Cheta Nwanze: Boko Haram Uniting Nigerians

Today, makes it exactly a month, since a large number of Nigerian girls were taken away from their school by force. Finally, in a classic example of how the wheels of justice do grind slowly, some of them are now being identified. Today, by some sheer coincidence, is exactly a year, since the state in which they live, was placed under emergency rule. How effective that emergency rule has been, is anyone’s guess. To be honest, and despite massive shows of bumbling incompetence, the military have actually succeeded in, to a large extent, containing #BokoHaram to their area of origin. No doubt there have been a few spillovers such as both Nyanya Bombs, but we must first acknowledge initial successes, then talk about how to build on them. That is the point at which things get a bit sticky. You see, people in those states under emergency rule have lost confidence in the Nigerian state’s ability to deliver, such that despite the Prez extending the emergency rule, villagers in Kala-Balge have taken matters into their own hands, and have pushed 200 #BokoHaram members, kicking and screaming, off of the mortal coil.

Community help, being something often lacking in this err, mere geographical expression, is probably one of our biggest failings. Consider this: we all live under a state of emergency in our power sector. Most of us, live in communal flats et al. Yet, when our friends at #NEPA do their business, what we hear is the symphony of a thousand purring animals as we all turn on individual power plants. Well, adversity sometimes, like in Kala-Balge, forges a sense of community. In Nekede, Owerri, a sense of community is probably going to be forged by their latest neighbour. Yesterday, a lion, seeing that his gate was left open, took the cue that he was no longer a welcome tenant in the zoo,and left to find new lodgings.

Mr. Lion is not the only one contemplating new accommodation, something will have to give along the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, and it cannot be soon enough. You see, the members of Magada and Makogi communities in Ogun state are coming together. After hosting the Mountain of Fire and Miracles for nigh on two decades, they have been left wondering whether they are the landlords, or the tenants. MFM decided to cut them off from the rest of civilisation, and someone will have to move soon.

Bits and Bobs

• An unidentified granny, in Ajegunle, will be spending today thanking the Almighty, and the men-in-black for not being asleep. While cuddling her grandchild, she came close to being the latest beneficiary of our love for Willie Lynch.
• Talking about the bleeding obvious, the NNPC will never be probed under this Prez.
• Ibrahim Dankwambo, Gombe’s babariga, has presided over the one state in the North-East of this err, geographical expression, that has been relatively immune from #BokoHaram. Now he’s giving us reasons to come and put more money in his state.
• But then one wonders whether that money should not be spent training Nigerian artisans. As things stand, even if we put that money in Dankwambo’s state, we will have to import the people needed to make it worth our while. To think that our polytechnics have been closed since God talked to Moses…

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