Mr. President, Please, Who Will Rot In Hell? By Adekoya Boladale

By Adekoya Boladale
Mr. President, Please, Who Will Rot In Hell? By Adekoya Boladale
Few days ago I woke up to a very disturbing news; one of the 'usual'
that has characterized our social, political and economic lives. Forty
two young promising school children in Yobe State, Nigeria
weremurdered in cold blood. All evidence pointed to the dreaded
Islamic sect Boko Haram as the mastermind behind the attack. In one of
the reports, a young boy who was shot at recounted how he lost four of
his fingers while trying to escape.
This is one of the scenarios that have become part and parcel of our
daily lives. It is so shattering that even the media now choose which
of the tragic news is worth reporting, depending on the impact of such
attack. The usual headlines like 'Two killed, seven injured', 'Gun
attack in Kaduna, 3 dead',that has characterized our national tabloids
for a while are now considered soft touch and no longer catchy.
Journalists now see it as not news worthy to report attacks or
killings if the death toll is not up to at least ten. This is how far
we have cometo embrace anarchy, insecurity and chaos. Nigeria
presently is second onlyto Somalia which is then next to Syria in
terms of state of insecurity.
Alas, while these young children who ought to be our future leaders
were screaming to high heaven in horrifyingpains, our dear president
was nowhereto be found. To make matter worst the trio of Reuben Abati,
Doyin Okupe and acclaimed Pastor Reno Omokri who continuously are
being paid with tax payers money went missing in a time when they
should be out not just condemning the attack but giving the people
hope and reassuring the citizens of the ability of the government to
put an end to the madness.
Almost 72 hours after the scenario, the presidency 'got its bearing'
and President Jonathan speaking through his self styled spokesman, Dr.
Reuben Abati made one of the most outrageous statements a president
can ever make, 'anybody who will target innocent children for any kind
ofgrief or emotional dysfunction will certainly rot in hell'. The
interpretationof this is that government now sees the protection of
the citizens and justice for the bereaved as a divine duty better left
for God, that government is no longer responsive tothe security of the
people and cannot be held accountable for the inability toprovide
justice but rather the citizens must wait till the religious day of
judgment. This is not surprising to me and shouldn't be to any
Nigerian who voted for Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 merely because of his
'shoeless tales' and 'goodluck' syndrome; we shouldn't complain the
moment we chose pity and appeal over credibility and substance.
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Every step the presidency has taken to eradicate these insurgents has
continued to make mockery of the political and social institution of
our country. Recently the president through a nationwide broadcast
announced a declaration of the state ofemergency on some northern
states viewed as the hub of the sect. The power of a state of
emergency is so huge that it has been highly effective in managing
major crises around the world such as Tunisia, Mali, Kyrgyzstan,
United States (in cases of natural disasters) to mention just but a
few. But the Nigeria situation is different because the declaration
has not stopped the onslaught against innocent citizens of the country
by the Boko Haram terrorist group, the only change is that the usual
Sunday attack mode has been eradicated as most attacks are now
impromptu. Another down side is that children and students are now the
major point of attack. Most times I wonder how the president relate
with the families of these children or how do you inform a parent that
his/her child was brutally murdered because you fail to perform your
duty as a political office holder. How do you inform a mother that her
only child whom she suffered to carry for nine months was fell by a
terrorist'sbullet because you continue to play ping pong with the
security of the country in order to award outrageous funds for
security in the budget?
It is high time the presidency understands that hell isn't meant for
murderers and terrorists alone. Every individual who continues to feed
fat on the collective resources of others, every leader who fails to
live up to his/her promises, every soul placed in the position to
better the lives of others but continue to use such position for
selfish interest are all candidates of hell. Local government Chairmen
who receive monthly allocation and use such to build houses and
acquire personal property, send their children to expensive schools
abroad and expand their empires are candidates of hell. State
Governors who shortchange local governments of its monthly
allocation,siphon state revenue, divert state resources for personal
use, awardghost contracts are candidates of hell. Ministers who make
the ministry a family fun fare, divert public fund to personal use,
escalate project expenseand travel at will on frivolous trips are
candidates of hell. Presidents and first ladies who move around the
world with floods of unnecessary entourage, would rather award oil
blocs to family and associates rather than promote local refineries,
would prefer to renderlip service on electricity rather than see to
adequate power generation, would prefer to give out amnesty to rogues
and thieves rather than stand up to defend the helpless citizens,
would prefer to see the growth of capitalist while common citizens
lavishin abject poverty are candidates of hell.
There are no doubt people who have been a source of sorrow to fellow
humans will not go unpunished, the Bible and Holy Quran are specific
on this, but does that warrant the president to sit down and do
nothing? Does that give political officers who have sworn before God
and man to protect the lives and properties of the citizens the
license to hold their peace? Was God the man that stood up in front of
the mammoth crowd to declare his intention to govern the country?
Obviously hell is a place for all sinners, the evil ones whose souls
have been engulfed by the taste for blood and anger will not be
spared; but it is high time the presidency started worrying more about
its apartment in the place called hell!