The Director, National Information Centre, Mike Omeri, in this interview with ADELANI ADEPEGBA and EVEREST AMAEFULE in Abuja, speaks on the ongoing security operations to rescue the abducted Chibok girls
It appears the Federal Government established this National Information Centre to hide information…
No no no, if you notice, we have been
giving out information and are receptive to questions from journalists.
What we are doing is to ensure that we give authentic information to
citizens so that we don’t go on wild goose chase, we don’t hide
information unnecessarily. We want to ensure that whatever we give, in
words, in video, in photographs, scene photographs, are authentic from
authentic sources. We want to maintain the credibility of the centre, we
want to maintain and respect the credibility of the newspapers and the
media as well as of the government and it can be achieved. In this case,
I can see the media working in partnership with the government of
Nigeria, the people of Nigeria and the centre to achieve two goals-the
rescue of the girls and the peace and stability of our country.
Has it been ascertained that the abducted girls are still in the country, from the information available to you?
Well, the searches are still going on,
efforts are being made within the operational area in question and
believe me, we don’t want to disclose any information, whether they are
there or not because it can arm the enemy.
Does the inability of the Nigerian Army to locate the girls not confirm the widely held view that the military is ill-equipped?
No, no, no, I don’t believe so because if
you notice, we showed the slide and video here of the aerial
surveillance being conducted by the military. They are scanning the
area, they are at different spots and they are following leads. So, to
say that Nigeria does not have the capacity is to underrate the
achievements of the Nigerian Army over the years and even in relation to
this expedition.
Weeks after the arrival of
the foreign security team, we heard that some things were still being
sorted out according to your briefing. What are those things?
You know they are coming to assist with
the military expedition, but they would not just come and enter the
field because they have experience, they need to get briefing from those
who have been operating in the area and that’s what took place within
the period under review and the essence is to exchange ideas, reinforce
what is being done correctly and take steps to remedy what right may not
have been done 100 per cent as it should be because of the experience
being shared. So, it is not to say that nothing is happening at all,
even if it was the process of briefing and the briefings that has been
going on, it is still part of the process of rescuing the girls, it’s a
complete package.
focus is on rescuing the girls and not to
play to the gallery or to be stampeded into actions that will not lead
to the eventual release of these children. It is not that the President
refused to go for any other consideration than the commitment to
marshaling all efforts, all energies and capacities towards the main
goal of rescuing the children.
The President has approved
more troops for the North-East and this means the situation has gone so
bad. Can you paint the scenario in the area?
It is to reinforce what is going on and
don’t forget that only last Saturday, there was an international summit
that focused attention on this, so these are some of the fallouts of
such collaborations because other people are involved.
From reports, it is apparent
that the Federal Government and Borno State government are not working
in synergy; so how can they succeed against the insurgents if they are
not working together?
I am not sure about that, the Federal
Government has a responsibility to Borno State and the people of Borno
State. It has the Army, it has the full complement of the elements
required in the prosecution of this expedition, and it has deployed it.
If they are not in good terms, and how can a father and a son not be in
good terms to an extent that it would allow a situation of this
magnitude to degenerate? In other climes, the President may not even
order the deployment of troops there, maybe, but in this instance, I
cannot see that, I have not seen it, I cannot see it and I am not sure
that what you are saying is a true reflection of what is on the ground. I
know that the President of Nigeria is deeply concerned about the
situation on the ground and is working with whoever is and whatever
agency and institution that is in Borno State.
The government had taken the
step to coordinate information management by setting up this centre, but
we don’t know if it has taken the same step to coordinate the
operations of the security agencies?
In the security forces, you have always
seen that the President is meeting with them daily. As far as I know,
there is coherence, there is coordination and the President is firmly in
charge and working with fellow officers, being the Commander in-Chief
towards solving this issue.
A few months ago, the NSA
announced a soft approach to tackling terrorism. From information
available to you, how has it been implemented so far and what has been
placed on the ground to achieve this?
Well, part of the content of that
strategy is to ensure that citizens are more aware and participate
because they also have a role and obviously, from what we can see,
citizens are becoming more aware and more conscious. All we need do is
to intensify the campaign, intensify the work that we are doing in the
communities so that people take ownership of this security thing because
everyone of us is involved. It is not just the army, or the police or
DSS, but every Nigerian-market woman, market man, bus conductor,
everybody.
But in terms of tangibles like economic empowerment of the people…
There are associated and related programmes that you will get to hear as a fallout of this.
It appears that the missing
link in this war is intelligence; we seem to be more reactive than
proactive. What is being done to change this?
No no, that is unfair. There is so much
that has happened, there are so many elements that have been apprehended
as a result of security and intelligence action. You know like in a
football field, I have always given this example, the players will play
very well, the back men will play very well and prevent all the goals
from entering, the goal-keeper is the best goal-keeper, but one goal can
change the whole story. One goal in a match can change the whole story
about the goal-keeper, about the defenders, about the coach, about the
players and so on and so forth and this is the kind of situation we are
looking at. If the security agencies aren’t working, I wonder what the
situation would have been by now. So I think we should commend them.
These are people who are like you and I, who have blood, who have
children, who have vision, who have passion for something, but they have
chosen to take that part to defend the rest of us, we should commend
them, no matter what.
Some soldiers are complaining about their allowances and lack of motivation and these things frustrate their efforts…
That is purely within military standards
and not within the purview of this centre to explain, but they have
their operational guidelines and they know what they do in such
situations and all soldiers, military men, they know what it is and what
it means to be in the army and I am sure they are operating within the
functions of their operational guidelines. I also know that the Federal
Government of Nigeria is committed and is releasing the funds
appropriately for the provision and welfare of the officers. And did you
know that generally, in this country, for a long time, that workers
have always been paid as and when due, including the military and the
police and the civil service?
If you say the fund is being released, is the government sure it is getting to the right people?
Well, it is another thing for the
President to discharge his responsibility and the military to discharge
theirs, so I am sure that whatever is requested and is released to them,
they deploy it according to the request and intention.
Do you think there should be a probe because many believe the funds are not being judiciously utilised?
Hmmm, I don’t want to say no comment, but
it is an open administration, it is an open system and appropriately,
if there is need and when there is need, whatever needs to be done for
financial accountability would be done.
How optimistic are you that these girls would be found very soon?
I trust my God, I trust the Armed Forces
of Nigeria, I trust the word of the President of Nigeria, I also trust
the commitment of the foreign teams that have come to give complementary
assistance to our armed forces to rescue these children. I am driven by
patriotism and nationalism that we will get them.
But you are not driven by information and facts available to you?
Of course, my optimism couldn’t have been
fuelled if the armed forces of Nigeria are not doing well and I don’t
believe in them. It’s because I know that the armed forces of my country
are good, professional and have capacity.
What happens to the war on
terrorism after the girls must have been found? Will the foreign
security team continue in the country till they capture Abubakar Shekau
and the war against terrorism is won?
As you can see, what the government has
succeeded in doing is to engender an international collaboration in the
fight against terrorism. Even before now, we have been involved
elsewhere, other countries have also been involved elsewhere, so it’s to
get the world families, citizens of the world, governments of the world
working together, to de-radicalise, to help citizens on both sides, so
that we understand the need to work together, the need to convince us to
accept whatever you want us to accept in a peaceful manner rather than
through violence on girls.
Is the government thinking of
establishing a credible witness protection programme because many
citizens are afraid to testify in terror cases in court?
I am not sure about that, I am not sure
that citizens are afraid or unwilling to come out and give evidence, but
even if they exist, I want to call on them to please come and give
information, they are assured of protection. If you remember when this
incident started in Borno State, elements ran into peoples’ houses and
once you go there and you disclose their identities and you say that is
the person who just ran into a house, the person is apprehended, these
people who plan come back and deal with them, and don’t forget the
witness also has a right and his rights ought to be protected. If it is
his intention and desire that he should give evidence in the manner that
he wishes, I think the law of the country will speak for him.
There are fears that the
presence of the foreign forces may expose Nigeria to serious economic,
military and political espionage. What is your take on this?
But what would Nigerians be doing? You
also know that Nigerians are very hardworking and committed; there is no
amount of effort to put a Nigerian down that will work. This is a
partnership, a partnership that works, a partnership that will work;
Nigeria is peaceful, the rest of the world will be happy, Nigeria is in
chaos, the rest of the world will be unhappy, just like we feel the
pains here. We are 170 million people, any calamity around here will
muzzle the economies of the sub region. Where do we take the refugees
to? So it is in the interest of the rest of the world to ensure
stability in Nigeria and in West Africa.
What we mean is that strategic security information may be exposed to the foreign partners.
Globalisation of the world does not
permit that we live in isolation and we only share information on the
collaboration and I am not sure they are coming here for us to give them
information that they don’t require to do their work. What they have
come to do is simple, focused and targeted, they would come and do that.
So why would you want to go and tell them; they say what is your name
and you said my name is this, my friend’s name is this and even my great
grandfather’s name is this, no, that is not what they came for. They
have a goal, they have a target and that is what they came for.
And you believe they won’t go beyond their target knowing that these foreign partners don’t do anything for free?
Let’s wait and see.
Now, do you believe that the Paris Summit might lead to the end of terrorism in the country?
Not just in the country, but in the sub-region. I believe so, because now, we are collaborating with everybody.
Critics believe that Nigeria
should have hosted the summit and that allowing France to take the lead
is like abdicating its leadership position in Africa?
No no no, don’t forget that the summit
was at the instance of Nigeria and it was for strategic reasons. It was
good it happened and what are you trying to prove? The goal is not that
Nigeria must host everything; the goal is that Nigeria is leading the
crusade for peace and stability in the sub-region.