OPINION: Zamfara’s Emotional Operation by Dr. Mika’ilu Barau

Friday, October 01, 2021 at 9:11 PM by Jerrywright Ukwu

Editor's note: A prominent All Progressives Congress chieftain and public affairs commentator, Dr Mika'ilu Barau has picked holes in the current military operation in his home state of Zamfara, arguing that the exercise has not favourable to the locals who are bearing the brunt of the initiatives made the Nigerian Armed Forces in their fight against armed bandits in the state.

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Strategic thinking requires taking into account the commitment of the federal government in deploying troops before taking the measures of locking the state up in business and communication.

It also requires engaging the neighbouring states as we are not an island state. The plan for palliatives should also not come as an afterthought -a good assumption of displacement should be made and consider providing relief services in advance.

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Zamfara governor — Governor Matawalle has not given a definite position of his government on the military operation yet. Photo credit: Zamfara state govt
Source: Facebook

For an operation like this, the Chief Executive must resist any pressure and temptation to leave the state for any reason - every minute counts in a context that requires adaptive management to save lives and livelihoods.

What we hear from people escaping out of the state to make calls and other necessities like bank transactions, checking their e-mails is that there is little to show as gains from the operation while the life of the people has been terribly pauperised.

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Reports from media sources such as the BBC and national newspapers carry propositions of a frustrating operation. My sense is that we will sadly hear more of these when the connection returns and people begin to ventilate the anger of suffering they are exposed to without good plans to realise the dividend.

So many loopholes from an engagement driven by ignorance, inexperience, insincerity, and negligence. Just by the way, when would this clueless, ill-prepared and poorly coordinated operation end!