Hurray for rescue of the Al-Kadriyah victims, sisters of murdered Nabeeha. A callous killing demanding we have a paid informants’ network, IT and anti-terrorism structures.
The Bodija, Ibadan explosion killed Fellow Nigerian citizens, injured many, destroyed about 20 houses, some uninhabitable and condemned, damaged 50-100 buildings, caused actual heart attack and death and terrified thousands. For me, the huge explosion suggested a kitchen gas explosion as the house shook and some small debris fell onto the roof. I ran downstairs to find my wife in the sitting room equally alarmed. There was no problem in the kitchen. We went outside. All normal. Nothing in the neighbourhood. So, where was it from?
Then reports flowed like an internet river of disinformation, led by ‘Fake News Experts’ swearing it was gas, petrol tanker and then bomb. It was miners, political, incompetence or neighbourhood watch failure. We await the investigative report.
If the explosion had been just one kilometre away from ground zero, it would have impacted Mokola, Sango with 500+ bodies due to higher population density. So, should we also be grateful that whatever error, omission or commission, was committed, it did not involve those areas of mass humanity? Yes!
Our hearts go out to the families of the killed and injured ones, suffering unimaginably. There is and will remain Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, PTSD, beyond what anyone can imagine, predict or prevent with present and long-term therapy for the lead-weight, heartfelt, gut-wrenching, stomach-churning grieving on-going in families as you read this. Everyone affected should be encouraged to utilise any mental health support organisation available including, Asido Foundation [pls. Google ], of which I am a Trustee [full disclosure, I am not looking for anyone’s money], and individual psychiatrists and clinical psychologists offering themselves or are identified for this long-term purpose. Beyond fear, terror, despair and real anger at those, as yet ‘unknown’ perpetrators, be they innocent, passively guilty or genuinely guilty, there are other issues.
There is the very real, immediate and long-term additional cost and consequence of a ground zero explosion crime scene, closed down for samples for international terrorism testing, collapse of the destruction, clearing of the mangled debris, repairs if possible and for many, the construction of completely new structures. Hopefully the exemplary authorities in government buildings controlling property in Bodija, will be encouraged by the governor and instructed to be very sympathetic and not see the disaster as ‘Manna from heaven’ to delay or [God Forbid] extort. Instead, it should be a call to deliver exemplary normal accepted service to innocent and mostly elderly retired poorly pensioned victims, largely depending on their children, and for authorities to be ‘Faithful, Loyal, Honest and Just’ in their dealing with families of the ‘Ibadan Explosion Victims’ or ‘Bodija Explosion Victims’, whichever it becomes in future history books.
Neighbourhood authorities are in focus as being associated or complicit by negligence with the explosion. Was it their own failure, or a security failure, which led to the explosion? I can make certain clarifications having been involved in Bodija Neighbourhood Associations since 1981 to date including patrolling at night. Neighbourhood associations depend entirely on the level of dedicated energetic involvement of minds, bodies and money of the dwellers. Sadly, too many dwellers do nothing, may or may not drop money and run away from work or are actually hostile, negative or toxic, poisoning neighbourhood relationships and stunting neighbourhood growth. They see the paid guards, unpaid by the truants throughout the year. The truants are unresponsive to good members who fund the N150-200+k /month or N1.75-2.4m annually to actually pay salaries of gatemen. What callousness.
But the Neighbourhood Association executive members cannot force un-responding refusers to pay. They can only appeal/beg for payment with no results. Even school/business/corporate members refuse/delay payments cruelly. So, most Neighbourhood Associations are maintained by a few dedicated realistic Fellow Nigerians probably just 20-30 out of 100 houses/flats/businesses in any neighbourhood while most just ‘siddon-look’!
So, what stops anyone keeping dangerous things in neighbourhoods? Nothing. Neighbourhood associations have weakest links with too many refusing participation and active membership. But they are happy to use the gatemen, paid by others, to open the gate, even late. The weakest link is in neighbourhood dwellers out-rightly refusing to join the association or joining in name but no action. They are unavailable, their gate locked, permanent absentees at monthly meetings, refusing to pay even cheap dues [N1-4k/month] dues and Christmas/New Year Get-together levies and Project Support [road bumps to stop killing children and residents, pothole filling, gatehouse building and repairs. But they call police and make trouble when the gatemen, paid by few members, fail to open the gate for their visitors in a timely servile manner.
Know that other bad-minded, serially intentional law-breaking members, can be model members, under the radar, sometimes paying monthly as-and-when dues and ‘donations’ and parade as active Neighbourhood Association members and friends of local and state security and may be awarded ‘Exemplary Neighbourhood Association Members’, while also criminally ‘open-secretly’ explosive-stockpiling in an obvious ‘zero-explosive stockpiling’ patrolled residential neighbourhood.
The neighbourhood associations are hamstrung, with mostly older women and men, un-empowered, have no authority, but are truly worthy of great praise in the fight against robbery and terrorism. Shame on you/your company/school/ business if you do not voluntarily and timely, without being begged, support your Neighbourhood Association with your presence, dues and support. Blame yourself, not the Neighbourhood Association. Act Responsibly.
