Boko Haram: The Truth Is Bitter

Opinion

By Raymond Oise-Oghaede

There is no gainsaying the fact that many Nigerians and international friends of the country have joined the campaign against the activities of the Boko Haram sect especially calling for the release of the over 200 girls abducted by members of the group. The damaging effect of the menace is very obvious and unpalatable. Be that as it may, there is the need to quickly remind all and sundry at this juncture that our efforts and approaches should be multifaceted. Foremost, there is the need to secure the release of the abducted girls without any casualty, then other plans and strategies can follow towards putting a permanent end to the menace.

You will agree with me that the fate of these girls hangs in the balance and in the hands of their abductors. If that be the case, we can only do so little in securing their release by any other known means aside from through peaceful and non violent approach.  That only viable approach is through dialogue and negotiations as I have extensively proffered in my earlier articles titled ‘Is BOKO Truly HARAM’ and ‘BOKO HARAM: Let Truth Be told’. The fact remains that the girls are in the custody of members of the sect and all other approaches to securing their safety is now secondary given that they could be used as shields and even eliminated at the slightest provocation. (God forbids).

In as much as I am impressed by the resolve of some Western Powers to assist Nigeria in combating this very worrisome trend, the question remains; Would they be able to achieve this without casualty on the side of the girls? That is to say that even if the world would support us with their armies and sophisticated wherewithal, the safety of the girls cannot be guaranteed. So, what is important at this point is how best to secure their release without any casualty on their side.

It is possible that the Western Powers have all what it takes to wipe out the activities of the sect in the long run, it would definitely be at the expense of the life of some of these girls if not all and that is NOT what we are planning for. Since we do not wish to lose any of these girls, the only viable approach to securing their release is no other than through dialogue and negotiations.

I know it sounds irritating and insulting for the government to succumb to this noble approach because people will tend to term it a ‘weak and ineffective government’ but the fact remains that if the root causes of this problem had been tackled at the onset, it will not have degenerated to this frightening level. Some will also say that it will encourage other groups to resort to taking up arms against the people because they know that the government will eventually call for dialogue and negotiations at the end of the day. So shall it be if we continue to trivialise emerging sensitive and very serious issues from the onset.

Today, kidnapping, ritual killings, street cultism, religious, political and ethnic intolerance are gradually becoming the order of the day and our leaders and people are not taking decisive steps to curb them. Of course, they will degenerate to deadlier problems for the country in the nearest future. Thus, to forestall the trend, our houses should be put in order. The government will have to come out with viable and workable social, economic and political developmental programmes to reassure the people that they really meant well for our future. For example, it is criminal and dangerous for privileged office/position  holders to be living in affluence in the face of hungry, disgruntled and seemingly hopeless masses. To start with, corruption should be wiped out in its eternity. Drug peddling would have been a thing of the past or reduced to the barest minimum if we had sustained the death penalty introduced by a past military administration.

If two or three highly placed government officials or office holders are executed today for corrupt practices, others will sit up. In fact, the jostle for political positions will be unattractive for corrupt minded people. It is only the few that have the interest of the people at heart that will truly present themselves to serve.(This is just one of the long term options of putting our dear country back on track.

The most important thing in our minds now is how to free our abducted innocent girls. This is where all our actions and strategies should concentrate on. If we want to embark on demonstrations, rally and protests for their release, such should be geared towards appealing to the conscience of their abductors for rethink and to be merciful. If we continue to protest against the government for the ways the issue is being handled or pouring out our anger against members of the sect, such will not achieve the desired results, rather it will put the lives of those girls in grave danger.

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Recently, the government  posited that it is not possible for them to dialogue and negotiate with members of the sect because they are ‘FACELESS’. This position of government is very unfortunate. What they are saying in other words is that the group is invisible. If we cannot dialogue and negotiate with seemingly ‘faceless group’ then how is it possible for us to fight and subdue them? The moment someone concludes that his enemies or opponent are faceless, then it is only by the special grace and intervention of God that the battle can be won by such person.

Now that the United States, United Kingdom and the rest of the world have volunteered to assist us in fighting the menace, how then are we going to describe the enemies to the volunteers? It means that thousands of Nigerians should make up their minds to end up as sacrificial lambs when the Western Powers eventually commence their operations to wipe out ‘faceless and undistinguishable elements’ from the states where their activities are prominent. Even at that, the menace of the sect would not have been totally eradicated because their presence is now being felt in the FCT and it is not impossible that they might have spread their tentacles to the West, East and South. (Or why did the United States of America raise alarm over plans to cause havoc in some notable hotels in Lagos?)

What we are insinuating is that the Western Powers should just come and take control of governance in the country because we can no longer identify or distinguish the people behind the uprising let alone of curbing their activities to guarantee security of life and property in the country.

It is also very interesting to read on the pages of newspapers that the National Conference Delegates were divided on whether the Conference should continue or not in the face of the security situation in the country and that the majority opted for the continuation so that the sect members would not conclude that they have scored a huge mark in  case the conference is halted. The fact remains and as I have pointed out in my reviews, that you cannot have a National Conference in the true sense of it when the roof top is on fire. The best would have been to suspend every other discussion and concentrate on the state of insecurity in the country. That is only when Nigerians will be rest assured that the delegates or the leaders meant well for them.

Truthfully, I am feeling the pains and difficulties of the government in not wanting to succumb to calls for dialogue and negotiations but at this point pride and other bureaucratic procedures should be put aside for the needful to be done.

The president cannot do it alone. All well-meaning Nigerians should stand up and support the government in this fight against terrorism through dialogue and negotiations.(At least to free our girls first before deliberating on other approaches toward putting a permanent stop to the menace). When Christian, Muslim and Traditional Leaders come together to appeal jointly to the conscience of the leadership of the sect with fervent prayers to the Almighty God, He will answer and come to our aid. If traditional rulers, captains of industry, academia, professional groups, media practitioners and Nigerians from all walks of life come together and show concern and appeal to the conscience of leaders of the sect for the release of these girls through peaceful means, a miracle could happen.

Please take heed and do the needful before it is too late. Do not take chances with the lives of these girls. May the Almighty God, the Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscience see us through this present predicament unscathed…. Amen.

Long live the Federal republic of Nigeria.

•Oise-Oghaede wrote from Lagos

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