#NeverAgain : The Slogan of Nigerian Troops on their Offensive. And 5 Behind-The-Scene Moves That Helped Nigeria Turn The Tide Against Boko Haram
The victories recorded by the military
in recent weeks over the dreaded militant sect, Boko Haram, has seen
several towns and villages reclaimed in the North East region.
Great news indeed!
But
something that a lot of people have not been talking about are the
crucial steps that were taken by President Goodluck Jonathan in the
buildup to the latest military offensive.
It seems that
President Goodluck Jonathan’s characteristically quiet nature is a
perfect foil for his smooth strategies and having the psychological
upper hand in protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
Below are five crucial moves that have helped turn the tide:
1. Improved welfare and morale-boosting visit: There has
been an improvement in welfare for the gallant and brave Nigerian
soldiers waging the war. And recently did you see how their spirits
received a further boost as the President and Commander-in-Chief visited
military formations in Maiduguri and Baga. From the video below, this
clearly worked.
2. Foreign diplomacy moves: From the later part of 2014, Jonathan
embarked on crucial visits, prominent among which was the visit to some
of the presidents of our neighbouring countries like Chad. These
meetings were instrumental to the establishment of a multinational West
African offensive. Mr. Adefuye, the Foreign Affairs minister also
addressed the US parliament, slamming Washington for refusing to supply
weapons and ammunition.
3. Consultations within the country – Jonathan has visited a
number of stakeholders in the security sub-sector as well as thought
leaders and traditional rulers from the North. Those visits smoothened
the way for the current operations.
4. Reinforcing the military with equipment: Military equipment was procured by pivoting away from break in relations with traditional partners like the United States to China, Russia and Belarus
5. Timing is everything: The military had said since December 2014 that it would begin a big offensive against the terrorists in February. It has stuck to that schedule and now producing results.
by Deji Abiodun
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