by Wilfried Okichie

Abandoning victims to their fate after the first photo op is callous and does not portray us as a people with regard for citizens. 

The high density El Rufai park in Nyanya, a suburb of the nation’s capital Abuja was recently hit by a deadly bomb explosion. Terror insurgents Boko Haram have since claimed responsibility for the incident. About 86 people lost their lives and hundreds more suffered from various morbidities resulting from the blast. President Goodluck Jonathan visited the scene and was seen talking about imbibing a culture of security consciousness. The very next day, while Nigerians were still coming to terms with the tragedy, Mr President was at a political rally in Kano state, dancing and making merry as he welcomed a political nonentity, Ibrahim Shekarau and his travelling cohorts back to the Peoples Democratic Party fold. And then, he was in Ibadan, Oyo state to felicitate with the ruling monarch who was celebrating his centenary birthday.

While the president has been largely criticized for his gross insensitivity to the plight of the governed – and rightfully so – placing the blame for the poor handling of the Nyanya tragedy as well as the near-disastrous response to the abduction of over 230 girls from their school, a government college in Chibok, Borno state squarely on the federal government as led by Mr Jonathan obscures the larger society’s failings in looking out for ourselves. Indeed Mr President is not the only one who has been found wanting in the immediate and long-term response to emergencies and national disasters.

As the nation’s chief security officer there is no doubt that the buck stops at his table and he should take sacred the responsibility of protecting every Nigerian citizen. Tragedies like the Nyanya bombing and the Chibok abduction only point towards a break down in the institutional processes that should protect citizens and an immediate, effective response is the least the country can do for the unfortunate victims.

The medical response to emergency is critical and we have been found severally wanting in this regard. Equipping the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA ) and training health workers on basic life support skills will go a long way in reducing avoidable complications. Prompt response by these emergency workers and immediate triaging of victims according to medical needs will ensure that more lives are saved. The matter of handling and moving corpses should also be looked into. It is sad that in the year 2014, as evident in the aftermath of Nyanya, overwhelmed rescue workers piled charred bodies, one on top of the other while awaiting means of ferrying them away from the scene. There is no reason we should not join the rest of the civilized world to make use of body bags and stretchers to transport our dead. There should be dignity even in death.

Tragedies must not obscure the need to be humane and as such, I would like our media to be united in reporting a single casualty figure. Painstaking efforts should be made to go beyond the initial estimations and document an exact figure. More importantly, the names should be made public with current status updates so that survivors and relatives can find closure and authorities can be guided accordingly. It is disheartening that weeks after, names of the missing Chibok girls have not been properly compiled to get an exact number.

Abandoning victims to their fate after the first photo op is callous and does not portray us as a people with regard for citizens. Complaints of survivors lacking food, water or other necessities should not even come up throughout the duration of their recuperation period.

Politicians and rabble rousers looking to profit from tragedies like these should be heckled and shamed into sober reflection. Characters like the PDP spokesperson Olisa Metuh and his ACN counterpart Lai Mohammed should not be allowed to pollute the national mood with their selfish bickering and distasteful political posturing. How it occurs to them to attempt profiting from tragedy is confounding and totally unreflective of the Nigerian spirit. House of Representatives majority leader Mulikat Akande who was pictured merrily handing out wads of cash to Nyanya bomb victims at the Asokoro General Hospital should be ashamed of herself. So also should Governor Murtala Nyako for his odious letter to his fellow Northern colleagues accusing the president of genocide. Some things should be above politicking.

Then we should talk about the army’s failure to counter the kidnappers’ tactics, choosing instead to expose themselves to ridicule by announcing the rescue of the girls even while they were as far away as possible from victory. It is pertinent to note that no one has been held responsible for this lapse in judgement, no public sanctions have been threatened and no one has been relieved of their duties for an error so grave.

#BringBackOurGirls may be a trending topic now but time was when our local media appeared to have moved on from reporting the tragedy, as if there could be anything more important on a nation’s burner than over 230 abducted girls. Thankfully the international interest generated and tenacity in some local quarters have led to renewed efforts to rescue the girls. It is important – for our psyche as well as for the victims – that the press pursues matters like this to a logical conclusion.

And finally Mr President we’re going to need you to lead us. One cannot just wish a truckload of missing girls away and this deafening silence of yours is a disservice to the victims and their families, many of whom voted for you to protect them. From the very first day, proactive action from the presidency should have been activated to comfort Nigerians and reassure the families that no stone would be left unturned in not only finding the girls, but bringing the perpetrators to book. It is disappointing that we have to scream and shout before the government addresses matters it should instintively take the lead on. This definitely does not speak well of us. Waiting 2 weeks after, to promise Nigerians of your resolve to find the girls is not only insensitive, it is disrespectful. And having men like Abba Moro who have lost all credibility among Nigerians speak on the government’s behalf is insulting.

Again we are going to need you to lead us Mr President. We cannot just move on from everything.

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