Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba
The killings in Enugu is a done deal but should be made to be the turning point of Boko Haram’s southward incursions. Let history understand that the point where the dead martyrs of Enugu were buried was the furthest and the last stop of the terrorists. That here was where we stood and declared that we will not take any more nonsense.
Here’s how:
1. Burials of the dead: Let’s bury the dead one at a time and make each burial as gruesome and emotional as possible. The dead should be carried around the entire LGA with processions led by bishops, Catholic and Protestants and MASSOB and Kanu’s IPOD providing security. Let’s ask the police and security men who could not protect the dead when they were alive to stop protecting them when they are about to be buried. During the services let the bishops call for Holy Ghost fire to be returned to sender. Give MASSOB leaders a chance to make incendiary speeches if the collar on the bishop’s necks stop them from telling the truth as it is.
2. Show of anger: Invite all the governors of all Southern States and NC State who have suffered from the terrorist’s actions and give them a chance to represent the feelings and anger of their people. This would show the leaders of Boko Haram that there is a united front before them and that the front means business. It will also awaken the sleeping president from his slumber.
3. Talk back to the Northern Governor’s Council: Governor Ugwuanyi should summon his colleagues to a SE Governor’s council. They should repudiate the statement from the Northern Governor’s Council suggesting that the use of the word CRIMINAL in association with the killings south of Jos be banned. The events were criminal for if the killers are ever caught they would be charged with criminal offenses. What the Northern Governors said was an insult on the victims and extremely insensitive.
4. Make Laws Controlling the movement of herds: Governor Ugwuanyi should summon his legislature and send them a bill outlawing the movement of herds by any means other than trucks and trains in the state. Each southern governor would send such a bill to their own legislators. This cooperative agenda would send signals that leaderships of the south are poised to lead and would make the sleeping Abuja leaders wake up of be woken up.
5. Establish lines of communications between the states and the federal government: The southern governors should have a southern governor’s council to stand toe-to-toe with the northern governor’s council and issue opinions on matters concerning the region. The south should bury their differences at some points in the interest of their region. It should not prevent them from belonging to different political parties. Not all northern governors belong to APC but they sometimes unite.
6. Tell the world what happened: The various segments of people of Nigeria should demonstrate and denounce the incident. University of Nigeria has led the way. There should be more demonstrations by UNIZIK, ESUT, high schools, etc. and by market women. The country should express their anger.
The purpose of the above suggestions is to heat the polity for it is when a plane has been sufficiently heated that it generates the power to fly. The only way to awaken a slumbering government on the issue of killing people on their lands is to make conditions too hot for them. It is depressing that the president of Nigeria would meet with the governor whose people were just murdered in cold blood and all that both could do is to smile. One gets the impression that what just happened was not a serious breach of the peace. The people of southern Nigeria should take their cue from the burial of Steve Biko after the Apartheid Regime in South Africa assassinated him.
Make the killing of Nigerians too hot to touch.
Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba
Boston, Massachusetts
May 5, 2016
