It is disheartening that for months in Southern Kaduna, and indeed other places in the country, several persons have been killed, houses and other valuables destroyed by bandits without government or security agencies doing anything to quell it. In a country with federal and state government powers and, all the security agencies, yet the killings continue unabated, with no resistance, no arrest, no prosecution. The worst hit are children, women and the aged who are vulnerable in such usual abnormal situations. But, it is quite more regrettable that a sitting governor, a man now nursing the ambition of coming to the center in 2023, Gov. Nasir Ahmad El-rufai, is having a good sleep at night, dining with his family while, an enclave of his empire burns with horrendous killings. There is no action known or recorded where he is doing or has done something serious to halt these inhuman killings.
The primary responsibility of any government, we are told is to protect lives and property but in Kaduna and by extension Nigeria, that is not correct. Killings are freely allowed to go on by concerned authorities. It is shocking and lacks every explanation why the Kaduna State government is carrying on as if lives in Southern Kaduna do not matter. Is it that the President and Governor are unaware that people are daily attacked and killed? Is this not leadership failure, that people are daily attacked and killed, houses burnt, properties looted and the man at the helm of affairs in that state is not mobilizing forces to defend and protect his citizens. What have the people of Southern Kaduna done to El-rufai and Buhari to deserve such callousness and insensitivity from them?
Has the government and security forces completely lost control or just punishing the people of Southern Kaduna for only God knows why? What is actually going on? Have these bandits become stronger, more armed than our police, army or combined forces? Is it that El-rufai has no solution in approaching the situation? The attack and killings can continue, the lives there don’t matter? Have we arrived the jungle, as many will describe Nigeria, where live is worthless? The Presidency has failed woefully in tackling security. There are killings going on in Nigeria, some very well organised by groups like we are witnessing in Kaduna recently. It is then stunning that there is no cohesion from the Presidency and all the security outfits to curb the killings. Mr. President has to show he is in control. Mr. Governor has to identify with his people!
What is lacking in Kaduna and generally in Nigeria is the willingness of our leaders to act. There is absolutely nothing special about organising our forces to launch massive attack on these rebels causing mayhem in the country. Once our leaders resolve to act without fear or favour, putting lives and country first, the end of banditry in Nigeria will be achieved. A coordinated force with intelligence, well motivated will flush out these vandals in a matter of weeks. Our Presidency, security forces are putting religion and ethnicity above decency. The opportunity to grab ‘my own’ has permeated our hearts that achieving good results, breaking records are no longer the stake but rather loads of cash in ones account matters most to us. Of course, these bandits are humans with thinking faculty too, they are capitalising on the lackadaisical attitude of our elected and appointed officials to come after them.
There is now a curse on our leaders and land. Believe it or not, it has dire consequences. The Southern Kaduna women, young and old, married, widowed, in anger, frustration, tears, disappointment and disillusionment, poured into the streets to demand; is there no government at the center and state to protect them? What have they done to merit such abandonment from their leaders? They are asking governments; if they are happy to see them attacked, maimed, raped, their children and husbands killed. The women have challenged and taken their wounds to God, the Almighty, the gods of their ancestors, land, to do the battle for them. This is in 2020, with a democratically elected President and Commander-in-Chief, commanding the civil defence corps, police force, SSS, land, sea and air military adorning everywhere in Nigeria.
Why Nigeria and Nigerians have been abandoned by leaders they freely chose remains a mystery? Why government continues to betray citizen’s hope for justice is disappointing!
*** Uzodinma Nwaogbe is @ 0708.438.1845.
