… SAYS DEMAND FOR MERCENARIES DUE TO FRUSTRATION FROM A FAILING SYSTEM
The former Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwanso, has faulted the call in some quarters to bring in mercenaries to fight the rampaging terrorists in the Northern part of the country.
Kwakwanso said that it is naturally people come up with all manner of solutions out of frustration with a system which has almost failed.
Kwakwanso, a former Minister of Defence and National leader of the New Nigerian Peoples Party made the comment while speaking on Arise Television’s the Morning Show morning by The Network on Monday.
The former Kano Governor was reacting to the position of the Governor of Kaduna State Mallam Nasiru El Rufai, who said that the North West and Niger State might opt to hire mercenaries to fight the terrorists if the Federal Government fails to stop the worsening killings and destruction in the North.
But Kwakwanso said that a decision to engage mercenaries is just a way of admitting that our security agencies have failed so that other persons should come and do their job.
He insisted that the Nigerian Army has an enviable international reputation for competence, capacity and efficiency and could wipe out the terrorists within a short period with the political will and requisite equipment and motivation.
He said, “You see when there is failure in a system, you see people bringing all sorts of solutions. What is very clear is that the system that we are operating today, to a very large extent, has failed and that is why you find people both experts and other interested parties, coming up with one suggestion or the other.
“We have a very strong, reliable and capable Nigerian military. Nobody would contemplate the mercenaries that we are talking about. We never talk about it. Nobody was thinking about. In fact people were trying to hire the Nigerian military, then we were in Many countries especially in Africa. That their capacity in all the operations is very well known.
“Now because of the failure of the system, people are suggesting to go and hire people who I believe are not in any way better than the Nigerian military. It is only that they are better motivated and they have better equipment. If you have a strong military, you don’t need to go and hire people from anywhere outside the shores of your country.
“I think the main thing is to see how we can resuscitate and encourage our military to go back to where we left them in those days.
“You know, bringing mercenaries is just an easy way of saying we have failed and somebody should come and do the job for us.”
He stressed that most of the terrorists are illiterates who are ill-equipped and would be flushed out by the Nigerian military with a short period.
Kwakwanso said further that with the right leadership at the centre the tested Nigerian military has the capacity defeat the challenge posed by the terrorists killing people and destroying communities in the country.
He said that “even those advocating it are doing so out of frustration. People are surprised, people are wondering why such bandits would just go and attack our train, towns and villages and nobody is saying anything. Nobody is doing anything . Even condolences, things like that will come in late.
“People are just telling us about the number of people killed maimed or taken away; nobody is even talking about going to pick them out. Yes, it is important to hear about that but where are the people, if you don’t get them, tomorrow or even today, they will strike again. “