BBOG: A different approach might be required

By Baba Grumpy

Advocacy, pressure, protest or lobbying groups will exist in one form or the other whether we live in a democracy or not. The manner in which these groups carry out their activities will depend on the type of society. Open and honest countries with freedom of speech will probably encourage these groups to undertake their activities openly while in controlled or repressed societies, advocacy groups are more likely to be discrete or rely on some violent agitation to push their objectives.

I believe it is fair to say that Nigeria is a democratic & open society despite the recent arrests of a number of bloggers and ‘Citizen I must name my dog Buhari’ and also the prosecution of many high profile personalities for corruption.

It is this same democracy & openness that Nigeria enjoys that has allowed the BBOG group exist. The system has also provided the enabling environment for BBOG to advocate for the Chibok Girls. The determination the group has displayed is commendable. In a nation with somewhat short attention span, they have ensured that the return of the Chibok girls remains in our collective consciousness many months after the kidnaping event. The group has ensured the Chibok Girls’ issue is on the constant to – do list of the President.

It is difficult to imagine any other group that has achieved more in retaining national focus for its objectives than the BBOG group. The fact that the group has someone like Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili as one of its very public face is a positive as she has something of a reputation for integrity, courage and fearlessness to speak out on issues.

However I think the group is going beyond advocacy to actually trying to dictate government policy. I believe the group is trying too hard to be confrontational and collectively believe that the way to retain spotlight on the Chibok Girls’ issue  is to embarrass the government. This is wrong.

Advocacy is not only about demonstrations or the manufacture of allegations or throwing enough mud and hoping some stick. There is a certain amount of behind the scenes work required in addition to the very visible tasks of delivering speeches, sit outs, marches, demonstrations etc.

While the visible tasks of BBOG are VERY VISIBLE. There is NO EVIDENCE that the group is doing any behind the scene work. One of the conveners of BBOG is now a prominent official of this government. The same person is also very close to a governor who is considered a member of President Buhari’s kitchen cabinet. I have noticed powerful personalities and well connected people like Mrs Aisha Oyebode & Mr Wale Edun advocating for BBOG.

In addition the Co – Convener of BBOG, Dr. Obiageli has had a distinguished public sector career in Nigeria both as an administrator / head of a big government unit but also as a two-time Federal Minister. She has also worked for a multilateral institution like the World Bank and I imagine her contact book is to die for. I am also aware that she is a prominent member of the RCCG religious organization. In my opinion and based on this pedigree, It is fair to think that she has a few officers in the armed offices and very senior government officials within her professional, social or family networks.  Why is she not working this contacts to gain reassurances regarding the governments efforts on the Chibok girls? And if she is, why is she not letting us know that these informal channels are not yielding any result?

Why does it appear as if confrontation is the only way to get the government to act? Why are prominent members of BBOG not cautioned from making provocative and insulting statements by other leaders within the group? Why can’t the group see that openly antagonizing the government risks losing them goodwill amongst some of the populace who might perceive an ulterior motive beyond the Chibok Girls’ issue? Why can’t the group leaders understand that the message they seek to convey is downplayed once the BBOG group leaders’ behavior, attitude and somewhat political comments dominate the airwaves?

I will invite the BBOG leaders to confirm to their members and other supporters how they react to antagonists in their personal & professional lives. I want to guess like all of us, they do not think working with antagonists is ideal. I appreciate the narrative that the government owes its people and citizens do not need to tread carefully or tip toe around government to demand for action on issues. I however wonder if the leaders of BBOG believe that government strategy / plans on Boko Haram in general and the Chibok Girls in particular should be conducted on the pages of newspaper or in meetings with advocacy groups who might not have the necessary security clearance to receive briefings of this nature.

I am still unsure why a march to the President’s Office is the appropriate course of action for BBOG. Your demonstration can be anywhere in the country. What is important is to ensure adequate coverage of the demonstration, a publication / ‘re – publication’ of your demands and to ensure those demands are delivered to the appropriate authorities. In fact, I think the country is due a massive peaceful demonstration in support of the Chibok Girls either at the TBS in Lagos, Eagle Square in Abuja or at the El Kanemi Stadium in Maiduguri. Let us all renew our vow as people who care and re  declare to everybody – government, international community, Boko Haram sympathisers et al that we all collectively want the Chibok Girls back and alive.

I remember a few days prior to the first request of BBOG to meet President Buhari, someone on Twitter requested of Mrs. Ezekwesili if the group had written to the Presidency requesting for a meeting and if she had used the group’s contacts within the system to ensure the letter was delivered and actioned. It appeared they had not. A day or so later, a letter was then written by BBOG and a meeting was subsequently arranged in January 2016 . Is this perhaps an indication of a deficiency in organization, administration or planning?  Difficult to tell or is it a deliberate attempt to embarrass?

The Chibok Girls issues is a challenging one for most honest thinking, ‘right – in – the – head’ individuals and I exclude the Chibok Girls ‘deniers’ from this  group of ‘right – in – the – head’ individuals. The President himself has said publicly he is distraught by the fact that the girls are still in captivity. BBOG are allowed to come out and state matter of fact if they disbelief him. It will help if they were able to say why they disbelief him.

If the opposite is the case, BBOG should please try and give the man space to do everything in his power to make good on his promise regarding the Chibok Girls. Allow him the opportunity in the knowledge that he genuinely wants to do the right thing. If you have credible information to the contrary regarding the President’s motive, be bold enough to publish it, do not hide behind not wanting to rock the boat as this is dishonest in my opinion. You cannot want to rock the boat by throwing accusations about while not wanting to rock the boat by keeping quiet on the outcome of your quiet diplomacy or the vibes you are picking up from the corridors of power.

I have seen a few comments from BBOG leadership that it is the constitutional right of the Chibok Girls to be rescued. I wonder if there is a specific section of the constitution they are referring to. If their comments refer to any of the rights in Chapter IV of  the 1999 Constitution, I hope the BBOG leadership realizes that the armed robbery situation in the country abridges a lot of these rights and the government is yet to find answers to armed robbery. According to this –  https://knoema.com/atlas/Nigeria/topics/Crime-Statistics/Homicides/Homicides unverified statistics, c17,000 homicides occurred in Nigeria in 2012. Whereas there are still c218 Chibok Girls missing out of the c276 girls originally abducted by Boko Haram terrorists.

In addition and according to this somewhat recent news report –http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN0ZC0JP  the Nigerian Army has liberated over 5,000 Boko Haram hostages. So it is clear that the Army is not sitting on its behind. If responsibility lies with the President for the non rescue of the Chibok Girls, clearly the ‘well done’ should go to him for the rescue of the 5,000, reclaiming many of the territories Boko Haram had captured, equipping the Army properly, building a sub – regional coalition, working with countries like the UK & the USA to obtain intelligence and tactical support and providing the enabling political atmosphere to ensure the Nigerian Military take the fight to Boko Haram.

I do not think that it takes too much mental processing capability to realize that due to the global attention that the Chibok Girls abduction received, they are perceived as high profile hostages by their captors and as a result, any attempt to rescue them is fraught with all sorts of delicate considerations especially as part of BBOG’s demand is to bring the girls back alive.

As an alternative line of action, BBOG has suggested that the government negotiates with Boko Haram for the release of the girls. The government to the best of my knowledge has never closed the door on negotiation but insist on negotiating with genuine & credible Boko Haram hostage takers. I do not think this is unreasonable. Just about 2 years ago, some were obtaining huge sums of money from the Nigerian commonwealth in the name of securing the release of the Chibok Girls. Surely we do not want to go back to this old, tried and failed GEJ ways do we?

Countries with more power, organizational ability and more resources than ours have dealt with hostage situations before. The Israelis & the Americans have a stellar reputation of mounting rescue operations to free their citizens held in captivity. There are several positive stories coming out of these attempt and there are also lots of sad / terrible stories (this is one example of the US trying to rescue its citizens –http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/luke-somers-death-why-did-two-missions-rescue-him-go-fatally-wrong-1478451 .

A rescue operation is not a video game and neither is it James Bond versus the Russian Baddie. People get hurt and people may die. The perception that Boko Haram have scattered the girls in small numbers across its camps also suggests that we ought to be very careful with a rescue attempt. I struggle to see why any right thinking person will not appreciate all these challenges.

On negotiated hostage swap, this is also a sensitive one. The Nigerian military might be holding a prisoner they will never let go for any reason due to operational demands or due to international anti – terrorism obligations. They might not be at liberty to disclose anything regarding this type of prisoner. Just imagine if Boko Haram demanded such a prisoner in return for a Chibok girl. I wouldn’t want to be the President who signs – off such an exchange and triggers a full-scale diplomatic feud or risks the continued cooperation of neighboring countries in the Boko Haram fight.

Ultimately for me, the imminent defeat of Boko Haram is what will see our Chibok Girls back and alive. I pray the Almighty continue to grant the Chibok Girls’ parents the willpower and good health to endure the forced absence of their daughters. May he replenish their hope and grant them the serenity while they await the return of their daughters.

Baba Grumpy works in Financial Services in the United Kingdom. He blogs mostly about football at http://babagrumpy.blogspot.co.uk. His Twitter handle is @BabaGrumpy