Francesca Uriri: 100 days and counting – We should all be M.A.D like Oby Ezekwesili

by Francesca Uriri

Chibok-girls-video

Depending on what end of the spectrum you stand, the number ‘100’ is a very important one. I’m not sure why this is so; maybe it’s because it’s well-rounded, maybe it’s such a compact, easy to remember number, who knows? In Nigeria, it is especially significant for birthdays, anniversaries, and other similarly memorable events.  The political class are especially fond of this number. It is very common to see elected government officials take out special, full-colour, full-page adverts in the newspapers, celebrating“100 days in office” chronicling their list of (none) achievements.

So here is why I am a bit baffled.

Today marks exactly 100 days since 273 girls were abducted from their secondary school in Chibok, and while I don’t expect to see full-page adverts in the papers, (no, that would be asking for too much), I expect to see some sort of comprehensive, detailed report or analysis that shows why these young women have been missing for over 3 months! More importantly, and from an honest lay-man’s point of view, I expect information on WHEN we should expect their return.

In my opinion, and I stand to be corrected, one of the FEW persons who has shown any kind of consistency and commitment to the release of the Chibok girls is ObyEzekwesili and the other members of the #BringBackOurGirls Coalition. From a seemingly small and unobtrusive daily gathering at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, it morphed into a movement that birthed protests in Nigeria and all over the world. Every day, in the face of growing hostility and resentment from unseen elements, she would assemble with a handful of equally brave, determined and committed people, sporting an article of red clothing, and stand, unyielding, unfazed and unafraid, demanding the release of the girls. Come rain or shine, even in the face of growing harassment, and threats from entities that were meant to protect, she stood firm and confident, resolute in the knowledge that the decision she was taking was the right one. ObyEzekwesili was mad enough to actually DO something to change the status quo.

Prior to that, there had been a lethargic and downright insulting response from the government to the plight of the victims. Accusations and counter-accusations were flung right and centre; from the asinine (no girl was abducted), to the downright ridiculous (opposition parties were to blame), with no one addressing the very serious and very pertinent issue at hand. No concrete decisions were made – at least not to public knowledge. It was (and pardon the expression), a cluster-fuck! Majority of Nigerians supporting the outcry might have well been screaming banshees and disgruntled elements, definitely “unpatriotic” citizens to the country.

Until the infamous hashtag revolution took place, until the discussion moved straight from twitter to CNN, Al-Jazeera and BBC. Of course, at that point, everything broke open. The #BringBackOurGirls campaign went from being a “national problem” to being an international issue. With the harsh glare of international attention beamed directly on them, our government swung into a sickening state of reactive frenzy, climbing on top of one another to release “official statements” and look “concerned.” The resultant effect was that every single member of the government that participated in that charade came across as contrived, dishonest and untrustworthy. Why is it that, up until that point, not one of them had shown any visible sense of urgency or alarm that nearly 300 young women were carted off like sheep to the slaughter? Why did they have to wait till it became a trending topic on social media before showing any regard for the people affected?

Yesterday, the President met with the parents of the abducted Chibok girls and re-iterated his promise to rescue them and rebuild Chibok, I read his op-ed in the Washington Post, and I have seen the pictures of himself and MalalaYousefzai in the papers, where she advocates the release of her “Nigerian sisters.” I take all of this in, and I watch and observe quietly, because only time will tell where it will all go.

I think about people like ObyEzekwesili, how her rage at the existing state of things, made her go out and try to change the status quo. I think about her consistency, her doggedness and determination to stay true to a cause she believes in; qualities we find curiously missing in our leadership class. I think about her as M.A.D – Making a Difference; and I want to be mad too, we should all be mad.

 

About the writer

Francesca Uriri is a Marketing Communications Executive by day and a writer for the rest of the time in between. Tweet at her @zanyfran

Comments (8)

  1. You can keep playing the ‘election/politics’ card if you want but REAL children have been for a hundred days (3 months +). Would you play this card if your sister or daughter had been missing for a 100 days with no real hope of ever seeing her again? Would you give two f***s whether Oby is playing politics or not? Why don’t you start a real campaign if you think hers is all so fake and pretentious! Why don’t we all go home and forget about the missing girls (lest we aid APC in winning the elections!
    )

    1. Ade, take a chill pill. APC has zero chance of defeating GEJ at the polls whether Chibok happened or not. The party is a rag-tag group of disoriented stranger who will disintegrate completely as the election draws near.

      Forget APC. Let us deal with the issue of Oby Ezekwesili and her unwillingness to condemn terrorism.

  2. The views I read here is alarming to say but the least! Some people prefer other to keep quiet and act normal as if things are ok. Some choose to remain silent because they don’t want the government to see them as enemy even for speaking/ say the truth, the obvious. Some result to denial! They put forward the theory of how the girls abduction was an arrangement, a farce or something! Are we really in our right senses? Has the long years of military rule turn us to cowards, senseless human beings? Some of the view above shows how degenerated are as a race! When fifty something boys were butchered/ massacred in their sleep, No body speak up! The presidency’s was totally disgusting. The families of those murdered school boys were left to lick their wounds, on their own! What a nation. Few weeks after the chibok abduction followed, the same conspiracy of silence was employed! It took the effort of a brave and strong woman, Mrs oby Ezekwezili and some other people to call the attention of the nation ditto the world to missing girls plight! It took our dear president 3weeks to make a statement on the abduction of the girls. When their conspiracy of silence did not work, they resulted to denial. Denying that the abduction did not take place was condemnable! Those targeting Madam Due process should know that it could be their turn tomorrow, it could. Be your daughter(s) or mine. Ask them what they have done to see that those girls are brought back home safe and alive, nothing! Shame on those of you that choose to potrail Mrs Oby in a bad light! I pray for the safe return of the girls. I pray for Madam Due process. I pray for Nigeria. GOD BLESS NIGERIA!!!

    1. The truth is that there is no way you can absolve the school authorities and the Borno government of culpability in this scandal. Boko Haram needed comfort women, someone in the school said, ‘I will arrange some for you.’

      The clues and facts of this unfortunate abduction point to an unimaginable negligence on the part of the school authorities and Borno officials.

    2. Ada, I appreciate how you measure your words. It is something hard to find in this environment. It also makes it easy to respond to you.

      The seemingly lack of action… seemingly means that it seem so. But it may not be so.

      When I hear people saying the government did nothing… How do they know this? Did nothing how? When Nigerian soldiers died in this very Chibok attack. How did they do nothing? Is it not this same Chibok battle that led to the death of soldiers leading to the mutiny in the barracks?

      What is the definition of did nothing? Did the Federal Government not close down all schools in these 3 troubled states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe? And relocate the student’s to safer places?

      Why did the APC Borno government open that school, for girls for that matter and fail to inform military authorities to provide protection?

      Those are the questions I expect Oby Ezekwesili to ask. I expect her to call for an investigation of what really happened, since she is so angry. I expect her to widen her mouth and touch on all the parties involved in this mess which include Boko Haram, her APC buddies in Borno, and her APC supporters of Boko Haram.

  3. I totally agree with Terry O, I’m not into politics or who is in what party or not but the very day I heard he comment on the Chibok girls when interviewed by Isha sesay of CNN, I said to myself who is this grammar speaking woman with no concrete point or aim. Next I hear she leads a protest to aso rock demanding that president should come give a speech or whatever, and i’m like who is this hypocrite distracting the government and drawing attention to herself. Why can’t we just see the selfishness in her protest? With Terry’s explanation, it’s very clear where all this is headed. Its just so sad. I have God and my knees to keep praying for God’s intervention in this matter. I have the feeling that this boko haram issue in this country will eventually unite this nation and instill brotherly love in us. I have a dream!!!

  4. The problem I have is where the anger is directed. I think everybody is MAD as hell.

    APC arm of Bring Back Our Girls or Bring Back Our Girls arm of APC led by Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili is directing its anger at Jonathan because they see this as an election. So, in the end they are playing election politics with the victims of terrorism and LEVICK is absolutely right when it branded them psychological terrorists.

    Whereas well meaning people are directing their anger at Boko Haram for kidnapping the girls… then directed some frustration at the military’s inability to end this crisis.

    If Oby Ezekwesili’s child was among the kidnapped girls, I bet you she would be praising Jonathan and the military to the high heavens. She wouldn’t anatagonise him or them in any way, because at the end of the day her wide mouth is not what will bring back the girls, if any, it is the same Jonathan and armed forces that are going to bring back the girls…

    Oby Ezekwesili gives Boko Haram a free pass and in a way legitimises them by her silence against terrorism in itself. While playing her dirty politics of a MAD scramble to control the oil wealth of this country.

    Where is Oby’s anger at Boko Haram and their sponsors who are in the same political bed as she is? Where?

    1. Terry, I think you missed the point. The anger you talked about has nothing to do with election but a seeming lack of real action from government of the day. Remember it took CNN and other international news hounds to awaken the conscience of Nigeria government to make any real attempt at this matter. Before then government has carried on as if nothing was amiss. Recall that even after several weeks of the abduction of the girls according to people living Chibok no security agents were in sight. Also, there was the allegation that security agents were informed before during and immediately after the abduction.

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