BY VICTOR IZEKOR
The “news” is either bad or good. It either conveys good or bad omen. This time around it is bad news and a conveyor of bad omen.
When the Governors of Northeastern states recently raised the alarm for the attention of the Federal Government that the bandits are now moving fast into the North East region especially, to Bauchi, Adamawa and Taraba States following the heat on them from North West and some parts of the country, it was a bad news to the people of the region (North East) who for sometime now tried to at least to sleep with their eyes partially closed following the hot chase and the rough deal the military has subjected the terrorists in the zone.
The news from the governors of the incursion of the bandits into their zone became sour and disturbing as the governors stated that the bandits are aided and abetted in their nefarious activities by some traditional rulers and their allies.
Since the “Save our soul” message to the Federal Government by the concerned governors, the people of the region, who for sometimes now having been enjoying relative peace, suddenly discovered themselves in a state of anxiety and uneasiness, from certainties to uncertainties as the invasion of the region by the bloody bandits portends ahead more evils and man -inhumanity to man in addition to the already dastardly and beastly acts invested on the people by the Boko Haram insurgents, whose primary base has been the region .
As a matter of fact, before the latest announcement of the incursion of the bandits into the North East by the governors, there were reports of renewed abduction, kidnapping and killing of people by the so called unknown gunmen or bandits.
The alarm raised by the state governors to the Federal Government is instructive, timely and deserves immediate response.
The warning from the concerned governors re-enacted the sad memories of the indignities, dehumanization, deaths, blood and sorrow the terrorists had subjected the people to since the beginning of over a decade old terrorism in the region.
It brings back to sane mind, the picture of “beauty consists in ruins” what Shakespeare called the “architecture of ruins,” a landscape of shattered homesteads, severed limbs, tattered lives, ravaged farmlands and looted barns which have become the relics of the bane visited on this region and Borno in particular by the dreaded monsters and extremists called Boko Haram insurgents or terrorists.
The news of the invasion of the North East by the bandits is indeed a reminder amongst others of the murdered sleep of the people once more as hitherto done by Boko Haram.
“The Borno State government in particular that takes the lion’s share of the burden is living up to expectation in the restoration and rehabilitation process”
It re-echoed the sad episode of the abduction of over 200 students of Government Girls Secondary, Chibok in Borno State, the abduction of over 100 students of Dapchi Government Secondary, Yobe State, the killing of 350 villagers in Gamboru Ngala in Borno State, the murdering of about 50 students of Yobe State College of Agriculture in Gujba, scores of people killed at Yobe and Chibok viewing centres, attack in Bama, Borno State by suspected Boko Haram members resulting in death of 64 persons including three soldiers, 22 policemen, 14 prison officers and 21 insurgents, the kidnapping of seven foreigners in Bauchi working with Setraco Construction Company, the killing of Major General Mohammed Shuwa by Boko Haram activists, attacks on various military installations, institutions and a host of atrocities by the insurgents are the sad memories of night of long knives we want to let go.
It is the shameful past and trauma which we are trying to put behind us, but would not just go as the bandits have come again.
Some of the reasons why the insurgency and other security challenges continue to thrive with no end in sight stemmed from amongst others, to indecisiveness of the authorities to act where demanding and imperative, as well as lack of clear cut policy on the methodology of management of crises.
For example, at the onset of Boko Haram crisis, the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima (now Vice President) drew the attention of the nation to the fact that the crisis was not a Borno affair, but that of the nation but nobody listened until Boko Haram saga snowballed to national impasse and a disaster that became uncontrollable.
Even when it became obvious that the insurgency has taken national dimension, the same Governor Shettima called on former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to respond adequately to the onslaught of the insurgents through full mobilization of the military in all aspects to counter the threats of Boko Haram but he was rebuffed by the federal authorities and tagged a “novice” in the act of war.
Today, Nigerians know better who is a novice. Probably, if we had listened to the “VOICE OF REASON” from the North East in the person of Shettima, we might not have found ourselves in this sad situation we are presently going through.
With the collective voice of the chief executives of the North East, the custodians of the people’s mandate to the Federal Government to halt the match of the bandits into the region, President Bola Tinubu has no option, but to respond promptly and adequately.
The North East especially, Borno and Yobe States cannot afford to be hosts to the bandits having experienced for the past decade massive destruction of lives and property.
To allow an inch abode for the bandits to settle and operate in the Sahel, North East is calling for “Night of Long Knives” in the region.
For now, as a result of the intensive and sustained military actions in various parts of the zone and the massive construction of damaged infrastructure, schools and rehabilitation of the displaced persons, relative peace is gradually coming into the area.
The Borno State government in particular that takes the lion’s share of the burden is living up to expectation in the restoration and rehabilitation process.
No doubt, there are positive efforts from the stakeholders to bring peace and sanity to the affected region, but there is need for the authorities to keep their eyes wide-opened and ears to the ground to see and do the imperatives or the needful.
Let us remember that to be forewarned is to be forearmed. The governors of the North East have shouted loudly and clearly. The ball is now in President Tinubu’s court. The people will not like to go back to Egypt again, our horrible past.
.Victor Izekor is a journalist and public affairs analyst and writes at victorizekor@gmail.com
