Nigeria: Where are we going?
One morning a man woke up from
sleep and called his wife and four children to come out for morning devotion
after which he hurried out to clean his car in readiness for the day activity. Chukwuma
a native of Umulolo in Okigwe Imo state left his house early that bright and
promising day bearing in mind that he have to get money from wherever to pay
school fees of his two children that are studying in University of Abuja.
On Wednesday June 25th,
2014 bomb blast was heard at Emab Plaza in Abuja killing tens of people and
destroying property worth millions. Chukwuma’s death was announced as a victim
of the blast among others. Sun, joy, happiness of a family have been suddenly
removed and jeopardizing the future of the children.
Nigeria has become another Afghanistan.
Where should we go from here? Living in total uncertainty is now the order of
the day and gradually becoming dominant way of life. Does it mean that minority
can actually remove sleep from the eyes of the majority? Does it mean that Boko
Haram is actually wining this war of spreading terror to all parts of the
country?
Just the other day, the Catholic
Diocese of Enugu banned women from attending masses (church services) with
handbags for security reasons. They (Boko Haram) are actually winning this war.
What can be done that have not been done to flush out these miscreants? Or is
the government and armed forces incapable of flush these miscreants from the
system of Nigeria? Should we leave this entity (Nigeria) to another place? Is there
any other country we can truly call our own? Should we continue to fold our
hands while politicians play politics with our lives? Or should we just hand
over the situation to God and go to our homes while our men, wives and girls
are being killed, kidnapped and raped.
One thing is certain….We cannot
continue like this anymore. Sometimes I am tempted to call out the youths for
war against Boko Haram. But on a second thought, I ask myself….. Who is really
the actual enemy of the people? Is it the field soldiers that execute the plans
or the sponsor of the plans?
One BBC survey revealed that most
of the executors of Boko Haram activities are not members of the group but paid
assailants. It is time Nigerians begin to make move to bring to book the
funders of Boko Haram activities instead of just catching the foot soldier. Due
to the presence of many factors (Unemployment, poverty etc) limiting the
capability of some marginalized groups such as youths, these bourgeois
(Unscrupulous politicians and religious fanatics) will continue to have ready
market to recruit executors of their selfish intrigue.
This country is for all of us. I see
a time when people will once again walk on the streets of Abuja and other parts
of the country without fear of being killed by suicide bombers. However before
that time will come, government must rise up to its primary duty of protecting
lives and property by fearlessly fishing out the sponsors of Boko Haram and
other criminal element in other to restore peace and security to the country. Security
is every bodies business therefore all hands must be on deck to flush out these
enemy of the people and return the country to what it used to be.
Long live the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.
Okechukwu Ajaegbu
Search for Common Ground
