Opinion: Baga massacre: Why Nigeria moved on

Posted by admin Boko Haram, Borno, Headlines, State News Wednesday, January 14th, 2015

“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least”

–Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

On Sunday, an exceptional event occurred in Paris, France. About 60 world leaders, in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo massacre, had in a show of international solidarity, gathered to mourn the cartoonists, satirists and others who were slaughtered by marching against the marauding force of terrorism.

These world leaders, with residents of Paris and other “arrondissements” stood as one against the bestiality of a fringe but vengeful collective. Their mien – hands locked together – evoked imageries of the ‘60s when the United States civil rights leaders did the same to demand liberty. Like those civil rights leaders, those who gathered in Paris leaned on symbolism by standing on the boulevard named after the French writer, Voltaire (the one to whom is attributed the famous quote: I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it).

At about the same period the Charlie Hebdo attack took place, a more cynical harvest of deaths occurred in Baga, Borno State and claimed multiple lives. While Amnesty International claimed 2000 lives were reportedly lost, Nigeria’s military authorities admitted it was only 150 lives that were lost.

What Nigerians have gained, so far, is an abdication of duty by all that should be concerned with the citizenry and territorial integrity of Nigeria. We have seen a prominent female minister quickly tweet a #JeSuisCharlie without concomitant empathy dispensed towards the people of Baga that lived – and died – right in her own backyard. We have seen a press release from the Presidency to the people of France promising to stand in solidarity with them to fight the scourge of global terrorism but not one to the people of Baga – or, other communities being decimated by Boko Haram. Who knows, maybe they await another visit from the Pakistani teenage child rights advocate, Malala Yousafzai, to give them instructions?

What Nigerians have witnessed, instead, from their lethargic corps of politicians is the politics of figures: the back and forth over the official and unofficial account of people who died. Various reports – especially in international media – put the deaths at around 2,000 while the Nigerian Army, petulantly, told us the number had been exaggerated; they reckon 150. The counter figure, given by the Army spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, might not even be true because their antecedents have not shown they tell nothing but the truth. Besides, the politics of Boko Haram in the midst of intense election politicking will taint whatever they will admit. And, do not hold your breath awaiting the “correct” number of casualties. Remember, it took forever to count the number of girls abducted in Chibok!

Compared and contrasted, the response of France thumps the merry-go-round by the Nigerian government, and that of Nigerians themselves who, by now, have become wearied by the frequency of the attacks. The unredressed Baga massacre might just end up as another incident to be filed under “all in a day’s existence.” Both rulers and the ruled in the Nigerian space appeared to have moved on, focusing instead on the spectacles of electioneering.

Do not be surprised some people are more interested in whether the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), truly knows his phone number, is computer literate, or has a certificate than forcing President Goodluck Jonathan to pause his campaigns and address the Baga massacre. By implication, we are being told to get on with the business of life and living; the dead forgotten. For those of us alive, the counsel is: While we yet live, let us live. And, let the dead bury themselves.

The French Government, however, did not merely move on because what they lost to the attack was huge enough to shake the very base of their society. Their Sunday gathering was a symbolic gesture to restate the values on which their society was built. As one of the spectators commandeered to witness the public reiteration of their values, I found myself longing for what Nigeria has not given me: A composition of values, collective ethos and a centripetal ideology capable of rallying the country in times of tragedy. For such to obtain, a nation has to have a soul and there is little in Nigeria’s history –past and present – that suggests that we ever possessed one.

For France, the terrorists struck at the founding philosophy of their society, their history, their culture and the very essence of their Frenchness. For a people that engineered seismic governmental changes in the 1700s; have produced a vibrant intellectual culture and even consider themselves a bastion of civilisation, France knows what it defends when it stands in unison and resists an assault. Nigeria has had a rather different trajectory; we have neither learnt to espouse a philosophy nor nationalist ideals that define us.

Due to that lack of a sense of national identity, there is little about us that is threatened when Boko Haram invades and appropriates our land space. When fellow Nigerians are killed in grievous attacks by rampaging zealots, we are not galvanised to unleash outrage and fight back because we do not see such as vulnerability of our Nigerianness; that the death of one, killed by those who seek to eradicate our nationality, also diminishes all of us whether we reside in Baga or Banana Island.

On April 5, 2003, a ghastly auto accident occurred on the Benin-Ore Expressway and claimed 53 lives. The incident was several days before the Boston bombings. Just as has obtained this past week, the Federal Government failed to grant the dead – who were so badly charred that the University of Benin Teaching Hospital had to organise a mass burial – a befitting burial. Rather, government aides grabbed official handles on social media to pour tears on the victims of Boston bombings. We see this happening all over again with Jonathan ignoring Baga and weeping over the death of “Charlie” in France.

France is turning the Charlie Hebdo attack into an opportunity to reinforce its ideals, build a stronger sense of nationhood and create history out of havoc. The United States did the same too after 9/11 and the Boston bombings. They declared their country strong and invincible, and its national spirit incapable of being broken. In this place, unfortunately, when we are attacked, we shuffle around before moving on to other things. And this is what I see as the irony: Those who lack a national philosophy will spend their lives helping those who have developed one, to polish theirs. That is why those who ignore Baga are also the ones who run to declare solidarity with Paris. To paraphrase the South African writer, Alan Paton, cry, beloved country.

-Punchwp_posts