When I saw Mitchell Obama, wife of US President, Barack Obama, carrying the banner screaming “Bring back our girls,” I knew the picture had changed. This was going to catch up like wild fire. It did. American stars, in music, movie, sports, all joined, carrying banners with what now seemed like a slogan.
Very close to the Oil Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, a young white lady carrying the same plaque, asked another lady close to her, “hey, wait a minute; which girls are we asking them to bring back? And who are we talking to? US government?”
Now, that’s the way the Chibok girls abduction story has gone. A grave matter is now fad. Sexy! Something to pose with. You know, be chic with it. A tragic irony.
Here in Nigeria, the story is not different. Nollywood stars, expired politicians and a few supposedly serious figures with simmering opposition sentiments also carry the trending clarion card like a battle cry.
The clanging sounds of Bring Back Our Girls emanates from the broken silence of an otherwise innocent bucolic village called Chibok, Bornu State, which hosted Government Girls Secondary School. This was where Boko Haram, the mindless and barbarous Islamic sect chose to abduct over 200 girls. Nobody is quite sure of the number. But that doesn’t matter now. At least, we have an idea.
What however pricks me in this Chibok chink is that a few people are now making a career out of it. One of the persons in this mould, a guy I should ordinarily respect; for where he is coming from, is Shehu Sani, a human rights activist. But today, Sani seems more and more of a Boko Haram activist or a Pseudo- Pastor with dooms day prophecies for the teenage girls of Chibok. Or how else do you begin to explain Sani’s utterances in the media in the last few weeks.
Shehu Sani, it was, who told Nigerians that Boko Haram might ask for prisoners swap. Just like he prophesied, the Sambisa Forest kingpins, demanded release of their members in return for them to set the Government college pupils free. Sani’s words on terrorism and terrorists minds are now prognostic.
On Saturday Vanguard of May 31, Sani, the President of Civil Rights Congress (CRC) was in his espousal element, propounding Boko Haram theories and enunciating their mind sets. Hear him, “it was the insincerity of the Federal Government to accept and implement the conditions given by the sect that has given rise to the attacks being launched by the sect …”
The question I am tempted to ask this afro haired Sani is, what are these conditions? Do they include their demand that every Nigerian should become a Muslim? That we should not go to school because western education is a sin? These are some of their open demands. Or are there some they made at a secret meeting with Sani, as he now seems a part and parcel of the Boko Haram mystique.
The Kaduna based activist has also gone ahead to ‘prophesy’ that Boko Haram would not accept amnesty or dialogue with government because of the obstacles the government had created. According to him, the price tag placed on Abubakar Shekau’s head, the declaration of state of emergency in the states the sect operates, and the federal government’s deployment of troops against them would make it impossible for the sect to endorse any form of dialogue or accept amnesty.
Well, President Jonathan has said he did not offer amnesty. So that is no longer an issue. He prefers dialogue. That too is okay. But if Sani is such an erudite scholar and latter day prophet of Boko Haram, one who understands the psyche and idiosyncrasies of these psychotic beasts, then President Jonathan needs to do business with him. It is obvious that he is in good contact with this murderous gang. Therefore the president needs to bring him to the table to tell him where our girls are as he seems to know every move of the monsterous sect.
Again, Sani was part of the Boko Haram contacts that had a meeting with Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun state. His press release after the meeting again was ominous. In his words: “It’s significant for Nigerians to note that negotiation is the only safer option to bring the girls back home. The consequence of the use of force to rescue the girls is clear”.
Well, Sani has told Vanguard that he is now ready to be part of the negotiation with Boko Haram after turning down his appointment to the earlier committee set up by President Jonathan. That is a good gesture. But he must stop sounding as if these idiotic elements are heroes. He should stop stressing the issue of government meeting their demands or the federal government’s failures over some maniacs that their whole life is ruled by caprice. If he is coming with such a jaundiced mind, then it is a monologue recital odyssey for which he will receive no applause. And even if there will be any form of discussion, it will be a dialogue of the deaf.
Above all, as one very familiar with Boko Haram’s mind and body language, and very much in touch with them, he should be a good escort for President Jonathan’s journey to Chibok. And he should lead our soldiers into Sambissa forest to find our girls since it must be a familiar terrain for him.
As for our former Minister, former Vice President of World Bank, Obi Ezekwesili, now leading some well fed women and men to occupy some parts of Abuja, I don’t want to agree with some foul tongues that mischievously say she is jobless. I don’t agree. What I do not understand is how she found so much free time she is squandering in one corner of Abuja, all in the name of asking Jonathan to “bring back our girls”.
Even some disrespectful folks and not quite a few, have argued that Ezekwesili is looking for job and that President Jonathan should read her excellent sign language and ‘settle’ her.
Again, I do not agree. Our Oby is an accomplished woman. But I think her family truly needs her at home. President Jonathan is doing the best he could and he is resting in spite of the turmoil. I think, at this point, that Ezekwesili too needs a rest. She should go home and rest as without a doubt every true Nigerian (sane human) want the Chibok girls back home, including my humble self.
