I will not say that I am particularly happy or saddened that the girl-child rights activist, Malala, stole the #BringBackOurGirls campaigners' show by coming to Nigeria with all of the attendant razzmatazz and red carpet that followed.
I share the belief that her visit might have been conceived in good faith but at the same time postulate that her public relations strategists probably saw the opening after appraising the ill-fated Chibok circumstance in Nigeria to first and foremost further her cause and to secondly give her the much needed media publicity and Nigeria presented the fertile ground.
However, what our countrymen failed to envisage is the fact that her visit once again redirects the spotlight of the entire world on Nigeria giving them a free right of entry to the sad truth that we lack a system that is capable of handling itself in times of emergency.
I tend to agree with pundits and analysts who posit that the visit of the Pakistani Child’s Right activist, Malala Yousafzai, to Nigeria to support the call for the rescue of the over 200 girls abducted by members of the Boko Haram sect was helpful because of the attention it drew to the issue. However, they failed to understand that it equally brought to limelight the weakness of our leadership and the vacillation inherent in Aso Rock.
It is already in the public domain that it was Malala who finally prevailed on the most powerful man in the whole of black race to meet with the parents of the Chibok girls 99 days after their abduction not to even talk about the initial cold denial on part of the Government before coming to terms with the reality that the girls were truly abducted after series of campaigns from the citizens platform, the #BringBringBackOurGirls which has now gained global followership, participation and even secured international help for the country in the rescue effort.
Talking of which the government now considers the #BringBackOurGirls campaigners as opposition elements. The Department of State Security Services labelled them as a franchise. Their crime being that they are putting pressure on government to expedite action on the rescue effort. At least, Malala, a 17 years old Pakistani girl met with the president amidst lots of fanfare, trumpet blast and flourish but when the #BBOG group attempted to meet with the president they were turned back by security operatives and clustered at the Federal secretariat Junction only for the Minister of the FCT, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and other delegates from the Villa to come out and address the group on behalf of the president. The fundamental question is: what did Malala say that had not been said by the #BringBackOurGirls group? Oh! She donated to the cause while the #BBOG group came wielding placards, clad in red. Their stance has since been interpreted as opposition.
In a politically charged terrain like ours, it is very easy to interpret almost every move from the vintage of the forthcoming 2015 general election. It took the government weeks to finally agree that the girls were truly missing after series of denials, accusations and counter accusations. This of course the government must live with and rightly so because, if the military were immediately mobilised, they may have intercepted the girls before they were taken deeper into the forest and now to God knows were.
After 100 days in captivity and still counting, one can only imagine the plight of these girls and the level of damage that may have been caused to their persons, psychic and even their world view. The government has continued to give assurances to Nigerians. However, the people are already tired of all of these assurances without any visible impact. There are still pockets of bombing in various parts of the country. Nigerians are largely afraid and mostly don’t believe in the ability of the government to protect them. People are now living in fear which is obviously the goal of these terrorists. Perhaps the government needs to pause and have a rethink. Maybe there is a need to review the strategies being adopted at the moment. Maybe there is also a need to have a united front and stop looking at the issue from a political point of view.
The recent attack on General Muhammadu Buhari’s convoy in Kaduna speaks volume. It is to me a major opinion changer as political vituperators will now see that this phenomenon is not about Jonathan as wrongly suggested. Perhaps one of the reasons why this insurgency has continued to linger is because of political alienation. The ruling Peoples Democratic Party has severally accused the All Progressives Congress of having sympathy for Boko Haram, thus, alienating its key stakeholders from decisions that could help in seeing the country through this quagmire.
Thousands of lives are being lost daily to this insurgency which appears to be overwhelming our military. The questions we are not asking at this point are: do we have the capacity to tackle these insurgents? Are our men in the frontline of this battle properly motivated? What are the insurance they have should something happen on the war front? Are their families covered? These and many more questions are begging for answers.
The recent request for $1 Billion to fight Boko Haram has equally generated a lot of controversies. A lot of money has been budgeted for security in the last few years. Why are we not seeing its bearing on the ongoing campaign? Does any part of this fund even get to the guys in the frontline of the raging battle? Or some bureaucrats sit in their alcoves in Abuja and divert these funds? All of these questions must also be answers and satisfactorily so, before we can start thinking of any additional spending.
However, in spite of my puckered brow at Malala’s visit and its grand impact on the presidency, I dare say that Nigerians should thank her for directing and pushing our president into doing the right thing. Her visit was definitely a push on the quest to find and bring back the Chibok girls. It has added another strong voice to the #bringbackourgirls campaign thus making it a win-win for the local #BringBackOurGirls group here in Nigeria.
The scenario also makes me agree with analysts who held that Malala was smart enough to have cashed in on an exigent and terrorizing incidence thus, turning it into a prospect which has given her not only international attention and rave reviews but an opportunity to contribute and use her wisdom to redirect and rejuvenate our government’s dithering. The lesson to draw from all of this is that experience should fear the strength of the youth.
Beyond all of these, the government must know that its major responsibility is the protection of lives and property of its citizenry. It is therefore apt to suggest that the government be proactive in doing same. This is because citizens are beginning to lose faith in the ability of government to protect them, not knowing where to run to for help. This is the unholy paradox. We don’t have to wait for another Malala to suggest when, why and how our state affairs should be run. It is a bit embarrassing. Moving forward, I really pray that we triumph over this hydra headed beast that is threatening our corporate existence.
Politicians irrespective of their divide and affiliations must realise that it is their country too. Like Abraham Lincoln once said: “I like to see men proud of the place in which they live”. The fact is that we can't all be presidents, all parties can’t produce a president at the same time, but we can all be patriots. And I believe that patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime. Hence now that we are confronted by a common enemy, all Nigerians irrespective of political party or ideology must unite so that we can win this war.
The government must stop interpreting genuine moves by citizens which are guaranteed in a democratic milieu as opposition. The politics of 2015 must not becloud our sense of reasoning. And I suggest that our political elites come out of their political cocoons to confront this common enemy and defend the country. This is because a man's country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle; and patriotism is loyalty to that principle. At this point, the south cannot say that it is a northern problem and let them face it.
Nigeria is much more than a geographical fact. It is a political and moral fact - the first community in which men set out in principle to institutionalize freedom, responsible government, and human equality. We need a Nigeria with the wisdom of experience. But we must not let Nigeria grow old in spirit. We must not allow another Malala to come and show us the way. What we need are critical lovers of Nigeria - patriots who express their faith in their country by working to improve it. This is what we crave for.
*Igah lives in Abuja
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