THE REAL CAMPAIGN ISSUES, PLEASE! By Bitrus Gwadah There should be no mincing words. The series of elections in February are not about PDP or APC or President Goodluck Jonathan or Gen Muhammadu Buhari. The election is an opportunity for Nigerians to examine themselves as a people and decide whether we as Nigerians truly love this country and wish to remain Nigerians who have integrity and deserve the respect of other countries of the world or not. It is a referendum on our morality, our perception of right and wrong, the quality of our sense of shame, our level of patriotism, and whether we, each one of us, fear God in whose honour we have built millions of places of worship. It is an opportunity for us to reflect on who we, each one of us, should hold more important - tribe or religion, or the Ten Commandments. God created us, all sorts, and decided that for the time being this is where He wants us to call home. He made no mistake. Only Him can change that. We cannot change it. But we can have the presence of mind and the humility to diligently inquire of Him what we must do to succeed as a nation. Not that we do not know, but we pretend not to. Those who we expect to drive us in the right direction most of them have found more lucrative attractions along the way. The aftermath of this next election should prick our consciences to reflect on the consequences of our continuing to play the ostrich. As a person of faith, I know, that majority of Nigerians still enjoy a good conscience. May I urge this class of Nigerians to diligently reflect on the state of the nation, both now and a few weeks hence. Obviously, there would be those who, like me, are worried about the state of our country, and whose minds are just as agitated as to what should be the real issues in these campaigns. Each time one looks at news reports, those that are reported, one is forced to fill in the dotted lines about those events not reported. And, you ask yourself, WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON IN OUR COUNTRY.? Abductions of men, women and children by the insurgents. Slaughter of helpless innocent Nigerians whose only crime is that they are alive. Destruction of properties in towns and villages and settlements. Bombings of places of worship, schools, motor parks, markets and anywhere and everywhere human beings gather to look for what to sustain themselves. Reports of Boko Haram fully and partially controlling 13 local governments and 10 local governments in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states. Over two hundred Chibok school girls not found. And more and more Chibok neighborhoods are raided daily. Some of these operations take as long as twelve hours without help from the military. Recently, a military spokesman on national television said that the reason why the territories under the insurgents have not been retaken is because the military is busy planning how to do so. He said he could not, for security reasons disclose the nature of the plans, but that the military will soon pleasantly surprise Nigerians. Pleasantly? How morbid. And you would think that the military brass should know that while they are busy planning, the Boko Haram insurgents are busy CONSOLIDATING and capturing more territory. Or maybe we dont just see the point he was making? This is the same military that told Nigerians that the Chibok girls have been located, were in the process of being rescued and would soon be delivered to their distraught parents hail and hearty? Was it not the same military that told Nigerians that a ceasefire agreement has been signed between Nigeria and Boko Haram? Was it not the Chief of Defence Staff that sat on national television and told Nigerians that because of the ceasefire agreement reached he had given directives to all troops to stop fighting? Did Mr. Labaran Maku and Mr. Omeri not tell Nigerians to expect the girls back home, intact, in a day or two? Did the NSA not tell Nigerians weeks later that there was no such thing as a ceasefire agreement with the insurgents? Hullo? Should it not have since dawned on all Nigerians, each one of us, that some Nigerians believe that ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY MILLION OF US, MINUS THEM, ARE IDIOTS? With all these calamities daily threatening our corporate existence, politicians go on as if they are deaf and dumb. Their minds which should prick their sense of what is proper have taken leave of them. The members of the state and National Assemblies jet out to Egypt and India for medical attention, or sit in Abuja discussing how best to make the Super Eagles perform better. Or go to court to challenge political decisions that dont favour them. To hell with Nigerians becoming refugees in foreign lands or suffering in camps as IDPS. Na only dem waka come.? The health sector has been on strike for longer than the sick poor Nigerians remember. The other day we heard that orders have been given to stop their salaries. No one cares that these poor Nigerians have mouths to feed and kids to educate. To the governments, no be only dem waka come. Ever read James Hardly Chase? In one of his novels he wrote two kinds of people play golf, the very rich and the very poor. The very rich hit the balls, and, the very poor gather them up or words to that effect. In Nigeria, the Nigerian poor worship the stinking rich, sing their praises, deface the environment with posters of the rich and dubious, and clean their behinds! All that should stop. The elite, and there are so many good ones, should sit up and dictate the issues for this campaign. In a few weeks there may be no fences to sit on. God bless those members of the media already doing that. I do not believe the soothsayers who tell us ALL WILL BE WELL. They are in denial, and being in denial when you KNOW the facts is dishonest and disgraceful. Nigerians are good people and they deserve to be told the truth. All the time.
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 23:21:18 +0000
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