Nigeria rarely makes it to the global spot-light. On the few occasions that it does, it is usually for bad reasons that portray Nigerians as people whose ways are oddly different from the rest of the world.
Although there is no perfect country in the world, because inasmuch as it is populated by people, it would have its fair share of turmoil and chaos;
however, it is sad to admit that here in Nigeria, ‘good’ news rarely break.
This year alone, there have been so much bad, sad, gory and unfortunate tales that have come out of this self-acclaimed (albeit in infantile and false confidence) ‘Giant of Africa,’ that makes one shudder.
If we have not lost our ‘life’ as it were, isn’t it shocking enough that within just four months, 1,500 innocent NIGERIAN souls have been lost to this evil called Boko Haram? Shouldn’t that be enough to provoke seven years of fasting and soberness?
I’m sorry to say, we don’t have a life!
Living in Nigeria is full of challenges even if you reside in any of her best cities. Lack of electricity, lack of quality education, lack of good roads, lack of adequate security, lack of good jobs, lack of good healthcare…and just when we thought we couldn’t lack anything more, we have to worry about bombs going in off in motor-parks? Seriously, who did we offend?
It’s not funny anymore, but some people are making jokes out of our ‘life.’ I guess that’s why Abubakar Shekau had the guts to laugh in our faces after he had kidnapped our daughters, sisters, and future mothers, leaders of the nation for over two weeks.
Still, I cant help but situate his laughter in the concept of a marauder who knows the owners of the house are helpless.
Isn’t it curious that our government only started responding ‘seriously’ to the issue of these missing girls after the international community had gotten involved.
Even then, our First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan still believed it was a badly scripted joke.
However, before we finally bring back these girls (because for sure, they’re coming back), let’s take a minute to ask a germane question: what are the girls coming back to?
No light, no water, no food; a state of uncertainty and recourse to the status quo, only now, it would be worse as many of them will be scarred and may not want to attend school again?
Everything that can go wrong has done so already; it needn’t be until the sun drops from the sky before we realise that we have hit ‘ground zero’ and we now have to pull ourselves up.
Boko Haram is not the only scourge we’re fighting; we’re fighting for our very lives. So that things like this would never occur again…so that we can have our dignity back.
Enough of the fear, opression and poverty. We have the power to change our destinies, and though general elections wouldn’t hold till 2015, the journey starts now.
#BRINGBACKOURGIRLS has shown us that our government would be forced to act when constant attention is focused on them, so it’s time to put them in the spotlight.
If you notice anything wrong in the way you’re being governed (at Federal, State, or Local Government level), or whether as a student who is being oppresed by a lecturer…use the power of the social media. Call out names, put a hashtag to it, and watch how tin gods would be de-mystified by the scrutiny of light.
The world is changing; people are creating their own futures; lets’s do the same. Speak up; act up…use the hashtag #BRINGBACKOURLIFE
Tofarati (GT) Ige is the author of TOWN CRIER and ORIKI (PRAISE POETRY); as well as the News Editor of E24-7 MAGAZINE.
Tofarati GT Ige.
Author of TOWN CRIER and ORIKI (PRAISE POETRY)
News Editor at E24-7 Magazine (www.e247mag.com)
www.grandtycoon.blogspot.com
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