We all have every reason to give thanks to our creator, irrespective of our religious inclination. We cannot forget in a hurry where we are coming from, that there was a time when apprehension was very high in this country following the massive unrest in some parts of the nation.
What began then with the terror campaign and killing of Christians living in the North by the Islamic sect, Boko Haram through suicide bombers, was gradually becoming an invitation for another civil war.
There were ominous signs for arms conflict due to the threat of a reprisal mission by another armed militia called Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND to commence bombing of mosques and killing of Muslim clerics living in the Southern part of the country.
That situation became an urgent issue of concern amongst peace loving Nigerians in and out of the country and majority of the people in their various opinions sued for the urgent intervention of the Federal government to avoid a catastrophe that could lead to the splitting of the nation.
As tension continued to mount over the daily loss of lives and properties, it was obvious that the problem escalated because the issue was handled with kid gloves all the while and the so called faceless members of the Boko Haram had their way with impunity.
They attacked several churches, school children, killed so many innocent Nigerians, maimed, destroyed so many lives and desecrated the household of God to the chagrin of Nigerians. They added salt to injury by asking for amnesty for their members.
That seems to be history now as the Nigerian soldiers launched an all out attack on the sect in the North East, which operations are still ongoing.
The incessant attacks on the Southerners living in the Northern part of the country and the preferential treatment given to some northerners in the allocation of the nation’s common wealth, the oil blocks and other issues no doubt led the MEND to issue its own ultimatum to retaliate.
Interestingly, the agitation for amnesty by the faceless group amd the waste of lives caused so much grief and sorrow for several families including that of Miss Leah Sharibu who refused to renounce her Christian faith while in captivity by the Boko Haram.
We must really give thanks to God for everything He has done to make us still be one united nation. But sadly, some soldiers who were deplored to fight the Boko Haram insurgents in the North East, mostly Southerners are at the brink of losing their homes and families.
The attention of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Turkur Buratai has been drawn to this sad development being faced by those who sacrificed their lives for the nation recently.
It was leant that the Army authorities at their respective units in Lagos and Ogun have refused to redeploy many soldiers of Southern origin who have served over four years combating Boko Haram insurgents in the North East.
According to sources, this decision of the military high command which is against service regulations has encouraged their wives to resort to extra marital affairs. The affected soldiers are at the verge of losing their homes and families as their wives have resorted to extra marital affairs and eventually divorce their spouses.
Their children have dropped out of school and turned orphans as their mothers can no longer provide for them because of the unsavory treatment meted to some southern Army officials deployed to North East to prosecute the war against Boko Haram.
It is expected that the Chief of Army Staff will expedite action by launching investigation into the issues raised by these set of soldiers with regards to withdrawing them the affected soldiers from the North East back to their original barracks to reunite with their families.
It was reliably gathered that authorities of the 81 Division of 353 Artillery Regiment, Ojo Cantonment, Lagos state; 192 Battalion, Owode Yawe Unit, Ogun state and 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala Barrack Unit, Ogun state have bluntly refused to withdraw or reshuffle their soldiers who have served in the North East (Operational ground) for a period of five years.
Now, there is the need for President Buhari to address this issue because what God has joined together let no man or Boko Haram insurgency put assunder, by redeploying those soldiers who have since left their families for too long now to return home.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari’s reforms in the oil sector need more boost with a view to put an end to the old order of some persons feeding fat with the nation’s oil resources, living flamboyant life styles and yet majority in the oil bearing communities cannot afford a meal a day, good drinking water or conducive shelter in the creeks of the Niger delta.
Democracy, defined as the government of the people, for the people and by the people, no doubt has taken a new meaning for Nigerians. It can also be defined as government for the few opportunists working against the interest of majority of the people who elected them into power.
The people are forced to face the reality that those they spent several hours in the sun and rain to cast their votes for, on getting power later treat them as outcast in their own fathers land.
Many of these people, like our soldiers have either kicked the bucket or are critically sick somewhere without being able to afford the cost of treatment, while others have been forced to turn back on the society with anger and they no longer care what is right or wrong in as much as they can survive and get what they want.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari’s reforms in the oil sector, with a view to put an end to the old order of some persons feeding fat with the nation’s oil resources, living flamboyant life styles and yet majority in the oil bearing communities cannot afford a meal a day, good drinking water or conducive shelter in the creeks of the Niger delta.
Democracy, defined as the government of the people, for the people and by the people, no doubt has taken a new meaning for Nigerians. It could well be defined as government for the few opportunists working against the interest of majority of the people who elected them into power.
The people are forced to face the reality that those they spent several hours in the sun and rain to cast their votes for, on getting power later treat them as outcast in their own fathers land.
Many of these people, like our soldiers who have lost their families have either kicked the bucket or are critically sick somewhere without being able to afford the cost of treatment, while others have been forced to turn back on the society with anger and they no longer care what is right or wrong in as much as they can survive and get what they want
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Eubaldus Enahoro is Ag, Editor of The Nigerian Observer Newspaper
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