The 'Bring Back Our Girls' Conundrum

THE ‘BRING BACK OUR GIRLS’ CONUNDRUM


Brethren, I could remember vividly when we were kids, we used to heartily cite most children poems both under the sun and rain. Today, I keep on imagining how it would look to people around me if I eventually repeat or come-up with those things we did very well during our childhood stage.

Nevertheless, some present occasions we encounter warrant the repetition of those things we did or said when we were mere toddlers or teenagers as the case might be.

Frankly, barely three nights ago, precisely Friday May 23 – 2014, I had a nightmare; and it was all about ‘The giant of Africa’. In the dream, someone was forcedly dragging me towards one of the border sides of the aforementioned country; and the border in question happened to be a very familiar one to my person. It was really a complicated and horrific dream; believe me, it was a vague one. Till this moment, I’m still bemused over the anomaly. Honestly I’m presently passing through a state of imbroglio as a result of the encounter.

Well, maybe the above dream wasn’t unconnected to the various untold scenes we witnessed almost on a daily basis in the Nigerian state. I’m just thinking aloud. Of course, it’s no longer news that the entire members of the ‘innocent’ nation have been sleeping with one eye open for quite some years now. And as the subsequent days unfold, it appears the situation is being aggravated. It’s really pathetic.

Since the inception of duty of the current federal administration ‘ably’ led by President Goodluck Jonathan, the Islamic sect otherwise known as ‘Boko Haram’ has been terrorizing the country, particularly the North-Eastern region. I learnt that the so-called Boko Haram is currently the world’s third most dreaded terrorist institution; it is reportedly the third to only Al-Shabaab and Al-Quaeda.

The Boko Haram group has been saluting virtually all the facets of the Nigeria’s Northern region with series of bomb blasts and all-manner of explosives. This, no doubt, has been lingering constantly and consistently for quite some time now. I was forced to ask if Nigeria was passing through a kind of spell invoked by our forefathers thereby making me to cite and as well recite most of the dirges we normally cite those days we were in Nursery School. But on the contrary, I’m strongly of the view that our forefathers wouldn’t want anything less than ‘The Best’ for this ‘great’ country. Let’s ride on!

Some weeks ago, Tuesday 15th April 2014, over 200 students in Federal Government Girls’ College, Chibok, Bornu State were allegedly abducted by same Boko Haram insurgents at about some minutes past one in the midnight, barely few hours after they bombed the famous Nyanya Motor Park in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. This incident, which is first of its kind, has continued to attract mixed feelings and comments from various groups both across the country and in the diaspora. The most devastating aspect is that, I was informed lately that, the abducted girls were allegedly being raped daily by their abductors.

Reports hold that, while some have dismissed current government’s efforts to curb terrorism, others are insisting that the insurgents are receiving cooperation from high quarters. Still, amidst the various discussions, reports, mixed comments, and what have you, in respect to recuing those abducted innocent school girls, many other terrorist actions had subsequently taken place in several corners of the same Northern region. The most recent one was the one that occurred few days ago, Tuesday May 20, 2014 in Jos, Plateau State; leaving over 150 people dead, many maimed and too many others injured.

Reportedly, I learnt that after the recent Jos bombing, Nigerian government ranks or was blacklisted as worst government in the entire world. The report in question reads, ‘The Jos bombings of Tuesday May 20, 2014 which claimed more than 200 lives according to latest counts, has pushed Nigeria to formally occupy the first position in the ranking of world nations with the worst governments in history.’ I was further informed that other criteria which recently moved Nigeria up the list include, corruption, poverty, and pollution.

Notwithstanding, the most grievous experience to the hearts of the teeming Nigerians remains the abduction of the Chibok school girls. The ugly incident has attracted so many reactions and counter-reactions across the globe, including the readiness of the International Community as regards rescuing the innocent girls. Needless to say that, all hands are on deck to ensure that the ongoing mystery coupled with misery is unravel.

Many crusades and peaceful protests have been conducted by concerned individuals and numerous non-governmental organizations including the religious bodies all over the country concerning the abduction of the school girls, which the inscription on their placards reads, ‘Bring Back Our Girls’. The Bring-back-our-girls crusade has abruptly turned to a mere poem being cited by children of various ages, because nothing different seems to have been done to ensure that the scenario becomes a thing of the past after five good weeks of the relentless efforts. At this juncture, I’m forced to ask again, are we under a kind of spell?

Many rumours and what have you, have been lingering concerning the ‘Sambisa forest’ situated in Adamawa State. Based on the Guardian Newspaper of Thursday May 8, 2014, the Adamawa state governor in the person of retired Admiral Murtala Nyako reportedly stated in an exclusive interview as follows: ‘… Sambisa is about 60 km long and 60 km wide. If you are in the forest, you can only see the next person by your side if you have a torchlight; if not, you can’t see anything. It is a thick forest with heavy trees and wild animals ….’ In the speech he said unequivocally that, unless the Federal Government takes a bold step to destroy the forest, the fight against insurgency may continue to rage in the area.

My humble question regarding this wholesome report remains; is the so-called Sambisa forest inaccessible? Well, whatever the case might be, all I want and all we care for is that, they must bring back our girls; I’m sick and tired of all these Sambisa bullshits and the rest of them. Enough of this conundrum. It’s high time we started thinking in a different direction. Think about it!



FRED NWAOZOR

frednwaozor@gmail.com