STATE OF THE NATION: A CASE OF THE UMBRELLA AND THE BROOM

Dear diary,

          

Not a few people woke up to the sound of shattering glass and blasts; breaking news tweets and lamentations on Monday morning. Nyanya bus park in Abuja had been Bombed!

The sad incident which claimed more than 75 lives and left over 120 others injured, has continued to receive comments and reactions from various parts of the world. In our dear country, the usual 'I condemn' speech is being delivered by various leaders and factions. Aggrieved citizens are on social media bemoaning the loss of brothers and sisters, wondering when all these will end.

The blame game is also on. The masses are blaming the leaders and the leaders are trading blames. The national publicity secretary of the Umbrella carrying party, has come out to say that specific persons in the Broom sweeping opposition are responsible for the incessant attacks on the country. As is expected, his counterpart in the accused party has also responded calling it a poor attempt by the ruling party to score cheap Political points. That has been the case of our security as a nation in recent times, going back and forth, nobody is taking responsibility for anything.

As they trade blames, the masses are watching, no solution is being provided. If the umbrella carriers know the people responsible for the attacks, shouldn't they go after them instead of coming to the public to say so? If the opposition has an answer to these attacks, shouldn't it in the spirit of one Nigeria, lend a helping hand to the government? Why must we always politicize issues in our dear country?

The blast that happened on April 14 happens almost on a daily basis in places like Borno, Maiduguri and Yobe. Nobody even bats an eyelid to the attacks anymore because it's like a norm. How many more people must die before a lasting solution is found?

Let us drop our umbrellas and stop sweeping. The umbrella will not stop the rain of attacks and the broom will not sweep away the terrorists. Among the people that died on monday were christians, muslims, the rich, the poor, men, women and children. It's an attack on all of us as a nation. Our unity and resolve to end these attacks will put us on the path to victory.

Is there only one terrorist group in Nigeria? Are foreign terrorist groups involved in these attacks? Are we sure that the attacks will not continue if power changes hands in 2015? If the so called terrorists are Muslims and they want to destroy the country, why should they start from their homes?

Until we can answer these questions truthfully, we are a long way from overcoming this.

May the labour of our heroes past, who toiled and strived for this nation, never be in vain.