The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.
First foremost, I want to nudge our minds towards a differentiation between blind hope and patriotism. Blind hope manifests in the form of selective amnesia which makes citizens to either "look the other way" when matters do not unfold according to their expectations or pretend all is, or will be well even when all indicators are pointing south. Patriotism imbues in citizens the open-mindedness to assess situations affecting their country or community as they are; the courage to discuss them openly and the love to seek for practical solutions to these adverse situations and circumstances while continuing to, not just pledge but show allegiance to the National flag.
War, like a cancer does not break out the very day a declaration of hostilities is made; events, issues and circumstances, especially those of irreconcilable nature consume the underlying fabrics of a society; in the case of a cancerous cell, the underlying tissues are eaten up before it breaks out to the surface. It is in this same stealth manner that corruption has consumed and made the Nigeria nation desolate. The widespread violence we live with on a day to day basis is a manifestation of the desolated state of our nation.
Some of our co travellers have chosen to compare the innocent blood that are being shed on a daily basis in Nigeria militant and terrorist groups, security agents, etc, etc to the US led war on terror and most recently, the despicable, terrorist bombing in Oslo, Norway. This, to me is insensitivity of the highest order and makes mockery of the sanctity of human life. For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to point out that the security situation we face in Nigeria today goes beyond Boko Haram, MASSOB, OPC and the militia of the Niger Delta. Fear and insecurity have been weaved into the fabrics of our national consciousness.
Eleven days after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge was appointed as the first Director of the Office of Homeland Security in the White House. The office oversaw and coordinated a comprehensive national strategy to safeguard the US against terrorism and respond to any future attacks. Within twelve months from then, the US government have done a full integration of all or part of 22 different Federal departments and agencies into a unified, integrated Department to form the Department of Homeland security.
In the interlude between the appointment of Tom Ridge and the DHS becoming fully independent in its operations, far reaching regulations were put in place to curb the activities of terrorists within US soil. Biometrics was introduced, aeroplanes were redesigned, different and additional surveillance measures were adopted, etc, etc.
The master mind of the Norwegian massacre was apprehended and put in custody within 24 hrs of the incident. In over two decades of mass murders, accidental discharge, extra judicial killings, etc, etc in Nigeria, how many real culprits have been apprehended and brought to book?
What has the Nigerian government done differently to improve security of lives and property since the Maitasine riots in Yola in 1986? From Zango Kataf to Kano, to Kaduna, to Zaki Biam, from Jos to Bauchi and now Maiduguri, it has been sorrows tears and blood and we have a Federal Legislature that gulped N 339 billion Naira between 2007 and 2011 and they want us to pretend all is well!!!
We live in a country where the sanctuary of security, the office of the Inspector General of Police was bombed by a known group and one month later, the security chiefs are still trading blames and they want us to be patriotic and pretend it will be well!!!
We live in a country where the same group that claimed responsibility for bombing the Police Headquarters shoot and kill innocent people in the streets (the Maiduguri example) on a daily basis and go unchallenged and we must bow our heads in patriotic zeal!!!
In this same country, three governors who had foresworn to uphold the Nigerian constitution have openly apologized to the group that bombed the Sanctuary of security and serving senators from that geopolitical zone have held a Press Conference asking for the “go and sin no more” treatment for them and we think all will be well!!!
Well, we may remain in your Pimpers Paradise but someone should please help me tell our security Chiefs that no amount of chest thumping, let them reincarnate King-Kong if they like, let them breathe fire and brimstone if and as they deem fit, the suffocating spate of insecurity in the land will neither be washed nor wished away.
They need to put on their thinking caps and get proactive.
The way forward is entrenchment of justice and the principles of good governance which shall in turn engender peace. Let the government stem the stifling heat of corruption and graft so we can find the resources to invest in security, create employment and an ennobling socioeconomic climate.
The precursor for peace is equal rights and justice.
Let me start by expressing my profound appreciation for the author of this blog, he has continued to disprove my opinion that all Nigerians are dafts in thinking with regards to politics.
ReplyDeleteMoving on, if a country is found incapable of protecting itself from violence, the efficiency of that countrys'intelligence system is brought to question not just by its citizens, but also by the outside world.
One of the consequences of that countries' inefficient intelligence is that it turns it (the country) indirectly into a honey-pot for both the good and the bad in the world, especially the bad because it provides an avenue through which they can dip their hands into the countrys' economy and go scot-free. Why? because there is no robust intelligence system to be employed to keep a track on their activities.
Another consequence of the the same menace is that the country stands a chance of being used by other nations due to the weakness in the system. In both situations, there are heavy prices to pay.
Now, let's look at our dear country "Nigeria" and beg the question, is Nigeria really incapable of handling its security issues or is there a masked influence from the outside world to deliberately turn a blind eye to the problem in order to buttress their(outside-world) point about the existence of "terrorism".
If we follow the foot-prints of history, in the past, many countries would severe their ties with Nigeria in the blink of an eye. But what we see now is a rekindled interest to patner with us in bussiness and countering insecurity. (I refuse to use the word "terrorism" deliberately).
So what has changed in our country from past to this present time. Nothing!!! absolute nothing but another sophiscated form of deceit with the help of you know who.
The inaugural pledge said it all, security was ommitted, all those planned visits and the most recent insult of visitors refusing to be hosted in the Fed. Capital.
I really do smell a rat!!!! Think of the word "puppet". Its either we wake up from our destructive slumber and face the issue of enlightening ourselves (those who can think for themselves) and our people (those who cannot or has refused to think) and use our right of freedom of speech to expose the cover-ups going on currently in this country in collaboration with the .......... Talk about international politics.
Lastly, we have good intelligence system but definitely something is going on and that, we need to unmask!!!!. To do this, we need to follow the clues both locally and internationally.
Peace and love to my people and thank you John once again for opening up a discussion on this topic.
Good one. Straight to the point and very sensitive to the real issue: corruption. There is really little to expect from a country where "each to himself" is the code underlining the crass materialism and get rich quick that has deadened all senses to ill and the pertinent issues. What level of the Nigerian society has a sincere interest in the welfare and real progress of the citizens?
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you point out clearly that the violence can all be accounted for by corruption. And sincerely, one wonders how a positive change can truly come to Nigeria under a so called democracy that is costing us far more than the years of military dictatorship put together. The colours of the Abacha and Babangida years seem to glow white juxtaposed to the brigandary of Nigeria's contemporary and supposed democracy.
Patriotism! What does that mean in the Nigerian dictionary? While we hold the Nigerian high places accountable for the aggressive cancerous rot and decay, we the followers cannot shy away innocent for indeed the four fingers points rightly to our faces.
Are we not the ones who celebrate them, seek their friendship, hunt for their patronage and pine for more of their parties, insatiably zombified by their star and pepper soup orgies.
The morning we wake up absolutely tired and fed up and truly scandalized by the ill of Nigeria, torrents of blood will be sweeping away Nigeria as we know it today...and if a clean slate is left, we can start afresh, building first, a citizen that is not ignorant of right and wrong.
Akpunwa, be very very careful! Do not say I did not warn you! If you want to nudge my mind in any direction you have to give me good money first i.e. excluding the requisite isiewu and odeku.
ReplyDeleteDear Grimotnane, I welcome you to my world with open arms; I will be honored if I can "nudge your mind in any direction", laugh out loud!!! because it is a veritable indication that their has been a meeting of minds. Newton's 1st law of motion - The velocity of a body remains constant unless the body is acted upon by an external force - we need this meeting of minds to attain the critical mass required to act on our nation to move it in a different direction, away from the looming precipice. The ishiewu and odeku I shall render with thanks. Just let me know your preferred medium of delivery...
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