Now that the storm that we intentionally generated
in order to obfuscate the issues raised by governor Murtala H. Nyako of Adamawa
State is gradually settling down, one may now comment on the issues raised and
the predictable reactions from supporters and apologists of a federal
government increasingly becoming insensitive, disconnected and haughty to the
feelings, yearnings and expectations of Nigerians. It has become very predictable that whoever
questioned the way the country is governed, or raised issues of fundamental
importance to the well-being and safety of Nigerians, becomes fair game to
presidential Rottweilers. Sadly, I am
forced to look at the government’s reactions to issues pertaining the northern
region of the country or northerners from a northern perspective. Goodluck Jonathan has ensured that issues are
now viewed from sectional prisms, no matter how nationalistic one pretends to
be. Much as I dislike being
compartmentalised, I am forced to do the compartmentalisation myself. The government of Goodluck Jonathan has
succeeded in turning me into a regionalist
A Facebook post by Hauwa Abbas got me thinking
along these lines. According to Mrs
Abbas, Jonathan has never been hesitant in taking decisive action where a
northern appointee of his is found wanting (by their standards). Her thesis is informed by the “premature”
sacking of Ahmed Ali Gulak (one of the Rottweilers), Jonathan’s Political
Advisor and ethnic hate monger in-chief.
I could not see anything wrong in sending Gulak to the political Gulag
that that is his comeuppance but Mrs Abbas’ post got me running to reread
Nyako’s memo. Could it be the genocide
Nyako is talking about is not only limited to the on-going massacre in the
north but may also metaphorically extend to the political realm? Could it be assumed that the destruction of
the political careers of northern politicians is part of the genocidal plans
for the north?
We have seen how fast the federal government
sends its security goons after any northerner that dare criticise the
government of Jonathan. We have seen how
the likes of Nasir El-Rufa’i, and Dr. Junaid Mohammed were “invited’ by the
powers that be at the Yellow House, the headquarters of the Department of State
Security, for their predictions if the 2015 elections is rigged. Whatever the duo might have said to raise the
danger antennae of the government pale into insignificance when compared to
what Edwin Clark, Dokubo Asari, Ann-Kio Briggs and, ironically, Ahmed Ali Gulak
said would happen in the event Jonathan doesn’t get a second offering of the
national cake. We are yet to hear the
same ‘invitations’ extended to them by the DSS.
Unless George Orwell’s Animal Farm
is now our constitution.
The north is under siege – I have said this
several times and I still believe the region is under siege by forces, which
the government may know about or not. If
the government is aware of those bent on destroying the region but choose to be
inactive, then the government is complicit by its inaction. On the other hand if they are not aware of
those perpetrating the massacres and destructions, then they are equally
complicit by their failure to uphold the oath of office they took to protect
the lives and properties of Nigerians wherever they may be. Whichever way you look at it, the government
must be ready to answer questions posed by Nigerians, whatever their station in
life, particularly those who live in and around the epicentre of the killings
and destructions.
The questions raised by Nyako in his memo
are reflective of everyday discussions by northerners. The way and manner the
federal government reacts to misfortunes in the north or to northerners raises
concern among the people of the region and leads to such speculations. I have had cause to raise such questions in
my past commentaries like how General Shuwa was murdered right in front of
soldiers; how these beasts can operate within a specific location for hours
without the fear of interruption by security personnel whose main brief in the
north east appear to be the harassment of hapless civilians. The Buni Yadi bloodbath, the attack on the
Maiduguri Airforce Base, the attack on Bama and other villages and the most heinous
of all – the abduction of about 276 school girls. All these happen in a state that is essentially
under the jackboots of the military. We
are told the insurgents move freely in a convoy of more than twenty cars in the
night when a curfew is supposed to be in place.
We all know one can hardly take a sick person to a health facility
without being molested by the “guardians” of the curfew – how come these
killers have safe passage without being challenged?
How do the insurgents replenish their
supplies – food, arms, fuel and other daily consumables for them to live the
life they are alleged to be living? As a
retired Naval four-star general; a former chief security officer; a former
Naval chief; a former Deputy Chief of Defence Staff and at his age and with his
accomplishments, I find it difficult to comprehend why Nyako should be accused
of playing to the gallery. So no matter
what politics one professes, when the likes of Nyako speaks on security
matters, one is compelled to listen.
Presidential attack dogs made up of the likes Ali Gulak, Doyin Okupe and
Edwin Clark won’t keep their mouth long enough to appreciate the gravity of
what the retired Admiral is saying. The
Navy of yore was never involved in oil theft or providing covering fire to oil
thieves. They were through bred
professionals unlike what we have now – glorified ethnic warlords who happened
to find themselves at the right end of a gun.
The other concern raised by many northerners
is the “to hell with you attitude” of the federal government on anything or
anyone to do with this part of the country.
This leads to the insensitivity exhibited by Jonathan and his sidekicks
whenever any misfortune befalls the region.
A case in point is the act of dancing and rejoicing in Kano a day after
over 75 souls were lost to nihilists and about 275 school girls vanished into
thin air. To rub it in for the parents
of the abductees, Patience Jonathan the president’s uncouth wife came out
smoking – practically questioning the veracity of the whole thing. Looking representatives
of the anguished parents straight in the eye, she accused the Borno State
government of organising the kidnap in order to embarrass her husband. As if they need anybody to embarrass them
more than the way they are embarrassing the country in the comity of civilised
world. The position taken by Patience re-echoes
that of Kema Chikwe, the Women Leader of the PDP, Jonathan’s party. Such
heartlessness. I wish their daughters were
among them. They wouldn’t have been careless
with their mouths.
We were told that Patience’s foster father
in-law was kidnapped and we believed and prayed for his release; the nation was
informed that the first son of Edwin Clark was equally kidnapped; we again
believed and prayed for his safe return.
But Jonathan and his spouse are now accusing the victims of “embarrassing”
his government by those against his 2015 ambition. Such cheek!
Such callousness! For good
measure, they tried introducing the religious card by insinuating that the
girls were abducted because they are Christians. For those who may not know, Chibok is a predominantly
Christian community.
Nyako’s memo succeeded in at least exposing
the cowardly streak in our leaders and also reaffirming the believe of the
average Joe on the northern streets that the Jonathan administration will be
happy seeing him annihilated. While the
questions raised by Nyako resonated with the northern poor, their governors and
political leadership queued up behind Jonathan in pooh poohing the memo. By this singular act, Nyako came out smelling
a bouquet of a million roses, while his colleagues in the north came out
smelling like what the cat brought home.
The earlier we accept the fact that no
amount of denial and condemnations will make the questions go away, the better
for all of us. The questions must be
answered not wished away.
Patience and Jonah, God de woooooooooh!
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