Protesting wives – The Nation

•The Nigerian Army and government should address the root of these spousal objections

In a most unanticipated manner, female power, or feminine influence, has emerged as a potent factor in the Federal Government’s counter-terrorism campaign. Within two days, soldiers’ wives staged protests at two barracks in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, insisting that they would not allow their husbands to go to battle against insurgents in Damboa and Gwoza, two towns in the state that continue to witness heavy fighting between the country’s troops and members of the Islamist guerilla force, Boko Haram. It is worth considering the possible moral influence of the wives on their husbands.

Remarkably, these protests at Maimalari Barracks and 21 Armoured Brigade, Giwa Barracks, reportedly involved about 100 women who actually blocked movements into the barracks and caused quite a stir. One of them, who captured the reason for their action was quoted as saying: “Those that their breadwinners were killed in the course of defending their fatherland are suffering; the government has not done anything for them to alleviate their sufferings.” She also said: “As soldiers, our husbands are supposed to defend their fatherland in the face of both external and internal aggression as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but that could only be done when they are supplied with modern war equipment and properly motivated as obtained in countries in other parts of the world.”

In other words, the objective of the demonstrations was to drive the point home that sending allegedly ill-equipped soldiers to the battlefield amounted to sending them on a suicide mission. This is an unassailable position, and the courage exhibited by the women in carrying out such protests reflected their serious concern and apprehension, which is understandable. It is true that, in the event of fatalities, the wives would have to bear the brunt of the tragedy and deal with the consequences, especially in the context of alleged neglect of such affected families by the military authorities.   Against this background, it was timely and appropriate that they chose to speak out.

There is no doubt that the democratic environment implies an accommodation of such protests, even though it was rather strange and jolting to have civilian women interfering in what should be considered a strictly military affair. It would appear that this was an aberrancy designed to combat an aberration.

It is noteworthy that, in relation to the government’s counter-insurgency operations, there have been public complaints by soldiers themselves on welfare and professional issues. So, the wives were not mere alarmists. Furthermore, it is relevant to recall that a number of powerful and concerned individuals, including the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, had alleged that the Boko Haram fighters were better armed and more motivated than the country’s soldiers, which was said to be responsible for the seeming difficulty in crushing the insurgency. Perhaps expectedly but unconvincingly, the military authorities have continued to deny this grave assertion; however, denial is not enough as the demonstrations by the soldiers’ wives have shown.

Instructively, there are reports that the military this month reclaimed Damboa town, which was seized by Boko Haram in July; and in the case of Gwoza, reports said the military tried unsuccessfully to retake the township from the rebels.

The piercing lesson of the wives’ protests should not be lost on the military authorities, and indeed the government, no matter how shocked they must be that the demonstrations happened.  In fact, the stunning incidents should serve as a wake-up call. Now that issues relating to the terror war have reached this novel height, the military and governmental response should focus less on the odd messengers, the wives, and pay greater attention to the message, which is, arm the soldiers fittingly and effectively, motivate them and take care of the families of those of them who died in the cause of serving the fatherland.