NIGERIA: A BAD LETTER TO ROME

Again, the 18^th day of March 2013 has witnessed with eyes out on stalks the gruesome killing of over seventy promising souls living out their daily struggles in Sabon Gari bus park, in Kano by the dreaded fundamentalist sect, boko haram. As usual, the police denies that not less than twenty two well-targeted southern commuters were killed and the government while condemning such barbaric act reiterates its position over the insecurity in the state. 
    You see, it baffles me as often as it comes to my mind to ponder over the daunting developmental situation our country has seen since independence. In fact, one easily wonders why sovereignty was sought in the first place. Was our so-called federalism structured to subjugate the people under the lethal will of de facto politicians, or was it an avenue to harmonize the interest and welfare of the people under one government whose leadership is dictated by the same people.

The crux of this issue considers the spate of shootings and bombings of innocent and bona fide citizens of Nigeria in cold blood in the face of blatant politicking as a Sophisticated Mediocrity and a heavy shortfall of people-oriented political will on the part of our government.

Following our time record since the inception of this present regime to date, an estimation of the death tolls recorded in the north counts in thousands and already the  jihadist group boko haram has persistently acted out that they would not stop until the government accedes to their unattainable  demands. But how can Sharia tenets(as a way of life, not even religion) be enforced in a multicultural republican nation like Nigeria? It is especially impossible in this jet-age.

However, it is unfortunate that in Zamfara state sharia is already the working state constitution and you can imagine the fate of the non-Muslim Hausas there who are now but  moving pieces of pawns bound eternally by growth stalling jungle-justice system. Now the fact that some ex-officio juntas have been indicted including a serving senator Ali Ndume as well as the utterances of some northern leaders like the sultan of Sokoto asking amnesty for boko haram and the government feigning a blind eye is suggestive that this government is insincere and perniciously goading this country to her untimely doom. But against the backdrop of faceless passer-by killers, are these hoodlums actually faceless? NO!

Moreover, noting this state of social instability and insurgency, everyone blames the president since as the CGFR he should by de facto principles be on top of the situation and for the fact that security rates topmost in the scheme of national welfare. In the light of this lapse, some quarters believe that there might be some political undertones and strongholds tying the hands of our CGFR to his back and leaving him visiting crisis areas only after mayhem is meted out. Could it be due to self-serving political interest or just a crippled leadership will?

With due respect to all our well-meaning politicians who worth their salt, instead of devaluing life by paying peanut compensations for its preventable and irrecoverable loss, rise up to the occasion, investigate, interrogate, indict and prosecute adequately anyone found wanting of sedition, treason or/and rebellion, directly or indirectly involved in the current insurgency or any form of social or political corruption. In doing this, the police, customs, immigration and SSS must be overhauled as they should answer for the influx of illegal life-dashing weapons into the country. If employment with deployment to porous boarders and crisis hotspots is another way forward, yes!!

On the other hand, if the integrity of our security forces cannot be trusted, why play spurious diplomacy by discouraging foreign aid? If the presidency continues to deny that Nigeria is not bedeviled by terrorism before sister nations who have specialized in anti-terrorist attacks yet still remains incapable of quelling the activities of these jihadists, then a dangerous slop toward anarchy cannot be avoided.

With all these on ground, it is unheard-of that some self-pleasing politicians are talking about 2015 re-election. If we are to be persuaded, is it when the north is eroding to lifelessness, and the economy rapidly dwindling down due to flight of investors, kidnapping due to expensive and  moribund educational system and joblessness, poverty and disease due to youth neglect and soon anarchy due to political corruption and shameful presidential tolerance and pardon of fat-pocket criminals and all worth not?….mtcheew