Wednesday, 25 January 2012

THE PARLOUSNESS OF BEING

The security situation in our country has long become a sick joke. It has now reached a point at which it is no longer just a sick joke, and its diabolic state poses a clear and present danger to the already precarious economic situation in the country. Our social fabric is being torn to shreds, and the strength of our social cohesion is being tested to the limit. It wasn't meant to be like this; oh no, it certainly wasn't! We seem to have perfected the art of lurching from one crisis to another, daring fate each and every time. It is the thought of that fate that is as unsettling as it is frightening. The prospect of disintegration looms large.
It may be 'fashionable' these days to pummel Goodluck at every opportunity, but one has to contend that, on this issue, the President's authority is being ruthlessly undermined and his penchant for indecisiveness royally exploited. Boko Haram is being portrayed as a religious group that is hell-bent on chasing 'unbelievers' from the Northern part of the country. I'm not so sure about that. It may be that Boko Haram did indeed set out to be a violent religious group with its vile agenda, but one suspects it has since been hijacked by politicians that are seeking to wreak havoc on Goodluck's regime in particular, and on Nigerians in general. The parlousness of our being is being revealed on our streets on a daily basis.
No attempt is being made to deflect attention away from the President, with whom, after all, the buck stops. The President has had the misfortune (part of it totally self-inflicted) to be surrounded by differing groups and subgroups with their individual agendas. Thus, the policy dynamics of the government are errant in direction; careless in timing; illiterate in presentation; and amateurish in delivery. There are, sadly, ample examples of these unfortunate facts.
When our collective security is under this kind of mindless assault, all other matters and considerations pale into insignificance. One would have thought that the government could have enlisted the able assistance of other countries who have dealt, or dealing, with a measure of success with terrorism. We simply lack the necessary know-how and our comprehensive failure to deal with terrorist activities in the Delta area in a timely and decisive fashion still rankles.
We need to urgently seek collaboration and cooperation if we are to restore a semblance of peace in our country. We need fast-track training for our security personnel and make them earn their crust, for heaven's sake! The science of intelligence gathering should no longer be a conundrum to our security forces.Our people are being torn to shreds in the North and we have soldiers on the streets of Lagos, and elsewhere, harassing peaceful protesters when the rain of danger is coming down non-stop in the North! The porous borders need sorting out to aid in our attempt at containing this murderous group.
We must stand together and act together. Insecurity is no respecter of persons; we're all in it together. Lack of security equates to lack of independence. The politicians and others behind this satanic group have to be smoked out in double quick time. The President must step up to the plate like never before and show some long-awaited grit.

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