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Lt. Gen. Buratai : As an icon bows out of Military Service
By Toby Prince
“Veni, vidi, vici, which means “I came, I saw, I conquered”- William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”.
The popularized dramatic character, known to us as Julius Caesar was a reconfigured and fictionalized personality in many of the plays of English outstandingly gifted playwright, William Shakespeare. Caesar lived in actual life and was indeed, a warrior of his times; an unbending conventional warfare mystique or enigma, a dozen centuries ago in Greek society.
I understand, through historical sources the near accurate accounts of a Greek historian, Appian of Alexandria, who wrote to the Roman Senate, proclaiming Caesar’s warfront victory against Pharnaces II of Pontus in the battle of Zela. It led to the cited quote, proclaiming Caesar’s victory to the glory of his country.
Shakespeare only replayed Julius Caesar’s valour in war through dramatic arts. The playwright only preserved the history of the battle exploits and bravery of a living legend, Julius Caesar. He wanted it etched in the psyche of his country and the world. Today, we talk about Julius Caesar with very little or even zero consideration of his energies/life devoted to rescuing his country from the cliffs of sword-bearing wolves.
I perceive the immediate past Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and watchdog of the counter-insurgency operations, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai in the fascinating significance of Julius Caesar’s historical fame. Nigerians forgets; and they forget very easily.
Nevertheless, as a liberal minded person, I will always concede to differing opinions on Gen. Buratai from Nigerians. He was their leader within the military realm. But it does not obviate reality, at least within my perceptive judgment of his tenure as COAS and Chief assegai-bearer of the counter-insurgency operations in the country.
So, in spite of whatever ill-feelings, misgivings or malice, any Nigerian nurses against Gen. Buratai , he has stamped and entrenched his image in my psyche or that of unbiased Nigerians, as Nigeria’s most iconic Military officer and vibrant leader of all times. I don’t think my assertion is wayward or off the track for those waiting to give me hard knocks. I hear some nauseating giggling that President Buhari sacked Gen. Buratai. Very erroneous! Mr. President only relived Gen. Buratai and the others to rest having done so impactfully in tackling insecurities in the country for over five years.
I always hotly argue with friends in disputation of the notion that leaders must be accepted by everybody. It’s not humanly tenable. A leader is loved and despised; he is scorned and even ridiculed. Whilst he served our fatherland at the risk of his life, Gen. Buratai was both hated and loved by the same people he served.
Gen. Buratai narrowly escaped assassination by the whiskers on the Mafa- Dikwa road, Borno state, in the hands of Boko Haram terrorists barely two weeks after his resumption of duty, while returning on operational tour of troops in the warzone. Insurgents ambushed him. It was in his very few weeks in office as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and ombudsman of the counter-insurgency operations in the country.
That’s the inevitable cross of leadership. Perceptively, the intention of the Boko Haramists ambush on Gen. Buratai was predictable. Terrorists plotted to kill him or in the happenstance he escapes unhurt, Nigeria should have a frightened COAS, too scared to contemplate a visit to the theatre of war.
But incident rather bolstered Gen. Buratai. He personally stepped down from his convoy and led the battle against the ambushers. Scores of insurgents died! Today, I fondly recount his memories as an Army Chief who has personally spilled more blood of terrorists in the battlefront than the enemies had wished on him or have ever done to Nigerian troops.
In 2020 and within three weeks of Gen. Buratai’s relocation to the Northeast alone, over 2,000 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists kissed death in the frontlines. Buratai’s cozy offices in Abuja were not his comfort zone really. Gen. Buratai was a leader who always preferred the trenches. That’s the mark of a gallant soldier.
Unfortunately, in the incident of insurgents attack on Gen. Buratai’s convoy, another gallant soldier of the out-gone Army Chief, a personal Military aide, died protecting his boss. May the soul of this courageous soldier rest in perfect peace. He paid the supreme price so that Gen. Buratai could live; he martyred himself so that Nigeria could defeat terrorists.
And I am excited we are near the point of total defeat of terrorists now. These are incidents that have excited me with Gen. Buratai’s years of faithful service to the nation.
And no matter the predisposition of anybody, it does not impair the genuine attributes and performance of a leader I have sighted in the soldier, Gen. Buratai. He perfectly squares into my philosophy and understanding of an ideal leader. He combines all the traits of leadership and professionalism-friendliness, humaneness, kindness, sternness, strictness, compassionateness, amiableness, a perpetual gaze on excellence and brutal frankness in all situations.
I can vividly recall the sunken state Gen. Buratai met the Nigerian Army in 2015. I can also write a whole book on the visible transformations Gen. Buratai has rubbed or imposed on the Nigerian Army in merely five to six years. Like Julius Caesar, Gen. Buratai came, saw and conquered, Nigeria’s insecurities at a very auspicious time when vicious evil drenched our country. A workaholic to the core, Gen. Buratai was never tired, moving from North to south on operational tour.
The erstwhile Army Chief is one soldier, I have never met, but through his actions, I have every reason to believe he is audacious, courageous, dexterous, determined and with eyes fixated on excellence on all his assignments. Even his most unrepentant and hardline critics cannot miss these exemplary qualities in him. He is my hero, an exceptional role model; a soldier versed in military craft, administrative excellence and the game of the trenches. That’s my ideal soldier!
How many of us ever dreamed that Boko Haram bombs and other explosive devices would stop exploding in Abuja, the nation’s capital city? Gen. Buratai told us its possible and he accomplished it. Did Nigerians ever believe that the rising tide of Militancy in the Niger Delta as propelled by the Niger Delta Avengers would subside for a smooth and uninterrupted exploration of Nigeria’s crude oil?
We must not stop asking these questions to prick the conscience of a sleepy Nigeria. Did we ever know the malignant cancer in the Southeast of Nigeria called IPOB, whose members were used by an opportunist with a flaccid nationality known as Nnamdi Kanu, who gladly indulged in extra-judicial killings of their own kith and kin in the guise of secession agitations would have respite? Kanu’s brigandage was the worse form of roguery in Nigeria’s recent history. His IPOB overpowered the Police, but Gen. Buratai halted its lacerations on Nigerians’ very noiselessly.
It takes a heart imbued with compassion and mercy to lead impactfully in Nigeria. We all live in this country and knows what determined sabs could do to a dedicated leader. Gen. Buratai was not spared the rod of organized saboteurs. The destructive leeches were unleashed everywhere. But he cleverly dodged the arrows hurled at him and rather preferred concentrating on the national assignment Mr. President had given him. He ignored the campaigns of denigrations tossed at him.
Let’s be frank with ourselves again! Before the administration of President Buhari , did we believe the five states in the Northeast, which Boko Haram extended suffocating tentacles in its vicious venom would ever know peace and tranquility? Leaders, sponsors and sympathizers of Boko Haram are pretty aware that the cursed religious extremists have been restricted to the fringes of Lake Chad in Borno state, which shares borders with neighboring countries like Niger, Chad and the rest by Gen. Buratai.
A globally acclaimed warmonger and advocate of peace, Gen. Buratai has not disappointed us. The performances of troops in the frontlines over manifold insecurity challenges in the country have been commendably outstanding in the frontlines. Can Abubakar Shekau roar again with the fury of a demigod over Nigerians like he did in the years past? Gen. Buratai has reduced him to a living vegetable in his hideout?
I look at the new Army schools Buratai has built or the old ones revived under his leadership. These are rare innovations; the Nigerian Army least expected that Nigeria is capable of establishing specialized schools for its Army or the Military. The Nigerian Army University Biu, (NUAB), Nigerian Army Aviation School, Nigerian Army War College, separate from Nigerian War College are some of the additions Gen. Buratai is bequeathing to his constituency as legacies. How did the incident of female suicide bombers end? Gen. Buratai introduced the novel Nigerian Army’s Female Corps.
Buratai’s ingenuity broke the cultural or traditional prohibitions on curbing female suicide bombers. We have stopped running away from ATM queues when a female teenager dressed in “hijab” is sighted. Anyone who still insists that Gen. Buratai wasted his years in office as Army boss is a potential psychotic patient.
Abubakar Shekau can only bark now, but cannot bite. All of us knows it. He dreads Gen. Buratai like anyone would dread a searing apparition in a dream. Whoever thought, aside the popularized Chibok schoolgirls, there were not more than 20,000 Nigerians held hostage by Boko Haram in secret gulags is truly a joker. Gen. Buratai rescued them from the grip of captors.
Borno state Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum has repeatedly reminded us that before the Buhari Presidency, Boko Haram insurgents had illegally appropriated at least 21 LGAs and enclaves in the Northeast- very famously, Gwoza, Baga and Bama areas. Buratai’s poisonous slap on their faces recovered all of them. I know that by today, none of Nigeria’s territories is under Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists’ administrative control.
Therefore, Gen. Buratai was not sacked as some persons believe. He had to naturally bow out of active military service at the discretion of Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN). That day was July 26th, 2021. Sir, please, enjoy the blissful ease of retirement after a meritorious service to fatherland. We are proud of your golden torch on terrorists!
Regardless of the thoughts of your adversaries, you were truly a great leader together with your colleagues’ in the hierarchy of Service Chiefs. And in all of you my great leaders, I dare say with the inspiration of your collectively rewarding service to nationhood, we are well pleased. Again, have a blissful retirement with God Almighty’s ordained longevity. Gen. Buratai, “ you came, you saw and you conquered.
Prince wrote this piece from Abuja.
The immediate past National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chief Dr. Chris Isiguzo (MFR), has been celebrated with a Lifetime Achievement Award by journalists from the South East Zone C during a special homecoming held in his honour at the NUJ Enugu Council Press Centre.
Speaking at the event, NUJ Vice President (South East), Comrade Ezenwa Adiuku, said the recognition was in appreciation of Isiguzo’s remarkable leadership and contributions during his tenure as National President. He described him as “a pathfinder, a trailblazer, a mentor, and a leader,” noting that he positioned the South East as a strong voice within the Union.
Chairman of the occasion and SSA to the Enugu State Governor on External Media Relations, Mr. Uche Anichukwu, stressed the importance of quality leadership recruitment in a democracy, urging citizens to reject vote buying and selling. He charged the media to intensify civic education to ensure credible leadership choices.
The current NUJ National President, Comrade Alhassan Yahya, praised the South East leadership for honouring Isiguzo, adding that it was the first time a sitting national president would honour his predecessor. He expressed confidence in the new Enugu Council leadership under Comrade Obinna Ogbuka, urging members to give full support.
In his response, Isiguzo expressed gratitude to the Union, recounting his administration’s achievements such as member registration, creation of the NUJ website, restoration of peace in councils, improved relations with state governments, and enhanced staff welfare.
Delivering a keynote address on “Leadership Recruitment Amid Challenges of Poverty: The Role of the Media”, UNN Vice Chancellor, Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, represented by Prof. Olaiwola Usman, linked Nigeria’s poverty crisis to poor leadership choices, stressing the media’s role in promoting credible recruitment of leaders.
The high point of the ceremony was the presentation of the NUJ South East Zonal Lifetime Achievement Award portrait to Isiguzo by Comrade Yahya, alongside tributes from NUJ and NAWOJ leaders.
The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) has expressed deep sorrow over the lives lost in the recent fire at Afriland Towers on Broad Street, Lagos.
The Fund said its thoughts are with the families, colleagues, and organisations affected, including the Federal Inland Revenue Service, United Capital Plc, UBA, Afriland Properties, and others.
NSITF’s Managing Director and Chief Executive, Barr. Oluwaseun Faleye, sent heartfelt condolences, saying: “Our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones. We stand with you in this time of grief.”
He also commended the courage of emergency workers and the swift action of the Lagos State authorities in containing the situation.
To support those affected, NSITF has activated its Lagos support desk to work with employers, families, and government agencies. The desk is helping with incident reports, claims processing, and benefits under the Employees’ Compensation Scheme.
This covers dependants of the deceased as well as rehabilitation support for survivors. “Our case officers are ready to guide families and employers every step of the way,” Faleye assured.
The Fund noted that the tragedy highlights the importance of workplace safety and the need for organisations to take precautions to prevent such disasters.
NSITF urged all employers to: Strengthen workplace safety measures and emergency protocols, especially in high-rise buildings and around backup power systems.
Report incidents quickly to NSITF so support can be provided without delay.
Ensure their organisations are registered with NSITF and that Employees’ Compensation contributions are up to date to guarantee full protection for their workers.
“These measures can save lives, reduce risks, and ensure timely support for those in need,” Faleye stressed.
On behalf of NSITF’s Board, Management, and Staff, he extended the Fund’s deepest sympathies to all those affected, pledging continued collaboration with the Federal Government and Lagos State authorities to protect Nigerian workers.
May the souls of the departed rest in peace.
Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, Comrade Grace Ike has called for transparency, accountability, and effective deployment of tax revenues to infrastructure development as part of the sweeping tax reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
She spoke at the inaugural distinguished parliamentarian lecture organised by the House of Representatives Press Corps with the theme “navigating tax reforms in Nigeria: Insights on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policies”.
The lecture was delivered by former Speaker of the House of Representatives are Chairman of the National Credit Guarantee Company Limiter Yakubu Dogara.
The NUJ Chairman said the tax reforms represent bold steps toward modernizing Nigeria’s fiscal system, broadening the tax base, and reducing over-dependence on oil revenues.
She said “Tax reform is pivotal to Nigeria’s economic growth, fiscal sustainability, and social development. Under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, we are witnessing bold steps aimed at modernizing and strengthening our tax system”.
Ike commended the administration’s commitment, emphasizing that the success of the reforms depends on how well revenues are used to improve infrastructure and the quality of life for citizens.
“We must place emphasis on improved infrastructures, urging the government to deploy taxes effectively,” she noted.
The NUJ FCT Chair stressed the need for clear communication of the policies so Nigerians understand their rights and responsibilities.
She said the media has a central role in fostering dialogue and building public trust in the reforms.
“The media must provide accurate, unbiased information and foster public dialogue to build trust in these reforms. Transparency and accountability should guide every stage of implementation to protect the interests of all Nigerians,” she stated.
Ike also urged collaboration among all stakeholders, including lawmakers, the executive, civil society, and the media, to ensure the reforms deliver tangible benefits.
“Our collective goal must be a Nigeria with a robust economy, where tax policies contribute to sustainable development and improved quality of life for every citizen,” she added.
She commended the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, for making the lecture a reality, describing it as a platform that will enrich public policy engagement.
Chairman of the House of Representatives Press Corps, Gboyega Onadiran said taxation has become one of the most contentious issues in Nigeria today, with multiple narratives circulating about petroleum tax, data tax, and requirements such as the National Identification Number (NIN) for bank operations.
He said the newly introduced Distinguished Parliamentarian Lecture is designed to bridge the gap between the legislature and the public by simplifying parliamentary activities and clarifying national issues.
“As journalists, the mirror of society and agenda setters, we believe this forum offers a unique opportunity to unpack these grey areas and simplify parliamentary activities for Nigerians,” he said.
The Press Corps chairman explained that the aim of the lecture is to create a platform where distinguished parliamentarians, past and present, can share knowledge and provide clarity on topical national issues through the lens of the legislature.
“This is vital, because the legislature remains the most misunderstood arm of government in Nigeria,” he added.
Onadiran described the inaugural guest lecturer, former Speaker Yakubu Dogara, as a statesman whose insights would enrich discourse on tax reforms and national development.
“As Speaker of the 8th House of Representatives, he presided over the passage of historic bills, set legislative records, and distinguished himself as a bridge-builder committed to deepening democracy and promoting good governance,” he noted.
The Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Distinguished Parliamentarian Lecture, Philip Nyiam, said the initiative marks a new chapter for the Press Corps, positioning journalists as agenda setters and contributors to national development beyond routine reporting.
Nyiam said the Press Corps was determined to expand its role by enlightening Nigerians on issues of national interest.
“This is a novel in the history of the House Press Corps. It is part of efforts to change the narrative where journalists are seen as only reporting press releases, statements and conferences. As the watchdog of society, we are also agenda setters and we also enlighten society on key issues of national interest,” he stated.
He explained that the lecture was organised to demystify President Tinubu’s tax reform agenda, which has sparked apprehension and debate since the law came into effect.
According to him, the event provides a platform to address controversies around the reforms and their place in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration.
“This will be the contribution of the Press Corps to the growth of our nation and the sustenance of democracy and good governance,” Nyiam added.
He said the choice of the guest lecturer, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, former Speaker of the 8th House of Representatives and current Chairman of the National Credit Guarantee Company Ltd., was deliberate, given his experience, courage, and record of legislative achievements.
Nyiam expressed confidence that the deliberations would enrich national discourse on tax reforms and governance.
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