NIGERIA HAS REALLY COME OF AGE – BOMBS IN THE FEDERAL CAPITAL
Nigeria has really come of age – what with the spate of kidnappings including primary school children four days to the N7billion carnival, in the run up to the 50th independence anniversary celebration that culminated in the senseless killing of innocent revellers through the detonation of a bomb in Abuja. Yes, Nigeria has really come of age and did celebrate in style by spilling blood in Abuja, far away from the theatre of war in the Niger Delta, where perceived grievances are settled through the use of brutal force against the innocent. The south-south is really in charge of the affairs of the country as attested to by the ease of access the bombers have into the capital city despite the heavy presence of security men all along the road from the Niger Delta to Abuja. Though this is not the first time the militants “invaded” the seat of government because earlier this year they were given “safe passage” by the powers that be to come and terrorise people on the Airport road when traffic was brought to standstill for more than three hours. If anyone entertains doubts about the assertion that Niger Delta militants are in charge of the country, the defense put up by Goodluck on behalf of MEND should leave no one in doubt though MEND chose to disclaim him.
The double standards of the government in handling security situations in Nigeria can be attributed to this brazen show of bravado by these vagabonds, who believe they hold the country by its jugular. This state of affairs began with Obasanjo’s cuddling of killers and rewarding them with government patronage and appointments. OPC killers like Gani Adams who was once purportedly declared wanted by the Police surfaced at his own sweet time only to be appointed into a so-called Leaders of Thought Committe by the same government that declared him culpable for the mass killings that then swept the south western part of the country. Rather than being taken to court like those accused for attempted murder Gani Adams was treated as a conquering hero returning from a war of attrition. Then in 2009 after the army overran the compound of one of the warlords, a certain Tompolo, the government halted military operations and granted amnesty to murderers who never gave any amnesty to their victims. The military will have routed these oil thieves by now and Nigerians will be the better off for it. But what do we have now? Since the release of their armourer – Henry Okah – and the fortuitous ascension of Goodluck to the number one seat, we have seen heightening of activities by these crooks. Two weeks ago I had cause to comment on Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration speech. In enumerating his achievements since ascending the ‘throne’, the president mentioned the provision of security for life and property as one area he has excelled. We have now seen the level of the security we have attained under Goodluck.
With the surfeit of security men on our highways and airports, I think Nigerians deserve explanation on the way and manner the bombs were smuggled into Abuja. No one will convince me that there is no official connivance in all these. While discussing with a friend during the earlier ‘invasion’ of Abuja by the militants, most of whom came in Bayelsa State Transport Company buses, I told him that I was of the opinion that some highly placed people must have brought them to Abuja to make a diabolical point. It was my very strong believe that were they to be some bearded, gown wearing mallams in just one bus, they will have been promptly arrested at the first road block they encountered on their way to Abuja and labelled Boko Haram terrorists.
What have we actually celebrated? Is it the resurgence of ethnic assertiveness which has taken a dangerous turn as exemplified by the increase in kidnappings and bombings by criminal elements masquerading as freedom fighters? This can be seen in the emergence of the Boko Haram group, a group of people disgruntled with the way and manner the country is being run and the way social justice is dispensed to different parts of the country under the same set of circumstances. While oil thieves and illegal bunkerers, who turned to kidnappings and murder, are treated with kid gloves, glamorised as heroes by the media and given red carpet reception by the government. Boko Haram, the group that nearly resembled the Niger Delta militants in terms of brutality in the north, on the hand, were hunted and killed like rabid dogs. We all remember the footage aired by Aljazeera sometimes back where policemen were seen killing helpless people with glee. We have seen how Mohammed Yusuf and Baba Fagu after their arrest while Tompolo, Boyloaf and their likes were treated like royalty.Is it this enclave mentality that we just celebrated or the inherent lack of justice that turn otherwise sensible people to beast? Or is it the lies fed to Nigerians by its callous leadership that was worth celebrating?
Goodluck Jonathan’s government is blaming the South African government for the blasts – but what has the government of Nigeria done with the information they claimed was passed to them by the British government which in turn they said was passed to the South Africans? Did they passed the information to the South Africans and then went ahead with their preparations for their jamboree leaving others to do their work for them? What did our government do after learning from its media friends about the press statement sent media houses by MEND in which the bandits claimed to have planted explosives in cars and trash cans in and around the Eagle Square, venue of the celebration? Why are we looking for scapegoats and spoiling for a fight with another country because of our ineptitude and irresponsibility? Why did we allow Okah to leave the country in the first place knowing his antecedents? Truth be told, I don’t trust our leaders or what they say. Our president is on record as a man who signed an agreement when it suits his then purpose only for him to turn round and disclaim what carried his signature. If his signature is not worth a dime to him, why would his word mean anything to me?
I would have joined Goodluck in celebrating if what we were to celebrate includes the geometrical growth of corruption, the phenomenal rise in banditry, kidnappings, darkness, unsolved murders, dilapidated infrastructures, vote rigging and such other vices nurtured by the government. We would have been honest with ourselves by celebrating our achievement of joining such nations like Mexico and Colombia as a haven for kidnappers; or Somalia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq as countries whose breakfast consists of the occasional explosions and human entrails on the street as part of the scenery. Let’s not kid ourselves – we just blew up in firecrackers. We certainly don’t have anything to celebrate.
