By Ment Nomeh

I sympathize with him on whose head the steaming vase boils.  I can imagine the pains. Our President,  General Muhammad Buhari (rtd) can tell the story. Unease lies the head that wears the crown! Now, I am sure.

Nigerians, except those who ‘hate’ the President’s face and style, pray the prayer of life for him and the nation. For most of us, don’t ask with what measure, we pray for our life first; it’s on ‘the first-line charge. Charity begins with self-assurance.

A nation is on the boil. And our President is accused of being unemotional but he, severally, had directed the security agencies to flag their antennae. These they, particularly the military, did, upped the garrison and achieved tremendous results for which he thanked those Service Chiefs with retirement and ambassadorial appointment.

Great workers, these dutiful fellows, deserve encouragement especially as the nation boils, burning. Don’t mind ethnic advertisers who accuse leaders of ethnicizing our worry, while the nation is on the verge of war.

Those who agree with these fellows are merely playing to the gallery not minding that the North-East is the terrain of the Boko haram, the terror merchants, since 2002. Or that the North-west and North-central states are the current and unfettered territory of violent kidnappers and robbers or bandits.

Of course, the three southern states block, including Benue basin, have been theatres of farmers slaughtering by the Fulani murderous herders, terrorists, as well. They are in charge as the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria holds that they are part-owners of all landmass in Nigeria. What’s left?

The economy is in a bad shape; recession and unemployment are rife and ripe for the explosion; a romance with the devil. What’s more, the ruling elites tried a petrol price hike last week but suspected an inferno and denied the criminality. Perhaps on hold.

Security architecture is unhealthy, if not deliberately unfit. The police are not ‘on top of the matter’. And the people are not unmournfully doubting the sincerity of service chiefs in combating the security challenges; a nation on the boil.

Since the new year, Nigerians are not served bloody reminders that Boko Haram is no longer the country’s biggest internal security threat.

States in Nigeria’s middle belt region have continued to contest the brutal arrogance of Fulani terror group, herdsmen, in a continued murderous wave of attacks on farms and communities. Perhaps, good enough and to assure the natives, they are urged to ‘go and live in peace with your guests’.

Genocide. Massive murder of villagers at night, burning of villages mansions and huts, and growing crowds of displaced women, children, and old men, including handicapped.

In truth, for a country on the cliff, the escalating savagery by various Fulani groups accounts for more and serious security implications. The general feeling is that the government is not ready to stop this.  And this feeling, the response, encouraged a little choice but a resort to self-help. Anarchy!

There is suspicion: don’t we suspect a build-up to waste more young lives as we did between 1967 and January 1970? Are these youths not willingly fantasizing the make-believe cinema casts of war victors to actualize this fantasy with their abundant energy?

It is hallowing to ever think that the current shortcomings in the land can not be discouraged by righting the wrong. We are pushed into vanity by the ephemeral flavor of power.

We pray the prayer of life! Let somebody assure Nigerians that he never will let them out for a kobo, that under all circumstances he will sacrifice his all for us. And for our Nigeria, vows that Nigerian blood can’t be cheap in hard times, even at all times.

Frankly, the man we expect of these is the President who Nigerians voted for to supervise their welfare in the best democratic fashion. He owes history a good and redeeming account of a nation on the boil; Nigeria is.

– Mar. 18, 2021 @ 8:13 GMT