It is clear that virtually all options aimed at bringing peace to the troubled spots of the country, especially up North of Nigeria by the Dr Goodluck Jonathan led Federal Government have failed. The rampaging Boko Haram insurgents have snubbed every move by the Federal Government and its agents to broker peace through dialogue with the sect.
Just last week, the mindless murderers, via their so-called suicide bombers unleashed yet another mayhem on communication masts in Borno, Yobe, Taraba and Gombe States, killing unspecified number of persons and wounding scores of others. The service providers and owners of the communication masts have lamented the huge loss and have threatened to leave the troubled zones till peace returns to the areas.
Before now, it used to be churches, then media houses and now communication masts. And only God knows who or what the next target is.
The earlier the Federal Government takes a decisive step to tackle this menace, the better for all of us. The attacks on the masts and innocent workers were uncalled for and have been condemned by all well meaning Nigerians.
These were just one of the many assaults on innocent Nigerians, since the current insurgence began in 2009.
And governors of the affected states have in their own small measures imposed curfew at onetime or another which people see as inadequate or ineffective. The assertion might be true since Boko Haram operators have threatened more attacks on public buildings across the country. The target of these faceless attackers is to destroy business concerns and by so doing underdevelop the economy of the country to the detriment of the people.
And since these recalcitrant insurgents have continuously rebuffed the overtures of the Federal Government towards peace, the only option left is big stick formular. It is said and rightly too that any government that cannot bite when necessary should seize to be government. Otherwise how do we explain the fact that innocent citizens are being hunted down daily by these senseless murderers in the name of Boko Haram and the government is busy telling the people that they are on top of the situation. Nigerians are sick and tired of hearing the monotonous stories when hundreds upon thousands of lives are being lost on daily basis. It won’t be out of place if the Federal Government invokes a state of emergency on any part of the country that refuses to live in peace with the rest of the people. The only way Nigerians can be convinced that there is a government and indeed responsible one is when their lives and property are secured, after all government came to being when people surrendered part of their freedom and rights to few representatives called government on condition that any day they fail in their responsibility of defending the people, they lose the mandate as their representatives. We can now appreciate the fact that the Federal Government as it is currently constituted might be walking on a tight rope. The onus is on them to either perform or be fired. It is our fervent hope and prayer that the Jonathan led federal government finds its rhythm, for anything short of that will be detrimental to the entire nation. We do not however bargain for the worse which might at times be inevitable. ####
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