A few hours ago, Boko Haram released a new home video that would not be sold anywhere near 51 Iweka Road Onitsha and such places but has since been watched severally by the president and members of the national security community. The video in which the Boko Haram threatened to end the president’s administration is a response to his boast to bring the group to its knees within three months. What is worrisome though is that this video is not in English language. The interpretation to the video has been provided by some online news sites. For the sake of the future, Boko Haram, we urge you to please release videos in English language or at least provide subtitles.
The Boko Haram threat is not new but is now more directed at the president or his administration. Jihad is a term many people have come to understand means warring for Allah against infidels (unbelievers). Unbelief, yours truly is made to understand by distinguished Islamic scholars is belief in a god other than the one God. In the light of this, it will be wise to conclude that Boko Haram should not make Christians their target since they believe in the one God unless there is another meaning. I fail to see how exterminating a group that believes in the same master albeit differently can possibly be doing the master’s business.
Be that as it may, Nigerians are tired really or I dare say still content to listen to promises and trivialize incompetence. The video is an indictment on our security operatives whom the group boasts have no power to match its resolve and capabilities. This is worrisome considering the huge allocation to security in budget 2012 being assented to by the president today 13th April, 2012. Bomb factories have been found, suspects have been arrested, yet this video is chilling and grossly intimidating. It is necessary to ask for an English version or English subtitle of these videos because we know what groups keep their promises. While the president smiles about and makes promises, the terror group frowns, and fulfils theirs. There is no need to remind anyone that they have been successful at unleashing mayhem after promises whereas our mighty federal government seating on our oil money cannot do the same. Talk about management, achieving objectives with available resource. Does anyone now see the need for English subtitles?
The Boko Haram effectiveness, is proof that Nigerians can manage any sector if properly motivated. I have never looked at their financial books or come anywhere near it, but I can tell they do not have the resource and manpower available to a promise development party led federal government. The result achieved by the Boko Haram is phenomenal and worthy of applaud had their effort been saving lives rather than claiming it. But we have need to worry, more explosions are about to go off because a group that has matched words with action has spoken. How long will we continue to trust a government that is determined to promise so much and promises to make more promises? I dare say, that we now believe the Boko Haram and doubt very seriously the "fellow Nigerians" greeting by our president.
The security community has not helped matters. We have been told by real life veteran spies that one way to overcome a terror group is to 'keep an eye on them when you find them'. I am not convinced anyone is keeping an eye the Boko Haram. Principal actors have been apprehended but this group is still formidable. It takes patience to solve any problem and our security groups have run out of it. When a team trails in a football match, it must not give up and worsen the loss, it must continue to strive till it equalizes and possibly gets a winner. The Nigerian security groups trail the Boko Haram at initiative, planning, resource utilization and results but they must believe in themselves and the power of right over wrong. This is a struggle they cannot abandon. Their motivation must be at least to prove that they too can rise to meet the challenge of this determined enemy.
And for the rest of us, we have to be determined like the Boko Haram to put aside personal differences that divide us as well as sectional and primordial interests that belittle us as a people. We must put up a national resolve to elect persons worthy of office and play significant roles that benefit the majority as against supporting an individual for the mere reason than he comes from your hometown or worships God the same way you do. The Boko Haram cannot all be from the same village. Some of them wear jeans while the others are dressed in cafans pointing to their differencies yet they are united in the same cause.
The threat by the Boko Haram is real and is obviously going to be carried out unless God intervenes. Yes God because we do not as a country have the wherewithal to match their resourcefulness. Our federal government must realize that if this business of making empty promises is not put out, Nigeria will fail worse than it currently has, making it an uninhabitable clime for investment or tourism. If the trend continues unabated, Nigeria will be taken over this group one day leaving Nigeria to become another Afghanistan with the Taliban on one side and the other government on the other leaving the people hapless. God forbid.
A preacher once said: the problem of Nigeria is not bad leadership, but too many idle leaders. The Boko Haram challenge is an opportunity for us all to lead from wherever we are, government, work or praying place. We must overcome.
The Boko Haram threat is not new but is now more directed at the president or his administration. Jihad is a term many people have come to understand means warring for Allah against infidels (unbelievers). Unbelief, yours truly is made to understand by distinguished Islamic scholars is belief in a god other than the one God. In the light of this, it will be wise to conclude that Boko Haram should not make Christians their target since they believe in the one God unless there is another meaning. I fail to see how exterminating a group that believes in the same master albeit differently can possibly be doing the master’s business.
Be that as it may, Nigerians are tired really or I dare say still content to listen to promises and trivialize incompetence. The video is an indictment on our security operatives whom the group boasts have no power to match its resolve and capabilities. This is worrisome considering the huge allocation to security in budget 2012 being assented to by the president today 13th April, 2012. Bomb factories have been found, suspects have been arrested, yet this video is chilling and grossly intimidating. It is necessary to ask for an English version or English subtitle of these videos because we know what groups keep their promises. While the president smiles about and makes promises, the terror group frowns, and fulfils theirs. There is no need to remind anyone that they have been successful at unleashing mayhem after promises whereas our mighty federal government seating on our oil money cannot do the same. Talk about management, achieving objectives with available resource. Does anyone now see the need for English subtitles?
The Boko Haram effectiveness, is proof that Nigerians can manage any sector if properly motivated. I have never looked at their financial books or come anywhere near it, but I can tell they do not have the resource and manpower available to a promise development party led federal government. The result achieved by the Boko Haram is phenomenal and worthy of applaud had their effort been saving lives rather than claiming it. But we have need to worry, more explosions are about to go off because a group that has matched words with action has spoken. How long will we continue to trust a government that is determined to promise so much and promises to make more promises? I dare say, that we now believe the Boko Haram and doubt very seriously the "fellow Nigerians" greeting by our president.
The security community has not helped matters. We have been told by real life veteran spies that one way to overcome a terror group is to 'keep an eye on them when you find them'. I am not convinced anyone is keeping an eye the Boko Haram. Principal actors have been apprehended but this group is still formidable. It takes patience to solve any problem and our security groups have run out of it. When a team trails in a football match, it must not give up and worsen the loss, it must continue to strive till it equalizes and possibly gets a winner. The Nigerian security groups trail the Boko Haram at initiative, planning, resource utilization and results but they must believe in themselves and the power of right over wrong. This is a struggle they cannot abandon. Their motivation must be at least to prove that they too can rise to meet the challenge of this determined enemy.
And for the rest of us, we have to be determined like the Boko Haram to put aside personal differences that divide us as well as sectional and primordial interests that belittle us as a people. We must put up a national resolve to elect persons worthy of office and play significant roles that benefit the majority as against supporting an individual for the mere reason than he comes from your hometown or worships God the same way you do. The Boko Haram cannot all be from the same village. Some of them wear jeans while the others are dressed in cafans pointing to their differencies yet they are united in the same cause.
The threat by the Boko Haram is real and is obviously going to be carried out unless God intervenes. Yes God because we do not as a country have the wherewithal to match their resourcefulness. Our federal government must realize that if this business of making empty promises is not put out, Nigeria will fail worse than it currently has, making it an uninhabitable clime for investment or tourism. If the trend continues unabated, Nigeria will be taken over this group one day leaving Nigeria to become another Afghanistan with the Taliban on one side and the other government on the other leaving the people hapless. God forbid.
A preacher once said: the problem of Nigeria is not bad leadership, but too many idle leaders. The Boko Haram challenge is an opportunity for us all to lead from wherever we are, government, work or praying place. We must overcome.
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