‘Ghost fighters’: ‘We are totally unfazed by the harebrained, silly report,’ Nigerian Army replies The Economist

Nigerian Army has said it is ‘undeterred, undistracted and totally unfazed by the harebrained assertions contained’ in the report by the United Kingdom-based news magazine, Saturday, which had labeled the military as ‘ghosts’ in quelling unrest and insurgency in parts of the country.

The Economist report had further accused Nigerian Army officers of selling arms to insurgents, just as as it described the police as poorly trained, corrupt and unprofessional.

The London-based The Economist, further took a scathing assessment at President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, in its editorial, berating the Nigerian leader for fueling increasing instability, through ‘a sick economy and a bumbling government.’

According to the news magazine, President turned the Nigerian economy which was experiencing a shock boom from crude oil into recession through bad economic policies.

Maintaining that the country ‘is sliding towards ungovernability’ following the rise of ‘jihadism, organised crime and political violence’ which have ‘grown so intense and widespread,’ the news magazine also blamed the country’s political class, describing them as ‘cosseted’ and ‘complacent’ in  addressing rising insecurity.

The Economist did not spare the country’s military which it called ‘ghosts’ in the face of mounting unrests and their inability to meet the challenges due to some factors it listed as including, demoralization, poor training, corruption and unprofessionalism.

“When violence erupts, the government does nothing or cracks heads almost indiscriminately. Nigeria’s army is mighty on paper. But many of its soldiers are “ghosts” who exist only on the payroll, and much of its equipment is stolen and sold to insurgents. The army is also stretched thin, having been deployed to all of Nigeria’s states. The police are understaffed, demoralised and poorly trained. Many supplement their low pay by robbing the public they have sworn to protect,” the Editorial read.

The editorial titled: ‘The crime scene at the heart of Africa,’ also proffered reasons as to why Nigerian youth and most skilled population continued to seek greener pastures abroad, rather than stay in the country, in the same way as it carpeted Buhari’s anti corruption campaign, insisting that the country’s ‘economic troubles are compounded by a government that is inept and heavy-handed.’

However, reacting to the publication in a statement issued by its spokesman, Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu, Nigerian Army, rejected the description of its personnel as ‘ghosts,’ saying the organization ‘is working in a joint environment, has been able to stop ISWAP, a very formidable international terrorist organization in its tracks, in spite of all the obstacles, including arm sale blackouts on its way.’

The statement titled, NIGERIAN ARMY IS WIDELY ACCLAIMED AND GLOBALLY RESPECTED: A REJOINDER TO THE WILD CLAIMS BY THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE REPORT ENTITILED: ‘INSURGENCY, SECCESSIONISM AND BANDITRY THREATEN NIGERIA’ was made available, Saturday.

“The Nigerian Army has been notified of a recent article published in the online version of the “The Economist”, a London based magazine, titled “Insurgency, Secessionism and Banditry Threaten Nigeria” which was ostensibly crafted to denigrate, demonize and destabilize the Nigerian Government. The report also contained some unimaginable slurs targeted at the Nigerian military and the Nigerian Army in particular, to which we would like to respond.

“Even as the real intention of the otherwise respected Economist magazine in publishing such toxic concoctions weaved up as report on Nigerian Government’s response to the multi-faceted security challenges assailing the country is yet to be unraveled, the source of the article is very clear. It is one of those deliberate falsehood and noxious narratives orchestrated by a network of detractors and coven of dark forces working very hard to adorn the Nigerian Army in an unfitting garb of infamy.

“The vile report which the Economist chose to offer its platform for publication, spared no effort in trying to vilify and rubbish the image, character and reputational standing of the Nigerian Army, but failed woefully.

“As a professional, hard-fighting and globally respected institution that has continued to occupy deserved glorious position in the comity of global defence forces, the Nigerian Army is certainly not what the so-called report by the Economist tried to characterize it. Even more ludicrous was the embellishments of the said report by the notorious unprofessional media outlets that were quick to republish the obvious falsehood.

“How is it conceivable that an international magazine worth its name and professional reputation would agree to lend its medium for a hatchet job of an article without as much as committing little effort to finding out the real truth about the Nigerian Army? How is it imaginable that the Nigerian Army that has distinguished itself as a worthy contributor to global peace and security through regional, continental and international peace keeping and peace support operations would be characterized as “Mighty on paper”? How can the Nigerian Army that has restored democracies, brought peace to troubled lands and stabilized the sub-region through the dint of hard work, commitment to duty, discipline and professionalism be so denigrated?

“Is it the ‘ghost soldiers’ of the Nigerian Army that have weathered the storm of terrorism and insurgency of Boko Haram and Islamic State of West African Province Terrorists (ISWAP) in the north eastern part of the country and parts of the Lake Chad region?

“In case the Economist magazine and those who fed it all the lies it published do not know, the Nigerian Army working in a joint environment, has been able to stop ISWAP, a very formidable international terrorist organization in its tracks, in spite of all the obstacles, including arm sale blackouts on its way. “The Economist and its ilk ought to have known that the Nigerian Army has long distinguished itself as a professional force that does not toy with accountability nor shirk from its statutory responsibility of defending Nigeria from external aggression or internal insurrection.

“Is it not curious that an otherwise respected international magazine could so easily be sucked in by the antics of conflict merchants and agents provocateurs who are uncomfortable with the steadfastness, patriotism, unwavering commitment, sacrifice, ruggedness and resoluteness of the Nigerian Army in stamping out terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes assailing the country and the West African sub-region? How the Economist magazine failed to do simple due diligence on the said fabricated report is worth interrogating by those who are interested in distinguishing between rogue journalism and professional one.

“Let it be known to the Economist magazine and those who concocted the lies they published that the gallant officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army are undeterred, undistracted and totally unfazed by the harebrained assertions contained in that silly report,” the statement read.