The Abuja – Kaduna Road Debacle: A Joke Too Far By; Prof. S. A. Zuru

It was Dorothy Kilgallen the Icon of the 50s and 60s TV series ” what’s my line” who investigated the assassination of JFK and allegedly assassinated herself by the indomitable Italian Mafia and became the subject of an autobiography by Mark Shaw titled; ” the reporter who knew too much ” that popularised the phrase ” where there is a will there is always a way”.

The truth of the matter is that, the mayhem, the agony and tragedies along the Abuja Kaduna road has gone beyond a national embarrassment and have now become a vantage failure of our national security architecture which has suffered a gruesome defeat of purpose and patriotism.

I still have this nagging hesitation to accept that the security of a road the distance of mere 150KM could defy the will power and the artistry of warfare of one of the finest armies in Africa, of course, where there is the will, there will always be a way.

Without prejudice to the sentiments, sensitivity and volume of conversation around the issue, I remain subdued by my view that the deficits of political will, indiscipline and operational fatigue could probably be to blame for the spectacular failure of the security agencies to defeat the banditry, armed robbery and the kidnapping industry along the Abuja Kaduna corridor.

We must as a Country have the wisdom beyond the current servitude of common sense to understand that the mayhem along this road cannot and should not be our unavoidable normal. And that, beyond the condescending mentality of the religionists who are always quick to invoke God’s divine mercy as a first line of defence, a simple integrated security arrangement with a robust proactive mandate is all that is needed to secure the corridor.

THE SOLUTION: Divide the entire length of the road into 15 outposts, within every 10KM, station a security platoon of a combine 20 security personnel drawn from the Army, Airforce and the Police under the command of an officer not less than the rank of a Major.

At core potency of this arrangement is that Government must provide each platoon within every 10KM of the corridor with superior firepower, armour vehicle and effective communication device to make it possible for regular communication among the platoons for a situation report update.

THE MANDATE OF EACH PLATOON: Secure and defend to death the 10KM stretch of your mandate under the operation: TERMS OF THE MANDATE: Any incident of kidnapping or robbery within the 10KM mandate area without evidence of a robust response from the platoon, will attract a Court martial and other disciplinary proceeding for immediate dismissal or compulsory retirement from the armed services composition of the platoon.

This is imperative for the success of the operation, it will also send an unequivocal message that any case of complacency or complicity will be treated with the proportionate appropriate culpability.

Anybody who is not ready to imbibe the three sacred components of patriotism; Honour, Duty and Country as articulated by General Eisenhower, General Douglas MacArthur and a huge legion of others does not deserve to wear our National Colours (the uniform). My last words on this issue will be the captivating titles of my recent read; ” our time is now ” by Stacey Abrams and ” the fierce urgency of now ” by Hon. Elijah Cummings. We must as a Country strive to deliver what makes a headway rather than what makes a headline. Thank you