Dear Nigerians, let me first commiserate
with the families of our fellow compatriots whose lives were brutally
cut short by the terror attack at the Nyanya Park in Abuja on Monday.
These are indeed difficult times for the nation and the families of
those whose lives were terminated in their prime by a terror group that
has since lost all sense of humanity. What could possibly be the reason
for that early morning mayhem? What explanation would suffice for this
man’s inhumanity to man? Innocent Nigerians, who had no premonition of
death, were brutally murdered in that unprovoked attack. Fellow
Nigerians, our country is in a state of war. We can no longer pretend
about this. What is happening in our country today is worse than any of
such crimes in history. This systemic decimation of our people by Boko
Haram and other mindless killings across the country are unprecedented.
This country is drifting dangerously towards the precipice.
The ship of state is sinking and
unfortunately no one is doing anything about this dangerous slide to the
abyss. Our country has become a killing field close to what happened in
Somalia. The situation has degenerated to the level where Nigerians do
not even know where the next attack will take place. It is that bad.
Nigerians are now confused. The government is clueless over what to do.
This is, obviously, is a failure of intelligence occasioned by
incompetence. Now, Nigerians are just living each day as it comes hoping
that they will not get caught up in this senseless tragedy. What can
they do but to hope and pray that they will not fall victim to Boko
Haram’s murderous rage? What is worse, fellow Nigerians, is the
frightening feeling of the absence of leadership in tackling the
security challenges in our country today. This is very worrisome indeed.
Continue reading after the cut....
Apart from the ineptitude of the
Jonathan’s administration, Nigerians have now realised that they have a
government which does not care if they sink or swim. Beyond the usual
crocodile tears of the President and his cabinet members, this
government seems not to give a damn about the security of lives and
property of Nigerians. The hypocrisy of this government in tackling many
of the ills of the nation is so glaring for all to see. This is even
more dangerous than the Boko Haram insurgency. This is why Nigerians
should be worried. I gravely foresee that the worse has yet to come.
This is not a doomsday prediction but an honest analysis of our
situation. Nothing can be more dangerous than a clueless government. The
primary duty of a government is to guarantee the safety of its
citizens. But now it has become crystal clear that this government is
not up to the task, what do we do?
For the umpteenth time, President
Goodluck Jonathan has demonstrated that he was never the man for the
job. He has proved to us that we are on our own. What further proof do
we need to know that this President cannot guarantee our safety? What
further reason do we need to know that Nigerians are powerless? Fellow
Nigerians, If our Commander-in-Chief is this clueless in stemming
mindless killings of innocent Nigerians, what should be our fate?
Nothing demonstrates this administration’s disdain for the lives of
Nigerians than the President’s crass show of insensitivity in the
aftermath of the Nyanya bombing. It is an understatement to say that I
was scandalised when I heard that the President was in Kano for a
political campaign barely a few hours after the Abuja attack that
claimed over 70 lives and injured hundreds. What a gross insensitivity?
The President frolics while the shock of
our bereavement is still fresh. The President was seen on a campaign
platform dancing and vilifying his political enemies while the country
was under siege. My first reaction was disbelief; then shock and anger.
The President’s action was unthinkable in other climes. This is even
more so that less than a few hours after the attack, unknown gunmen
struck again in Chibok, Borno State where they reportedly abducted 100
schoolgirls. At the time the President was flying over our sorrows in
his presidential jet, Abuja residents were in a panicky state. Rumours
of another attack had also crippled the city. There was a siege
atmosphere in the city. This was said to have led to the evacuation of
the National Assembly. Workers reportedly fled their offices at the
Federal Secretariat. Let’s assume for once that the rumour was real, was
that how the President would have abdicated his duty? This action by
Jonathan is comparable only to that Roman emperor who fiddled while Rome
burnt.
The country is in a mourning mood but the
President does not give a damn about what his citizens are going
through. This is unfortunate. This was exactly what this President did
during the so-called centenary celebrations. In spite of the havoc
wreaked by the terrorists, Jonathan was in Abuja celebrating the
centenary. In Kano, the President was busy abusing another politician
and promising to “capture” Kano from the APC. It has become clear to
Nigerians that we do not have a caring and sensitive President. Let’s
not pretend about this. A President who goes campaigning while hundreds
of citizens have been massacred and maimed is not worth his office. We
should not make excuses for this President. His action is condemnable.
In other climes, President Jonathan will have been forced out for this
gross insensitivity.
Jonathan should have stayed back in Abuja
and reschedule his visits. None of those visits was serious enough
compared to the lives that had been lost in the last few days. The
President did not even make any statement about the girls that were
abducted in Borno State. What manner of desperation will make a
President lose his humanity? Why would a President campaign when his
country is in crisis? It has now become clear that Jonathan is only
interested in a second term. All that he is thinking about is how to
position himself as the PDP’s candidate for the presidential election in
2015. But he has not even justified the mandate given to him by
Nigerians in his yet to be completed first term. Is a second term worth
the lives of the dead and injured?
Where does the President find the heart
to campaign in the face of widespread insecurity and uncertainty that
pervade the land? This shows that he does not truly “give a damn’’. All
he wants is to remain in office by all means necessary. Forget all the
economic statistics that have been dished out recently. What is the use
of being the “largest economy’’ in a country where life is worth
nothing? Did the World Bank not just tell us that our country is home to
a large chunk of the world’s poor? Massive corruption has made nonsense
of this administration. Four more years of cluelessness and
incompetence will spell disaster for this nation.
Bayo Olupohunda [@bayooluophunda]
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