THE TALE OF A NIGERIAN SOJOURNER WHO BECAME A SETTLER
He told media client via Facebook of how broken he has remained watching videos of how his country men and women were been slaughtered and raped by killer herders.
The recent attack on igangan community in Ibarapa local government area of the south western state of Oyo is the last straw that broke the camel’s back for him, he now dreads the idea of returning home anytime soon.
Mr Fasadeju’s fear is a reflection of the reason why many Nigerians are fleeing and taking the next available exit route to Europe, Canada, Australia, Germany, United States to seek asylum.
Nigeria got its independence on October 1st 1960 but has not been able to answer critical questions around how it will ensure equitable distribution of wealth, a country which remains Africa’s largest producer of crude oil.
Corruption in Nigeria’s oil sector and theft has made revenue from the sector end up in the hands of a few privileged Nigerians, leaving the chunk of the population impoverished.
Many Nigerians still live below poverty line which translates into living on less than one dollar a day. A country where Governors of states which ought to be financially independent under a federal structure of government, still go cap in hand to the nation’s capital Abuja to seek allocation for the development and recurrent expenditures of their respective states tells more of what the Nigeria state has transcended into.
Politicians have weaponized religion and ethnicity as a means to divide the country, hence creating room for ethnic cleansing and religious bigots which invariably has ensured the crippling of the nation’s security architecture.
Nigerians now wake up to the fear of marauding kidnappers and bandits who have continued to kill and demand ransom. Many schools in the Northern part of the country as a result of the recurring decimal of kidnap activities have remained under lock and key.
FROM A JOURNALISTIC PERSPECTIVE
Last year a journalist had shared his experience of how he was attacked by suspected herders on line of duty in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Olutayo Famous-Cole had explained how he escaped been killed after he was severely beaten by the herders. Today, he is an advocate for the protection of the rights of journalists especially those covering troubled areas.
He told media client that journalists needs to trained and re-trained on skills of how to report hostile environment.
His concerns is not far from what the body of journalists under the Nigeria Union of journalists are also requesting from media proprietors and regulatory agencies.
NIGERIANS NOW LIVE IN FEAR
The urge to take a trip down south or North, even East has become less popular among Nigerians, who continue to express palpable fear in the wake of prevailing security challenges.
Kaduna-Abuja expressway has now become a hide-out for unscrupulous elements who have not equally spared top government functionaries in their illicit quest for questionable means of livelihood.
The question that is mind blogging is whether the nation’s security architecture is over-whelmed and need external reinforcement? Or that the country is bereft of ideas of how to tackle insurgency and spiraling cases of crimes?
These are questions that need a deep reflection as we head to celebrate another anniversary as a nation. God Bless Nigeria.
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