Muhammadu Buhari: We Will Stop Boko Haram

It is very soothing to 'hear' Nigeria's president elect say the right things. A very critical component of good leadership is saying the right things and then doing them. Conveying to the people a sense that the country's leadership gets it! This is a welcome change.

I think he makes it too complicated. “Chibok” (meaning something much larger) belongs to Nigeria—IF Nigeria will defend it; IF Nigerians will fight for it, which may mean dying for it; if they will not, it will belong to those who will. In this life, what one can’t or won’t protect will not long remain his.

Ha! How will he do it? The 200 girls kidnapped a year ago are still missing and the 'mighty' Nigerian military is still cowering in the barracks.

We will stop Corruption. That's the deep-root of Nigeria's problem. Boko Haram is symptomatic. Massive crude oil theft in the fields is symptomatic. Stealing of oil revenue at the NNPC is symptomatic. Ghost and Inflated procurement thefts in the bureaucracy at every tier of government is symptomatic. Electoral fraud perpetration by politicians, assisted by electoral umpires and legitimized by rogue judiciary is symptomatic.

We will stop Corruption. That's should be the New Covenant. Boko Haran is the outcome of Corruption. When we stop Corruption we will stop Boko Haram. Can we defeat Corruption militarily? Stopping Boko Haram requires asymmetrical warfare. Ending Corruption requires asymmetrical warfare. The coalition and consensus of the elites and the people to fight and win the War Against Corruption. Then we will stop Boko Haram.

We will stop Corruption. We will stop Corrupt Akpabio. The governor of Akwa Ibom, Mr Godswill Akpabio personifies Corruption in Nigeria. Another "Boko Haram" is building in Akwa Ibom. The people of Akwa Ibom will resist Corruption of Akpabio's misrule and imposition of his stooge Udom Emmanuel.

President-Elect Muhammadu Buhari, your job is well cut out. End Corruption. You will Stop Boko Haram. End Corrupt Akpabio. You will stop emerging "Boko Haram" in Akwa Ibom

Overall it seems like a good and sober acknowledgement of the problem, but it seems to ignore that much of the success of Boko Haram is due to the overly iron-fisted response that Nigeria has shown in combating terrorism. From what I've read, their army tends to be feared almost as much as the terrorists as they go into every village with guns blazing and a shoot first ask questions later attitude, with very little attention to the important subtleties of counterinsurgency tactics. Simply stating that "we will defeat them militarily and then educate people to stop them from joining" ignores that the manner in which they are militarily combated will have a large effect on the number of people who continue to join them.

I am SO jealous! Here's an authentic national leader determined to take care of a problem, and not just lie about solving it in videos 29 times to sneak something nobody would knowingly support past the voters!

We must investigate what authentic nationalist environment produced such a leader and encourage it. The other kind of ''leader'' - sadly, we already have FAR too many of! Trade? Nigeria? Israel? Poland? Anyone wanna trade leaders?

Congratulations sir, and best wishes.

One wonders why the Times would provide President-elect Buhari with an international forum to pursue a continuation of the Nigerian presidential election campaign and the dissing of the outgoing president as much as it is deserved.

There is nothing new in this screed and Nigerians and Nigeria's friends are looking for actions not big-man words and the principal indicator of a new Nigeria will be the degree to which the new president governs justly and honestly. Talk as they say, is cheap.

Africa has suffered miserably at the hands of terrorists and brutal dictators. It is so encouraging to see an African leader take the offensive and implement policies that will hopefully eliminate the seeds that create terrorism.

Notice that not once in his essay did Mr. Buhari mention religion in any way or make references to religious doctrine. That is highly encouraging. By not speaking, he is speaking loudly.

This is precisely the attitude that will be required to win the war against terrorists that use religion as an excuse for their brutality. His battle will be fought for justice and freedom, not sacred rights.

Nowhere in the Arab world is his position being taken. It's all my god is better than your god which gives me the right to annihilate you.

We need to get behind this guy. He looks like he could be a winner. Our success rate in the region could get a big boost by backing winners instead of losers. We certainly have backed far too many losers. Now, a bit of foreign aid and military assistance applied in just the right way could result in a huge positive outcome in Nigeria.

Education in Northern Nigeria and Boko Haram - BORGEN
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When I read or heard about the "Kidnap of 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria" last year, I really doubt the story. Why should an army rebels of political aim discredit their reputation with such a stupid/vulgar action? And why the Government never mentioned of special action to rescue the schoolgirls?
I hope that Mr. Muhammadu Buhari immediately start to rescue those 200 schoolgirls and explain to the whole world how and why this KIDNAPPING can happen!!! Mr. Muhammadi Buhari, please be honest to the whole world about the why and how the lot of those 200 girls.
Mr. Muhammadi Buhari, soon I'll be 82 years old and what happened during the Nigerian civil-war of the mid-sixties was a main theme of our discussions.
We saw horrible/disgusting pictures brought by some journalist/people and we were active to collect many things to be sent by certain organization to your country. Congratulation and I hope that you are willing and can do what you think are good for the Nigerian people. junpang

It is good to learn that Buhari comprehends the urgency of defeating Boko Haram. I am also happy to read that he understands that safety in the North East necessitates much more than a military solution. That said, education while incredibly important is not enough. Buhari's administration will need to urgently tackle the economic marginalisation and underdevelopment of the North East. It is not effective to have well-educated people who have no way of making a living. Education is not an automatic gateway out of poverty; it is only one component of economic and social development. There needs to be real investment in both physical and social infrastructure in the North East and there needs to be jobs. The administration also needs to institute a transitional justice program that brings both militants and soldiers, yes, soldiers, to account for their gross violations of human rights. Nigeria will have no true peace until there is justice.

well, we pray that the 'talk' in this article will result in ACTION on the part on Nigeria and NOT depend on the tax money of US citizens and the lives of it's military.

Godspeed to Nigeria in this multi-faceted struggle!

The Jonathan "administration" was comatose, populated by ghosts, not acting in the face of deadly threat and action; not even speaking out. This perversion of government was never sufficiently well reported as the enabler it was of the Boko Haram. Apparently, Nigerians knew, and have put into place someone ready, at the minimum, to speak out. May the Buhari administration have the determination and stamina to carry out the program suggested in this op-ed.

He seems much more serious about governing the country than his predecessor, Goodluck What's-His-Name. At least he doesn't appear to be a fool, with a trademark. He has a reputation for organizational talent, so all we can do is encourage him to use it to its best advantage for Nigeria.

The creation, maintenance, and meaning of Boko Haram begins and ends with Nigeria. It is a profounding dysfunctional country, and Boko Haram is a symptom more than the problem itself.

That is not to minimize Boko Haram, or justify it, or excuse it. It is to explain that if there was no Boko Haram, there would be something else much like it in its place, because Nigeria is such a mess that there is a place for this in it.

Nigeria barely has a "political life" in the normal meaning of that. It is wild violence, group against group. It is very near a state of nature, the one described by Hobbes as "warre as is of every man against every man" in which life is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."

Nigeria is life of mankind "red in tooth and claw" not because of Boko Haram. Boko Haram exists because Nigeria is red in tooth and claw, existing so near Hobbes' state of nature.

The cure for Boko Haram? Build something civilized in Nigeria, instead of the looting and murder that governs across the whole place now.