#BringBackOurGirls: Many wrongs, many questions; one right, many answers

The hashtag #BringBackOurGirls has since the kidnap of over 200 girls in Chibok, Borno State, Nigeria been a unifying force across the global market to get the Nigerian government answering many questions it kept mum on, as well as having the Federal Government living to its expectation of protecting the lives and properties of its citizenries. 

On April 14, 2014, was the first bomb blast at Nyanya motor park located on the outskirts of Abuja, which killed over 70 people, then later that night was the inhumane abduction of Over 200 girls by Boko Haram in Chibok, Borno State, though tens of these girls escaped, much more are still held captive might be sold for ₦2,000.00, as noted by the Boko Haram leader. 

With the global market and internet space being the most instrumental mechanism to raising eye brows and driving accountability by the Nigerian government to protecting the lives of its citizenries, only God knows what would have been the case, in terms of the Goodluck Jonathan’s response if the internet space was not a global unifying force to putting government and many wrongs to right. 

Having closely analysed the happenings and information surrounding this national outcry that has since gotten international, my conclusion is that this is an incident with many questions and one answer. 

The wrongs with many questions: 

Passiveness of the Nigerian Military: As disclosed on CNN, if the revelation by amnesty international that the Nigerian military were informed 4 hours prior to the kidnap is anything to go by, one only wonders why the requested reinforcement by those on ground, 17 military personnel, was treated with kid gloves. If this is indeed the case, then perhaps the words of Kashim Shettima, the Borno State Governor, as reported on reuters.com that “Boko Haram are better armed and are better motivated than our own troops," could have accounted for the military bizarre unaccountability.

 

Three weeks for government presence in Chibok: With the damage done, what on earth would be the excuse for the Federal Government taking three weeks to visit Chibok and its neighbouring environment? Interestingly, it wasn’t the President that visited the scene but the service chiefs and neither has the President visited nor met with the affected families. 

The first lady of Nigeria’s “offer of help”: The mention of “help” in the meeting the first lady had with staff of the Government Girls Secondary School makes one wonder if she thinks she is doing them a favour.  

I really just don’t get why the word help is used, like “help” is an alternative the affected parents needed to #BringBackOurGirls . She said “Now the first lady is calling you, come I want to help you, come to find yar missing child, will you keep quiet…”. In such, “Dia is God ohhh”. 

Offer of help is a NO, especially when she has failed to meet with the affected parents. On the flip, she would have, with a blink of an eye, directly or indirectly commiserated with the affected parents. About 2 weeks it took for her to publicly speak on this issue which has indeed gone viral in the social media and traditional media across the world, courtesy her acknowledgement of the “bloods sharing in Borno and her tears” in the video clip. 

The right with many answers: the strength of the social media has been a significant tool and the right to having the Nigerian Government exude a proactive approach to finding the girls. Courtesy the protest from top global entertainers, government officials and humane individuals across all continents, the search for these girls could metamorphose to finally putting an end to the menace by Boko Haram.  

In conclusion, “We should be clear this is just not a Nigerian issue but a global issue, there are extreme Islamist around our world who are against education, against progress, against equality and we would fight them and take them on wherever they are” and "let us all pray for their safe return. Let us hold their families in our hearts during this very difficult time. And let us show just a fraction of their courage in fighting to give every girl on this planet the education that is her birthright”, as said by the United Kingdom Prime Minister, David Cameron and the United States of America First Lady, Michelle Obama.

God bless Nigeria!!!