Wild jubilation greeted the Wednesday’s announcement by the federal government ending the six months old state of emergency in Suleja, but residents woke up the following morning to still see soldiers on the streets. Though the soldiers claimed they have not been given any order to vacate the town, however the residents know that the state of emergency had come to an end. MICHAEL OCHE writes on the mood of the residents.
At least for the first time since December 31, 2011 Emeka Okoye was able to stay outside beyond 8:00pm. It was like breathing an air of freedom after six months of being imprisoned. Such was the feeling amongst most residents of Suleja, a town that has been under the siege of the military for the past months.
Emeka is not the only one caught in the frenzy, other residents who had suffered as a result of the curfew have been expressing their gratitude to the federal government.
Before now most residents, especially the Muslim faithful have expressed concerned of how they could cope with the Ramadan fast and the curfew.? But few days before the commencement of the fast, the federal government announced an end of the emergency rule
Economic and social activities were strangulated while the state of emergency lasted. Although some other residents shared the view that the presence of the soldiers brought peace to the town that was shockingly thrown into confusion following the spate of bomb explosions.
“I am very happy”, Emeka told LEADERSHIP SUNDAY, “My sister lost her job in March because she could not convince her boss as to why she had to leave the office every day by 3:00pm. I own a shop in Wuse market and it has been difficult for me to maintain it.
I leave for the shop as early as 6:00am but because of the many check points I end up spending up to three hour on the road. By the time I get to the shop I am already tired and before you know it, it’s 4:00pm and I am already closing the shop without actually selling anything. So you see why I am happy”.
On Thursday, a day after the emergency rule was suspended, Abdul whose Suya shop had been locked for almost three months immediately came to restart his business.
As most residents attest, Suleja has always been a peaceful town but residents watched in awe as the once peaceful town was turned into a theater of war last year.
The various attacks forced the president to impose a state of emergency on the once peaceful community. With soldiers deployed to the town and a curfew imposed, economic and social life gradually came to a halt.
The dullness in economic activities and near-absence of social activities since the Boko Haram sect began its attacks, plus the presence of heavily-armed military troops, have since left little to be desired about the town.
Abdul said, “I am the bread winner in my house but since I stopped coming to my suya shop, nothing has been working for my family. The Ramadan is coming and I don’t have money that is why I had to come out immediately I heard the state of emergency had ended”.
Most of the residents now look to the future with optimism, hoping that the peaceful nature with which Suleja was known before the spate of bomb blasts will be maintained.
Another resident, Samuel Dauda said: “I know Suleja people love peace and I believe nothing of that nature will happen again.
Those were trying times for all of us and I believe everybody has learnt his or her lesson. We are happy with the end of the state of emergency”.
Though other residents still feel there is need to exercise caution, saying the soldiers can stay for a while. Others believe hopwever, that the state of emergency did not have much effect on the security situation.
“Before now the curfew was our problem. But if you noticed there is suspicion among people of the different religion and it is my opinion that the soldiers be allowed to stay for a while”, another resident, Chinedu Frank, told LEADERSHIP SUNDAY.
Perhaps the federal government realised the state of emergency was not having any positive effect on the security. It was still the innocent Nigerians that were suffering. Or perhaps the government have seen an opportunity to end the insurgency. Because I don’t believe they can just withdraw the troops like that.
A ray of hope flickered when the new National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, announced that he has planned to meet with the Boko Haram leaders.
Dasuki, who spoke in Jos during a meeting with stakeholders in Plateau State, said he will meet with the group to push for a cease-fire and dialogue, but he did not give a date of when this will happen.
“I was in Yobe and Borno states last week and I have got the telephone numbers and contacts of key Boko Haram members and I will meet with them”, the NSA said at the meeting, which was attended by Governor Jonah Jang as well as top traditional and religious leaders.
“I saw the dangerous effect of Boko Haram in these states and what I saw was pathetic. But I have the mandate to put heads together with religious and traditional leaders as well as the state governments to ensure an immediate cease-fire”.
Dasuki said that the declaration of a state of emergency was having negative effects on the affected areas. “So far, I have seen the negative effects of the state of emergency in Yobe and Borno states especially; personally, I do not support the issue of state of emergency”, he said.
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