29th June, 2014 In defence of Mr. President June 29, 2014 During the Biafra/Nigeria Civil War in 1967-1970, the then Nigeria military government had a jingle on a radio thus, “To keep Nigeria one, is a task that must be done.” I think the civic duty of every responsible citizen of this country is to see her overcoming all the myriads of contradictions against her survival and stability in this trying period of our nationhood. To keep Nigeria one is not the responsibility of the military or president alone but it should be a collective and contributory efforts of each and every one of us. No matter the level of anybody’s perceived grievances against the president or the Nigerian state, to look for its downfall and disintegration or for an outbreak of war is a dislocation in patriotism. Mother Teresa affirmed that “if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” It is unfortunate that what we could have used as our score card to negotiate economic benefit with the global entity is now our predicament. In view of our enormous potential as a nation, unity would have prodded us to becoming a big economy in the Africa continent if properly harnessed. We need to understand that we all need one another and belong to one another to achieve greatness. The campaign of calumny against the person of President Goodluck Jonathan is unbecoming and is getting too embarrassing. If we present our president too cheap to the world, we can’t expect them to accord him his right value. For the defeated United States of America’s presidential candidate, Mr. John McCain to be referring to our president as “some guy called Goodluck Jonathan” is highly disgusting, an affront and very undiplomatic, as according to Lawrence Steme, “respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners.” I also smelt a rat when the North and the opposition seemed to leave patriotism behind them in their pursuit of parochial political goals and called on the president to visit Chibok, Borno State at this parlous state of insecurity in the area. Being unnecessarily sentimental is highly mischievous. Why is the call for Jonathan to visit Chibok so vociferous? Is it perhaps a clandestine, sinister plan to have the insurgents assassinate him? We all remember what happened to General Aguiyi Ironsi in Western Region when he visited the region after the January 1966 coup, how he was killed by the Hausa khaki boys at Ibadan. The President has the right to protect himself first because “It is his first duty to protect the man (meaning himself) who holds the fate of others in his hands.” Plutarch (46-120 AD). Why do these agitators not ask the Vice-President, who is of the stock of Hausa/Fulani to visit Chibok on behalf of the president? They both hold joint ticket to presidency so why is the cry on Jonathan alone? During the militancy in Niger Delta, Late President Yar’adua deployed the then Vice-President Jonathan to go and meet with the militants in the creeks to persuade them to lay down their arms and embrace amnesty. Then Vice-President Jonathan went along with other Ijaw leaders, and the president of the Christians Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, so, why can’t these people call on their Ulamas in the Northeastern region, and their political leaders and emirs, to mobilise themselves, led by Sambo, and venture into the Sambisa forest which terrain they are well accustomed to, to appeal to members of the violent sect to surrender. It will be arrant tomfoolery and doo-ally for the president to visit Chibok now because of the conspiracy theory that is gaining the ground. Inasmuch as I do not want to exonerate the Federal Government of culpability considering their slow response to insurgent attacks, yet I want to believe that the claims by the Chibok locals that the military had the foreknowledge of the attack four hours before the invasion is not totally acceptable to any scientific reasoning. The Federal Government should brace up to dialogue with the insurgents and evaluate what other steps to take to facilitate the release of the girls without the use of force. The government should learn from the United States itself, how Barack Obama swapped five high level Taliban prisoners to secure the release of the 28-year-old Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who was detained for five years in eastern Afghanistan. If America could swap and release Mohammed Fazl, Mullah Noori, Mohammed Nabi, Khairullah Khaikwha and Abdul Hag Wasip, just for one American soldier, then President Jonathan should not listen to any foreign threat to discontinue the negotiation. The longer these girls stay in Boko Haram’s captivity the more its dangerous dimension is unimaginable. To avoid these girls becoming hate agents themselves against the nation upon their eventual release because of the indoctrination they might have been subjected to, the earlier the government makes hay while the sun shines. Any delay may instigate the girls being killed or die of lack of medical attention which may have collateral damages on the nation through violent protests and demonstrations from the masses, supported by the international community.
Posted on: Sun, 29 Jun 2014 09:37:03 +0000
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