Excuses, Falsehood and Failures – Yemi Adamolekun on Boko Haram and the Chibok Girls

Regardless of our political leanings, it’s deeply painful for me that ANYONE would try to explain/defend how this administration has handled Boko Haram and the Chibok girls. 306 days; 10 months. 11 dead parents! Ify works for this administration and her submission focused on the facts and were objective.

– could members of APC be sponsoring / involved in BH? – yes.

Who’s responsibility is it to investigate and jail them – MY GOVERNMENT! Not analysts / pundits

– are members of this administration sponsoring / involved in BH – YES! Mr President said so!
Is anyone in jail or fired? NO!

– members of the Chibok community called Badeh the morning of the abduction.

– within 72 hours, Olukolade announced a rescue, then retracted.

Despite these facts, lets still give Mr. President the benefit of the doubt that he was misinformed and didn’t have all the facts till almost 3 weeks later, thanks to WEF, Nigerians making noise and the international community.

So after he’s confirmed, what has he done?
– Malala begged him to see the family members – he finally did 100 days later

– Borno had been too hot to visit until election season

– the family have no direct contact for information / updates

– those who have escaped from BH camps are not being debriefed for intelligence / leads

– Chibok caught our attention by the audacity and the numbers. Buni Yadi was 2 months before; the NIS Stampede was a month before – neither case has been resolved. No benefits to family members; no apologies. NOTHING!

– it’s election season now and members of this administration are actively looking for members of the Chibok community to make donations and make promises. Why?

It is my government’s responsibility to care about my welfare and secure me. The person in charge of the affairs of state is Mr President, my Commander-in-Chief.

Good or bad, the buck stops on his table. If people are incompetent or making you look bad, you show leadership by firing them and getting people who will execute your wishes not whine and point fingers!

I’m also deeply concerned about how the army has been politicized. A number of ex-servicemen have said this. If truly, 4-6 levels of officers were retired to make Minimah Chief of Army Staff, is it any wonder our armed forces are struggling?

Therefore, the current state of the military is of President Jonathan’s making given the early retirements, meritless promotions and unaccounted funds that NO ONE is yet to be proved for!

After all, he IS Commander-in-Chief!
And if you don’t understand the military, ask people who do!

A final point: Chibok woke us up, but the pattern has been there all along and has not stopped since April 14, 2014.

We are losing civilians and members of our armed forces but treating them like animals.

We have NO records of the people we have lost because WE don’t care!!!

The Buni Yadi students; Potiskum students – a national memorial service?

See what happens when other countries lose ONE citizen?!

This is the power of LEADERSHIP & EMPATHY!!!!!

An aside: it was a PDP chieftain who said they’ll make the country ungovernable. Last I checked – he walks free while mayhem reigns!

Buhari sued Abati for libel. After Mr President’s intervention, they settled out of court and he apologized with a full page advert in the Guardian.

Sadly, most people still wrongly attribute the statement to Buhari.

 

Yemi Adamolekun, EiE Nigeria

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