The graphic images of concerned, hurting and traumatised mothers on the streets of Abuja, Lagos and elsewhere the other day, to symbolically remind the government of its insensitivity, perhaps incompetence in rescuing 223 abducted school girls in Borno State, three weeks after the tragic act speak volumes. Feelings remain raw in all and the request is unmistakable: the nation and the parents want a reunion with the children, President Goodluck Jonathan’s lamentable admission that their whereabouts are still unknown notwithstanding. The pain is deepened by the video statement released yesterday by Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau that his group is holding the girls and plans to sell them into slavery.
Expectations are still high on a safe return of the girls whose actual number has curiously and ominously remained guesswork. The school principal, as a mother, did well to dare correct erroneous claims of only 100 girls initially. The other day, the DSS in Borno State reportedly gave 276, against the school authority’s widely accepted 234, again before weekend’s figure of 180 by Northern Christian Forum leaders.
It is unfortunate enough that Nigeria has found herself in this quagmire but the deafening silence at the corridors of power that initially attended the tragedy is more unacceptable. President Jonathan waited for a presidential media chat on May 4 before speaking and Borno State Governor Shettima was equally guilty of not rallying his people through a state broadcast since.
It is sickening that no answer is being offered anxious and tormented parents, relations and Nigerians to the debauchery. Relevant government institutions too had none to offer than a lame plea for time. A hurried attempt by the Nigerian Army was embarrassingly bungled. However, notwithstanding any behind-the-scene activities, a rising wave of anger and frustration across the land is justifiable.
At this crossroads, there should be no rest for President Jonathan and everybody down the line including men of the armed forces until the girls are rescued and returned to their distraught parents. No other excuses or explanation will obviate the official tardiness and incompetence being displayed by everybody. The citizens are fast losing faith in government, particularly over this incident. Inferences of internal sabotage or even suspected limitation by the armed forces can no longer be waved aside. When will Nigerian leaders begin to take responsibility for their actions or inaction?
If parents, relations, villagers could be roused to take a highly risky adventure into Sambisa Forest believed to be the fort of the insurgents, officials who swore to protect citizens or a government whose responsibility it is to protect them through its agents should do more. Abductions as witnessed in the Government School, Chibok, since April 14 should bring out the best in a proactive security network.
In saner climates, the country will be virtually at a standstill now. But except for some belated moves at the National Assembly a few days ago, it is business as usual in Abuja. Yet, over one hundred homes are mourning the children’s forceful seizure!
Are the children of the elite involved? No. Hence the tardiness? This government has a lot of explaining to do. How true are reports that the girls have been moved to Chad Republic, Cameroon, Niger Republic with some believed to have been forcefully married out to insurgents? Are their captors indoctrinating or using them as sex slaves?
Three weeks is agonizing, and the official insensitivity on display is befuddling. Curiously, President Jonathan ill-advisedly cancelled the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, April 30 in honour of Vice-President Namadi Sambo’s brother’s death in an accident. Yet, he has not been so moved by 234 missing children to view that as a national tragedy, three weeks after their abduction.
In South Korea, Prime Minister Chung Hong-won took responsibility and resigned over government’s mistakes that generated public outcry and resentment following the sinking of a passenger ferry with over 300 lives lost. It is an action to redeem public faith in government. Though far-fetched in Nigeria’s circumstance, accountability is the key in governance.
Also as father of the nation and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, the president has not deemed it fit to make a symbolic visit to his troops or to families in Chibok or some other trouble spots since his last whistle-stop visit to Maiduguri, which in any case was compelled by political pressure.
A number of questions are pertinent for truth to unravel. With the delayed rescue, is Boko Haram playing for time for the nation to find something else to occupy citizens’ attention and leave the girls to their fate as another unresolved crime? Is the country (military) serious about the operations in the North-East at all? What is the true capacity of the military hardware available for use? Is there enough to prosecute the war? Are the soldiers well mobilised for the task? Are there forces which do not want the war to end? What is the level of intelligence gathering especially in neighbouring states, which are now considered threats to Nigeria’s interests? And how effective is the coordination and control of the war efforts?
This newspaper has once advocated the exploration of all options to resolve the impasse with the Boko Haram. But government is yet to show the necessary commitments.
Had the government taken the insurgency as seriously as it should have initially, it could have shut the borders shortly after the abduction with intensified air patrol, among other military offensives, to close in on the insurgents.
Embassies ought to be invaluable assets at times like these. It is high time the country reviewed the stature of envoys in neighbouring countries to accommodate only the very senior and very experienced ambassadors. The most strategic and powerful postings were in the neighbouring countries in the past to protect national interests. This should now be the case.
Leaders who are worth that tag accept responsibility and learn to communicate to the citizens promptly. Once again, there should be no rest for President Jonathan until the girls are found.
