By Tonnie Iredia

Some innocent Nigerian school girls were last month abducted from their school in Chibok, Borno State. Painfully, the real number of girls involved is unknown. The first report said 100, another 200; yet another version said 234. When a fresh story suggested 276, many people opted to use the term ‘over 200 girls’.

Apart from the fact that it has since become stale to quarrel over the figures, inexactitude of records is one phenomenon Nigeria is known for.  Anyone in doubt will see the point better if he tries to find out our population. He will probably run into several versions until he comes across some foreign soothsayers who having looked into the stars imagine what we are likely to be in 2020.

FOR CHIBOK GIRLS—A young South African pupil at a primary school in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province writes a message on a paper reading: “Be a Man Boko Haram, Bring Back Our Girls!” during a “BringBackOurGirls” school project calling for immediate release of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls. AFP photo.

In the case of the Chibok girls, too many things have since taken us beyond the debate on figures. The first was the issue of how such a thing could have happened. Initially, it really appeared quite strange to comprehend the story of how hundreds of girls were abducted without a challenge in a long drawn out operation.

One rumour had it that the operation lasted from 9pm to 2am but no one knows the author of the story. So, the debate shifted to the whereabouts of our security agencies. In earnest, where were they? One story says only two security operatives were there. A more sinister insinuation was that our security was compromised.

Some say it was sabotage especially as amnesty international was reported to have alleged that our security had advanced information of the operation. Two of my friends wasted their energies on this some four days ago. While one cautioned against undue attacks on our security forces that are usually reputed to be gallant abroad, the other was too bitter about his being held up at a check point in Nyanya when action was at its peak in faraway Chibok.

The futility of the debate was confirmed by a video showing the girls in Boko Haram’s custody. The contention about the number of girls involved, how long the operation lasted and the response of our security have become a fruitless debate.

But what about the figure of 30 girls which was later corrected to read 53 that luckily escaped during the operation as well as the different versions of the number identified in the video? Again we have passed that level as the entire world has condemned the episode. Indeed, there is unanimity that all hands should be on deck to help Nigeria out of it. Unfortunately, unnecessary issues are still being extracted for debate.

There is the one on whether or not it is safe to invite foreign countries especially American to virtually supervise our security. Some people even imagine that our military was not consulted before the invitation for help was sent to those countries. Apart from the fact the invitation was at the instance of their Commander in Chief, it is better for us all to be humbled than for our Chibok daughters to remain in captivity.

Perhaps that was what propelled a group of Northern Elders to openly announce their support for the President on the subject. Our premise however, is that those castigating the President and those purporting to support him are engaged in a frivolous debate. #Bring back our girls is all that matters now

Ordinarily, placing government on its toes to compel it to focus on development and good governance is an attractive posture but undue criticisms can be dysfunctional. Therefore, Government should neither get engaged in the debates nor should it be pushed to a state of panic the way it has resorted to discordant tunes in the last few weeks.

For instance, the interviews granted by 2 cabinet ministers on the subject of negotiations with Boko Haram were not at tandem with those of other leaders of government. Luckily it is now known that although negotiation with Boko Haram is an option, our girls will not be swapped, for prisoners. As fine as this stance appears to be, it is only a sermon which is far from what we want to hear now. That our girls are back, hale and hearty is what we are waiting for; no more debates please.

It is against this backdrop that we deprecate the puerile debate on whether or not the state of emergency in some Northern States should remain or be lifted. Some people have tried to make the subject a matter of public interest as if that is what matters now. There was even the story that Northern Senators would oppose the request during deliberations on it. Two posers which make the debate unnecessary are as follows.

First, if Boko Haram can abduct several school girls in a state supposedly under emergency what would be the fate of the people of that same state if the emergency is lifted? Second, what is the essence of putting a state that had ample insecurity under emergency if its people would remain unsafe?

A review of these posers suggests that we are into a ‘lose-lose’ game. On the other hand, a ‘win-win’ game presupposes that a robust plan will be put in place to tackle the insecurity. The plan will however be dead on arrival if it does not begin with the release of our Chibok girls which is the matter of the moment

Many other issues will remain unimpressive until the girls are freed. Three days ago, a state commissioner told an audience that his governor could not be physically present because he was deeply involved in the schemes to release the girls. He got a warm applause when he added that like the President, the governor would not rest until the goal was achieved.

The debate on whether or not the said determination carries the seriousness it deserves is again irrelevant. Our leaders can sleep if they like; they can also choose not to sleep at all or to do so with one eye or two eyes closed. Our real interest is to see the girls released.  Once again, Chibok Girls; No Debate