The Nation Newspaper

Category: Lekan Otufodunrin

  • Why teachers matter

    I was recently invited to give a talk to some English students at a University on career prospects for them. Their first option should be teaching but I know it is the last option for many graduates. Even for some who read Education related courses, they would do anything to avoid taking a teaching appointment except they have no other choice.

    In listing my options at the lecture, I said l would like to start with the one I know they don’t like to hear about and asked the students  if they could name what it is and expectedly they all chorused ‘teaching’.

    At one stage or the other, we have all been taught by teachers and want good teachers to teach our children, but ironically not many graduates want to become teachers. Most parents, even teachers themselves dream that their children become Lawyers, Doctors, Engineers and some other choice professions for reasons not unconnected with the poor image of the teaching profession and the poor remunerations they earn.

    The on-going strike by members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers in nine states which have not paid the 27.5 per cent Teachers Enhanced Allowance, and the minimum wage of N18,000 is indicative of the contempt the affected states have for teachers.

    According to the National President of the NUT, Micheal Olukoya, “while some state governments, after much struggle, have come to terms with the provisions of the agreement, it is regrettable that 5 years after, nine states are still in their season of prevarications.”

    Considering the crucial role of teachers at all levels of education, teachers need to be adequately and promptly paid to ensure that they perform their duties. Unfortunately, teachers are one of the poorest paid professionals. The joke has always been that teachers have to wait till they make it to heaven to get whatever reward they are entitled to.

    It is indefensible that the nine states in question have taken this long to implement the demands of the teachers. All state governments always claim to be committed to improving the standards of education  but what this strike has shown is that they may well be paying lip service to whatever commitment they have or are not getting their priorities right on education.

    If some state governments have complied, there can be no justification for others not to do so if they appreciate the need to have well motivated teachers who will not be forced to resort to staying away from classroom to get what they deserve.

    For the affected state governments, their lukewarm response to the strike suggests that they don’t care for how long the strike continues. They probably would have taken the strike more seriously if some other workers in their states like civil servants and doctors were the ones on strike.

    Academic staffs of polytechnics nationwide have also been on strike without the federal and state governments seeming too bothered about their complaints. The strident pleas of the students who are the worst hit for an amicable resolution of the disagreement have fallen on deaf ears.

    We need to stop treating teachers as second rate professionals. But for teachers, many accomplished professionals, including the governors may not have attained whatever status they lay claim today.

    The defaulting states should pay up and not complicate the already sorry state of education in the country.

  • NGF’s show of shame

    There must be something about the Nigeria Governors’ Forum that other Nigerians don’t know about apart from the governors. If not, it is difficult to understand why the battle for the chairmanship of unconstitutional forum has become so fierce that the two factions of the body are literarily dancing naked, not minding the damage being done to their image and the implication for the nation’s polity.

    It was bad enough that 36 governors who are supposed to showcase what it takes to conduct a free and fair and rancor -free election could not and there have been claims and counter claims about what happened during the election.

    Not even when the video of the election has been released and the truth of the proceedings is now public knowledge, Governor Jonah Jang who was defeated by Governor Rotimi Amaehi with 19 votes to 16 has insisted on being the winner of the election.

    While the Amaechi group is hoping that reasons will prevail considering the public outcry that has greeted the show of shame which the NGF election has become, the Jang faction has carried on as if what is in contention is the chairmanship of a motor park association.

    Not only has Jang attributed his ‘victory to God’, he has gotten his supporters to place newspaper adverts congratulating him and last Thursday, he inaugurated his own secretariat in Abuja with the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP , Bamangar Tukur, and 15 other governors in attendance.

    Given the present acrimony, it is unlikely that the two factions will be able to resolve their differences and have one chairman. It is indeed a shame that the governors have chosen to wash their dirty linens in public and proved that some of them are not as honourable as they are supposed to be.

    From the build up to the election day, it was clear that there were many forces at play but one was hoping that the crisis would have been managed and whoever emerged as the winner would have been acceptable to all.

    Considering that the NGF is a voluntary association of the governors, there should have been no need for the hullabaloo over the election result. Those not pleased could have stayed away from the activities of the group instead of the embarrassing power tussle they are now engaged in.

    But for personal aggrandizement, I don’t know why it is a big deal to be the Chairman of NGF. The decisions of the forum is not binding on the members and for whatever it is worth, it could best serve as a platform for peer review and collaborative efforts on issues of joint interest.

    Governors don’t need to be members of NGF to give Nigerians the good governance they are yearning for.

    At a time when the President and the governors should be working together to address the myriads of problems facing Nigerians, they have allowed narrow political interests to divide them.

    Instead of being distracted by the battle for the leadership of the forum, the governors should call themselves to order and face the primary task for which they were elected.

  • Ngozi on my mind

    How time flies. Tuesday, May 28 is the first anniversary of the demise of Ngozi Agbo, nee Nwozor, a former Coordinator of the Campus Life section of The Nation.

    Just when I was expecting to get the good news of the safe delivery of her first baby, I got the shocking news that Ngozi, popularly known as Lady Campus, died during child birth. Typically, death sneaked on all of us who have come to admire the deceased for many things and took her away when we least expected.

    In the last one year, I have felt a sense of personal loss considering the professional relationship we shared dating back to 2004 when I first met her and some other young journalists at the defunct New Age Newspaper.

    Until she died, Ngozi never ceased to remind me, whenever she comes to consult or ‘trouble’ like she sometimes puts it, that she remained my ‘baby journalist’. Through the years, I watched her become an accomplished journalist who had a clear sense of mission in the profession and brought to bear on her work a high sense of dedication and desire to make an impact.

    When she went to work with Fate Foundation, a Lagos based Non Governmental Organisation, she distinguished herself and journalism was richer for it when she returned to the newsroom.

    Through Campus Life, Ngozi not only provided a platform for students nationwide to write weekly on campus issues in a national medium but mentored them to excel in their studies and personal lives as many of them testified in their tributes to their darling aunty who they must have missed a lot.

    That virtually all newspapers in the country now publish campus pages is a tribute to the success Ngozi made of the Campus Life pages which is a very unique concept with the students also having the opportunity to participate in an annual training and award for campus journalists.

    Ngozi was not the typical journalist who is not bothered about the impact of his or her writing. Journalism for her should impact on people’s lives and effect changes in the society. She did her best through Campus Life for which posterity will always remember her.

    At a time like this when we are reminded of the irreparable loss of Ngozi, I am consoled by the saying that men will die, but that their good works will not die.

    My sincere condolence to the husband, Agbo Agbo, and other family members is that although Ngozi is no more, her service to humanity through journalism lives on.

  • Where is Emmanuel?

    A two-year relationship between a U.K-based Nigerian, Emmanuel, and a Caribbean lady which was supposed to end in marriage in June this year has ended abruptly with the whereabouts of the prospective groom unknown after a visit to the country. Lekan Otufodunrin reports

     

    Initially it was supposed to be a case of a fiancée missing in transit. Rachael from a Caribbean Island whose Nigerian fiancée, one Emmanuel Adebanjo, travelled home to Nigeria from his United Kingdom base to see his mother suddenly became incommunicado.

    The last time she heard from Emmanuel who she usually communicated with every day before his sudden disappearance was in February. All her attempts to contact Emmanuel who she was supposed to get married to in June this year after two years of courtship failed. “I had a phone number for which just rings without anyone responding,” she recalls.

    Just when she began to panic about Emmanuel’s fate, she started getting messages from some “relatives” of her husband to be claiming that Emmanuel was involved in an accident a day after he arrived Nigeria and he was the sole survivor.

    The “cousins” refused to give Rachael the name of the hospital where Emmanuel was being treated and other information to locate or speak with him because they said she was not yet known to the family. They claimed they were trying to raise money for Emmanuel’s treatment after selling some of his property and asked how Rachael was willing to assist them.

    In an email to ST the cousins wrote: “Hello madam, you have to be patient until we can get back to you… We have not told his mother about what happened to Emmanuel because she will be so devastated with shock and only close family members are informed.

    “We are making arrangement for him to be flown back to the UK, but the financial side of it is yet to be concluded. You have not visited Nigeria before, hence no member of the family knows nor ever seen you before. So we cannot release him to your care. Our hope lies on the fact that the moment he is able to get better, we will ensure he speak with you and he will decide if he will come direct to you or to the UK. Have a blessed week and God bless you. Kunle.”

    Although she had reasons to suspect that the cousins may be scammers, she found it difficult to believe that Emmanuel could be part of the scheme.

    “I know him well. He has nothing to gain by trying to scam me because he knows I am not a rich person”

    In her search for information on Emmanuel’s whereabouts, Rachael reached out on the phone to someone he had introduced to her as an uncle in Nigeria. In their first telephone conversation, the uncle said he had not heard from Emmanuel for some time and was not aware if he was involved in any accident since he is not sure he was in Nigeria.

    The only home address ST had for Emmanuel in Nigeria, was 41-43, Ashabi Cole, Agidingbi Road, Ikeja, Lagos which turned out not to be none existing. The street was none residential.

    Much later when Rachael told the uncle she was going to hire a private investigator to fish out Emmanuel, he called the following day to say that Emmanuel was in the UK and had an accident, was not working, had no job and was embarrassed of his situation and could not face her.

    With the hide and seek now over and Emmanuel still incommunicado, Rachael, family members and friends are shocked at the turn of events.

    “This is a man who was coming back and forth to our country over a period of two years- something is still amiss to me here- while here he met my family, friends, boss, church priest, etc helped my children paint the house, and more- he was a very mild mannered, polite, calm, but always on the computer – I wonder if his resume was in fact legit- it was very long and detailed- should have had a job easily with that.

    “Everyone of my friends are shocked, the men who met him tell me they are depressed because they all can’t believe it. It is not a regular thing for us here to run into this type of thing or people. All I can say that he is lucky my father is not alive. He had a lot of contacts. I am not sure if Emmanuel would have been able to hide from him,” Rechael said.

    Rachael and Emmanuel had known each other through a Nigerian for about two years and he usually visits the Island from his UK base staying about a month each time.

    According to Rachael, “when he came here it was not to do anything, but to get to know one another better- you cannot have a long distance relationship with someone unless someone goes to visit the other person often before taking it to the next step.

    “I thought it better for him to come here around my people to check him out – and they all thought he was a great person – who knows – so when he came here we went to the beach swimming, concerts, movies, church, family get – together, he even went to my class to help me get ready for the beginning of the school year in September – I mean he just fit in with everyone.”

    For now there has been no word from Emmanuel or his uncle and cousin.

    “I have not heard a peep from anyone – but I can see someone coming and going off line on Yahoo Messenger, but they have not made any further contact and neither have I. It is almost as if he has dropped off the face of the earth- or so he wants me to think.”

    The chain of events still seems like a bad dream for Rachael, but she is glad she didn’t get married to Emmanuel before finding out about his true identity.

    “We live and learn – but suppose we had married? He would then have had access to much more than he would by this act, so I appreciate God spared me that. Always look for the silver lining in any situation,” Rachael said.

  • Before we become a failed state

    Some years ago, I was one of the speakers at a seminar by Journalism students of the Lagos State University on Nigerian being a failed state or not.

    After checking all definitions of a failed state, I argued vehemently that it was not right to describe our dear country as a failed state. Yes, we could be failing in many respects, but I did not agree with other speakers that we have reached the point where we could be categorised along countries like Somalia and others.

    So much has happened since then that though I am still not persuaded that we can be regarded as a failed state, I have no doubt that our chances of becoming one before long is much higher .

    The events of the last one week which forced President Goodluck Jonathan to abort his state visit to Namibia are indications of how close we are to slipping into a state of anarchy, beginning from some parts of the country where the Boko Haram insurgents and other groups have taken the laws into their hands.

    While the controversy of the actual number of persons killed in Baga, Borno State during the clash by the military and the Boko Haram suspects was yet to be resolved, gunmen struck in Bama leaving at least 47 persons dead.

    Yet another shocking orgy of killing was recorded last Wednesday when about 30 policemen were ambushed and killed by members of a cult militia group known as the Ombatse.

    Apart from the above incidents which have attracted national and international attention, there are several other reported and unreported cases of mindless killings. Kidnappings have also been on the rise nationwide that relatives now pay mind-boggling amounts as ransom with no guarantee that the captive will be released alive.

    The impression one gets from the situation in the country is that the government is no longer able to protect the lives and property of the citizens. Despite assurances of being on top of the situation, the reality on the ground is that the country is gradually becoming a killing field of a kind with all manners of gunmen having a field day.

    Before the recent Lafia incident, 12 policemen were last month killed in Bayelsa by another militia group. If policemen who are supposed to protect the citizens can be easily killed as in the two instances, the level of security leaves much to be desired.

    More groups are likely to be emboldened by the successful attacks on policemen if the real perpetrators of the dastardly acts, and not some innocent persons, are not quickly apprehended and prosecuted.

    More than ever before, the government has to take decisive steps to stem the tide of lawlessness in the country before those who insist that Nigeria is a failed state are proved right.

    President Jonathan must make good his statement while reacting to the Bama attack that the government will not hesitate to crush all brazen affronts to the powers and sovereignty to the Nigerian nation. The time to act is now.

     

    Opemipo Fund

    In The Nation of May 3, the pathetic story of a 16 year- old Opemipo Ogunseye, a senior secondary school student in Lagos was published. The right leg of Ogunseye the aspiring journalist has been amputated after being hit by a reckless driver while waiting in a traffic control stand.

    Opemipo’s guardians are my neighbours in the house I live. She is such a pleasant girl and it’s unfortunate that she has been incapacitated by the accident. She missed writing her West African School Certificate Examination due to the accident.

    She now needs an artificial leg which costs N500,000. Join me and others in raising the required fund.

    Send your contribution to Account Name: Opeyemi Ogunseye, Account No: 0128688664, Sort Code: 058174218. Bank: Guaranty Trust Bank. (GTBank).

     

  • How to influence the world

    How to influence the world

    Not many Nigerians will agree with Time Magazine that Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde aptly described as Queen of Nollywood named among the magazine’s 2013 edition of The 100 Most Influential People in the World is the most influential person in the country.

    Some people have wondered what she has done to deserve such global recognition. We are all entitled to our opinion but what cannot be denied is the fact that she is indeed an accomplished Nigerian in her own right with her contributions to the movie industry in Nigeria.

    For a mother of four who has played leading roles in about 300 movies and has no scandal associated with her in an industry known for all kinds of sleaze, Jolade-Ekeinde is a role model.

    Richard Corliss, Time’s movie critic who profiled OmoSexy as the actress is called by her fans noted that Jalade-Ekeinde brings a juggler’s grace to her roles as actress, singer, reality-show star, mother of four and philanthropist. “Success hasn’t spoiled Africa’s most renowned leading lady. Rather than going Hollywood, Omotola wants to stay Nollywood” Corliss wrote.

    To be sure, the list always generates controversies worldwide with observers always wondering what the basis of selection by the TIME editors are. Bill James, inventor of modern baseball statistics who was named in the 2006 was told by a friend that he was not even one of the 100 most influential people with the Rex Sox, a professional baseball team based in Boston, where he worked.

    In the 2007 Time 100 list, managing editor Richard Strengel according to Wikipedia explained that the Time 100 was not a list of the hottest, most popular or most powerful people, but rather the most influential.

    “Influence is hard to measure, and what we look for is people whose ideas, whose example, whose talent, whose discoveries transform the world we live in. Influence is less about the hard power of force than the soft power of ideas and example,” he stated.

    Instead of engaging in needless arguments about who should make the list or not, I prefer to note what they are being acknowledged for. I am interested in how whatever they have done, however little has contributed to making the world a better place.

    There is a lot to learn from the lives of most of the people on the list which anyone who wants to influence the world should emulate.

    Valerie Jarrett, 56, an adviser of US President, Barrack Obama was described as first among equals.

    “ She brings clarity of thought and purpose to her work. She is a good listener who comes to the table not with some preset notion of distrust but rather an open mind; she asks tough questions and tries to find solutions,” Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman of the board and CEO of General Electric wrote about Jarrett.

    Indian Finance Minister, 67, Palaniappan Chidambaram listed in the Titan category according to Ruchir Sharma, head of emerging markets at Morgan Stanley is detail-oriented. “He works from 8- 8 and has a reputation of getting a lot of things done.”

    On Basketball star, LeBron James, 28, Derek Jeter, shortstop for the New York Yankees wrote, “He never takes a rest, on any play. His all-out effort is what stands out when you watch him. He is someone anyone, in any profession, can look up to. Set the bar high for yourself, like LeBron does.”

  • God bless America

    God bless America

    For days, I have been following with great interest the developments in the Boston Marathon blast in the United States in which three persons died and about 180 were injured.

    Again, America, the world’s most powerful nation literarily came under attack. Though not of the magnitude of the 9/11 attack, the incident reinforced the danger of terrorism globally despite the efforts to curb the disturbing trend.

    An otherwise peaceful event which has held annually for years turned tragic just when some of the runners started crossing the finish line. While one of the suspected bombers was killed in a shootout, there has been a massive manhunt for the other as at press time.

    My heart goes to the victims of the attack and their families. One can only imagine the agony the victims are experiencing considering the components of the bomb that sprayed nails, ball bearings and other metal fragments into the crowd. I listened to the head of the medical team in one of the hospitals where the victims are being treated and remember him talking of a number of amputations that have been done to save lives.

    I am still haunted by the smile of the eight year old Martin Richard who was killed while standing by the finish line with his family when an explosion tore through the area. Richard’s mother, Denise, suffered a brain injury and his 6-year-old sister, Jane, reportedly lost a leg.

    It’s difficult to understand why some people will choose to cause grievous harm to others to make whatever point they have or protest against anything. We can only hope that the security agencies will get to the root of this particular case and prevent a reccurrence.

    One particular thing that has struck me about the whole incident is how the efforts of the first responders, rescue team, medical team and others have been repeatedly acknowledged by all, including President Barrack Obama.

    Unlike in our country, their ‘heroic sacrifice’ did not go unacknowledged. They must be very proud of themselves and will not hesitate to rise up to the occasion if they have another opportunity to do so.

    America and other developed nations have a way of demonstrating that the life of every of their citizens matters through the way the governments respond to crisis. This is what is evident in the handling of the Boston blast.

    In an incident in which only three persons died, the response at all levels has been massive. President Obama has not only spoken on the matter, he has been part of the special service for the victims during which he assured that the bombers would be found and held ‘accountable’.

    In order to get the only two suspects, security agents have launched a manhunt for them with the Boston city almost shut down. I have been intrigued by the amount of information that has been shared with the public by the security to get the suspects. The access given to the media during the operation has been incredible. The willingness of the people, including their families, to speak on what they know about the suspects is very commendable.

    There is indeed a lot for us to learn on how to handle situation like this. The lessons must not be lost on us as we join the world in sympathising with America over this unfortunate incident.

  • Boko Haram: the case for peace and justice

    Now that the Boko Haram group has rejected the proposed amnesty for its members who have been responsible for killing of hundreds of many innocent Nigerians and destruction of property, we seem to have come full circle in our dilemma of how to resolve the dawn of terrorism in the country.

    The northern leaders who proposed the granting of amnesty through the setting up of the amnesty commission may have to advice the federal government on what next to do since the fundamentalist group says it has not committed any offence and does not require any pardon.

    I would have been surprised if the group accepted the amnesty which would have forced them to ceasefire in their violent activities. They have never left anyone in doubt about why they have literally declared war against the country. In its latest broadcast the group repeated that its members are fighting to create an Islamic republic in particularly the northern parts of the country.

    Terrorist groups are known to go to any length to advance their cause, and from all indications the Boko Haram group which has continued its killing spree amidst discussion of amnesty being granted its members is obviously not in any mood for peaceful negotiation.

    The northern leaders and others who have backed the granting of the amnesty to Boko Haram and other terrorists groups in the country no doubt mean well. The level of violence in the north and fear of spreading to the south is such that we need to quickly find a solution.

    Despite assurances by the federal government that it has taken measures to stop the endless killings, the reign of terror by the Boko Haram group has continued unabated. Killing by faceless gunmen has become so common that we have lost count how many have so far been killed.

    While the number reported in the media may be alarming, those who know what is really happening up north insist that many other killings are not reported.

    However, like those opposed to the amnesty have argued, much as we need to seek peaceful resolution of the crisis, the atrocities of the terrorists groups should not be swept underground. They have caused so much grief for many families and indulged in unprovoked killings that there is need to be careful in offering all the members blanket amnesty. Like the National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, stated, those with blood on their hands should be tried.

    Before the pro-amnesty proponents started mounting pressure on the federal government, they should have been advocating for adequate compensation for victims of past violent activities of the Boko Haram members. The Christian Association of Nigeria recently had to launch a fund to cater for some victims.

    For the committee set up to consider the requests for amnesty to approve the call, the concerned group must show enough sense of remorse. If the group has come out to reject the amnesty offer, there is no point considering the call by the northern leaders.

    We must be careful not to further play into the hands of the terrorists by offering them amnesty they are not keen on having. We need peace, but we also need justice like Peter Tosh sang.

    Twitter: #lotufodunrin

  • Sacrifice of love

    Sacrifice of love

    The Easter period means different things to different people. For non-Christians, the Easter period is just another of our numerous holidays to rest and do some of the things they have not attended to due to their normal work day hectic schedule.

    But for Bible-believing Christians, Easter is the core of Christianity. It is about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a reminder of when the only begotten son of God that had no sin was offered to die for the redemption of the sin of man.

    It is a practical demonstration of unconditional love of God towards a sinful world when in his infinite mercies. He gave his son as a sacrifice.  Jesus was crucified on what has come to be known as Good Friday and he rose from death like no other has on Easter Sunday.  As we mark the Easter, the real reason for the season must not be lost on us all irrespective of whatever faith we profess.

    Some churches usually reenact Jesus, journey to Golgoltha when he carried his cross and was subjected to all manner of beatings and humiliation. I hope those involved in the drama and others who watch don’t only enjoy the fun of the reenactment but are sobered by the  sacrifice Jesus made for our sake .Watching Passion of the Christ film, which some argue is an overdramatisation of what Jesus experienced, for me really drives home the severity of the sacrifice. I fought back tears like many others who watched it experienced the same feeling.

    However, and the question to ask is that if Jesus suffered that much to erase the sins of especially those of us who claim to be Christians why do we keep indulging in sins? Being a Christian is to be Christ-like but not many are. Not many Christians live as if they have ever read the ten commandments.

    Although claiming to be a born again Christian has become fashionable and Churches are springing daily across the country, there is not enough evidence that Jesus, death means anything to many who say they are his followers.

    If it does, and Easter is not just another holiday, as it is for others, many Christians will not indulge in sinful acts as they do nowadays. It used to be that when people claimed to be Christians that they could be trusted to be above board but that is no longer the case.

    So many occupying top political and corporate positions who claim to be Christians have been found guilty of all kinds of corrupt practices that no one is impressed by such claims.

    This Easter should be another opportunity for all followers of Christ to truly be like him not only in words but in deed.

    I have been impressed by Pope Francis who has demonstrated what it is to really be a humble servant of God and hope that other Church leaders who live large at the expense of their followers will learn from his example.

    Easter is a lesson in sacrifice of love through giving. Are you giving enough to the needy around you ? Do you love your neighbour as much as yourself?

  • One blast too many

    One blast too many

    Just when we thought that the terrorists in the north will show some remorse by observing their so called cease fire to justify the call for amnesty for them, they struck last Tuesday at the Kano Luxury Bus Park killing and wounding many as usual.

    This particular bomb attack has really generated a lot of concern considering that it has an ethnic dimension which could lead to reprisals from the section of the country where the bus was heading to.

    Although no group has so far claimed responsibility for the dastardly act, the pattern of attack is typical of the past ones and there is no doubt that it is the same group of unrepentant fundamentalists who are still at work.

    Both the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Jamatu Nasir Islam underscored the grave implication of the Kano attack in their reactions in which they noted that it was capable of threatening the unity of the country.

    It is bad enough that the terrorist have refused to listen to voice of reason to sheath their sword and halt the senseless killing of innocent citizens in the Northern part of the country, to now deliberately resort to targeting buses heading for another part of the country where they have not succeeded in extending their activities to amounts to instigating ethnic clashes in the country.

    Already there are reports that some Northerners in the South East are feeling unsafe after the bus attacks, while some Igbo groups have warned that they can no longer tolerate indiscriminate killing of their citizens in the North.

    While the terrorists definitely don’t have the backing of indigenes of where they hail from, there is the danger of reprisal and counter reprisals if the targeted killing like the recent bus attack and others is not halted.

    The terrorists seem to be out to cause disaffection in the country and they should not be allowed to do so in the interest of the unity of the country. Their agenda is to achieve what they have failed to achieve through their past attacks with the new strategy of targeting buses heading for the Southern part of the country.

    They have tried hard to make living in the core Northern states dangerous particularly for non-indigenes and are very desperate to force them out if possible.  Even for indigenes their safety is not guaranteed as long as they don’t share the beliefs of the terrorists.

    For once, the government has to take necessary steps to checkmate the terrorists before they make the country ungovernable. The rate at which they keep striking is very worrisome and all options must be explored to stop them from denting the image of our country.