Nigeria And The Relevance Of Razzmatazz In Releasing The Results

Nigeria And The Relevance Of Razzmatazz In Releasing The Results

By Bala Ibrahim

We may not all agree, but whether we agree or not, Nigeria is in a state of war, an unconventional warfare with the enemy, whose name is insurgency. Everyone is in agreement with the fact that, Nigeria is being fought by the menace of banditry, kidnapping and an organized rebellion, with colours similar to the colours of those engaged in the actions of overthrowing a government. May Allah disrupt their attempts to derail democracy, ameen. In the last two weeks, the temperature, pressure and public pulse of Nigeria have suffered, and are still suffering, from potentially fatal fluctuations, which if poorly managed, could lead to the terminus of the country’s democracy, God forbid.

As I write this article, more than 300 students and staff of a catholic school in Niger state have been kidnapped by gunmen, in what is viewed as one of the worst mass abductions in the country. The Christian Association of Nigeria said 303 students and 12 teachers were taken from St Mary’s School in Papiri, while some reports are giving contradictory statements. Whether higher or lower, the bottom line is that, Nigeria is under the invasion of insurgents, especially when perused through the prism of the recent upsurge in attacks by armed groups. If we add what happened in Kebbi and Sokoto states, alongside the attacks in Kwara state, the number of people taken, surpasses the 276 abducted during the terrible Chibok girls abduction in 2014. Surely this is frightening, and calls for a collective collaboration among all, regardless of the political divide.

There seems to be an unfortunate position taken by some members of the opposition, with regards the situation. They are politicizing the issue, and to me, politicizing such a situation, is to say the least, an act of infidelity against one’s country. When a country is at war, public conscience is expected to queue up behind patriotism, in line with the concept of national unity. Yes, in a time of conflict, political differences are set aside for the benefit of the war effort. I can’t remember who exactly said it, but the quote goes, “When a nation is at war, all opposition must ceasefire,” The ambition of the quote is to rally the support of leaders and fellow countrymen and women, to suppress dissent during wartime. And precisely that’s what Nigeria needs now.

As deduced from Sir Winston Churchill’s finest hour speech, calls for ceasefires in political differences are expected during conflicts, that have the potential of threatening national security and sovereignty. And Nigeria is at such a juncture. All domestic opposition must cease during a war, as a matter of political philosophy, and that’s what Nigeria needs now.

It is particularly heartening that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced his readiness to confront the situation head on, with a commitment to winning the war. He said and I quote, “Let me be clear: I will not relent. Every Nigerian, in every state, has the right to safety and under my watch, we will secure this nation and protect our people.” This is what I call a statesman’s statement, meant to stand as surety, for safety and security. And from the results that are coming since that statement, the collective hope of the country is receiving a brighter boost. What we need now is noise, and more noise, as our gallant security officers make progress. That is the mission of propaganda during war.

All over the world, in situations of war, the rule has allowed for propaganda to play. And in propaganda, you have the right to be noisy and showy, in order to demoralize the enemy. Propaganda is relevant in warfare, because it is the tool for influencing public opinion to support the war effort, maintain the morale of those with boots on the ground, and demoralize the enemy. Through such razzmatazz, in the release of the results of progress against the enemy, the enemy is demonised, while you foster national unity by silencing the spread of harmful ideologies, that may used to recruit the vulnerable.

It is therefore important for the Government to go unconventional also, by being less secretive, in the discharge of information. Let the world know the efforts being made and the progress recorded, regularly. Hyping the progress made, will weaken the enemy, and raise more, the relevance of razzmatazz in modern warfare.