OPERATION PYTHON DANCE: NIGERIA ARMY SHOULD CHANNEL RESOURCES TO VALUABLE RESEARCH PROGRAMS

It is height of absurdity to mention in this 21st century, that the Nigerian army since gaining political independence from Britain is yet enmeshed in a bizarre and unprofessional military expedition codenamed Operation Python Dance, each time Nigeria Army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Yusuf Buratai and the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division of the Nigerian army in Enugu make their press statements. Nigeria as a country, is just few days away from the celebration of her 58 years of pseudo-independence from her colonial master, Britain. It is shameful that the Nigeria Ministry of Defense, Nigeria Defense Council, Nigeria Defense Headquarters and the National Assembly Chambers' Committees on Defense and Strategy are yet in such a time as we presently are amongst civilised global community, the Nigerian armed forces are yet being expected to be progressively evolutionary. They ought to have commenced channeling all available resources at their disposal, into research programs on strategy and nuclear developments for optimum performance and productivity. This is all encompassing relatively anchored on defense strategies that will ensure capacity building like what obtains in other countries of the world. But unfortunately and very shamefully too, the Nigerian army is yet despicably, parading officers around the streets of Igboland (Biafra) with the principal aim of covertly killing Igbo youths and overtly disguising their murderous expedition as "Operation Python Dance" tagged, with a show of force. The Nigerian army has abysmally descended into irredeemable infamy by consistently taking pleasure in the spillage of innocent blood of Igbo Biafran youths in Igboland. Whenever a national armed force turns around and begins to have fun in intimidating and killing the civilians that are constitutionally meant to be protected, such a force looses international prestige, pride of professionalism and the required touch of excellence, regarding rules of engagement. The Nigerian army like what obtains in other countries, are bound by law to be confined to their barracks and are only seen in occasions of national threats/defense of territorial integrity.

I hereby make bold to say that the Nigerian army should at this point withdraw all officers and men from the streets and expressways within Biafraland and start building civil engineering industries that will engender military academic research, capacity building and intellectual development as it concerns infrastructural cum developmental needs of the country. It is also important for Nigerians to fully understand that the time has come for the Ministry of Defense to begin to develop world class military engineers that will venture into nuclear research/developmental programs. Most of the countries in the African continent presently like Sudan, South Africa, Egypt, Libya etcetera, are manufacturing their military hardware in their own national defense and security industries whereas the Nigerian government is yet brazenly importing ordinary bullets which the Police Force is using. What a shame!

For how long will the Nigerian government keep on hustling from one Western country to the other in it's bizarre search for the procurement of fighter jets, armored tanks/personnel carriers, naval vessels, and call it quits with such an enterprise? When will there be commencement of development of "own military needs" rather than these wastages of energy and resources in killing innocent civilians across the Southeast? When will the Nigerian army have the understanding that such callous military expeditions even in this 21st century are no more in vogue. It is no more about shooting guns, throwing bombs/grenades and killing armless civilians as as it used to be in the dark ages of the 12th and 13th centuries. It is presently evolutional mastery wherein high profile technology/ weapons developments are progressively pursued and recorded. The Nigerian army has dwelled for so long on the streets and motorways in providing civil security which is statutorily, the obligation of the Nigerian Police since the year 1999 when democratic governance was reinstated after years of military dictatorship. This gravely eroded the prestige of the Nigerian army thereby ridiculing the positions of the soldiers to that of Boys Scouts or Man O' War organisations. It is time for the Nigerian government to float modalities that will help restore the dignity of the Nigerian army by courageously ordering the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, General Officers Commanding (GOCs) Army Divisions and Brigade Commanders of battalions all over the country except in States under emergency measures like Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, to return all soldiers back to the barracks. They should be authoritatively made to commence researches and developments of high military science, technology and engineering as it's practicably done elsewhere in the world.

It is important to state here that the persistent military siege, occupation and brutalities which are being unleashed on Igbo Biafran youths in Biafraland is to say the least most callous, despicable, despotic and greatly ridiculous. Such vampiric acts have immensely rubbished the image of the Nigerian army in this part of the world and must stop forthwith. The Nigerian army must rechannel it's budgeted resources for the murderous/oppressive "Operation Python Dance" exercise into valuable ventures that will advance it's professional cause. The tyrannic and senseless expedition being carried out in a relatively peaceful society like in the Southeast part of Biafraland, is provocative, an act of stupidity and gross wastage of resources. It is definitely uncalled for.

It is this lousy posture of the Nigerian army that has gravely reduced it's officers and men to the status of Scout Boys and Man O' War personnel, thereby making them appear as liabilities before the already overburdened tax payers. Nigerian armed forces should take a queue from their counterparts in other civilised societies where they are treated like big/dependable/respectful assets particularly in the areas of job creation and civilian employment opportunities. Amongst all these added responsibilities, they still provide adequate and professional defense/protection to their countries and citizens with respect. The Nigerian armed forces are only noted for brandishing guns, intimidating, harassing, brutalizing, maiming and killing innocent, armless/legitimate Biafran agitators and burying the killed in secret mass graves. The Nigerian army should extricate itself from ethno-religious bigotism and get wholistically rebranded. The officers should be reinvigorated in line with global acceptable norms inherent in the service for optimum productivity. The structure of wastage of resources on uneducated, unenlightened, empty brains that are trigger-happy against law abiding civilians must clinically be dismantled.

Written by Mazi Onyebuchi Eze

Edited by Peter Oshagwu
For Family Writers Press