Boko
Haram Vs Nigerian Government: A Tale of Two Wrongs
16 November 2009
By Mohammed
Adamu
The famous Greek philosopher, Aristotle once wrote,
“Poverty is the mother of all revolutions, when and
where there is hunger and the poor greatly exceeds in
number, trouble sets in and the state soon comes to an
end”.
The sudden upsurge in sectarian violence that besieged
some states in northern Nigerian a few months ago had
undoubtly served as a warning and indication of the
extent people can go in expressing their anger and
dissatisfaction at authourities for their failures ,
neglect and insencerity to the public they are
supposed to be serving.
The bloody clashes did also opened new forum for
debates as to the causes, motives and modus operandi
of both the Boko Haram members and the way government
handled the crisis through its agencies of law
enforcement. To most people that had written or
reported about the violence in Bauchi, Maiduguri,
Potiskum, Wudil and the rest, it was essencially a
religious violence, Islamic Fundamentalism, Terrorism,
or Radicalism.
But a careful look into the anatomy of the whole
crisis, one could easily conclude trhat it was more of
an ideological conflict than what most people had
termed it to be, especially as there is no place or
time in Islam where ‘Western Education’ as a form of
knowledge is prohibited.
Though the Hausa word for ‘BOKO’ can literally be
translated as Western Education, as a terminolgy
‘BOKO’ can also be used when refering to western
values, civillisation,morals,ethics,principles,
philosophies etc etc. Be that as it may, the mere
hatred for a particular culture or value is never an
accepted excuse for causing trouble or any form of
insecurity to a nation or people.
But let’s not waste time on what ‘BOKO’ is and not,
rather let’s look at it as any other insurgency or
agitation currently threatening our national peace and
common existence from the edge of the desert in the
far North down to the atlantic coast in the south, be
it BOKO HARAM, NIGER DELTA MILITANCY, MASSOB, OPC or
BAKASSI BOYS. According to one African nationalist and
freedom fighter of blesseth memory, “When the people
in power enjoy a privilleged economic position, they
cease to share in the problems they are responsible
for solving”.
The affluences and influences our leaders derive from
their unchallenged corrupt practices and the
government’s neglect of public welfare has forced the
masses into a life of despondency in a nation that is
rated sixth in oil wealth in the world.
As a result all the conflicts in Nigeria today, in
whatever form or name they may go by have their root
causes and motivations in the socio-economic
inequalities and official corruption that have since
become the trademark of governance ,especially from
the last Thirty years.This a country where only very
few individuals ( those in positions of power and
authourity and their families) enjoy and benefit from
the abundant wealth God has bestowed on the country,
while the great masses languish in abject poverty.
A country where sucessive governments have continued
to systematically impose hunger, poverty and
illiteracy on their citizens, where even the basic
necesseties of life, ( Food, Shelter and Clothing) are
already far from the reach of the ordinary man, while
the words justice and Fairness only exist on paper. In
Nigeria the people only casts votes while the corrupt
political and military elites decides who becomes
what, making governments after governments that are
totally insensitive to the yearnings and plights of
the citizens keep subtituiting themselves through
coups and rigged elections.
All these unfortunate, shameful and ugly processes
have turned Nigeria into a country where poverty,
hunger and disease have become matters of inheritance
been passed from genertion to generation, a good
enough reason for the people to look at governments
and any symbol of its authourity with disdain.
Turning to the issue of BOKO HARAM disturbances and
the manner government handled the crisis, one would
like to know why the Yar’adua government rolled out
armoured tank, motars and bombs just to quell an
internal security clash involving a mere rag-tag bands
of youths weilding matchetes, clubs and cataphults not
aginst their peaceful compatriots but the govrnment
they blame for all their social and economic woes?.
At least even to the armateur military strategist or a
student of conflict studies, the manner with which the
Boko Haram members were killed in hundreds and
arrested in even larger numbers indicates their lack
of preparedness for a violent confrontation, instead
it only clearly comfirmed the reports that they were
actually provoked by the security agencies.
It would be interesting to know why the Yar’adua
government abandoned its much drummed-up adherance to’
rule of law’ and ‘careful approach to issues’ on the
Boko Haram while maintaining a persuasive approach and
solution with the Niger Delta militants who for years
have continued to engage the federal government in
combat showdown using highly sophisticated weapons
with clear foreign backings to claim what they have
been denied of their rightful share in the country’s
oil wealth.Of course, they did attack the Police and
the military and even complement it with the
kidnappings of high profile individuals,but yet no
bombs have ever pounded homes in Port Hacourt, Warri
or Yenegoa.
As if that was not enough, in its desparation to
cover-up vital truths about the BOBO HARAM crisis, the
government went ahead to summarily execute the leader
of the sect Mohammed Yusif without arraigning him
before a court of law. This alone is an indication of
its fears at what might be uncovered in the process,
especially about the involvementnt of highly placed
personalities.
Even as an alleged murderer, war criminal and thief,
When the United state arrested Saddam Hussein, they
made him go through trials according to his country’s
law before been punished, and even if the US should
lay hands on Osama bin Laden today, they will
definitely take through trials with the right to speak
out and put up defence.
By murdering Mohammed Yusif, the government of Nigeria
now has the monopoly in deciding who is a member of
BOKO HARAM and who is not. Another tool for political
witch hunt.
Mohammed Adamu, Farawa Quarters, Maiduguri Road,
Kano Tel: 08034394875 Mohammedadamu57@yahoo.com
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EsinIslam.Com
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