The news media reported that a Nigerian Air Force alpha jet erroneously bombed an IDP camp, killing over 100 people and injuring many in a case of friendly fire.
This was a very sad news as it spread like wide fire, carrying widespread condemnation mostly against the military for such a costly error.
The noise is still brewing; a high powered delegation led by the chief of staff is on its way to Borno, The National Assembly is screaming and calling for another of their dramatic investigations, everybody is talking like something unprecedented had just happened .
While my heart goes out to those in the IDP camps who lost their lives, I also empathize with the Nigerian Air Force for this horrendous error, especially the Air-force officer whose fighter jets made this terrible error.
I seriously do not think any Fighter pilot will deliberately target civilian populations. If this is not a sabotage, which I strongly doubt, then I’m sure the young officer will live out his remaining life in regret and anguish.
The military should be allowed to investigate this and mete out punishment within their standard codes of operation. This is not a matter for politicians to jump into as those in power will want to do the normal TV empathy drama, take pictures, condemn, look like they are shedding tears, while those in the opposition will scream sabotage, clueless government and all manner of despicable descriptions for the military .
Deaths caused by friendly fire during armed conflicts is as old as armed conflicts itself.Even the major military powers on earth have all had their fair share of these costly errors.
The Cap Arcona incident during the second world war, saw the Royal air-force sinking a German ship carrying over 10,000 displaced persons, British and American POWs and numerous German captives, killing almost everyone on board .
According to American military researcher Jon Krakauer, 21% of the casualties in World War II, 39% of the casualties in Vietnam and 52% of the casualties in the first gulf war were all as a result of friendly fires.
While I’m not extricating the air force of any blame, the biggest obliterators of the displaced persons in the North-East remains those who deliberately steal food and funds meant for the IDPs contributing to starvation in the IDPs.
Statistics have shown that deaths from starvation in the IDP camps is almost competing with the number of deaths caused by the Boko Haram insurgents.
In November last year, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator, Peter Lumberg warned that 75,000 children will starve to death in just a few months.
Same year, a euphemist Borno state government report showed that 450 children died of malnutrition in the Internally Displaced Persons camps.
According to the same report, the IDP camps have about 6,444 severe cases of malnutrition, 25,511 children have mild to moderate symptoms of malnutrition.
But according to Medicines Sans Frontieres ( MSF), within the last one year about 1,200 graves, mostly for children have been dug within the IDP camps in one year alone. This shows that the government report is actually a euphemism of the real situation.
Earlier on in the year, the UN’s Assistant Secretary-General Toby Lanzer had warned that over 250,000 children were malnourished in the IDPs and Nigeria was at risk of facing famine ‘unlike any we have seen anywhere’.
It’s ironic that this level of poverty exists in the IDPs where 270 million naira was actually expended to clear grasses.
All these are happening despite billions of monies being voted from government, NGOs, donor agencies and UN agencies towards the welfare of these IDPs.
In June 2016, newspapers reported that government officials including law enforcement agencies actually engaged in public fights over rice that was meant for the IDPs.
The most brazen and shameful news was the alleged disappearance of 71 trailers of rice sent by the Presidency to the IDPs. The funny thing was that an elaborate ceremony was hosted for the arrival of this 71 trailers by the Adamawa state government whose deputy Governor actually received these trailers of food.
71 trailers !!!. That is actually a symbolic representation of the humongous nature of corruption and stealing in the IDP management.
Stories of 50kg bags or rice dispatched from government agencies, miraculously turning to 25kg bags abound.
The management of the IDPs is a miniature replication of how government funds are being managed in this country . It’s a replication of how government funds actually disappears along the route to ordinary Nigerians.
Having PMB as President isn’t the answer . The knight in shinning armor personality is clearly not rubbing off on those around him . The body language is clearly misunderstood . If you put corruption in his bedroom , it’s obvious Mr. President won’t be able to find it . That’s the sneaky nature of corruption .
Punitive measures against corrupt suspects can’t be enough to deter corruption in the first place . The government must look at avenues to block the numerous leakages in government spendings.
Why should it be so difficult to feed two million people in IDPs , while you are planning to lift 150 million people out of poverty?
The answer lies in technology .
Why not do a biometric registration of all IDPs, create an wallet food voucher for them and recharge it like a cryptocurrency which they can use to buy food at the camps from vendors?
Why still depend on government officials and civil servants to supply food to the IDPs when you know the level of corruption in your country.
Corruption thrives on environments . When you create its atmosphere it’ll grow. Creating environments that prevent corruption will cost you less than prosecuting corrupt people .
It’s high time the government wakes up against those who are obliterating the remnants of Boko Haram victims through corruption.
They are worse than Boko Haram, and definitely worse than the fighter pilot who made the costly error of dropping his bombs in an IDP camp.
Written by Ken Agala.
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