Compliments of the season
I sincerely appreciate all the time given to reading my piece over last year. Your observations and opinions have helped me appreciate the broadness of all issues mentioned on my blog.
I hope to discuss as many contentious issues as my time would permit and also look forward to your usual participation.
I have thought of making my first article for the year a recap of events that shaped my decision to start a blog and some other personal stuff, but, that is not to be.
2011 rode on the wheels of special events hallmarked by bombings in certain areas. Thank God none has gone off this year, though there is no assurance none will judging by the utterances and attitude of the current leadership.
This introduction should do.
Some few day ago, I got a message from my friend on my BB (I am not sure I have ever mentioned to you I have a blackberry device). It’s a message claimed to have being written by Mr. President. Here is the excerpt:
Those who planted bombs in Abuja, Jos and Yenegoa declared war on our country and the people of Nigeria.
These terrorists killed fellow Nigerians in cold blood.
These terrorists have killed defenceless women and children.
These murderers have put Nigeria on global terror watch list for many years to come.
These terrorists have made foreign investors that could create jobs run away.
These terrorists have dampened the spirit of the merry making Nigerian people.
These terrorists have added fear to the troubles of ordinary Nigerians.
These terrorists have torn and desecrated the Nigerian Flag.
The terrorists have made it more difficult for you to travel around the world.
These terrorists have disowned you as brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers.
These terrorists are called by many names: Politicians, freedom fighters, religious leaders etc.
These terrorists have no mercy on family friends and relations.
These terrorists hate you!
Fellow Nigerians, it is time to wage war against these misguided, wicked and evil Nigerians.
They live within our midst, they eat with us, the drink with us, they have sex with us, they joke with us and even dance with us.
We must expose them now or they will completely destroy our country.
They want to cause fear so we cannot vote.
Our country is not a nation of terrorists!
This is call to service my people, report all persons you slightly suspect of these bombings to the nearest police station or any security agent.
This was how IRAQ and Afghanistan started
Fight for your life, fight for your children’s’ Future, Fight for Nigeria!
Long live Nigeria! Amen!!
Pls forward to all Nigerians you know. It’s the smallest thing you can do.
- Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
My comments herein are predicated on the fact that the message truly came from Mr. President; if found to be false, a sizeable aspect of the article can be disregarded. I however have reasons to believe it at first sight because Mr. President has in recent time promoted goofs and careless statements as his trademark. This trademark has been well celebrated by his officers. Does this remind you of the Minister of Information; Mr. Labaran Maku who said Nigerians should thank Mr. President for bringing Facebook to Nigeria? It can’t get any sillier with people like that around the corridors of power.
Fela, of fond memories, mentioned the pitiable acts of our leaders referring to us as indiscipline, useless and senseless. It seems that culture is rooted in the leadership rank and might not change anytime soon as long as these elements remain in power
Mr. President consistently mentioned the word ‘terrorists’ about 12 times to refer to his own people.
This is judging by the following line:
“Fellow Nigerians, it is time to wage war against these misguided, wicked and evil Nigerians.”
Let this fact not be in contention, every act of bombing and related approach that instils fear in people is outrightly condemned and unacceptable. None of such approaches represent any quest for retaliation and or reaction. Such intents are indeed malicious, callous, wicked, barbaric and unthinkable.
We cannot continue to harm, kill and dislodge fellow beings in the name of reacting to events informed by mismanagement of social order by the ruling class. However, Mr. President’s choice of word appears to be more American than constructive.
To have further said this was how Iraq and Afghanistan started not only stamps the American undertone in his statement but that he seem not to have a clear understanding of what is actually happening in those countries. There are bombings in India and Palestine and some other countries where the hand of America is not visibly noticed but suspected, how come he has not referenced that.
This might seem petty, but it takes some careful understanding of the submission of Mr. President to American envoys at critical times about his inability to run our dear country. An American government armed with such information would go extra miles to ensure they are in charge and give detailed instruction on any issue; afterall, the man in charge has admitted he is not capable.
Mr. President has told us to fight but for whatever reasons, left out how we are expected to fight. Confront the bombers? Report to suspicious and under-equipped police, retaliate bombing or join issues on facebook like he has always done? If we all have to start a fight rather than change the order and genuinely implement policies that would restore peace and order, Nigeria would not live long.
I am also disturbed by the fact that Mr. President has readily attributed such bombing to creating fears in the voters’ mind!
“They want to cause fear so we cannot vote.”
That is particularly insensitive and myopic. Should it be considered valid, then, one can safely assume it is a known technique within the rank of the political gladiators to unleash as much terror to achieve their ends.
My concern here is simply informed by the fact that at a time like this, we cannot continue to negotiate the collective existence of Nigerians for political gains.
Whoever the bombers are and whatever reasons they have for unleashing terror on Nigerians, they have been encouraged because of the government’s lukewarm attitude towards finding a lasting solution to the past incidents. The bombing of Atlas Cove, Lagos was swept under the carpets and that further empowered subsequent once. I can almost predict that what we stand to get from the recent over publicized FBI supported investigation would be name calling.
If Mr. President and his allies are disillusioned that Nigerians would buy the FBI invitation hook line and sinker as a sign of seriousness, then, I can only further confirm the difference between ‘Goodluck’ and ‘Common sense’. I am sure he is also considering bringing in American psychologists to talk families of victims of all the bomb blast out of the loss.
We have gradually built a vengeance culture in our people just because faceless organisation have continuously cashed into government laid-back approach to events to become popular and gain attention from the media. The ill managed system has built monsters who having lost all hope in the judicial mechanism have decided to take up arms to harm other men in the name of retaliation.
What we currently share with Iraq and Afghanistan now is that we may begin to live in perpetual fear of being blown up and also a gradual occupation of our soil by American security operatives.
We are gradually witnessing a clear distinction between having the ability to do a thing and willing to do it. What we require at the moment is a government who combines the two. As to whether we can as a country put an end to these ugly occurrences, I’d say yes. Whether we have a leadership that is willing? The answer in blowing in the winds!
For those over paid ‘Goodluck’ chauvinist, by now it should be obvious that it takes more than mere goodluck to manage the affairs of this country.
While we mourn our fellow countrymen whose blood have unnecessarily being shed and fear that more is not spilled, it is instructive to also on the other hand understand the link between the current decay and bad leadership.
Our greatest undoing as a people is to negotiate our present and to put into jeopardy the future which represents the present of the unborn.
We owe it to ourselves as a people and to Nigeria as our country to always stand by the truth and be part of the solution.
God bless Nigeria.
2 comments:
Hem hem, I have always read your write-ups but i find this particular one interesting especially because of your right choices of adjectives & words coupled with your understanding of the unwritten codes( sounds like DaVinci codes) which is evidently not visible and known to many about the happenings in our nation.Abuja seems to be clueless about the effects of its statements or rather thinks that all of us are disillussioned and gullible to the extent of not knowing whose drum beats it is actually dancing to. His incompetence is alarming! but not really too unexpected since it is self professed/confessed.
No doubt, one of the intentions of the bombings is to get the populace terrorised, but the main reason as you have said is known to them-it's a known technique within the rank of the political gladiators to unleash as much terror to achieve their ends.God will kill them. Amen
I didn't even know that some one was so 'stupid' (permit my strong language)to say that the president brought facebook to Nigeria-a social network that people were already used to before he became the president. It's appalling!!!The definite height of it. America is at it again, and I H**e (i.e dislike) that aspect of them
This respondent was at a wedding reception with you some weeks ago and was the bestman of a classmate in red waist band. Catch you (Intellingence)
Dear Hemhem,
While I subscribe your allegation of careless statements from the Presidency, I don't quite agree with your bias against the use of the word 'terrorist' in this instance.
Who is a terrorist?
The MOT dictionary (by Kernerman semi-bilingual dictionaries) defines a terrorist as a person who tries to frighten people or governments into doing what he/she wants by using or threatening violence
(I chose a rather neutral dictionary).
I doubt if there is another word which ADEQUATELY describes those behind those attacks.
Admitting the presence of terrorist citizens in the country is neither unpatriotic nor indiscreet of Mr. President. I even regard it as the first step in solving the problem (i.e, recognising the problem)
Secondly, the mention of Iraq and Afghanistan need not be quoted out of context. I know that the apparent coincidence of the two countries being the same as those attacked by the US makes it easy prey for criticism. However, clearly, the stress is on the BOMBINGs. The bombings in those countries are unrivalled by ANY others in the world, making them the best examples.
With that said, I think it would have been more appropriate not to even mention any country in the first instance- (another knock for Jonathan over his utterances)
I am equally (always) skeptical about America's involvement in various countries including Nigeria. However, the international politics favours them. They offer financial support, military intelligence, technology and business opportunities to their allies. Little wonder why our own Mr. President allegedly kowtows to the US. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Jordan have also been accused of same. But can we blame them? Less-developed countries can't always reject America's juicy offers, especially when the price to pay is just to show some solidarity!
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