TheCable

Our flags are supposed to be ordered to be flying at half-staff—almost on every single day of the year, provided our politicians were a people—who value human life, but it is clear as water in Nigeria that both the leaders and led do not value human life two hoots. Why am I saying that our flags are supposed to be ordered to be flying at half-staff, almost on every single day of the year? It is because our people are now being killed daily. And it is so sad.

When Hauwa Leman’s budding tree was uprooted by those animals in human skin, that are hiding under the umbrella of religion, I expected the President of Nigeria to do a nationwide broadcast like it is being done in the nations, where human life is valued. Apart from the phone call that we were told that PMB gave late Leman’s dad, the seat of power in Abuja has been very silent about it. It’s obvious that those who are ruling us do not have an iota of respect for us. If PMB truly respects those who voted for him about four years ago, he wouldn’t be this far from them.

For the umpteenth time, Nigeria does not honor the living, so why would Nigeria honor those who are daily being slaughtered on our soil? In a sovereign and self-governing nation, a citizen—Leah Sharibu—has been turned to a slave and no one really cares. Those who think they are free to become whatever they choose to become in Nigeria are only deceiving themselves. If a free citizen can be turned to a slave on our soil, then no one is truly free in Nigeria.

On the issue of the ongoing crisis in Kaduna, despite the 24hours curfew imposed on many innocent Kaduna people, gunmen still attacked two different villages, killing 38people! I was told same thing happened on the Plateau. There was a curfew, but people were still being killed in the City of Jos some weeks ago. Curfews in Nigeria have never provided a lasting solution. In fact, sometimes, blood-thirsty and trigger-happy people do employ it to wreak more havoc on the helpless citizens of our nation.

How are gunmen managing to move almost everywhere in a State where movement is totally restricted? Till this moment, people are being killed in Kaduna! If people can be killed at will, it means that there is no capable leadership in Kaduna State and declaring a state of emergency in it by President Buhari wouldn’t be a bad idea. It shows that Governor El Rufai is not skilled to lead that State, but in a nation where individuals are bigger than institutions and the governor is being seen to be very close to the “strongman from Daura,” a state of emergency is likely going to remain as desert mirage. Until we learn to do what is right and stop playing politics with our national life, Nigeria would remain as this for a very long time.

If a state as Kaduna can be this challenged, it shows that other States in Nigeria are not safe at all. When it comes to security of life and property, Kaduna is supposed to be the safest in the country, but what has been happening for some years in Kaduna and some other parts of the country have further revealed our weakness and nakedness to the whole world. Kaduna is unmistakably being poorly led. I strongly counsel Mr. President to appoint a military administrator in that state, so that other state governors can sit up. If he does not follow this candid advice, he is playing politics with the precious lives of our people and history will not be kind to him.

I am sick and tired politicians coming out to merely condemn too far many killings in Nigeria, saying that those behind the killings would be severely punished, but a few days after, nothing would be done, only for them to wait for either other tens or hundreds of Nigerians to be killed. Till this moment, we do not know those who are financing terrorists and herdsmen and we are playing hogwash politics that we are fighting terrorism and the menace of herdsmen. We are only deceiving ourselves. Those who are killing our people are not the problem, but those who are bankrolling and ordering their activities.

The repeated cycles of ethnic and religious violence in Kaduna and some other affected states in Nigeria are preposterous and not acceptable. Herdsmen coming from—Cameroon, Chad, Mali and Senegal to kill our people at will shows that Nigeria is just a nation without borders! No nation’s borders are as porous as ours! This shame has been going on for many years and not one head has rolled! It is only under the leadership of President Buhari that people would be appointed and they would perform woefully and they would still retain their jobs. Before you attack me for telling PMB as it is without watering it down, I do have a question for you: Can you allow your company to be run the way President Buhari and all our politicians are running Nigeria?