Last week, suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked a Federal Government
college in the north-east and gruesomely killed the students. This isn’t the
first attack on young people. Sometime last year another school was attacked
and scores of children killed.
It’s typical for us to blame the
government for the unabated attacks. If only it were Obasanjo in power,
we say, he would have totally annihilated the sect! And Jonathan’s
administration had the effrontery to continue with the centenary celebrations –
despite all the chaos and anarchy in the land!
Today, it’s not about the government,
even though their sins are manifold and unforgivable. It’s about you and I.
Long story short, we’ve become a callous people. I first heard the news of last
week’s massacre on CNN; after the initial shock and sadness of about 2 minutes,
I completely forgot about it. I went about my very busy but normal life. I’m
not you but I can bet you did the same thing too. Oh well, we had group
discussions in the office during which we lamented and cussed government but we
each went home to our normal lives: we had a home and family to go to and work
or whatever to come back to the following day.
In this same country, this very
country, life hasn’t been normal for a good majority in years! Mothers have
lost their children and husbands; children have lost their parent(s); homes and
enterprises have been destroyed leaving a lot of pain, anguish, despair, fear
and anger. I was speaking with my friend earlier today and she mentioned that
at a point in her family three children were in secondary school together at
one time. Imagine that there was such a family in the secondary school that was
attacked last week, how would life be like for them now???
And we go about our daily lives
unflustered! We are callous! And that’s partly because we neither possess any
sense of belonging nor responsibility to this entity called Nigeria. Our
allegiance lies with self and family. Truly, the Yoruba’s are right when they
say, ‘E ni to kan, l’omo’! There is so much to life than ME! ME!
ME! We are so
pre-occupied with our lives that we forget what is truly important. Proverbs
17:17 says, ‘A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for
adversity’. The transformation we seek for this country can only come
about if we are first transformed – as I write I recall the Boston marathon
bombing in the US. As amoral as the country is the citizens stood, united in
anguish and shock, to help the injured, comfort the bereaved and fish out the
perpetrators. Same thing during the 9/11 attacks. When are we ever going to
stand as one in Nigeria, stand up for myself, my father, my mother, my sister,
my brother, my friend? WHEN????
Maybe we are getting there… Old students of federal government colleges met
last Saturday to brainstorm on the state of the nation. Thankfully, one of the
issues raised at the Town-hall meeting has been dealt with by FG, that is, the
closure of unity schools in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. Question is, why did
it take this long??? Peaceful, non-political, non-tribal and non-religious
walks also held at various locations today to mourn the killing of the students
and to advocate for more decisive government action.
Let’s arise and do something meaningful and
selfless – pray, fast, donate to the affected, volunteer in the affected areas,
join a civil or faith-based organization, expose the perpetrators (for sure
they aren’t ghosts!), advocate via social media (instead of putting up
a selfie use your bb as a forum for advocacy!), nag your father or uncle
who is in the National Assembly or Ministry to take action – LET’S DO
SOMETHING! AND KEEP AT IT! AND NOT GROW WEARY UNTIL WE SUCCEED!
MAY GOD HELP US!!!
‘Faith that doesn’t show itself by
good deeds is no faith at all, it is dead and useless’
(James 3:16).
By Tola Grillo
