Why th Chibok Protest is directed at the Government

After the 'Madam Due Process', Dr Oby Ezekwesili led 'Bring back our girls' protesters stormed the state house, the has been calls from various quarters not to direct the protest at the government. It ordinarily seems quite appropriate considering the fact that the girls are not in the custody of the government. However, I beg to disagree.

It is the responsibility of a government to cater for and protect its citizens. Anyone who holds a political/public office has accepted the role of being responsible for his people. Each and every citizen of a state and/or country should be considered a ward under the care of the Governor or the President respectively.

April 14, 2014 brought sadness to Nigerians. Hours after the Nyanya bomb blast that killed tens of Nigerian came another very sad news. The abduction of female secondary school students of the Government secondary school Chibok. Teenagers, adolescents trying to be good citizens.

The Government at various levels strongly condemned the act and called for the release of the girls. Since then there has been calls and an international campaign to return the girls. Government officials have severally condemned the act and express concern for both the girls and their families who are emotionally tortured by it. Permit me to say however, that some of us are far from impressed by such show of concern.

Although credit must be given to these government officials including the President for not being pretentious on their feelings toward the issue whenever the talk on it. The expression even a lay man on the street can see on their faces is that of one concerned about some distant person who grieves. Sometimes you even find smiles on their faces when they feel they've said something reasonable. To lend support to this little or form of empathy is the actions.

A high security meeting was summoned on the kidnap saga on the 2nd of May 2014, 18 days after the kidnap.

The Governor, Commissioner of Police of Borno and other key actors were summoned to the state house on the 3rd of May 2014.

A Presidential fact finding committee on the case was set up on the 2nd/3rd of May.

Then on the 4th of May during the Presidential media chat, the President expressed helplessly expressed dismay over the contradictory accounts of the various parties from the incident. This was twenty(20 days) days after the young ladies were kidnapped. 20 days after these young daughters had been in the hand of this inhuman group. Yet the Government says the protest shouldn't be directed at it?

After 19 days of torture and agony of these young women, a FACT-FINDING committee was set up? And the Presidency disputes the fact that it is slow?

The murder of Nigerians in their scores no longer calls for a national mourning or flags flown at half-mast. And rightly so, because going by the rate at which Nigerians are massacred daily, a year of mourning will not suffice. Yet, our political class politic with it.

Soldiers leave the comfort of their homes, put their lives in perils way, lose their lives almost daily in these troubled regions, yet we hear of corruption in this battle.

Our security operatives, the DSS and others work tirelessly under dangerous conditions to uncover and arrest these enemies of the state, yet ridiculous comedy still plays out in some quarters.

Too often we try not to imagine what misery those girls are going through. We do them much injustice by shutting out such a picture. Think of your own teenage daughters in the hands of these barbaric psychotic maniacs, being tortured, degraded, abused, maybe maimed and as some suggest even killed every day, for forty-two days and counting. Imagine it. That is the torture parents of these kids have been forced to leave with.

I ask all those in position of power: IF THESE ABDUCTED GIRLS HAD BEEN YOUR DAUGHTERS, WOULD YOU HAVE REACTED IN THE SAME WAY YOU ARE REACTING TODAY?

The Government may think it is doing its best but apparently it is far from adequate.

It is my earnest prayer and wish (may God forgive me) that anyone in position, who is deliberately not doing his/her best concerning the entire insecurity be affected directly when any pain is caused by such inaction. He who fails to act is as culpable as the culprit.

Leadership is ordained by God, thus we will account eventually. It is not an achievement but a great responsibility. God bless Nigeria