Buhari, Danjuma and insecurity
It is not in the place of bloody civilians to interfere in any ding-dong between an army general and his former colleagues. At any checkpoint, a Naija general earns his salute while the bloody civilian pays his way. It is sad to see a general make a call to arms even in selfdefense as TY recently did. That said, to blame TY Danjuma like Bubu’s attack-dogs have done is to ignore the underlying problem behind his request, the palpable insecurity in the land.
It was a grave tragedy when insurgents ransacked Chibok and disappeared with over 200 schoolchildren. In the heat of campaigns, candidate Muhammadu Buhari had something to say about President Jones’ negligence and how leaders should take the lead. He talked about how President Jones showed no empathy in dancing in Kano instead of rushing to Chibok. The insinuation was that Goodjoe’s milk of human kindness dried up because he is a southern Christian. Numerical evidence has since revealed that a substantial number of the Chibok abductees were Christians.
By focusing on religion and sectionalism in a tragedy we excuse the vicarious culpability of political actors for their neglect. Religion and ethnicity serves them nothing but political capital. It pitches the hoipolloi against themselves as they strive to outdo one another in approbating and reprobating blame. As you tear through the media of support and blame, you are forced to take a second look at the profiles of people based on their stance on the second kidnap. Opinions are coloured in the paint of ethno-religious loyalty not what is in the best interest of the nation and the security of all. If you are a Muslim, you retreat behind the religious injunction that prohibits you criticizing another Muslim in case you bring the faith to attack by infidels. If the idiot in power is perceived to be a Christian, you suddenly remember how the scriptures enjoins us to pray for those in authority and that all authority is from God. Anything short of this automatically makes you a candidate of hell fire.
Fortunately for many of us, we are already in hell fire as we sit under the veneer of our religion or region and watch our nation slip deeper into the abyss of insecurity. Whether you live in a hovel or in a castle anywhere in Naija, you are in prison with the chief prisoner of the day being Muhammadu Buhari. If you doubt me, try entering Aso Rock or its periphery as Americans and tourists do the White House and if you want to exacerbate things, take out your camera and attempt to take a picture at any of the fortified gates of Aso Rock prison. If you live to tell the tale, you will understand what I am saying.
You may have installed the most beautiful windows and doors in your apartment, but you secure them with steel and iron grills, sometimes doubly reinforced. Fencing is not done to beautify as in other lands, but in vain attempt to keep bandits from gaining easy access. The operative word there is ‘easy’ - because no fortification has ever succeeded in stopping the attempt of a determined bandit. The topography of our countryside is one of the most picturesque; it ought to attract people to live as wild and far as possible with enough space for children and grandchildren to roam, but who dares regrets. Instead, we are crammed in concrete jungle.
So military checkpoints immaterial, Boko Haram drove into town, kidnapped school children and rode back into the security of Sambisa, unchallenged, undetected, unhindered. That may have been brazen - the tragedy was the crass insouciance of Muhammadu Buhari showing no interest in visiting, and when he was coaxed into it, he went in the robes he would wear for Juma’at prayers and they rolled out the red carpet for his dainty feet.
Days after, Boko Haram re-enacted the scene this time in broad daylight to the ululation of exasperated residents! We are asked to eulogise Pa Bubu who orchestrated this whole scam and to cover our faces in shame if we condemned this drama that a Hollywood director would have rejected for implausibility. This is not a Hollywood scene - this is 2018 Naija under Muhammadu Buhari.
Just as President Jones’ lapdogs doubt that any child was missing in Chibok, Buharists say their hero should be praised for turning our country into a theatre of absurdity. We are slaves of our elected officials who beat us but forbid us to cry; starve us, but blame us for growing lean. Incredible how Jonathan had followers who find him and his actions infallible, astonishing Buhari has similar idiots clapping for him.
As far as culpability for the prevailing state of affairs is concerned TY is one of them. Outside government though enriched with unqualified patronage, he is bewildered at the state of affairs. Yet, he is able to throw into the winds the verbiage of political correctness to issue a warning. That doesn’t excuse his call to arms as the best antidote to the state of affairs. In fact, his recipe is a clarion call to total anarchy but it’s a warning bell that life is sliding in for the worst - even for generals who have earned their salute. When gold rusts what shall iron do?