One Calamity Too Many In The Pentecost

By Babatunde Jose

“There is no more dangerous menace to civilization than a government of incompetent, corrupt, or vile men”. – Ludwig Von Mises.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, . . . it was the age of foolishness. . . . , it was the epoch of incredulity, . . a season of Darkness, and a winter of despair, . . . we had nothing before us, . . . ”. – Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities ( adapted)

Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, said, “Woe to the rulers! And woe to the chiefs! And woe to the trustees! Some people will wish on the Day of Resurrection that their hair was hanging from the sky and swinging between heaven and earth rather than to have done what they did.”

It is indeed a period of woes and lamentation. A season of serial bloodsheds. We have lost any hope of reaching the Promised Land? It was a hopeless hope. When this journey started with the advent of the 4th Republic that ushered in civil rule, it was with high optimisms for a better Nigeria, but today that revolution of rising expectations has turned into a revolution of rising frustration. ‘Nigeria, where are we going.’

Under this situation, violence is not far around the corner. Our patrimony has been squandered and embezzled. Our national coffers are broken into and brazenly robbed.

Allah in the Quran, said: Is it they who would portion out the Mercy of thy Lord? . . . But the Mercy of thy Lord is better than the (wealth) which they amass. (Quran 43:32)

Fathers are today jobless, while mothers have no goods in their shops. The children are out of school and those that graduated have joined the bulging army of the unemployed. Like dispossessed children, people walk the streets seeking food from Umar Diko’s proverbial dustbins. Today there is much poverty in the land. Poverty in the midst of plenty. Poverty now parades our streets naked without shame or remorse.

The saddest part is that, our lives are no more safe either in our homes, on the streets, on the trains, in the air and on the waters. Nowhere is safe from herdsmen, terrorists and kidnappers. We are not even safe in the hallowed temple of God where terror strikes on the day of Pentecost: A day which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ, as described in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1–31). ‘Terrorist Attack On Catholic Church, in Owo’, screamed the news headline. A day of infamy.

According to Dr Muiz Banire “Gloom descended on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owaluwa, Owo. Merchants of death and unfortunate sons of Satan attacked. With grenades and bullets, no fewer than 50 persons were allegedly killed and injured. The heartless assailants did not spare children in this murderous misadventure. It was a well-planned and carefully executed macabre act.”

Yet, it’s another election season. They are all over the place making promises which they will never keep. What dividend of democracy accrued to us in the past? Where are the jobs? Stolen! Our pensions and gratuity? Stolen. Our roads, electricity, houses, hospitals and the food on our tables? All stolen.

The political aspirants are cut from a myriad of pathetic fabric. Among them are known thieves, knaves, con-men, seasoned embezzlers, tested and confirmed political rogues; failed administrators in their homes, street associations, local governments, and cooperative unions. Some have no known occupation or business of repute except that they have been political jobbers. Like ‘Baba Lekki’ they have no political manifestos, no plan of action. They have no answer for our state of helplessness.

In Luke 2: 5-36, Jesus warned his disciples about the uncertain and troubling times that would come to them, it can equally apply to us now. War and insecurity, terrorist threats, starvation, uncertain economic times, levies, wage cuts, lay-offs, higher taxes, more pressure on the job, austerity measures, declining income and productivity, currency devaluation, declining value of export, and most important, the shaking of our inner peace. Suddenly, the end time is here.

We are now in the season of the terrorists. A concept which originated from the reign of terror instigated by Maxmilien Robespierre in 1793 following the French revolution. Terrorism is therefore not a recent social phenomenon.

Today, many will agree that terrorism is now generally viewed as a leading global security threat. And in Nigeria it has assumed an art form. The knowledge of what constitutes the root causes and objectives of terrorist organizations continues to evolve in response to the needs of governments, and security experts to develop strategies to prevent and manage terrorist attacks.

There is growing evidence that terrorism is largely explained by socio-economic, political and most evidently religious factors. Most especially here in Nigeria where rigid social stratification shatters hopes for social transformation. The weakening state capacity, and leadership ineptitude amid declining resources, has facilitated the emergence of dangerous rogue non-state actors who seem determined to drive our country on the path of anarchy.

This year alone, the pages of Nigerian Newspapers have reported many uncomfortable incidences instigated by terrorist sects; the latest being the killings in the Catholic Church in Owo. A day we could describe as ‘The Pentecost of Calamity’. The title of the 1973 album by the British rock group Black Sabbath, ‘Bloody Sabbath’ aptly describe what happened that Sunday when gunmen opened fire on congregants killing many and wounding tens of others.

Terrorism in Nigeria goes beyond the resources and capabilities of government and its agencies. Unfortunately, our political gladiators are not addressing these pressing issues.

Nigerian post-colonial state has failed to adequately protect its citizens from terrorists. Armed groups can carry out prolonged assaults in remote locations where help is often delayed by an inadequate security presence. Like in Owo, the police had no operational vehicle to use in rushing to the scene. Who knows, they might not even have arms to confront the terrorists.

The ability to treat the wounded also exposes the primitivity of our healthcare system. The pictures of victims being treated at the Medical Center, which resemble the emergency room of a native doctor, speaks volume compared to similar situations in war ravaged Ukraine, Palestine and Syria. We have a very long way to go in providing emergency health care for our people. It’s so sad. It is even worse that we cannot accurately count the body bags. In Owo, the State Governor said only 22 deaths were recorded but the Catholic Bishop confirmed 38 deaths.

If this is not the worst of times, I don’t know what is. A look at some of the attacks targeting helpless civilians in the past five years, is a great indictment on the ability of the rulers to protect the people.

“Nigerians are taken like lambs to slaughter in the North, the East, the South and the West, because the state has failed the people. The state stumbles and falters and the people pay the price for its inefficiency, incompetence and lack of will power to do good,” laments Reuben Abati.

In the Southeast, violence has become routine –unknown gunmen continue to spread terror in open defiance of the law. The Northeast has remained the hotbed of terror and insurgency for more than 12 years. That axis is noted for incidence of its daily orgy of terrorism.

In other climes, the security situation would have warranted the declaration of a state of emergency, but not here, a country where anything goes. It’s really a shame. Life goes on.

What is happening in Nigeria? Our people are traumatized beyond belief. Nigerians are suffering needless and agonizing deaths daily, whole communities are massacred, people beheaded, wives are raped in front of their husbands, children abducted from school by terrorists to be impregnated and sold into sex slavery, people burnt to death and in some places body parts are cruelly carved out with victims left to die slow and painful deaths. Human life has become the cheapest commodity in Nigeria.

The next Nigerian President must be that person who can put an end to the reign of terror, murder, impunity and madness. Enough is enough!