I read that
Washington Post editorial about the insensitive parody of the
#BringBackOurGirls campaign by some supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan
before I actually saw the posters. The one erected close to the ECOWAS Commission
at Asokoro, Abuja, gave me an understanding that we all do not think in the
same way and see things from very different perspectives. The green-and-white #BringBackGoodluck2015
wasn’t only a poorly conceived, insensitive and myopic idea; it was an
embarrassment to Nigeria and Nigerians.
Had the
little minds that conceived such a distasteful association to the person of
President Jonathan known what the BBOG hash tag stands for, if they understood
what is at stake, they would not try to use it for political gain. Resorting to
the adaptation of a symbol of pain, struggle and hope for political gains is a
moral crime. For a tool devised to constantly remind the government that for five
months those young girls have been held captive in the hands of terrorists to
be so mocked leaves me with no words. It is an irony, a paradox and an
indictment all at the same time. As claimed by the Presidency, it is possible
that the group which perpetrated the evil act (yes, it is an evil act!) acted
alone without the consent of Jonathan or any of his advisers. But, why did it
take an editorial in a foreign newspaper for the action to be reversed? Were
the cries in the social media prior to that Washington Post commentary not loud
and clear enough?
We here are
the constituency. If we know what we are doing as a people, our government, our
leaders will listen to us first before being influenced by the views of outside
bodies. While it is quite easy for the Presidency to claim its innocence of any
complicity in the campaign faux pas, how does it explain the former Borno State
governor escorting the President to Chad, after an Australian hostage
negotiator, Stephen Davis, accused him of sponsoring Boko Haram and the Department
of State Security released a statement saying Sheriff was under investigation.
Although they came out to vehemently deny the allegation, Sheriff should not be
seen to be hobnobbing with the President. It is not my duty to either defend or
prosecute Sheriff, but his 2011 advertorial, wherein he tendered unreserved
apology to Boko Haram for unknown reasons, is a traceable public document. No court of competent jurisdiction has
pronounced Sheriff guilty but with such an allegation dangling over his head I
am not so sure that he is the best choice of ambassador! Our leaders should not
only do the right thing, they should be seen to do it.
On the
bright side of things, the Defence Headquarters and all Nigerians should be
proud of the fact that we still have amongst us, brave and determined men and
women who are ready and willing to pay the ultimate price for the good of
Nigeria. Injured Lt. Col. Adeboye Obasanjo, son of former President Olusegun
Obasanjo, is one of them. Many wives have been made widows and many children
made orphans since the insurgency started. We haven’t appreciated our soldiers
enough. They are doing a sterling job even in very difficult circumstances and
risk their lives every day to rid our land of terrorists. With the power his
father wields, Adeboye could have chosen not to be deployed to the frontline but
he has chosen to do so and we thank him and all others who are fighting the
fight for securing our futures.
It is at
times like these, when so many things around us are not going well and our
spirits are dampened and we despair, that we are given a boost of oxygen and a
pick me up, and understand that all is not lost and we are not alone and we
must fight on. Nigeria is what we make
of it, whether a comedy of errors, a tragic reality or a success in the making.
At present, we poison our country with too many toxins. We should be mindful
that these toxins would still be causing damage long after we are gone. It is
for these reasons, with so many challenges confronting us as a nation, that we
should all take an interest in the upcoming elections. Poor communication
causes confusion, misunderstanding, conflict and inevitably insecurity and loss
of life; precisely what we are experiencing now. Some amongst us accord the
2015 elections and only what they can gain from it more priority than these
crises threatening our existence.
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