The Federal Government appears to be overwhelmed and unable to respond adequately to the series of bombings in many parts of the country, that have claimed the lives of innocent Nigerians and their property. Against the backdrop of new threats of attacks by the sect, OSBY ISBOR ponders the fate of Nigerians in the Federal Capital Territory and other parts of the country.
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For most part of this year, the Boko Haram sect has been waging a guerrilla war against the country, killing innocent citizens, security men and others it suspects had assisted the government in moving against its operations.
However, since the inception of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, Nigerians through no fault of theirs have been mercilessly massacred from the Eagle Square to Maiduguri, Bauchi, Kaduna, Suleja, Damaturu, Potiskum, Jos and Madallah.
Each time innocent Nigerians are killed by bombs,? we hear the same rhetoric:
‘President Jonathan Condemns Blast’, “I want to reassure all Nigerians that government will not relent in its determination to bring to justice all the perpetrators of acts of violence” or “government will take care of the hospital bills of victims”.
Yet, President Jonathan has failed to show leadership or secure the lives of the electorates who voted him into power to run their affairs. The Christmas Day bombings that killed over 35 people at the Catholic Church in Madallah, Niger State, once again brought to the fore the inability of the present administration to tackle the Boko Haram menace. It is a shame, a headache and a cause of concern to a nation that prides itself as the giant of Africa and is actively plodding to become one of the biggest players on the world’s stage in 2020.
Almost one year in office, President Jonathan and his security team have woefully failed to even pinpoint who the bombers are, where they care coming from and what their motives are.? That aptly explains why analysts are more worried that rather than take the bull by the horn, Mr. President has continued to chase shadows by paying more attention to issues that are neither necessary nor permanent in the lives of Nigerians, even with threats of more attacks by the Boko Haram sect on New Year Day.
The Christmas Day bombing and previous attacks on individuals and orgainstaions in the land have no doubt continued to attract harsh reactions from critical stakeholders in the country. Nigeria’s Trade Union Congress (TUC), is so upset that it has called for the immediate sacking of all the security chiefs in the country.
The group wondered why the sect would choose a sacred day such as Christmas Day to bomb defenseless and harmless people.
In a statement jointly signed by its President, Comrade Peter Esele and Secretary General, John Kolawole, the TUC wondered why a faceless sect could be killing and maiming Nigerians with impunity, urging the federal government not to look helpless in the face of the menace. The group said it was saddened by the continuous wastage of innocent lives by the group.
Apparently miffed by the series of bomb blasts, which killed dozens of Nigerians especially the Christmas day incident, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) re-echoed the position of Governor Babangida-Aliyu, in demanding that President Goodluck Jonathan stop shying away from his responsibility of securing the lives and property of Nigerians.
In a statement issued in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party stated that if the government had spent half of the resources it had devoted to the fuel subsidy issue on the Boko Haram crisis and had organised as many consultations with stakeholders on Boko Haram as it had done on fuel subsidy, the crisis would have been resolved by now and hundreds of precious lives saved.
Residents of Abuja have also decried the high rate of bombings and insecurity in the country, appealing to the federal government to find a lasting solution to the problem.
Some of the residents who spoke to LEADERSHIP Weekend condemned the recent blasts and appealed to the government to put an end to the threat to lives and property.
Of all Nigerians, Abuja residents appear the most rattled, given the assault which the Boko Haram sect has unleashed on the city and its dwellers. They are in a sad mood even as other Nigerians bask in the euphoria of the yuletide and the New Year. One of the residents, Mr. James Ukah, said he was saddened by the incessant spate of bombing and killings in the country and would therefore not dare to go out for any of the remaining yuletide events.
“I want to believe that the Nigerian government is not sincere and fully ready to combat the killings being perpetrated by the so-called Boko Haram sect.
But for Kabir Usman, the story is different. For him,? Boko Haram can go to hell.
“I even blame the media that continue to promote them. Because the more media attention they get, the more they go about their nefarious activities. Boko Haram members are not Muslims, but killers and? infidels,” he said.
Those sponsoring Boko Haram will face the music, starting from their children-irrespective of the masks they put on. If the government folds its arms and acts like paper tiger, God will fight for us.
Let Jonathan and his cabinet know that four years is just around the corner. The door is wide open for them to be out”, he stated.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), appears to be fed up with the lackadaisical attitude of government towards the mounting threats being posed by the sect to the country and its people. CAN recently urged Nigerians to take steps to defend themselves from the Boko Haram attacks, while urging the security agencies to wake up to their constitutional responsibilities.
CAN President, Archbishop Ayo Oritsejafor, condemned the attacks in strong terms, saying the Christian community was deeply worried over the killing of innocent citizens and the government’s seeming incapacitation in addressing the situation.
Oritsejafor called on the government to adopt a new political will and approach in dealing with the menace so as to protect the lives and property of innocent Nigerians.
The association, in a statement captioned: “Can Nigeria Survive A Religious War? and signed by its Secretary-General, Elder Saidu Dogo, in Kaduna, said “We shall henceforth in the midst of these provocation and wanton destruction of innocent lives and property be compelled to make our own efforts and arrangements to protect the lives of innocent Christians and peace loving citizens of this country. We are therefore calling on all Christians to be law abiding but to defend themselves whenever the need arises.
“We are particularly disturbed that the perpetrators of these dastardly acts and their sponsors are well known to government and no serious or decisive actions have been taken to stem their nefarious activities”.
And for the first time since the insurgence of Boko Haram, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad III, publicly rose to the condemnation of the activities of the sect and assured on Nigeria’s stability.
The Sultan revealed that leaders across the country had resolved to seek permanent solution to the worrisome problem.
LEADERSHIP Weekend?? investigations have however revealed that Boko Haram unleashed the attacks on Christians during Sunday’s Christmas to spark off a Muslims/Christians war nationwide and avenge the killing of Muslims in Jos during the last Eid El Kabir.
President of the Civil Rights Congress (CRC) and former Boko Haram peace mediator under the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration, Malam Shehu Sani revealed that “The Boko Haram Christmas bomb attack on the Church in Madalla was meant to achieve three things. The first, according to him was to lure the Muslims in the North to believe that it was a deadly action to avenge the killings of Muslims in Jos during the last Eid El Kabir festivities.
The second motive was to trigger a nationwide Muslim/Christian civil war and thirdly, to send a message in the most despicable way that the security onslaught against them in the North East cannot weaken their resolve to strike.
“Northern leaders and clerics could have been in the best position to intercede and end the menace but most of them have lost the moral high ground and respect because of their silence or complicity in the killing of the Boko Haram group leader in 2009. The Boko Haram violence is not insurmountable but it has lingered and appears invincible because the government does not appear to know how to handle it,” he said.
But the question in the minds of most Nigerians is, why has it become impossible for government and its security agencies to squarely handle the damning situation over the years’?