By Nwabueze Akabogu
The current alarming insecurity situation coupled with the multifarious socio-economic cum political challenges confronting the Nigerian State has indeed created the atmosphere of uncertainty and its attendant unimaginable catastrophic consequences for the nation. The country is presently on the brink and precariously sitting on the keg of gun powder which might explode any moment unless our political leaders take decisive action to stem the current slide to precipice by urgently dousing the escalating tension in the land.
The Buhari administration must quickly come to terms with the current harsh reality of the dire situation in the country and not to simply gloss over the extremely dangerous and unpredictable situation confronting the nation at the moment. President Buhari must as a matter of utmost national priority reach out to other well meaning and patriotic Nigerians to quickly proffer urgent solutions to the myriad of challenges facing the nation. The Buhari administration therefore, must not engage in the act of denigrating some eminent leaders who had raised genuine concerns over the extremely dangerous and explosive situation in our dear country.
This moment certainly is not the time to denigrate or castigate certain highly respected leaders but a time for sober reflection and collective action to deal with the current national malaise bedeviling our nation.
Recently some highly respected leaders such as former Presidents Obasanjo and Jonathan including some eminent and highly revered personalities such as the Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka and former Common Wealth Secretary-General, Emeka Anyaoku as well as religious leaders equally added their powerful voices to the current unprecedented insecurity challenges and other socio-economic and political crisis confronting the nation. President Buhari is therefore urged to hearken to the advice of these patriotic leaders and collaborate with them to find urgent solution to the present seemingly intractable problems which might tear the country apart if not handled with utmost urgency and collective wisdom.
The Buhari administration must not portray itself as being completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of the current challenges but must rather demonstrate its capacity and the political will to deal decisively with the ugly situation by pulling the bull by the horn.
Former President Obasanjo in his recent familiar and rather controversial letter to President Buhari tried to xray and analyse the current dangerous situation facing the nation and subsequently proffered urgent solutions to the thorny and complex issues at stake. Obasanjo has therefore demonstrated an uncommon spirit of patriotism and statesmanship and should be commended for his genuine concerns for his dear father land rather than being castigated or vilified by the Buhari administration which had promptly responded by describing Obasanjo’s letter as “unpatriotic” . This behaviour on the part of Buhari administration is rather unfortunate and uncharitable even as the administration’s “know it all and self-opinionated” posture is simply untenable. The nation is in dire situation and all hands must therefore be on deck to rescue her from the looming catastrophy and possible disintegration.
The lingering crisis occasioned by the rampaging Fulani herdsmen and notorious bandits terrorizing the nation, the spate of kidnaping and wanton killings across the nation, the unending Boko Haram insurgency in the North East among other security challenges are clearly danger signals that the nation is currently on the verge of total collapse. It is not an overstatement to emphasize the point that things have really fallen apart even as mutual mistrust, suspicion, deep rooted animosity and unprecedented level of disunity among the various ethnic nationalities in the country have reached their crescendo and awaiting the inevitable to happen. Monumental injustices, criminal marginalization, unbridled or crass nepotic tendencies, religious intolerance, disobedience to court orders or processes with impunity, total absence of the rule of law in society and unwarranted harassment and persecution of perceived political enemies had unfortunately become the norm and hallmark of the present Buhari administration in the country.
To further compound the already messy and disturbing situation in the country, is what could rightly be described as reckless and ill-conceived threats by various ethnic leaders particularly from the North who had recently ordered their people in the Southern parts of the country to immediately relocate to the North and which are clearly ominous signs that “Nigeria’s cup” has already overflowed and only God can prevent the impending doom which might ultimately lead to the dismemberment of the country called Nigeria and to “your tents Oh Israel “.
Nze Nwabueze Akabogu (JP) is a Regular Public Affairs Commentator and Analyst.
