By Denrele Animasaun

“There are things that I love – when mankind works together – helps each other – learns from each other – teaches each other – cries for one another – laughs with one another – builds with one another – heals one another – entertains one another – worships with one another. The unity of mankind. There is nothing so glorious.” — Gerard de Marigny

Prseident Jonathan, Senate President david Mark and other at the scene of the blast at Nyanya , Abuja, Monday. Photo: Olamikan Olugbenga.

I have been off for two weeks on a much needed break. Being able to switch off is a luxury that many ordinary Nigerians could ill afford. Living in Nigeria, means waking up to the same old problems, not really living, just existing and moving from one disaster to the next.

Incessant brutality rears its ugly head time and time again and without respite. No one gets a break and it is persistent. This brutal assault takes a toll on the body and without mercy. So what happens when the body can no longer take it? The body simply breaks down or manifests in physical and emotional ill health.

Every little stress and distress have a drip, drip effect on body  and the  mind, be it be bad news, extreme stress, persistent power cuts, hold ups, poverty, unemployment, sickness, poor transportation, inaccessible health care provision, inadequate educational facilities, violence, corruption, insecurity, money worries, family woes and Boko haram gruesomeness.

In the last five days, BH (Boko haram) evil has once more, revisited the North and now it has extended its pernicious tentacles and its brand of brutality to the seat of power. So, the so called mighty people in Nigeria have a taste of BH terror, so the power that be, can no longer fail to ignore the plight of many and will now be forced to face this destructive menace at its door steps. BH is sending the message to deluded, greedy and self-centered strata that they too, can be got at.

It is about time, these covetous, uncharitable law makers and law breakers act to protect and serve not, and just their miserable lives but the safety and security of ordinary Nigerians.  For years now, Boko Haram has been waging a ruthless tyranny on the north and its environs without being challenged.  These rebels without a cause are getting more brazen and determined that one armed force spokesperson said of BH modus operandi as “sophisticated”.

The question we should be asking our state representatives and president is: what are our forces doing that the terrorists are more strategically astute than our supposedly trained armed forces? How come the insurgents seem to have more sophisticated stealth, intelligence to create deadly audacious accuracy leaving scores dead and injured in their wake?

More than 1,500 people died this year, and an estimated 3,600 between 2010 and 2012. People feel helpless and hopeless. All people do is, make quick readjustments and move on. This is the way Nigerians deal with things, they show disbelief and relief that it is not them and they say: “God help Nigeria”, and of course they find a reason from a list of conspiracy theories and then get on with existing, until the next disaster comes along.

I understand. In Nigeria, you cannot afford to be sick, so the usual reaction is essential self-preservation.
Sickness, either physical or emotional is the reserve of the rich and well heeled. There are only 39,210 doctors in Nigeria that means there a mere 39 doctors per 100,000 populations. Doctors and medics are leaving the shores and an increasing number of Nigerian doctors have left Nigeria and are practising in the US and UK as we speak. What is it to you, you may ask?  A lot, we can ill afford to have a daily diet of disasters as we are ill equipped to deal with the aftermath. It takes years to recover.

We are Nigerians… QED, we are Nigerians and it is about time we act like it, collectively. We should as a matter of urgency task our state representatives to act on our behalf that they take our concerns to the house and do whatever is constitutionally necessary to make our country and borders safe and secure.  If they fail to do so then, it is about time that we used our votes to get them off their gravy train and work for us for a change.

The same goes for this government which has failed to act decisively to stem the flow of deaths and disasters. This is outrageous and shameful that our government lay the blame on everyone else but their ineptitude. They are in government to protect and serve the nation.

The Insurgents from the Boko Haram terrorist network are blamed for attacks that have killed more than 1,500 people this year alone. The extremists are also accused of Monday morning’s explosion at a busy bus station in Nigeria’s capital that killed at least 75 people and wounded 141. The worrying twists, in the BH depravity saga are the wholesale abduction of young girls and it is believed that they use these young, vulnerable girls as cooks and sex slaves!

President Goodluck’s spin doctor supremo, Reuben Abati, has been waxing lyrical once again and pumping up his literary chest. He wrote on behalf of the head honcho that “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has summoned members of the National Security Council”. We think it is about time. So all the president’s men, according to the released communique are to meet at the Presidential Villa.

The  roll reads as follows( and please take  note, of their  names because they have  been either  neglectful in their duties or  not  been allowed  to carry  out their duties as  they  should); Vice President Namadi Sambo, the Minister of Defence, Lt.-Gen Aliyu Gusau(rtd), the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.), the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, the Service Chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the State Security Services and the Director-General of National Intelligence Agency.

Personally, I think that all of these people should be ashamed that they brought the country to its knees and at the mercy of insurgents to carry out their terror at will and with very little resistance. It is unacceptable.
What does it mean to every Nigerian when Abati tells us that “the inept National Security Council and the state governors are going to review the nation’s security situation, ongoing national security measures and operations to ensure the best way forward?”

Really, at this time we should have had results and not the smarmy, supercilious sound bites. Abati then had the gall to inform us, the minions that the President wishes to reassure all Nigerians that “the Federal Government remains very mindful of its responsibility for the safety of their lives and properties in all parts of Nigeria and will continue to do everything possible to protect them from the scourge of terrorism and insecurity”.

No, it is too late when the proverbial horse has bolted, for the spin doctors to try and soothe Nigerians to trust this government with their safety, when it has obstinately failed Nigerians.  Apparently, our head of our armed forces have ordered “the military and national security agencies to deploy maximum efforts towards rescuing all of the girls and returning them safely to their parents”.  No change there then. This is a mark of poor leadership and it is all there for everyone to see.

When disaster strikes, the president fails to take the lead and nothing has changed then and now from the numerous disasters that had befallen Nigeria other than the PR of him and his wife visiting the injured in hospital and the disaster areas.