Since the beginning of this year 2012 in Nigeria, plenty drama has ensued, first it was the announcement of the fuel subsidy removal by the President, which many Nigerians see it to be a very callous act by the president to reciprocate the votes given to him by Nigerians, who turn out massively to vote for him judging by the outcome of the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the last presidential election, the number of votes gotten by the president according to the result of the election shows a massive votes for the president.
So, many Nigerians see that act as a very wicked act and highly insensitive decision taken by the president, a case of paying back evil for good, little wonder the way the fuel subsidy strike went, the strike tag ‘occupy Nigeria’ took a very different dimension that almost threw the country into a state of anarchy and so much name-calling and high disregard to the person of Mr. President.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and a host of others who many Nigerians perceived to be President Jonathan’s foot soldiers on the fuel subsidy matter, nobody want to talk of the number of innocent Nigerians who lost their lives in the process, the Lagos and Ilorin case are the most prominent among many damages and the untold hardship many Nigerians were subjected to by the pattern of the strike, price hike or no hike and later reduction and the strike was call-off by labour the umbrella body that other parties hide behind to embarked on the industrial action, before you know it is formation of one committee to another, some of the labour leaders find themselves in some of these committees, follow by a probe panel and the result we were told by some newspapers that lobbyist are responsible for the delay of the probe’s findings.
As we held our peace watching the government to deliver the promised transformation and many other goodies they promise us, rumours started emanating on the subsidy saga, who stole what and who did not steal anything, who own mansion and who is not the owner of mansion, children of who are living in affluence in foreign land and many allegations, we are still on it, and before you know Waziri had to be sack some say for receiving car gift, was it receiving it or soliciting for it? It was not very sure anyway, received or solicited for the gift only few people can tell what really transpired, Larmorde appointed on acting capacity, he was later confirmed.
We are just watching, one of the biggest Boko Haram attacks hit Kano state, several places were affected in the state mostly police stations and other law enforcement agents building, many civilian and uniform men were killed in the ugly attack, it was estimated that over 200 people were killed in the most deadliest attack since the Boko Haram insurgency begins in Nigeria, cries, cries even from unexpected quarters we saw great men crying, what happened is so sad and till today we have not find peace in Kano, series of attacks taking place here and there, who is responsible and who is not.
The COCIN Church headquarters received her own share of the attack, but one report that tend to draw attention of some Nigerians is that of some men who were alleged to be Christians caught in a village in Bauchi attempting to bomb a church, coincidentally a COCIN Church the same day with the COCIN attack in Jos the Plateau State capita, few weeks later it was St Finbars Catholic church in the same Jos that witnessed another bomb blast.
But before then we were told the mastermind of the Madalla Christmas day bombing, Kabiru Sokoto was apprehended by the security operatives, Nigerians are still celebrating the feat achieve by the police when another angle to the story came up that the man has escape, much noise and plenty drama, the police head Hafiz Ringim had to go, Zakari Biu head of the anti-terrorism team in the FCT have to go for the role he played in the whole saga, that is the last time we heard about these men, nobody knows whether they were prosecuted or not, later another man’s house was raided in Suleija in connection with the Madalla bombing and so many stories of this bombing.
The Boko Haram pattern of bombing in Maiduguri shifted to schools own by both government and private individuals. We also heard that Abul Qaqa was arrested, but the sect says know it was Abul Dardar that was arrested, too much noise, he was arrested after government ask him to come to Kaduna for negotiation, government say it was not like that, he was trailed and arrested, Marilyn Ogar will say this, police will say that, Boko Haram will say another thing and Boko Haram sympathizers will conclude that government is not sincere and serious about the whole thing, some even accuse government of perpetuating the act of bombing in the country, would you blame people, the President had earlier confirmed what people are saying when he admitted that the sect had infiltrated his government in virtually all the sectors, judiciary, legislators, executive, the security agents and many other government agencies.
The Boko Haram issue cannot be pushed aside, they talk of dialogue, so many were not happy others say for the sake of peace, both government and the insurgent group should enter into dialogue, if you remember the killing in Jimaita, in Yola Adamawa state in the Christ Apostolic Church, the Deeper Life Bible Church in Gombe, the killing in Yola, and the ceaseless killings in Maiduguri, one will want to chose carrot in place of the stick in this matter, the Kaduna Esther bombing is also another gory incident one will not want to repeat itself, is so sad, we watch Sergeant Sunday Badang die like in a movie scene, 1 Mechnized division been attacked and many bomb detonated by the anti-bomb squad in various states of the federation, Nigeria which was adjudged some few years back one of the most peaceful country is gradually turning into the bombing prone middle east.
One will want to ask if nothing positive happened in the country, that we dedicate much time to this insurgent group issue. Little or nothing positive happened, as many hopeful Nigerian youths watch and wait for the promised jobs, youth empowerment programme and many other promises of the government of the day, many are fatigue from waiting, government is busy doing nothing, Power project we learnt work is going on and the more they claim to be working the less we see the electricity.
How do you trust this government, a government that came out with SURE that even themselves are not Sure of, where is all the lies told us during the campaign, why can’t all the campaign federal universities work, where is the refinery they promised to build. If we want to go asking question we will ask more question with less answers. Okay Federal Executive Council meet regularly I think this is also part of the achievement of the government, also the Super Eagles play a goalless draw with Rwanda, Egypt beat us 3-2, Flamingoes pick a ticket to play in the female under 17 world cup, Falconet on the verge of qualifying, NFF is illegal body, no is not, the argument continue, NFF is what we recognized, let settle in court, no we prefer out of court, money flies from the office, league running without sponsors, yet is call Nigerian Premier League, government spending taxpayers money in the name of playing football without anticipating anything at the end of it.
I try to search for anything that has contributed positively to the lives of the ordinary Nigerians, I see nothing, nothing absolutely, it is all about the government, all about the officials, as lawmakers sat to decide their pay and many state governors are refusing to pay the few people in government employment the 18,000 naira minimum wage. Okay I remember that recently Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala contested the Presidency of the World Bank, is an achievement now? Is that not so?
That Central Bank Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi said poverty in the north is responsible for the Boko Haram insurgency, many argument again, many say no and many say yes, while those saying no back their answer with this fact that poverty resides in every part of the country and not a peculiar thing to the north. The north divided against itself, many group coming out to talk for the region on this security challenges faced in the region, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) not happy with the recent happening, even Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, organized a peace summit for the northern region in Minna with large attendance, Ciroma talking, Lawal Kaita ranting, professor Ango Abdullahi said the north is not even benefiting anything from the country.
Even if I have a tape recorder to keep tap of all the happenings in the country, I cannot capture all, but I will never forget the PDP Initiation rites that takes place in Abuja, they tag it the PDP National Convention, it only reminds me of the Kegite initiation of the Chiefo, the spiritual head of any kegite club, the convention that force tears out of some ‘great’ men in the political arena of this country, the Ebenezer Babatope, how the man Bamaga Tukur emerges as the national chairman and so many unholy and unwilling consensus, will you forget in a hurry the card play by the big boss himself, I am not talking of Stephen Keshi the Coach of the National team, but the Ebora Owu himself, Baba Iyabo who take the party by surprise and resigned the position he had to manipulate the party’s constitution to get, how can I forget the series of re-run governorship elections in the country, from Kogi, in Cross River, Kebbi, Sokoto and the sheer arm twisting in Bayelsa, we see the PDP clamping its authority in all these states.
Have you forgotten the man the Nigerian Judiciary system cleared and called him a saint, Ibori was in court with about 150 count-charges and was cleared by Nigeria court, even if you are a prophet and the most holiest and you are faced with these great number of charges, I don’t think you will come out clean, thank God in a court where your money or position have no power the man got what he deserves, today the guy will be cooling his feet in the British jail, he was sentence to 13 years in prison, I know it is no longer news to many, but it is worthy of mention.
In all these drama, I hardly can see a scene in the play that benefit the masses, that give the poorest man in Otueke a meal on his table is all about the rulers, are they leaders? No they are rulers, what is on their mind now with all these jostling and series of confab under the guise of peace is what region produced the next President in 2015, the same way they go that cause the dead of many of us, they have started again, these gladiators, who no nothing other than the business of divide and rule, we should not be deceived by these men and start killing ourselves because one region say this is my turn and the other says no.
They say the President is among the 100 most influential people on earth, and so what? Does that change the true situation in Nigeria? Are we having the best of roads in the country, oh I can see how that has change the number of people who pass WAEC from 17 to 1 million, has that improve electricity in Nigeria? Common lets faced the reality on ground and judge, in the whole drama we are the most disadvantaged, we the masses irrespective of your tribe, religion or political affiliation. To be continued….
Nasiru Suleiman is a public affairs commentator, resides in Kaduna and can also be reach on 07030476699
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