We mourn with the estimated over 80 killed in the bombing against ‘terrorists’ which turned out to be a gathering of normal suffering Nigerian citizens celebrating. Later the Nigerian Army successfully got their real terrorists in another attack. We appreciate the break with deny-deny-deny as the armed forces regretfully immediately claimed responsibility and expressed shock and remorse and is working on funeral costs, funding care of the injured and hopefully the federal government will step in with adequate compensation. We must remember that many injuries require long term medical attention and even restorative operations and prosthetics -artificial limbs. Sadly, Nigeria still lags behind in the provision of modern functional electronic prosthetic limbs and prostheses for other body parts affected by bombs and road crashes, like face and skin areas.
Nigeria deserves a cutting-edge prosthetic service in a public-private sector to cater for providing the semblance of normal useful life to the millions of victims of road traffic crashes, Okada epidemic attacks, victims of violence in politics and ethnic clashes, Boko Haram and other terrorist actions with the resultant large number of victims.
Of course, it would have been better for this mistake never to have occurred and every effort must be made to limit the damage by proper long-term care of the victims and adequate moral, monetary, mental support. Beyond that, the question of military intelligence gathering comes up. Obviously, we now know, and the authorities now know, if they did not before, that every gathering in a war ravaged or terrorist invaded area is not automatically hostile. It is the duty of the military to ensure that targets are hostiles or terrorists and not just ‘maybe’. Why was the intel so misleading or was there no intel at all, and just information of a gathering presumed hostile, arrogantly waving a red flag in front of the military.
Is it possible that Nigeria’s numerous security services, clandestine and visible, had no visible or invisible presence, in this time of terrorism and in a terror attack prone area, and did not have spying eyes, ears and cell phone communication among the teaming crowd? One would have thought that intelligence gathering was a high art form in Nigeria now, especially as hopefully many of the Boko Haram sympathisers in the military have been isolated to prevent counter-spying. A lot must be learnt from this tragedy and the mental, physical and financial stability of the survivors cannot be overemphasised. They require their National Health Insurance Service, NHIS fully paid up by government and loving care if that is possible from a government so used to making ‘Demand’ of its people instead of ‘Requests’.
The recent bombing ‘demanded’ the lives of over 80 unarmed innocent hopeful Fellow Nigerians. Lives unwillingly given, forced to become instant martyrs for Nigeria and join the sacrifice of thousands of our gallant soldiers who deliberately accept that the offer of their lives daily may be ‘demanded’ or ‘requested’ of them.
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Even as we mourn our lost brothers, sisters and children in this huge tragedy, which may have been prevented with a higher ‘demand’ of ‘proof of terrorist presence at the scene’, we are faced with news of the uncomfortable financial revelations surrounding the birthday of the senate president, and not a special birthday as such -just 61years. Perhaps it is his first birthday as senate leader and we are to have four or more such meganormous money guzzling celebrations in a country burdened with a 70% poverty rate? How many Nigerians have ever given a wealthy man N1m as a birthday present, let alone a collective trans-senate and perhaps the entire NASS, LGA and MDAs adding their own ‘ten cents’ of the countries fractionated budget? Is the disgusting list of senate donors true and correct for false? This is undignified, unwarranted, unaffordable, undistinguished and unnecessary, if true. Is it true that MDAs and LGAs etc have been asked to donate? On what account heading do they sign off on such money? Is it imprest, emergency, miscellaneous, entertainment, PR or just NASS strategic extortion strategies?
Perhaps they had no choice making it a compulsory voluntary donation to stay buoyant and thriving in the juicy senate club in NASS? Please tell me how this differed from outright corruption. It will be difficult to imagine that such huge payments are made out of love or altruism and not for some fringe or central benefits by those in search of ‘juicy oversight appointments’. Of course, that thought could be wrong. Perhaps altruism is not dead after all.
Maybe the birthday man is secretly seeking to collect this huge amount of money in order to demonstrate uncommon citizens love and magnanimously ‘return money to its source-the people’ by dividing it in amounts of N500k-N1m among the over 100 most needy NGOs, orphanages, handicapped homes and schools, youth centres and youth groups like Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, etc. in his senatorial district and beyond to celebrate his birthday with the people. This would be far more politically correct than flying a plane load of politicians to a party of enormous proportions. Politicians must get the fact that ‘acts of service’ are the overriding primary reason for their selection, election and position. Service is therefore the single most important responsibility of politicians and they must demonstrate that service instead of blatant self-service. After taking N300k for Christmas/New Year, a donation of their December salary towards bombed families is too low, but thanks anyway.
