Badaru vs. Antics of polemical opponents

By Adamu Matazu

It is expected that tongues will wag as Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubabakar joined a long list of Nigerian politicians appointed to head the Ministry of Defence without having a background in the security sector. However, as a concerned citizen it baffles me when some persons raised questions about his capability to deliver on the job at a time Nigeria is facing diverse security challenges.

Let me state here that, before his appointment as the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Badaru Abubakar was Jigawa State Governor for eight good years. This is to say, for those agitating that he has no security experience, that they should look further because being a Governor in a State means being the Chief Security Officer of that State. In a nutshell, Badaru has eight years experience working in the corridor of security management and he left office without blemish.

As the 21st Minister of Defence in the history of Nigeria, Badaru had proven to be a force to reckon with in terms of security administration. He was a Governor at a time when the whole Northwest Geopolitical Zone was under the siege of banditry, mass abduction and kidnapping for ransom. He was able to put Jigawa State on the safe spot on the Northwest map for eight years.

If sentiment should be put aside, it is obvious that Governor Badaru’s appointment as Minister of Defence should not be a move to contest on. Let us go back to memory lane a bit, Nigerian history has proven that various personalities have held similar position and they have acquired positive records on their performance level worth emulating by the so called security experienced individuals.

Let us also not forget that the position of Defence Minister does not mean the holder would lead Nigeria to the war front or physically take weapons against actors responsible for our security challenges. Rather he is expected to manage Human Resources and assets across the armed forces to address national security threats. History has shown that the best conflict resolution mechanisms are diplomacy and dialogue. These mechanisms are what Governor Badaru applied to liberate Jigawa State from the shackles of insecurity in the time past. He is therefore equal to the task of leading the country’s defense sector to the promised land.

It is important for those against his appointment to understand that the President of Nigeria as a soveriegn nation is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Yet, he is neither a military personnel nor was he from the paramilitary background. This clearly indicates that polemic opponents have no room to kick against the appointment of Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar.

For the newly appointed Minister of Defence, I admonish him to understand that many people who are enemies of Nigeria would not want him to succeed. Therefore, he has to be up and doing to prove them wrong by clearly delivering on his mandate beyond expectations. No doubt, the road to success would not be as smooth as expected, but dedication and diligence should be his watchwords.

In my final submission, the appointment of the former chief security officer of Jigawa state will certainly reinforce the doctrine of civil control over the armed forces, a move critical to safeguarding our democratization process since the return to constitutional rule in 1999.

We pray for a better Nigeria built on equity, justice and fairness. We pray for a nation that will thrive at all times to cater for the yearnings and aspirations of its citizens.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Matazu, a Public Affairs Analyst, writes from Abuja.