If criticism is a profession in Nigeria, it will probably be the most lucrative. This is because the government never gets tired of the barrage of attacks directed at it, it keeps on creating an atmosphere for even the smallest of critics to strive.
There was a mutiny yesterday. Soldiers at the Maimalari barracks opened fire on the convoy of their commanding officer to protest the daily killings of their colleagues in the battle ground and incessant delay in payment of allowances.
“We the soldiers don’t have the kind of arms and ammunition that [Boko Haram] fighters have. So everyday, they kill our men anyhow, but it is never published in the media,” said one soldier.
Another soldier complained of delay in payment of allowances;
“Our ogas are too busy ‘eating’ money. And they do not pay our allowances on time. And once [a soldier dies], nobody knows what happens to his allowances again.”
The cause of the mutiny has confirmed our fears and vindicated governor Kashim of Borno state; our soldiers are poorly armed and poorly motivated too.
In 2013 alone, the government spent an average of 3bn per day on national security. One would expect that this huge sum of money would translate into better equipment, better training, better intelligence gathering and improve the capability of our armed forces. But, I'm afraid, It's not.
And this is why I strongly believe some people in government are profiting from this war. A larger chunk of the money goes into private pockets, the rest are used in buying bullet proof vests and vans. You see our soldiers with the same old Ak 47 riffles, the wooden base almost detached.
Now, why would a governor publicly criticise the military? Why would a group of soldiers mutiny against their superiors? The answers are the same; frustration.
By confronting an insurgency with sticks and stones, we continue to put the lives of our gallant soldiers in the hands of rampaging terrorists. Yesterday's was a mutiny, tomorrow's may be a coup.
-Mark Ademola Israel
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