By Dele Sobowale

“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.”
General Douglas Macarthur, 1958. (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, p 167).

One of the few lessons I learnt in my early years in the United States was the popular saying that “Politics ends at the border”. Once the US was engaged in hostilities with another country, every patriotic citizen of America was expected to stand solidly behind the President and Commander-in-Chief, C-I-C, of the armed forces. It is my strong belief that America started losing wars when that solid defence broke down.

At first, it was in Korea, where America escaped with a drawn game, as we have always said in Campos Square, Lagos, “1-1 is always a draw”. After a brutal war, lasting years, Korea was divided into North Korea (Communist) and South Korea (Democratic) along the 38th parallel till today. Unfortunately, the Americans did not learn the lesson about how a division on the home-front can spell doom for their war efforts abroad.

I was not in the U.S when the Korean war was fought; neither was I in the country when the Vietnam War started. Along with 50 other Nigerian students, I arrived in 1964 on an American government scholarship called ASPAU. This is not a fairy tale, sir. Ask Professor Bolaji Akinyemi; Dr Kalu Idika Kalu among others who were also recipients of the scholarship.

By the time we got there, the Vietnam war was on  and the division within the country regarding how to proceed was already building up; it escalated to such an extent that Vietnam became the first war America lost outright. Since then, it has not won another one outright because the disagreements about how to proceed start early. Examples include the hasty retreat from Iran during President Jimmy Carter’s administration; its short-lived misadventure in Somalia and now the quagmire in Afghanistan and Iraq which seem destined to end in another humiliation for the world’s mightiest power.

How did I get interested in all these? The credit belongs to the American university education system which forces every student, irrespective of the course being pursued to also take elective courses in other subjects. Sometimes it leads to someone majoring in two areas or collecting his degree in one subject and having a subsidiary discipline.

My major was in Economics; my subsidiary was in International Relations, especially, WAR AND PEACE. It is no coincidence that in my book  VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, war has one of the longest entries. It does, because war is as old as mankind – predating democracy, capitalism, science and most of the things modern man spends a great deal of time considering. Indeed, a study, whose title has escaped my aging brain, revealed that throughout remembered history mankind had been totally at peace for only 55 days!!! That is less than two months, Mr. President.

So war, whether cross-border or civil, or just posturing, such as frequently happens in Korea, must be a perpetual concern of every leader of any nation –whether in war or peaceful. To do otherwise, is to lay the nation and its people, as well as the sovereign, meaning YOU in today’s Nigeria, to mortal danger. Your prime responsibility in this regard is to protect yourself adequately and then protect us.

Back in history, when kings went to war with their soldiers, the war was over when any king is captured or killed. Modern man has refined, to some extent, that arrangement, Obama leads the battle from anywhere in the world and our own General Yakubu Gowon got married while our civil war was going on. But, make no mistake about it, Sir, the primary object of the enemy is still to decapitate the ruler. That is why Libyan rebels are still hunting for Muammer Gaddafi.

What has this got to do with Nigeria or my President? Everything, Sir — if you will permit me to address you that way for the first time. Boko Haram is external aggression against Nigeria masquerading as a religious conflict within the country and almost forcing a deep religious conflict on our country. Of the over 60 million Muslims in the country, not more than 100,000 are involved. So, this is a war Muslims, Christians and even non-believers must win together – with you as leader. I will be right behind you, Mr President….

ATTAH VINDICATED –3
“The truth shall make you free, but first it shall make you miserable”.
(VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p 253).

Governors Bola Tinubu and Attah had to dispose of their investment in ECONET Wireless shares for almost the same reasons. First, Obasanjo withheld their state funds and second ECONET Wireless was in turmoil.

Those with long memories would recollect the boardroom fight which led to the network changing its name to VODACOM only for it to change again in three months leading one wag to title his column VODACOME;VODAGO. Given the enormous investments the two states had in the network, the two governors would have been highly irresponsible not to divest.

To do so, they required agents who must be paid commission. Everything was in perfect order. But, the ingrate director was displeased and wrote a petition to EFCC which investigated and found nothing improper.

In the mean time, thanks to Malam Nuhu Ribadu, then Chairman of EFCC, Tinubu and Attah had been lumped together with Ibori on charges of money laundering. In October 2009, I wrote a series entitled, “V-Mobile Shares:Tinubu, Attah Vindicated” in response to an allegation Ribadu made against Ibori, Tinubu and Attah. I was very careful to limit my defence to Tinubu and Attah. Despite that, political detractors sent me text messages accusing me of defending corrupt people. One of the messages challenged me to show up in court when Tinubu and Attah will be charged. I promised to do so –anywhere in the world.

As it turned out neither Tinubu nor Attah was charged. Instead, it was Attah who took EFCC to court to clear his name once and for all. And, as promised, I was in the Federal High Court, Abuja, on April 19, 2011, when Justice Kolawole in the case Victor Attah filed against EFCC, gave judgment totally in favour of Attah. I have a copy which I intend to keep for ever. My faith in one man, not a member of my family, had been rewarded abundantly. Don’t forget, in my book, “Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation”, Elton Trueblood. (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, p 55). I never doubted Attah; or for that matter Tinubu on the matter.

P.S: When Attah was governor, his house and offices were as busy as any big market; he had more “friends” than he needed. On the day he was finally vindicated in court, only five of us were there to share the joy of victory with him. All those he made rich while in office stayed away.