First, I commend Mr. Bola Tinubu for his official recognition of the 17 soldiers who were murdered this month in Okuama, Delta State, while reportedly on official duty. In addition to giving them national honours, he gave homes to their families and scholarships to their children.
We await a proper investigation of the tragic incident, the president’s response was the right thing to do, and I commend him for finding the vision to do it.
An even better response is to establish a standard response to these things so that people who are put in harm’s way know that should the worst happen, their families will have something to fall back on. We have lost far too many people whose families have also been quickly abandoned.
Such families, and they are many the loss of one person being the loss of their only light and life, often lose hope and they say bad things about Nigeria. I find no reason to blame them.
Speaking again, two days after his magnanimity to the ‘Okuama 17,’ Mr. Tinubu appeared to misunderstand what is going on in Nigeria, urging religious leaders to refrain from criticizing Nigeria publicly and calling for their cooperation in the fight against terrorism and all forms of criminality.
“The love of the nation is in your hands,” he said. “Pray for our country. Educate our children. The sermons we preach to the members of our churches and mosques are important.
“Do not condemn your own nation…This is your country; do not condemn it in sermons; do not abuse the nation.”
And then, appearing to remember why anyone might offer public criticism, he turned to the government, admitting, first: “Leadership is meant for change(s).”
And then: “If a leader is bad, Yes, this leader is bad, fine. Wait until the next election to change him, but do not condemn your country. Do not curse Nigeria. This is a beautiful land.”
Mr. Tinubu appears to be confused, and he is. First, Nigeria is not a beautiful land. It may once have been, and it will hopefully be again.
But Nigeria is right now a troubled, dangerous, and ugly land where anything goes. It is hungry and bloodthirsty. It is crippled and hounded by ruthless politicians who loot and steal and cripple: people who would rather buy expensive foreign SUVs and build or renovate inordinate mansions than feed a child or buy him a book.
Nigeria has been rendered ugly and atrocious by people who can preach or read a sermon but cannot find the character to lead by example. Nigeria has been desecrated and contaminated by powerful officials and former officials for who nepotism is a badge of honour; people who preach the sermon in front of the camera while they poison the water by their actions away from it.
No, it is not terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other crimes that make Nigeria ugly, it is those who, armed with the authority and opportunity to fight for Nigeria, find comfort in speeches or in looking away from the real issues.
Nigerian religious leaders are not the problem. They do not curse or condemn Nigeria, and that is different from cursing the leaders who are held responsible for the situation in the country.
