all armed terrorists and mobile Boko Haram members involved and associated with the herders, Miyetti Allah or any other groups or individuals involved in the current terror. No Nigerian or foreigner who has taken life or supported the recent massacres should be exempted. Nigeria’s anti-terror laws are clear on the punishment for terror or its support. [Ref: The Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 and Amendment Bill of 2012 with amendments to Section 17] As late elder Maitama Sule advised then president-elect Muhammadu Buhari. Unless there is justice there will never be peace. [https://youtu.be/Lvi1jQFa4cY]
It is important to mention that the military has no role in keeping peace within the state. Keep the army in the barracks.
3. Disband and proscribe Miyetti Allah for their threats to the nation and association with terror. Arrest the leaders implicated and give all patrons an ultimatum to dissociate from the terrorist organisation and denounce the terror or be arrested. Self-help via terror is not an option for recourse for any Nigerian regardless of government security and justice failures. Most Nigerians are victims of one form of oppression or terror and the rest of us do not resort to self-help despite losing all our possessions and the lives of loved ones.
4. Cattle herders of Fulani or other stock should create a new organisation that does not include and tarnish the name of God, “Allah” and that is committed to obeying the law and seeking redress only by the law. No individual or organisation should ever be allowed to operate above the law with self-help in the form of terrorism.
5. Warn the farmers. Arrest any farmer involved in violence outside his farm lands. Announce that farmers are only allowed to protect themselves and their properties in the face of active threat. Otherwise the farmers must report all violations to the authorities and never resort to self help. Ensure a capable farmers union with hotline to security and administrative offices to oversee and represent the interests and safety of the farmers.
6. Conclude negotiations with Benue and other state governors and community members on dedicated pastural ranches and the charge for rent. Probe the millions so-far given to governors for this mission. In the U.S. grazing fees are about $2.00 per Animal Unit Month, AUM, by the Bureau of Land Management under the Department of Interior. Agree on a rent rate with the governors and representatives of communities willing to sublease their lands.
7. Disarm all herders and offer paid police protection for those demanding protection.
8. Prioritize establishing fixed ranches to reduce nomadic pastoralism.
9. Proceed with restoration of regionalism.
10. Upgrade the police and recruit adequate staff while pulling away service men currently allocated to protect the cabal. Nigeria’s police force must no longer be boy scouts but must be able and capable to not only restore peace and capture perpetrators of terror, but to prevent the outbreaks of violence and injustice in the first instance.
These remedies are not costly or difficult and will provide immediate and long term solutions to the herder-farmer terrorism intractably rocking the nation.
Dr. PerryBrimah.com; Join the #CabalMustGo revolution via WhatsApp: +234-903-420-3031; +1-929-427-
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