By Baba-Bala Katsina
Mr. Chairman, Thursday night when your programme, “Fundraising dinner for Nigeria’s victims of terror attacks” was aired by NTA, I was drowsy and about to go to bed. Seeing you, Mr. Chairman, the President and other dignitaries, even before I got the idea what the programme was about, I became curious because I knew any business I saw you participate in must be a serious business. But in this, sir, it took me time to watch and think about the theme and I also listened to you, President (as M.C) and even the revered Sultan of Sakkwato speak about the objective of the event and the fundraising, but none of you was able to satisfy my curiosity. In the theme, Mr. Chairman, two words or rather concepts were not well defined: terror and victims (of terror).
I know you know that any Nigerian reading or watching would think of Boko Haram as the terror, its madness as the act of terror and the people of the North, its victims. This is not in doubt Sir. It is that, a fortnight ago, while I was passing by a lecture hall, leading my cattle for grazing, I heard a teacher, or is it lecturer they call him in the University (?), teaching his students a topic about TERROR and TERRORISM in a course titled ‘War and Peace’. From my peeping position Sir, I was able to grab a wider perspective of these two concepts. My wanting the scope of the concepts to be widened, in this, is that; I want to know if I and other Nigerian citizens would fall within the victims’ category that will be compensated.
From the theme of your program, Mr Chairman, may I humbly ask what TERROR is and who are the Terrorists? Knowing this, Mr Chairman, will help us; the ordinary Almajirai who wished the fund will cover, know, who the terrorists, terrorizing us are. Boko Haram apart, could it be a form of terror, to massively loot a country’s treasury? If leaders implemented only 20% of a budget for a fiscal year and lied that they had rather implemented 70% to 80%, does it amount to an act of terror? When leaders, in collaboration with the elite class, killed public sector and impoverished citizens, can that constitute an act of terrorism? A government which allows politicians to exploit religious, tribal and regional differences at the expense of peace and security, and at many time instigated crises that left hundreds dead, is what?
Is it part of terrorism however to technically legalize corruption, fight those who expose corrupt practices and on the other hand shield and pardon corrupt officials? There are cases Mr Chairman, of government fetching ‘repented’ terrorists from the creeks and former convicted generals from prison and forced-retirement and gives them juicy appointment in government, clarify this Sir. The police, the military, the SSS’s excessive use of arm against civilian and extra judicially killed Nigerians as we witnessed in the North East, Apo Legislative Quarters and recently in Zaria are part of act of terror?
The questions of who the terrors are, are many. Let me, at this juncture, Mr Chairman, leave that and go to the question regarding ‘who are the terrorists’. Can we then, Mr Chairman, based on these glaring facts, safely say, those who perpetrated above crimes are also terrorists; as deadly as Boko Haram, Kidnappers and Militants? Those officers who killed extra judicially and refused to abide by rule of engagements, how do we address them?
Lastly Sir, because I don’t want to bother you with many questions, may I ask, who are the victims? Could they be the general public at the lowest level who suffer all manner of abuse and exploitation from their leaders at all levels or only the victims of Boko Haram madness? How many refugee camps do we have in Nigeria, how many have been displayed so far, and how many also fled Nigeria’s territory? Would the fund cover them; I mean all of them? How about the victims of post-election violence? I don’t know the victims, and I would like to, so we all be queuing for our share? And Apo Abuja and Zaria victims of extra judicial killings are part of the victims of terror?
Mr Chairman you see, after I have finished compiling my questions, and about to send them to you, my neighbours: Dan-Gurgu Mai-Shayi, Delu Mai Dan-Narago and BubaBaka-bari-ta-kwana also wanted their questions included so you can attend to them all together. Dan-gurgu wanted to know, Mr Chairman, if the government has any credible record of the number of victims of at least BH madness, because none of the government agency has ever given Nigerians credible data. How then can the government carry out the compensation exercise or use the money judicially?
For Mai Dan Na-Rogo, she would like to know who are going to manage the fund; the same people that stole the country’s treasury dry? Lastly, Mr Chairamn, Buba asked; why the fundraising coming only months to 2015 elections; could it be a fundraising for campaign but given a disguised name and theme, or that it is another campaign strategy? That Malala suggested it to President Jonathan? Because government could have been rather looking and gathering support on how to end the insecurity in the land and the leaders commit themselves in changing their attitudes towards leadership. “Da Allah kajiwomana amsasoshin tambayoyin mu da kyau Malam Bala”, they concluded.
Baba-Bala Katsina VIA bababalakt@gmail.com
