By Ikeddy ISIGUZO

NIGERIANS are hungry. Nigerians are angry, insulted daily with tales of how the country is safe while evidence points to the contrary. Nigerians are unsafe. The issue is well beyond debates.

The decline is evident. The perilous state of Nigeria is only alien to our Commander-in-Chief who carries on as if he lives in another country. He may as well do. His benign reactions as Nigerians are killed show a high disinterest in the biggest trouble Nigerians confront daily.

It no longer matters who you are. If generals die in ambushes without any anger from the Commander-in-Chief, and a retired general can be picked up and killed yet the Commander-in-Chief is content with sending trite condolence messages and hollow promises of justice being served, what is left?

A tiny hope remains that someone would be so angry about the banditry and the insistent killings that they would set on the bandits. It is a tiny hope but worth holding on to as it is better that throwing our hands up.

The Commander-in-Chief, in other words, is not planning great battles that would chase the bandits out of the forests, curb their excessive influences, and make the land safe again. Nobody is safe whether in the cities or rural areas.

Whole communities are frightened to death by letters from bandits stating one-sided conditions for “peaceful” existence. The communities either comply or their members are swept into captivity, ransomed, brutalised, and serially killed as the bandits press their importance, their authority, and the fact they can get what they want on their own terms.

The savagery that accompanies the killings is of a type that Nigerians are just seeing. People are butchered, sliced in bits, burnt, or beaten in ways that draw from the most evil minds. Children are tied up, beaten, while the savages enjoy themselves, laughing at the misfortune of minors, in some cases, whose offence could be that they were either Nigerians or that they have a Commander-in-Chief who could be thinking of everything except protecting the people.

In Abuja and other places, the President, Commander-in-Chief wears his epaulets and parades his authority as if words are what matter. Blames about insecurity are being shared with the same insincerity that attends Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

Once we blamed the President, Commander-in-Chief for insecurity in Nigeria. It was a moot point that the Commander-in-Chief was in-charge, and the President was duty-bound to protect Nigeria.

The same Tinubu that led the charge against the then President Goodluck Jonathan, blaming him for insecurity and asked him to resign in 2014, particularly as Nigerians assessed important issues leading to the 2015 elections, now is content with blame-shifting, and blame-sharing.

Governors are suddenly to be held accountable for insecurity in their States. These are the same Governors who cannot deploy policemen not to speak of the troops required to attack the bandits. The lies fly in face of realities.

When school children were abducted in Zamfara, and Niger States, were the Governors blamed for the insecurity? Did the Federal Government not rescue the pupils? What was the involvement of the state governments?

Did the Federal Government use security agencies or forest guards? In all, the Federal Government, under Tinubu is no longer ashamed to tell Nigerians it will not fight Insecurity. The Governors should take responsibility for bandits in their States.

When did the constitutional change take place that produced 37 Commanders-in-Chief instead of the only Commander-in-Chief that the Constitution prescribes? There has been no such amendment to the 1999. Tinubu continues to spew excuses.

For some, making Tinubu look good is all that matters and they can go to great lengths to achieve that. The month-old kidnap of pupils and teachers of schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State is the sort of embarrassment that should not be associated with the great strategist Tinubu.

If Seyi Makinde, Oyo State Governor, was up to his duties as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Oyo State Sector, he would have ensured the kidnaps never happened under his watch. Does this make sense? Some say it is the responsibility of the Governor not Tinubu.

There is a flawed attempt to push the narrative that Makinde and his government staged the kidnap to embarrass Tinubu who has a record of sterling performances across the country.

Rev. Fr Ejike Mbaka, the Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry, Enugu, Nigeria, AMEN, is one of those who have blamed Makinde for not freeing the kidnapped children.

“Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, should stop deceiving Nigerians by asking President Tinubu to come and find the kidnapped school children.

“The Governor should do everything within his power to ensure the release of these children. Stop deceiving Nigerians by asking the President to come and find them.”

According to Mbaka, state governments must be held accountable for citizens’ safety. He urged Governors not to evade responsibility for internal security.

Mbaka questioned how state governments use security votes, arguing that Governors receive substantial funds specifically to tackle security challenges in their States.

A recent review of Tinubu’s performance on security rates him at “65 to 70 per cent”. General Christopher Gwabin Musa, Minister of Defence, so rated the Commander-in-Chief.

Finally…

SENATOR Adams Oshiomhole may not be one of my favourite parliamentarians, but I stand with him on the missing N210 trillion from NNPCL during the tenure of Mele Kyari as the Group Managing Director. The Auditor-General for the Federation raised 19 audit red flags on discrepancy in NNPCL financial records between 2017 and 2023.

Godswill Akpabio, Senate President, over-ruled the work of a Committee’s investigation of the queries, including a warrant of arrest on Kyari who answers to these weighty issues from abroad.

Oshiomhole is upset and has alleged that Akpabio is protecting Kyari because of a high-paying job Kyari offered Akpabio’s daughter.

Can the N210 trillion probe start? I don’t believe Akpabio would choose a job for his daughter over N210 trillion that could be missing.

MINISTER of Defence General Christopher Musa has his attention on the 2027 elections not on defending Nigeria.

“As we prepare for the 2027 election, we must all work hard together,” Musa told Veterans and Comrades for PBAT2027, a group of retired officers.

“I have agreed to be your Grand Patron… Take your mobilisation to the grassroots, that is the local government and ward levels,” Musa told his guests to affirm what he personally confirms as priority.

•ISIGUZO is a major commentator on minor issues

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