While Nigerians mourned and the military hoisted its flag at half-mast over the killing of six Nigerian soldiers in a fierce combat with Boko Haram in
While Nigerians mourned and the military hoisted its flag at half-mast over the killing of six Nigerian soldiers in a fierce combat with Boko Haram insurgents in early July, the commander overseeing the war, Buluma Biu, was busy staging a lavish party to celebrate his latest promotion, according to Premium Times.
Biu who is the general officer commanding, 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, based in Maiduguri, was elevated as a major-general on July 9 based on his “extraordinary feats, exemplary leadership, commitment and valour,” according to a military statement which cited President Muhammadu Buhari’s reasons for the recognition.
But around 6:00 p.m. on July 17, Nigerian soldiers came under attack about 50 kilometres away in Jakana, a midsize town which Boko Haram has long used as a base along the Maiduguri-Damaturu Highway. The fierce combat ended with at least six soldiers killed, and several Boko Haram fighters gunned down. A colonel and a captain were amongst those who lost their lives.
Dozens of soldiers who were seriously wounded in the attack were taken to the military hospital in Maiduguri. But as Nigerians mourned with the families of the departed brave officers, Mr Biu threw a party in Maiduguri, inviting top politicians like the governor of Borno State as guests.
Mr Biu’s decision to embark on a jamboree lavish party even as the killing of six soldiers was still fresh has a tendency to demoralise troops, said security analyst, Charles Omole.
“Over the past seven years, the military has become a segregated institution like the police: there is now a major gulf between the chiefs and the rank and file. That slashes morale big time. It also affects soldiers’ capacity to be proactive in the theatre of war. There is an element of proactiveness necessary when fighting. But now they wait until they are told by their superiors what to do before they do anything,” he said.
Another security analyst, Ona Ekhomu, however, said Mr Biu’s party may not be perfect for optics, but was not entirely a bad decision.
“The killing of the soldiers is tragic for the country and it would have been more appropriate to postpone the party for a few days, but life cannot stop because some soldiers were killed. But Mr Omole said Mr Biu’s action cannot be excused because of his current role in the counter-insurgency operations.
“He is not just any general in the military. He is the one leading Nigeria’s most crucial war right now. He should have cancelled or at least scale the party down significantly that no one would even notice the party held. Empathy is needed to motivate people at a workplace, and this is even more critical when you deploy uniformed officers to risk their lives for their fatherland,” Mr Omole said.
