Last Friday’s abduction of Onyesom Peace Udoka), one of the newly called female lawyers and her sister, along the Okene axis in Kogi State again brings the failure of our government in its duty to secure citizens, especially women and children to the fore.
I read about this young lady Friday night and wrote a draft but wondered what good would it do. We seem to have resigned ourselves to our fate.
I was at the call to bar celebrations for a friend’s daughter on Tuesday and I saw this news about this new wig and thought to myself, “at this rate, we are all going to have to defend our communities ourselves as it appears our government is not ready to go all out to secure citizens.”
My organisation does not have funding for any such campaign but I realise that if I am waiting for funding to open my mouth to shout about women and children being kidnapped, then maybe I should not shout too much if the kidnappers come for me or mine.
Are we not tired of paying ransom and contributing for ransom and burying loved ones and weeping while this govt continues to dance on the graves of those we have lost and play political games? How can they be talking about 2027 when Chibok girls are still missing? When we are losing territory and our state governments are bowing to and begging terrorists? Have we as women lost our voice? Have we given up? Is this how we are all going to just be dying off one by one, afraid to travel to our local communities?
When? When will the citizens stand for themselves? We deserve better.
In fact, the more I think about this, the more perplexed I get. WHY ARE WE PAYING TAXES? WHY IS FG EVEN TALKING ABOUT TAX INCREASES WHEN THEY HAVE NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO ADEQUATELY SECURE THE PEOPLE, PROVIDE PIPE BORNE WATER, REDUCE MATERNAL & INFANT MORTALITY AND GIVE US GOOD DURABLE ROADS? IT IS PLAIN MADNESS. AAAAAARGH
Jonathan-Ichaver is Co-Founder & Strategy and Fundraising Adviser at Sesor Empowerment Foundation
