If you scrutinize the curriculum vitae (CV) of Muhammadu Buhari, and the Sultan of Sokoto – Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, you will feel increasingly scandalized by the state of insecurity in Nigeria. You would marvel that the President and the Commander-in-Chief of Nigeria is a retired Army general yet, Boko Haram, Bandits, Fulani Herdsmen, and Unknown gunmen have taken over many parts of Nigeria. They operate with impunity to the point of collecting taxes in some communities. If you decide to take a closer look at the Sultan, you will realize that He is not only the most powerful and respected traditional ruler in northern Nigeria but also the number one Islamic leader in Nigeria. Among other things, he is the one that declares the start and end of the Ramadan fast. The Sultan is also supposedly a security and military expert because he is a retired Brigadier-General in the Nigerian military with many years of security experience.

A look at his records will show that he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 1977 and served in the elite Armoured Corps. He headed a presidential security unit of the Armoured Corps that guarded General Ibrahim Babangida when he was Head of State. The Sultan as a military officer also commanded a battalion of African peacekeepers in Chad during the early 1980s as part of the Organisation of African Unity’s force and was a military liaison officer for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the mid-1990s. He was appointed Commanding Officer 241 Recce Battalion, Kaduna in 1993. From 1995 to 1999, he was ECOWAS military liaison officer and commanding officer, 231 Tank Battalion (ECOMOG Operations) in Sierra Leone from 1999 to 2000. From 2003 to 2006, he served as Defence Attaché to Pakistan.

It is general knowledge now that Muhammadu Buhari is not a very knowledgeable man even though he rose to the rank of a general in the Nigerian Army. Nevertheless, a combination of the two most powerful men in Nigeria presently, including the huge and disproportionate number of northern Muslim generals, is more than enough to tackle any security challenges that can befall us. Yet, Nigeria, especially northern Nigeria is in a big mess security-wise. The reason why these two and the others could not find a solution to Nigeria’s security challenges can be credited to tribalism and religious fanatism. The sacked Chief Imam of Apo Legislative Quarters Central Mosque – Sheikh Nuhu Khalid’s criticism of the present government is something alien to most Islamic governments and communities. Islamic leaders like the Sultan often wait until it is too late before having the courage to speak. They see a Muslim leader as one they must support no matter what. And a Christian leader like Goodluck Jonathan as someone they must criticize and pull down no matter the progress or headway they are making. Buhari and the Sultan are also patrons of Meyitti Allah whose powers and utterances contributed to the present insecurity in the north. Today, the Sultan is not in charge of many communities in his domain, just as Buhari is not in charge even as the Commander-in-Chief. Nigeria will continue to suffer from these unfortunate, retrogressive, and deadly situations until we stop allowing ethnicity and religion to relegate our reasoning, actions, and inaction.

Ata Ukuta, Editor – Towncryyers