The stolen roses of Chibok (II)

And unlike the two ladies, Nigerians and indeed the world don’t believe that Boko Haram or its kidnapping of these girls is an attempt to stop Jonathan Presidency before or after 2015; the world rather believes that the stealing of these girls by anarchists is a serious and criminal threat to the freedom of Nigerian […]

And unlike the two ladies, Nigerians and indeed the world don’t believe that Boko Haram or its kidnapping of these girls is an attempt to stop Jonathan Presidency before or after 2015; the world rather believes that the stealing of these girls by anarchists is a serious and criminal threat to the freedom of Nigerian women, and by extension the existence and well being of our country. Our sorrowful thoughts continue to be with the parents of these girls and all their loved ones.
Ahead of the phantom promise by the President’s wife to match on Chibok and free our girls, the Americans, the British, French and the Chinese are already on the ground walking the talk, a couple of days after their pledge.  The reaction of the Nigerian government to the abduction of these girls has been described by many as callous. The parallel television interrogation of Bornu officials by the First Lady reinforced that belief; her message to the world was that Nigerian government bears no responsibility for that scandalous, mass abduction.
Anybody who expected Jonathan to find the girls is mistaken. This government’s response to any crisis situation is just to establish committee and then do nothing afterwards. So far, the Jonathan administration has failed to implement the recommendations of the Sheikh Lemu, Nuhu Ribadu, Kabiru Turaki, etc., committees, which he set up on his own volition, to advise him on state policies. Does it require the deployment of troops, the shuffling of commanders or the deployment of security vote or the assistance of America, Britain or China to implement committee recommendations? It is just in the nature of this government to fail to do the right thing and to make fresh new promises on the heap of previous ones it failed to fulfil. The Jonathan government confounded all when, in order to gain political advantage, the Director General of its secret police, called SSS, publicly announced that Nigeria had forgiven Ombatse, a criminal local militia blamed for the murder of scores of service men.
Nevertheless, the combined assistance of America, Britain, France, China and other countries, will give us an insight into how the Nigerian government has been prosecuting the war against Boko Haram. America is free to screen those Nigerian soldiers it intends to work with, as some of them are rather dangerous and anti-people. In recent times, Nigerian soldiers have allegedly violated citizens’ rights at an uncompleted house in Apo, Jabi and Utako; in Keana, Nasarawa State, in Kwalakwangi village, Kaduna, and repeatedly in Bornu State, Yobe, etc.
The American involvement should also provide an insight into who is truly behind Boko Haram and who is benefitting from its murderous campaign. There have been allegations and counter allegations by Jonathan and those opposed to him about who is sponsoring this terror. The altercation between the Jonathan government and some state governors about who is cooperating or sabotaging the operations against Boko Haram should now give way to concerted action to bring this scourge to an end.
Hopefully, too, the involvement of foreign forces will check the insistence by some partisan groups that the extension and full scale operation of emergency requiring the removal of the elected governors of Adamawa, Bornu and Yobe States, is the minimum requirement for the elimination of Boko Haram. Now, foreigners are on the ground to help confront Boko Haram while the governors are in place and the charges of this government’s incompetence and dereliction of duty laid by local analysts are re-echoing abroad.
Foreigners heading for North Eastern Nigeria will also see what their diplomats have been telling them, that Bornu State and its neighbours are home to some of the most unspeakably poor people in Nigeria and that the consistent refusal of this government to take practical steps to address this poverty means that Boko Haram will continue to enlist idle youths to sustain its murderous campaign. When he finally agreed to invest in improving the lives of the people of North Eastern Nigeria, Jonathan’s government appropriated N2 billion for that purpose!
It is heart warming that American officials have also met with the Northern States governors to develop a framework for intervention in agriculture, education, water supply, power and other crucial sectors of Northern Nigerian economy in order to improve the material conditions of the people. Proceeding from the foreign assistance we have secured, President Jonathan should immediately dissolve the retired Brig Gen Sabo Muhammed-led committee before they begin to waste public money. This committee is useless and has no work to perform, and please let’s put an end to these ineffectual theatrical committees.
Nigerians hope that this global intervention will truly be the beginning of the end of Boko Haram. Some Nigerians who have misgivings about American involvement have said that Uncle Sam has always craved for a military foothold here; well, they have a chance now.  For those who believe wherever Americans have gone, there has been partition – Korea, Somalia, Vietnam, etc, this may be Nigeria’s turn.
The situation in our country has gone beyond the willingness of a First Lady to help, or the confusion, inaction and utter helplessness of a Presidency distracted by 2015 politics. For many of us who want to live our lives in peace and continue to practice our religion, in whose name the Boko Haram claims to be burning, killing and maiming, we will have to give foreigners a chance to help us eliminate this gang. There is now a real chance that Abubakar Shekau may be killed for the second time – and finally and Boko Haram liquidated.