Terrorism and President Jonathan

That attack raised the consciousness of the world, that terrorism no longer had borders. While the world was shocked at the magnitude of the attack and the audacity of the terrorists, the fact that everyone had become vulnerable to terrorism was not lost. As the world mourned and condemned the attack, terrorists compromised the United […]

That attack raised the consciousness of the world, that terrorism no longer had borders. While the world was shocked at the magnitude of the attack and the audacity of the terrorists, the fact that everyone had become vulnerable to terrorism was not lost.
As the world mourned and condemned the attack, terrorists compromised the United Kingdom, hitting its subways with fatalities. For some time, it was argued that terror attacks on the USA and UK were the outcome of their involvements in Middle East politics.
If that was indeed the case, what was the crime against China, which had remained relatively silent about Middle East affairs, until lately?
The shooting down of a Malaysian MH17 Flight over Ukraine in July, which killed 298 persons, is already seen a terrorist action. Simply put, therefore, from the North Pole, down to the southern end of the world, terrorists have left a trail of blood and tears. They have decimated lives and brought dreams to an abrupt end. In some cases, not even the remains of their victims were found for proper and honourable burial.
Perhaps, the most curious thing about terrorist attacks round the world is that more than 80 per cent of them have had religious colourations.
Nigeria’s experience in terrorist activities is not different. But Nigeria’s case has, however, become rather different and worrisome to many observers and analysts given the constant call on the country’s president to throw in the towel each time a terror attack succeeds. Nowhere else in the world do citizens and residents ask the country’s leadership to quit on account of a terrorist attack.
In the 9/11 twin attacks on the USA, which has become a reference point, rather than blame the government of President George W. Bush, citizens of that country rallied round their country and its president. They gave him the support needed to “smoke out the terrorists” from the mountains of Tera Bora in Afghanistan.
That massive support, expressed by a deafening outpouring of emotions, more or less, led to the 10-year chase for Osama bin Laden, which culminated in his elimination under Barrack Obama’s watch. During this time, Americans did not see Bush as a Republican. Other leaders in that country did not see themselves as either Republicans or Democrats; they all united behind a cause – to win their country back from terrorists and overcome fear.
In Britain, same level of patriotic zeal was expressed. It has been the same all over the world, except Nigeria. Perhaps, it is only in Nigeria that citizens laud terrorists as being super strong and ask their president to quit. This never happened even in Colombia where the government engaged FARC rebels for over 50 years, despite the modus operandi of the rebels, which included midnight raid on villages, hostage taking, forced child-rebels, occasional bombings, hijack etc. Despite these, Colombians did not castigate, abuse or denigrate their state for the ‘inability’ to snuff life out of the FARC rebels. Rather, they showed more understanding, stood behind their government and their leaders till the ‘war’ was worn.
In Iraq, the ISIS rebels have captured oil installations, water dam (with a threat of flooding the country) and sacked every Christian element in Mosul. In other words, Mosul has fallen to them and they are advancing in ferocious fanaticism, aiming to capture Baghdad. Yet, Iraqis aren’t calling for the head of their president or asking his government to resign. In Nigeria, the government pushed back Boko Haram which had ‘captured’ two local governments in Borno State (as at February 2014) and hoisted their flags as replacement for Nigeria’s flag, yet, it seems like no major achievement to some.
An advertorial in a national newspaper of last Sunday, August 3, 2014, triggered this write-up. Sponsor of the advert, one Movement for New Nigeria, sought to incite Nigerians against their government. They made dramatic allusions, suggesting that the reality of terror attacks on Nigeria was because the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the government at the centre. The group, faceless or real, also suggested that the incumbent president was incapable of stemming the tide of terror attacks in the country, without actually relaying the dynamics of terror to his audience.
Sadly, Nigerians are being made to think and believe, using warped narratives, that President Goodluck Jonathan was the architect of terror in their country. Those selling this misleading narrative forgot that in the midst of such terror actions, USA had a presidential election which brought in Obama; China also had an election which brought Xi Jinping, and that even a totally dysfunctional state like Syria, with a three-year-old civil war, still was able to hold an election which gave Al-Assad another seven-year tenure. Also, even in the midst of a meaningless war, Sudan was still able to go for a referendum that gave birth to South Sudan.
They would want Nigerians to believe that the PDP has failed in taming terror. But  how come they want Nigerians to remember that Jonathan is not fighting terror the way it should be (their way), but don’t ever want us to recall that prior to the 2011 general elections, some notable voices in a particular section of the country were categorical in their promise to make Nigeria ungovernable if Jonathan won the presidential election? Why is it that no one cares to read between the lines of the threat credited to a veteran presidential candidate thus: “Those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable”? Have we also forgotten another presidential candidate’s call on northerners to use all they could lay hands on to protect their votes?
The question is: Would anyone with a workable solution to the Boko Haram challenge wait till they occupy Aso Rock before they execute same? In other words, they are saying they have the means to stop Boko Haram, but won’t do it until they take over the government at the centre. See the patriotism of those who want to lead us?
As has been said, patriotism entails working for the common good, not selfish ambition. The truth is that no nation ever stopped on the ambition of one man.
As far as I am concerned, the Movement for New Nigeria no longer has questions to answer, having painstakingly chosen those headlines as topic for campaign against the PDP and President Jonathan. Nigerians now know better.
The truth is that Nigerians cannot allow the 2015 presidential election to be negotiated on the vortex of violence against our humanity.
Mohammed, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Abuja.