RE: EAGLE SQUARE!
RIP! On our first Eagle Epistle, we predicted, with great lamentation, that we were headed to death and mayhem and loss of lives in these our elections. Though we knew it to be the impending reality (what with our typical political class), it has sadly come to pass as one of the most violent in […]
RIP! On our first Eagle Epistle, we predicted, with great lamentation, that we were headed to death and mayhem and loss of lives in these our elections. Though we knew it to be the impending reality (what with our typical political class), it has sadly come to pass as one of the most violent in our history. During April, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Nigerians have lost their lives. And that just for someone or another to occupy a certain seat, in a certain office. Let us all collectively pray for the repose of the souls of the innocent, and let us invoke Allah’s, God’s, curse, and wrath, on all those who wittingly caused the death of so many innocent people. Recite Fatiha for the first purpose and any suitable retribution for the second. For Christians, please do similar.
Hundreds of you, readers, were on this long trek to Eagle Square. Therefore, let us pause hear today and hear a representative sample of your opinions, before we make one last push to reach Tahrir, ehm, Eagle Square.
Suraj Mohammed Kurfi ([email protected]): Salam. When you wrote that “elections are here and some people are going to die,” I was one of those who hoped you will be proven wrong. Alas, you were horribly right. Inna lilLahi wa inna ilaiHi raji’un! Thank you for the illumination. Now we know better, or do we?
A. Haruna ([email protected]): May Allah SWT continue to be your guide, guard and protector. Indeed Nigerians are prisoners in their own country and I also believe that this so-called ‘democracy’ is not meant for us; ours is a new version, ‘de-mo-crazy’ (right from those with all the Luck to the common honourable ‘kansila’). Thanks for freedom of speech, at least one can say their opinion. More ink to your pen and jazakalLah bi khair. Allah Ya shirye mu!
Julius Bisky ([email protected]): Hello Sir. I have been reading and following you, and I feel highly delighted to write you this letter today. Please keep it up. I am on this journey with you. Thank you, and may God bless you.
Maimuna Babangida ([email protected]): Salam. Your breakdown of the unfolding scenes and issues leading to where Nigeria is today is so amusing and an eye-opener. After the campaigns and elections, won (either through holy or unholy means) and lost (whether justly or unjustly), we are all now getting ready for the big event; May 29 at the Eagle Square! God bless Nigeria!
Lawan Gwadabe ([email protected]): Haba Mallam Bala, what do you expect other than being confused and distraught in the present situation? Allah Ya raba mu daku! Allah Ya raka taki gona! Your last few words the other day “Don’t kick a man when he is down unless you are certain he won’t get up” is very poignant. But you should have given this advice to Maigidanka. Now that the other person is back on his feet, I am sure he won’t be as stupid.
M. M. Dantsoho ([email protected]): If the aim of this piece was to admonish us on the fraudulent elections in the country, then I refer you to page 12 of Daily Trust of 30/04/2011. Our brothers very close to you devoted a whole page gloating over their party’s success. According to them, the success was earned through “years of rigorous and tireless campaign”. This is not their fault because those entrusted with responsibility of conducting credible elections compromised at every stage. If INEC had been bold enough to verify results from even one of the states in the federation, the county would have been saved the violence that erupted. And those fraudulent winners would not have been gloating or roaming our streets.
Manga Muhammad ([email protected]): 2011 Elections are now history! But have we achieved anything? Have we learnt anything? Only time can tell, as time remains the best teacher. And God remains the best Judge. Some people will be vindicated while others will get exposed. Everybody will pay for their deeds. May God save my country!
Ibrahim Adamu Lemu ([email protected]): I am a regular reader of your column and I believe your column is interesting and educating. Thank you very much for those youtube links with that blatant evidence of rigging. Thank you very and have a lovely day. God bless.
Ibrahim Mohammed Jos ([email protected]): Mallam you are right. Most of us know what happened during the Presidential Election, and how it happened and why it so happened. But for obvious reasons, some of us would not admit that the Election was systematically rigged. The most baffling thing is that the election was rigged even in areas where the ruling party’s victory was certain. The most painful thing is that even the most educated amongst us have allowed themselves to wallow in shallowness because of sentiment and their wrong construction of the future of this country. It is indeed sad that the youths overreacted through violent protest that led to loss of lives of innocent people. Let the youths and everyone who cares retreat and strategise ahead of whatever remains of the future of this country.
Muhsin Galadanci ([email protected]): Assalamu Alaykum. I’m very sad today. What you had predicted has come to pass. And we must now have to await the backlash from those who will gloat over their ‘victory’ over us. In fact, they had been on that long before the elections; that is clear from the insults you see them writing on pages and blogs. Your newspaper the other day had to take the measure of removing insulting comments and people from their Facebook page. Most of those people are the ones who do not want peace in this country, not the other way round. Evidence has shown the elections were won with votes from everywhere, including the North, but they have since started saying they did it without us. Allah Ya kyauta.