LocalNewsSecurity Report
Go into farming instead of unnecessary military exercises, Society charges Army…Counsels against Operation Crocodile Smile 2
David T.J. Amusa, Port Harcourt
The Chancellor of International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR), Mr. Omenazu Jackson has enjoined the Nigerian Army to go into farming in order to contribute to the economic development of the country rather than embarking on provocative military exercises.
Speaking in an interview in Port Harcourt, Jackson said there was no need for Crocodile Smile 2 exercise as the Niger Delta region is relatively peaceful, pointing out that cases of flash points of criminality are what the Police could handle.
He said he understands the need for the Army to keep fit but that such exercise of fitness should be in the direction of economic viability.
“We should begin to de-emphasize militarization approach in our national life. The Niger Delta people have been able to be tolerant all these years. Even when our boys raised their heads stubbornly, they were granted amnesty, they calmed down. Even when some of us did not believe the amnesty, they accepted it in good faith. What we should be looking at is how do we industrialize the Niger Delta? How do we ensure that there are petrochemical industries in various Niger Delta states? Where are the modular refineries, which the government promised the Niger Delta people? Where are those promises? The promise, is it Operation Crocodile Smile? Of recent, we have not heard about Niger Delta youths shooting or kidnapping expatriates. We know there are pockets of crime here and there. But launching another military operation in the Niger Delta will stir up anger and some of us in the civil society have been saying that there are alternative ways of doing things instead of militarization. We should de-emphasize this idea of militarization every time. If the soldiers feel that they are idle, that they don’t have anything to do, instead of launching operation this, operation that, they should ask the federal government to donate hectares of land for them to go into farming”.
Jackson stated that in countries like Cuba, the Army engages in agriculture to assist their funding and advised the Nigerian Army to borrow a leaf from them.
“The Cuban soldiers feed Cuba. They have thousands of hectares of land, which they cultivate. At the end of the year, they harvest their crops and sell to the public and make their money. This is what we expect our Nigerian Army to be engaging in instead of Operation Crocodile Smile, Python Dance this and that.”
The Chancellor said that although medical outreach is good and can be embarked on without being part of the Crocodile Smile, he, however, queried the Army’s competence in the medical field, wondering why they left the President to travel to London for medical treatment without volunteering to help.
“If the Nigerian Army is medically sophisticated, why did they allow the President to go to London to go and waste all the time and money? They would have treated him because he is the Commander-in-Chief. They can as well provide free medical care without launching any Operation. If the 82 and 6 divisions decide to carry out any medical outreach without adding an Operation to it, it is fine and good and people will accept it. It is part of their own corporate social responsibility to their fellow citizens, just like some of us will always give them a helping hand if they are in need. So, it is not a big deal. But this Operation Crocodile Smile 2 will stir up anger and it is not necessary now that the boys have calmed down. Why are they going to push them again. Because by the time you start this operation and run into them and get them provoked, the matter will escalate and they will say Niger Delta youths are disturbing”.
Jackson said with the incident that happened in the South-East, particularly Abia state, the people of the Niger Delta fear that Crocodile Smile 2 could be intended to intimidate and harass the people of the region as a show of force.
He, therefore, called on the Army authorities to call off the exercise as it was unnecessary and a waste of time and resources, which is capable of inflaming the region into crisis.
He dismissed the idea of Crocodile Smile 2 exercise as propaganda, pointing out that those things such as sanitation exercise, free medical care, distribution of exercise books listed as part of the exercise are not the intention of the Army.
He stated that the intention of the army is to convey to the region that should any be nursing separatist ideas that the Army is there to contain them.
“It is propaganda. The exercise is highly provocative. This is not a conquered territory. The Nigerian Army should behave themselves and remain in their barracks and allow us practice democracy the way it is supposed to be. We are getting pissed off with operation this, operation that. We have had enough of this militarization of this country. The country is in a mess today because of the over-bearing behavior of Nigerian soldiers. Right from 1966 till date, they have been disturbing this country”, he said.
