The waves of insecurity is spreading over the nation with arrays of attacks from the Boko Haram , bandistry and herdsmen. President Muhammad Buhari was given $1billion carte blanche to fight insecurity in the country.
Nigeria has never witnessed this kind of attacks since it gained independence from Britain in 1960. Even, in the darkest days of the maximum dictator General Sanni Abacha, it was not as bad as this.
The killings in Zamfara, Kaduna and Katsina States and spate of kidnappings all over Nigeria has rendered this country almost uninhabitable. The combination of attacks by Boko Haram, the herdsmen, the bandistry and the Cattle hustlers has become too much to bear for this country.
The failure of the Federal Government to stem the flow of anarchist speaks volume of the incompetence of the present government.
It was said in some quarters that this government truly embarked on many laudable projects that transcends its predecessor but how can the citizenry enjoy the infrastructure when peace is elusive in the country, when the populace is enveloped with fear of attacks or kidnapping everywhere.
The first measure to take in this kind of situation is to identify the victims. Rewarding the villains with N100 billion is not the solution. I am reacting to the news that the Federal Government of Nigeria has agreed to pay the herdsmen a sum of N100 billion!
We can only negotiate with the villains and terrorists if we accept that we cannot defeat them or where there are no other alternatives.
Now, the Federal Government has decided to reward the villains and terrorists at the expense of the victims. It has never worked. It would be recalled during the administration of former President Dr Goodluck Jonathan, former President Olusegun Obasanjo was tasked with meeting with the Boko Haram leaders and the family of their slain leaders. He was asked to give them N100 million to pacify them. However, rather than pacification, it emboldened them the more and the money was spent to acquire more arms and weapons.
The rest is now history as Boko Haram has grown bigger than the entire Force in Nigeria.
The Federal Government is now strengthening the line of defence of Herdsmen with another N100 billion, when the two most powerful forces combine together, the rest of Nigeria will be subjugated and we will be paying tributaries to them from our crude Oil proceeds.
This is the reward of a divided country and visionless leaders who are only there by all means but not supposed to be there or not competent to be there in the first instance.
Is it not the right time to declare a state of emergency in the North with serious military intervention to stem the waves of attack and kidnappings? Even, the innocent youth coroners serving in the Northern part of the country are not spared in the reckless attack and kidnapping.
Nnamdi Kanu of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) did not lift a finger against Nigeria, only rhetorics about his determination for the sovereignty of Biafra as an independent nation were the issue. The Federal Government was quick to organise ‘Operarion Python dance’ that wiped out many Igbos and put Kanu himself on the run. Peace was returned to that place by force but the same Federal Government cannot do the same in the North that is brewing much problems than any other region in Nigeria.
The Federal Government has a duty to maintain peace throughout the federation and there should be no sacred cows and without any fear to do the needful. The way the Federal Government is dragging its feet and its inaction over the serious issue in the North may bring catastrophe to the entire federation.
Just recently, the menace is gradually creeping to other parts of the country. Without mincing words, this is as a result of the Federal Government inaction, and seem to be sending negative signals across the length and breadth of the country.
Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gun powder and for those who refused to speak up now, it may be too late soon.
I weep for my country!
Niyi Aborisade, is the National President, National Movement for Positive Change (NMPC). He writes from the United Kingdom.
