Nigeria President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday change di kontri security leadership.
Di Nigeria leader retire di Chief of Defence, di Head of di Nigerian Army, di Air Force, Navy, Police plus di Comptroller-General of Customs and replace dem wit new officers.
Although no be strange tin for new presidents to reshuffle dia cabinet once dem enta office, but, mixed reactions don meet dis recent announcements, dis na because e don make some wonder, if President Tinubu appointment dey in di best interest of di kontri, or if e just wan set up new team e dey “comfortable to work wit.”
However, at di moment, wetin pipo dey debate di most for social media na di subject of regional representation, especially across geopolitical regions, as many pipo dey compare and contrast dis recent appointment wit dat of di last President, Muhammadu Buhari.
One analyst wey comment on di appointments on social media hail di choice of replacements, e say e reflect di kontri diversity and show adherence to di constitutional provisions for Federal character.
“I love say di new Service chiefs na a reflection of Nigeria, drawn from every geo-political zone of di kontri.”
Popular radio host, Osikhena Dirisu (@Osi_Suave) post ontop Twitter.
While anoda, say e no care wia anyone come from as far as dem go do dia work.
I don’t care who Tinubu appoints. Seeing Nigeria work by making a giant leap is what I want. The north,under Buhari,headed all security positions from Defence Minister to service chiefs, IG,DSS, NIA,Customs, Immigration, NSA, Civil Defence etc. yet bandits/BH still terrorized us.
— Mr. El-Bonga (@el_bonga) June 19, 2023
“I no care who Tinubu appoint. Seeing Nigeria work by making a giant leap na wetin I want.” E tok.
Kabir Adamu, one security expert for Nigeria wey follow BBC tok, hail President Tinubu say e ensure say “representation dey from all di geopolitical zones”.
However, e point out say although Tinubu security appointments no dey over yet, “one element wey sadly continue for both Buhari and Tinubu appointments so far na di lack of women and young pipo representation.”
According to di United Nations, Nigeria get population of over 206 million as of 2021, and women form 49.95%, while 60% of di population dey below 25.
Equal representation na one constant conversation wey run through di tenure of di Buhari led goment up until di 2023 elections, most of di debates bin dey on di subject of fair and balanced regional representation for Nigeria leadership.
Infact, di subject of equal representation bin go all di way back to Nigeria post-independence history.
Regional representation suppose mata for political appointments for Nigeria?
Nigeria na multi-ethnic society, wey dey made up of ova 500 ethnic groups, wit three major ethnicities; di Igbo for di south-east, di Yoruba for di south-west, plus di Hausa/ Fulani for di north.
Each group dey exist as separate entities before di British, during di colonial rule join dem togeda to form one kontri.
Although, Nigeria dey operate as a federal system today – wit power concentration for di centre and distributed among di 36 states plus di capital, Abuja.
Over di years, di tussle for power dey grow for di centre or concerns about unfair treatment across different regions. Dis at different times don lead to fights, killings, protests and violent conflicts, and even a civil war.
Afta di civil war, to foster inclusion, di “federal character principle” bin dey preserved for Nigeria 1979 constitution – na one arrangement wey dey aimed at ensuring say public institutions reflect di “linguistic, ethnic, religious and geographic diversity of Nigeria”.
Under Buhari rule, regions across Nigeria bin call for Nigeria to separate. Di Indigenous People of Biafra bin lead di call to break away from Nigeria for di south east and di Yoruba nation also lead di same call down di south west.
Adamu say “one of di drivers and root causes of insecurity for Nigeria na grievances; both perceived and real.”
E tok say most of dis grievances and regional agitations dey come out of “perception of marginalization and sometimes real marginalization”.
Many pipo don blame di rising calls for separation during Buhari administration on im actions (and inactions), as dem allege imbalance and nepotism for im appointments.
Under Tinubu new administration, expectations dey high as Nigerians dey demand for a change.
Wetin Nigerians dey expect from Tinubu and im newly appointed security chiefs
In recent years, di level of attacks on di lives of citizens and destruction of property across many parts of Nigeria don rise, mostly by jihadist groups plus oda criminal gangs, including bandits wey dia work mainly na to kidnap pipo for ransom.
According to di UN, by di end of 2020, conflicts wey di Islamic militant group Boko Haram dey behind bin lead to di deaths of almost 350,000 pipo and e force millions to run from dia homes for di northern part of Nigeria.
According to The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, ACLED, more dan 1,000 students dey abducted from dia schools from December 2020 to around June 2021, dem release many of dem afta dia family pay thousands of dollars as ransom.
Adamu wey be head of one security consulting outfit for Nigeria, tok say according to data from im security consulting company, “78,000 Nigerians dey die in 10 years across di kontri for security related incidents”.
E strongly believe say di expectations of di new security chiefs go be “reducing di fatality levels to di barest minimum”.
Beyond di big task wey dey di front of di new security chiefs, many Nigerians dey demand for strong show of leadership from di president in presiding ova di new security leaders.
Di Buhari led leadership bin come under heavy criticism sake of say e no change di security chiefs afta major security threats.
Lack of accountability bin dey under Buhari administration, many security incidents bin dey wey dem no hold anybody accountable for,” Adamu tok. “Anyone wey fail to meet di mandate wey dem appoint am for, allow Nigerians show am di way out”.
Some of di ugly incidents wey occur during di last three years of Buhari tenure include: Attack by bandits on di Nigerian Defense Academy (NDA) building for Kaduna State wey lead to di death of two officers and dem kidnap one pesin.
Deadly mass shooting for one Catholic Church for Owo, Ondo state.
Plenty raids for prison facilities across di kontri wey include di one for Nigeria capital, Abuja, wia ova 400 prisoners escape, many of whom reports say na Boko Haram members and suspects wey allegedly dey responsible for di attack on one passenger train wey dey travel from Abuja to Kaduna, dem kill many pipo and kidnap odas for dat incident.
During im inaugural speech, President Tinubu promise “a reform” both on di kontri “security doctrine and im architecture”.
“Security go be di top priority of our administration. We go invest more for our security personnel… We go provide beta training, equipment, pay and firepower,” e promise.
