by Cheta Nwanze

….you form a group and terrorise citizens; kill a few of them, nothing happens; kill you a few security officers, nothing happens; security agency “forgives” you, and you’re left to your devices. What is worse, the widows left behind by said security agents are left practically destitute. Then people expect the security agents to risk their lives to fight the terrorists? 

I don’t believe in false pride. The problem has been allowed to fester for too long. We are dealing with monstrosity, the kind we’ve never known before. – Wole Soyinka

There were a few rather interesting interviews yesterday, one was #DoyinOkupe on CNN, telling the world that Nigeria has “every capability of getting the girls back home”, shortly before Nigeria accepted a US offer for help. Two things jump out at me: first, that #DoyinOkupe failed to see the contradiction in his own position. Second the possibility that the Amis know more about our own terrain than we do. Sadly, as history shows, getting the Amis out once you’ve let them in is not the easiest thing to do, and they, in their own little way tend to mess things up as well. But when your government only begins to show some lethargic motion, three weeks after girls have been forcibly removed from their school, it’s probably better to let serious people come in and recover the other batch that was taken yesterday as opposed to waiting another three weeks, and getting subjected to more tears and blame.

The blame game, being something that our elite are so good at, one wonders who will be blamed for the fact that a year later, and the widows of slain Nigerian security officers are still awaiting their compensation. I don’t know if it’s just me, but sometimes, stopping these little critters before they become monsters is the wisest thing to do. #BokoHaram could have been nipped in the bud as far back as 2003 when they had a clash with the people of Kanama in Yobe state over a fish pond. But at the time you see, Bukar Abba Ibrahim’s son was a member, and being that his Daddy was Yobe state governor, nothing happened to sonny boy’s pals. No one has been brought to book for killing 100 Nigerian security officers. As a matter of fact, the SSS has forgiven the Ombatse cult.

So, let’s look at this logically: you form a group and terrorise citizens; kill a few of them, nothing happens; kill you a few security officers, nothing happens; security agency “forgives” you, and you’re left to your devices. What is worse, the widows left behind by said security agents are left practically destitute. Then people expect the security agents to risk their lives to fight the terrorists? Wake me up when September ends.

Bits and Bobs
When people lose faith in the state, they take laws into their own hands. This, an unnamed woman, found out the hard way in Abule-Egba, Lagos, yesterday. May God have mercy on her soul. Also yesterday, another sign of loss of confidence in the ability of the state, this time to disseminate information: a rumour of a bus hijacking at a school caused pandemonium in Nyanya, Abuja. Let’s face it, #BokoHaram will be with us for a long time, so we need to focus on ways to cut their recruitment base. Building railways is one. If this, is the only achievement of the World Economic Jamboree kicking off in Abuja today and it is seen through, then it’s a job well done.

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Right of Reply

Elv Obue wrote,

It is amazing how you make jest of and criticize the first lady’s effort to help put an end to a menace so sore to everyone’s heart.
The FL’s effort has revealed impersonation by a supposed high ranking civil servant and has pointed out areas of irresponsibility or worse still a likelihood of connivance on d part of some persons which creates further doubt on the correctness of the whole story as most reasonable and fact-fetching minds already suspected.
I think we should generally be very objective when it comes to national issues regardless of our biases; this I thought you used to do, but you went too trivial this time.

Chxta responds,

Dear Elv,

Proper investigators should have thoroughly questioned all witnesses to get the full picture of what happened a long, long time ago. This is a very serious matter and the first lady should not be involved with the investigation. Her job is best served providing emotional support to the families affected, and not pointing fingers.
We must also learn to be truthful. The big problem here is the fact that our government, and yes, that includes both parties, rather than sort problems, chooses to play politics with everything. That also means that there is a tendency to see a political undertone to every and any thing. Ergo, no action because everything must have been done by political enemies. That is all I will say on this matter.

Schola Ijekeye wrote,

On the issue of the missing girls, some things don’t add up. No one has published names of the girls or their pictures since they are supposedly SSCE candidates, the school should have their records. How then is the government going about their search, with what data?
It’s a shame that Okonjo-Iweala had to perform the role of the president in calling for international help in looking for the girls. More reason to think wisely towards the upcoming elections.

Chxta responds,

Again, a point is missed here. There was a gag order given after the fiasco of the Army at first claiming it had rescued most of the girls. More importantly, the responsibility for providing security and for investigating security breaches lies with the state, not with the parents. But I maintain my position. This is no time to apportion blame. Find the girls first, and then do the soul searching.
It is both maddening, and interesting at the same time, that it took this story going viral internationally, before our own government decided that it was worth any attention.

Olawunmi Olajide-Awosedo wrote,

Our people are now so immune to corruption that we even justify it as “petty stealing,” and we don’t want to shout too much, or hold anybody to account too vigorously because everybody is waiting for their own turn to “chop inside”. That is why no one expresses outrage when billions are discovered to be “missing”. In a civilized country, news that even $2billions cannot be accounted for will result in a mass “Occupy Everywhere” campaign until the money miraculously strolls back into sight. Here, we are engaging in speculation as to the quantum of money missing, but we are not upset about the actual substance, which is the fact that part of our national cake has gone missing, while our people are starving and dying of curable illnesses in the darkness of PHCN blackouts, and drinking well-water to quench our thirst. Our people are shuffering and shmiling, and looking forward to another election year, when instead of voting out our delinquents, people are looking forward to the bags of rice and beans that will be handed out as “campaign goodies”. In other words, the cycle is set to continue.
Someone said Fela must be smiling in his grave – I think not. I believe the late sage is weeping for his people, and wondering if things will ever improve. We are living in dark times….

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Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.