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Friday, March 29, 2024

2019 Nobel Peace Prize: Why Abiy, Not Buhari? – By Sanusi Muhammad

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It was announced that the 2019 most prestigious Nobel Peace Prize was won by Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali which should offer some insights to President Muhammad Buhari and those on the corridors of power that fire the shots.

Nigeria, as one of the most buffeted and ethno-religious crises-ridden countries in the world, should not always hesitate to follow the footsteps of the African legend, Nelson Mandela of South Africa to achieving piece no matter the consequences involved.

Mandela was the arrow head for a peaceful transfer of power from white minorities to the black majority in South Africa and the total collapse of the obnoxious apartheid system of government imposed on South Africa for decades. Despite his long incarceration of 27 years in Roben Island maximum security prison, his inhuman treatment etc, loss of some of his comrades in the struggle, Mandela walked out of prison displaying a rare characteristic of an average and courageous man. No exhibited no animosity or bitterness against his oppressors. Instead, he chose to work with his oppressors led by former Prime Minister P. W. Botha so as to effect peaceful changes within the apartheid system, enthrone democracy and chart a new course for South Africa.

As history has already shown over and over again, dialogue rather than violence and engagement in wars is better and most acceptable way to solve conflicts and misunderstandings without injury to any party.

In 2012, Nigeria declared war against Boko Haram insurgents from ignorance of the preparedness of the Sect for any sort of offensive against their ideology. Nigerian military under the former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Iherijika  Azubuike and with the hurried approval of the then Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, former President Goodluck Jonathan, took an offensive to the door step of already prepared enclaves of Boko Haram scattered within the North-east sub-region, Kogi and few other states.

It is seven years today, Nigerian soldiers and other security agencies directly involved in the war have succeeded to degrade Boko Haram but not defeated. From what oozes out from the battle field since the start of the war, a rough estimate of over 2000 Nigerian soldiers were posted to their ancestors by the insurgents.  That figure was probably before Boko Haram became an affiliate of Islamis State of West Africa, ISWA.

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If sincerity of purpose has any standing in government, why is the war with Boko Haram necessary? What was the remote cause of the violence to have metamorphosed to a full scale war? Who were the brains behind the war? If the captured founder of Boko Haram, Muhammed Yusuf had been alive, could there have been any war with his Sect? Then who murdered him to hide exposure from complicity? When the DSS raised an alarm in 2009 on the suspicious activities of the Sect, what happened? Was there any positive action from those in power?

The first and second world wars were resolved on the dialogue table. It is important to remind Nigerians of the fact that the ‘man of muscle’ is not really the strongest but can be strong physically, and may have no inner strength to derive real power that originates from the Omnipotent.

Government has the resources and all it takes to fight a war but does government have those with the required courage, determination and passion to defeat opponents?

Peace secured through violence or war has never been enduring and is always liable to collapse sooner than later, as is equivalent to peace of the graveyard and indeed, it brings in its wake other evils such as double hatred, distrust and loss of confidence because it did not arise from mutual respect. The concept of master/servant among human beings is anathema to the human spirit even though the conflict germinating there from is often suppressed in subtle ways. The man who relies on violence and wars to get on is always tagged as the last born of Satan, fearful and always afraid of his shadows and never at peace with himself.

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From what I read of the citation on Prime Minister Abiy, he had embarked on peace initiatives right from the time he assumed office. He sought to engender peace not only in Ethiopia but also in surrounding countries of Eriteria, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia and Sudan.

As can be seen from the new Nobel Laureate, the quest for peace should be followed with upholding of fundamental human rights, enthronement of democratic rights and governance, including recognizing the role of all without strings in the development process as well as tackling corruption; not forgetting reconciliation with Boko Haram and other ethno-tribal jingoists that are silently sowing seeds of disunity.

It is noteworthy that some states battling insurgency and banditry are exploring the option of dialogue and sincere negotiation with the bandits. However, this seemingly new approach should be anchored on genuine mutual desire for peace, love and justice.

If former President Jonathan and his security goons under the late Gen. Andrew Azazi had continued with the efforts of dialogue that started to yield fruits and President Buhari had subscribed to the idea of dialogue with Boko Haram not minding that he was a military general, the issue of Boko Haram could have been history by now.

Nigeria has ‘wasted’ a fortune fighting a baseless war that is yet to be over. Why the war? Why not dialogue? Who benefits from the baseless war? Who is losing and who is gaining? Boko Haram, or Nigeria? Boko Haram as rightly captured by Desert Herald Newspaper has nothing to lose in the war because it has nothing. Desert Herald captured the exact situation of things in its latest online editorial comment that was spiced with videos.

If President Buhari had dialogued with Boko Haram, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) etc,  and brought peace to Nigeria and the West African sub-region, he could have shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali of Ethiopia.

 Muhammad is a commentator of National Issues

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