Prominent socio-cultural groups representing different regions of the country have expressed disagreement over the recruitment of 400 members of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Borno State, describing the move as sectional.
According to reports, while the Arewa Consultative Forum is fully in support of the decision, groups such as Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere, the Middle Belt Forum and the Pan Niger Delta Forum are against it on the speculation that only persons from a particular area of the country are recruited into the Army.
It would be recalled that the Nigerian Army had recently absorbed 400 members of the civilian JTF into its fold to assist in fighting the war against Boko Haram terrorists.
Reports have it that the men, among who are hunters, are being enlisted into the Nigerian Army’s supper camp strategy in Borno State, the worst hit by the lingering insurgency.
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, who commissioned the 400 men in the presence of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, said they formed the first batch to be recruited by the Army.
It should be noted that the CJTF emerged in 2013 to support the security forces in the fight against Boko Haram and to protect local communities from attacks by insurgents and was formalized by the Borno State Government through collaboration with the military.
In a swift reacting to the recruitment, the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, accused the Federal Government of regionalizing the Army.
Speaking through its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, the group said “There is no other name to call this than regionalisation of the Army for a section of the country without necessarily saying so. The rest of the country is not daft about what is going on. There is no way you can build confidence in national institutions when you continue to paint them in sectional colours. And these are the same people, who said the South-West could not do Amotekun a few months ago.
“Borno is afflicted with crisis the way other sections are and we cannot turn our supposed national Army into the outfit of a section of it in addition to the sectionalism and parochialism of this regime in the last five years.”
In a similar reaction, Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, stated that the commissioning of the 400 civilian JTF members in Borno State into the Nigerian Army violated the federal character principle in national appointments.
The group’s President-General, Chief Nnia Nwodo, who spoke through his Media Adviser, Emeka Attamah, said “It is a clear vindication of those, who hold the view that a situation where civilians are now conscripted into the Army to fight Boko Haram is a big shame to Nigeria.
“It runs against the spirit of the federal character principle, which ensures equity in national employment. Can this be replicated in other parts of the country?
“Who has guaranteed the integrity of the people absorbed into the Army? Who is sure they are not even sympathetic to the Boko Haram cause?”
On their part, the Middle Belt Forum faulted the recruitment of the civilian JTF members into the Army.
Speaking with newsmen, the National President of the forum, Dr Bitrus Porgu said “We are not objecting to the absorption of the CJTF members into the military for assisting them in the fight against insurgency.
“However, there should be equity in everything we do as a country, because we are a federation and are not supposed to do things haphazardly. So, if the Nigerian Army wants to recruit CJTF members into its fold, it should also bring in similar outfits in other parts of the country, so that there will be equity in representation in the Army.
“This is important because we have them all over the country, who are also sacrificing their lives to help in securing the country and working hard on their own volition without receiving salaries. Why single out an outfit in a region for recruitment?”
In their reaction, the Pan Niger Delta Forum said volunteers and vigilante members in other parts of the country should be commissioned into the Army like what was done with the civilian JTF in Borno State.
PANDEF spokesperson, Ken Robinson, in a chat with Punch Newspaper, said “Obviously, the armed forces and even the police are understaffed. I don’t know the number of personnel we have immediately, but I know we have less than 500,000 police personnel policing a nation of about 200 million people.
“So, I’m sure that the situation with the Army won’t be different. If they are properly profiled and the so-called civilian JTF members are not the so-called repentant Boko Haram members that they are putting into the Army, then good and fine.
“But we need to interrogate that further to be sure that they are truly not the so-called repentant Boko Haram members, because those stories and insinuations are everywhere that that is what is happening and that when that is done, they will most likely be posted to the southern parts of the country and become another terror gang.
“So, we are conscious about that and we are a bit worried. If they are recruiting civilian JTF members into the Army, then they should do the same in other parts of the country.
“There are vigilante groups in almost all the states. They should also get their members into the Nigerian Army to strengthen internal security. But, if they don’t do that and concentrate on doing so in the North, then it is suspicious.”
In a contrary view, the pan-northern socio-political organisation, the Arewa Consultative Forum, said the conscription of 400 civilian JTF members into the military was normal in a war situation.
The ACF National Publicity Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Yawe, told Punch Newspaper that “We are in a war situation in Borno. What you do at the warfront should not be compared with that of peace time or decisions taken in a peaceful environment. You embark on conscription and field promotion at the warfront. All these are not normal military traditions.”
