Any discussion today in Nigeria, any topic, any news tag beginning with the following items …Umar Farouk, the Christmas day… Nigerian
man… and so on will begin to sound all too familiar and especially to many Nigerians-correction ‘many Nigerians who may have a stake of one
form or the other on an aircraft bound for the United States of America.
My discourse is not so much about what you have read, watched, discussed or even trust Nigerians – joked about.
It’s the mother of all hypocrisy and as usual we Nigerians get to tell it.
I decided to watch, wait and listen to the various clanging ,of ‘discord and nonsense’ since December 25 , 2009...listening to how hitherto respected groups or individuals make fools of themselves and to balanced and objective observation from many quarters. Now I am
ready to make my contribution.
It is hard to figure out which is worse-‘official individual hypocrisy’ or ‘individual official hypocrisy’ whichever, it stinks to high heaven and may be comical but for the gravity of the situation.
Last year at about this time certain sections of both private and official media as well same individuals and bodies were almost branding Plateau State and her people as ‘terrorist’ apparently for circumstances in the wake of the elections in Jos north November 28, 2009 as with September 2001 and following.
No one single voice was heard offering or to offer a dispassionate neutral view, except for the people themselves…, so much that the wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria unilaterally flouted all protocols and simple courtesy traveled into the State refusing to see the Chief Executive of the State, visiting a selected section of the ‘victims’ and departed the same way probably heating the situation more than already had been generated already. Even some Human Rights bodies played partial, as against impartial roles-sponsored or otherwise accusing the State Executive of issuing ‘shoot to kill orders’-an order the President of The Federal Republic of Nigeria was to give when the Boko Haram disgrace reared its ugly head.
(A) Certain newspaper and media outlets engaged in a shameless cacophony of distortion of events, spewing vile and unhelpful angles-
classic stock in trade Goebellian propaganda worthy of the Public Relations arm of the religion-anarchist group-Al Qaeda.
Nobody cared to either explore the remote possibility or even yet allow it that the Plateau State people and government and by extension Nigeria and her people were rather victims of a malodorous and calculated campaign at character annihilation or worse. The 28 November, 2009 incidence was watered down but strangely yet mentally lethargically labeled as genocide of a particular settler group by the bloodthirsty intolerant ‘natives.’ For any level headed literate person it would seem laughable that among more than ten or more non ‘native’ groups from all over Nigeria-some who arrived Jos the
Plateau State capital since maybe before the arrival of the British, that among all those groups the native people did have issues with any of those groups except a particular group that arrived when the ‘bush‘ was habituated and developed.
articleadslinks
Then Plateau people endured the indignity of a ‘hostile ‘state-a state listed on the ‘terror list’ of uninformed Nigerians and a number of Northern states. All this until the Boko Haram mayhem unleashed in Maiduguri, Bauchi, Kano and Kebbi states. Still those sections of the mostly Northern press and media would explain away, almost defend and justify the actions or the unfolding as a cause not a symptom of restlessness peculiar to certain people for no certain reason at all.
US Intelligence had alleged that or rather warned that Nigeria was a ripe picking for al Qaeda which was roundly denounced in many quarters – well the CIA especially has never really been a barometer of honesty or dependability in itself but for the sake at least trying Nigeria should have made some motions. Then it would have seemed like foolishness but see what the singular action of the young Mutallab has done. What we are being forced to do now is lower than what we were asked to do back then.
Al Qaeda does not have to operate under the name for actual alarm to ring but it is widely common and maybe not so common knowledge it may
have proxies and affiliates whether in ‘boots on the ground’ or the same warped ideology of intolerance and utter lack and disregard for
human life.
This time worn and annoying excuse of loudly denouncing certain inimical and detrimental actions ‘as not being representative of a
particular group or section of society whether ‘is lame and weak- mentally. Then with all alacrity those groups should endeavor to educate society on what is this acceptable and proper behavior of their adherents, members or practitioners so that whenever a situation arises we can all say categorically ‘that cannot be!” White cannot be black and black cannot be white…it is a nonsensical blasphemous hypocrisy.
That a father would ‘deny’ his son and that a nation would deny its citizen is highly hypocritical. The so called shame, shock and disbelief by many of the people at the helm of affairs is a fallacy!
What really irks those clamoring against the ‘terror listing’ labeling is that their comfort zone when traveling to sequester taxpayers’
moneys will be drastically albeit totally curtailed. These are people who have accorded themselves the status of temporary and itinerant (as they pass through leadership in Nigeria) deities and to them it is sacrilege to be treated as common mortals. Their comfort zone — that which they deny their citizens is being encroached upon-therefore the hue and cry.
True, Nigerians are not terrorists – Nigerian leaders are terrorists. Which other nation subjects its people to such indignities as Nigeria? Daily citizens are terrorized off the highways and streets by endless official convoys of mediocrity.
Who is a terrorist really? According to Brian Keenan “some terrorists wear pin stripe suits…they hide their terrorism behind institutions of
law or social regulation that have more to do with control than liberation …”
For Mutallab senior it must have been fine and good, really commendable when the younger Mutallab at 2 or 3 years old, returned
home with glowing reports of his progress in religious instruction or who would tell me that Mutallab senior did not instruct strict
religious exposure for his children at infancy? Now he denies his son?
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });
Many newspapers have been running headlines that it was in London that al Qaeda recruited the young Mutallab. Really? Those media outlets should go a step further and provide us with annotated minutes from the said meetings ‘with’ Al Qaeda or of the Al Qaeda Annual BGM.
The denial mode conveniently adopted by the North in disowning their ‘son’ and almost explaining (away) the Boko Haram and numerous other so called religious incidences is a cause for remorse than even concern. It is pitiable.
With the risk of being misconstrued I have always that the Plateau would be vindicated since similar or worse incidences have occurred with same modus operandi-since Plateau has quietly reemerged from the ashes, just days before Umar Mutallab decided he wanted to go on with his actions a contemporary and age mate of his a certain Kevin , a ‘native’ from Plateau was in the international news — from winning a highly acclaimed TV reality show big Brother Africa-the first Nigerian to do so and still Umar Farouk Mutallab decided to carry on.
Did Mutallab open his mouth and say he was Nigerian? People change their nationalities-did Mutallab say he was Muslim? People lose their
religion. Are we afraid of America? Muna tsoron Amerikawa ne? See how officialdom is running around like rabbits whether for reasons I raised or truly because the image of the country is at stake but hypocrisy as I said. Why did we not take a defiant stand-accept Mutallab was Nigerian but refuse he was acting collectively for Nigerians. Why did we not institute legal action-national character assassination and then carry damage control.
articleadsbanner
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });