Thread by @DefenseNigeria

After a prolonged hiatus Governor Zulum Strikes Again.

QUOTE

ISWAP is poised to take over Nigeria. We must hire international mercenaries to help the country tackle the menace. It’s not easy for us to solve the security challenges we are having now.

END QUOTE

Sometimes we can be our own worse enemy. I usually avoid writing expose's on politicians, but not when there are grave national security implications.

Here are the number of times Governor Me! Me!! Me!!!'s utterances and actions have impacted negative on the war effort.

September 2020

Governor Zulum announces plans to travel to Baga with a large entourage, to distribute food items. He broke the cadinal rule by announcing the EXACT DATE.

The Nigerian army advised Govenor Zulum to cancel the trip. Besides giving out the date,

.a long convoy of vehicles carrying a high ranking government official will always be priority target. After two previous attacks you can understand the army's trepidation.

Govenor Zulum was having none of it. The army suggests he travel via helicopter.

REJECTED !

It will potentially ruin his grand "entrace". And so he embarks on a journey by road in an 11 vehicle convoy. The best the army could do was conduct a clearance Op, and it's pointless because all Boko Haram had to do is give a false sense of security by allowing free passage.

On his return to Maiduguri from Baga town, Boko Haram ambushed the convoy, riddling vehicles with bullets. Thank God the Gov was not hit. However 15 of his security detail paid the price with their lives.

What followed was months of relentless criticism of the Nigerian army.

and of course with the ever present camera crew to capture the drama. Pointing fingers on the military, claiming the attack on his convoy is complete sabotage.

"As far as I am concern, what happened in Baga is complete sabotage by the military. There is no Boko Haram in Baga."

It got so bad the Osun monarch had to intervene, advising the Govenor to stop the DRAMA and work with the army.

Several Pressure Groups also asked Govenor Zulum to apologize to the President for accusing the army of delibrate sabotage.

Within months Govenor Zulum once again goes on a media blitz, advising the Nigerian military commanders how to do their job. Be more proactive and go after Boko Haram. Don't sit in your barracks he said.

Next, Govenor Zulum visits the NAF HQ and, during a press conference demand Nigerian troops invade and occupy several Lake Chad islands. He said the operations of Chadian forces in the border area was sketchy and potentially dangerous.

Now, while discussing operational

..strategy in front of cameras is to be frowned upon, his request was actually legit. Niger and Chad have in the past offered terrorists who torment Nigeria abodes of respite and recuperation. Its where they gather momentum to launch fresh attacks on Nigeria.

This would have been a laudable advice if he could contain himself. He couldn't. He travels to Chad, shower adulations and suggests Nigeria cooperate with Chadian forces. No shame in seeking help.

See how weird, zig zaggy and chaotic this looks?

Later he claimed Boko Haram occupied 2 LGA and lambasted the army. He will once again be forced to apologize over his innacurate and "ill-thought out" remarks.

And now this latest fiasco. In a Federal system, governors are not policy makers. Regardless, just a couple days ago we saw a U.S military officer claim ISWAP is flourishing and expanding because of corruption. Before that it the Economist. Before that, the Wallstreet journal.

They never fail to issue controversial remarks designed to throw a negative spin and downplay Nigerian military successes. As frustrating as this might be, its a digestible..afterall they are foreigners

But here we have a Nigerian governor puting the powers that be to shame when it comes to needless distractions and negative aspersions to downgrade the Nigerian military.

Wars are won on momentum. What Govenor Zulum is doing is dangerous and demoralizing to our troops.

After spending billions modernizing the military, aquiring new platforms like the Super Tucanos, JF-17 multi-role fighter, VT-4 tank, ST-1tank destroyers, SH-105 self propelled artillery, armed attack drones etc, whose cumulative effectiveness has resulted in

25,000 insurgents surrendering, six ISWAP commanders killed, 90% of Nigerians still untouched by ISWAPs jihadi aspirations. We have a sitting Nigerian Govenor saying ISWAP is poised to TAKE OVER NIGERIA and asking the President to hire foreign military contractors.

This is the image a sitting Nigerian governor is portraying to the world just to garner attention.

Disappointing.

America learnt the hard war im Vietnam what happens when wars become politicized and used as a tool by some politicians to further their political carreers.

American govenors, senators, mayors etc have no voice when America is at war. Neither do they craft foreign policy for the President or tell the Joint Chiefs how to do their job. Only Congress. Interfere too much you pay the price.