|
War On: BH Vs. MEND By Farouk Martins Aresa
There were 3 countries in Nigeria: Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. Which country were you? That was during the Nigeria/Biafra war. Now there are three Boko Haram. Yusuf Boko Haram e dey, Criminals Boko Haram e dey and Ebele Boko Haram e dey. If we are to believe former President Buhari and Henry Okah, many of us belong to one of these Boko Haram. This is the fight of the elephants while the grassroots suffer.
Lately some leaders of Boko Haram have been identified as Yoruba and Igbo deeply in the Muslim religion. If you are totally confused, you may not be the only one. Many of us are because that is how it is supposed to work. They have to move the battlefield to Lagos and Enugu. A few months ago, President Ebele claimed his Government has been infiltrated by Boko Haram to the highest levels. Rivals claimed Boko Haram already had the Government and MEND is trying to flush them out.
Buhari might be the most disciplined leader vying for office in 2015 but any alliance with Tinubu in the South would soil the only reputation he has going for him, as Ribadu found out. Buhari lead by example: bring peace to Boko Haram war in the North, than blame it on your potential rival. Indeed, his main rival is Babangida in the North that overthrew his Government and would only see Buhari becomes Head of State over his dead body.
When these leaders promise war in the next election since we are already in war with so many innocent people dying especially in the Northern part of the Country, it is obvious that these leaders do not care about us or the blood of our brothers and sisters flowing almost on a daily basis on the streets, in churches and mosques. They are ready to hit more symbolic targets in the South. How much power do they want and how has the power acquired since Independence benefited the masses?
Old money, new money and foreign reserve are being spent recklessly by Loot-O-Crazies without any reservation. When Remi Babalola the former minister of state for finance said that Nigeria was broke the opposing cabals got him fired. He must have blown their cover. This is not Nigeria/Biafra war without borrowing a kobo, it is Boko Haram/MEND war spending themselves silly. They kissed at training camps in Libya and Afghanistan.
The immediate casualties are law abiding youths, NYSC and working poor that will have to go without pay. If you are one of the youths, better pay awaits you as a religious or ethnic militant. Those have so much money to spend on all types of gadgets from arms, ladies to iPods. Don’t you mind those of us watching them with envy since we do not know how to operate in dangerous zones. Even if we do, we cannot afford any.
Behavioral scientists would like to know what drives or motivates youths to engage in certain risky endeavors that make no collectively sense. There was news about a young man in China that gave up his kidney to buy one of those iPods so that he could keep up with his trendy friends. Another kid refused to fight the cause of his talikawa at home but decided on others’ cause on another continent to blow up his blokos in a plane.
There is no violence going on in Nigeria right now that has not been predicted by the prominent members of Jomo Ghomo and Adamu Ciroma. They are determined to have their ways or make sure Nigeria perishes. Governors negotiated for MEND as Emirs negotiated for Boko Haram; just to renew the mayhem perpetrated on innocent victims. Each drugged and sedated violent ignoramus is in hot pursuits of sadistic reward.
Nigeria is tearing itself apart. Elections are no more won by those anointed by power blocks and cabals but by those that can perpetrate the most violence and position themselves as candidates in the corrupted parties asking for heavy returns. Yet none of them have been able to move the Country forward. It’s easier to destroy than to build. Those who cannot, and would not let those who can, lead us to our full potential.
The students, working-class and the educated of those days sometimes sit together to reminiscent about the good old days’ struggles leading to Independence, union rights, free education and modest medical services. Indeed, some of them later became leaders implementing their dreams into realities. What happened to today’s children ability to revolt and dream of a better future for themselves and their children?
Some preachers tell them to close their eyes and pray while they loot. So has the Loot-O-Crazies drugged our youths into stupor with the lure of exotic religion, arm, virgin and gadgets, while covering their tracts with ethnic bigotries. Those that can think straight amongst our youths are labeled unsophisticated because they see beyond dangerous influences that kill African ingenuity. They get no encouragement or notice as militants.
This is why youths are championing freedom for their future in other countries while our youths drugged drunk in gratuitous exotic dreams. They left fathers and grandfathers to protest, tear-gassed and fainted by the roadside. Those youths that are brave enough to join their fathers and grannies in protest are beaten and detained by riot police.
There are father, mothers and grannies that must also share the blame in the situation many African countries find themselves today. Some of them refuse to let power go ruling into their old age, some perpetrate worse indignities on their populations and others sit tight and become Loot-O-Crazies and kleptomaniacs. The youths point to them as the cause of the present predicaments in Africa. So, wrestle power from them.
Why not stop complaining and revolt as other youths in other countries? The wind of change that is sweeping all over the world is leaving black Africa behind. Recently, the French and the Greek populations have had enough austerities and shared some lessons from Arab Spring. Even in the biggest capitalist countries, the people are recalling their oppressors from political power and replacing them with left of the center candidates. |