By Henry Ewunonu
Beginning innocuously, the week began like others, surreal, but a certain atmosphere of uncertainty hung around. People were apprehensive but unsure of what will go wrong.
Tuesday evening punctured the inflated hot balloon of disaster and shame, bursting to discharge its contents of the untold epiphany of woes that were to characterise week 27. The convoy of Pres. Muhammadu Buhari’s advance party to Daura was attacked by gunmen who again outnumbered and outclassed our gallant troupes due to the sophistry of the firing death machines, perhaps not better training or experience. Two senior security agents were killed and a few others sustained grievous injuries.
Same night of Tuesday shattered the peace of Nigeria as gunmen said to be numbering over 200 bombed and shot their way into the Kuje Medium security Correctional Centre located about 44.5KM or 46 minutes drive from the Aso Villa seat of Nigeria’s government.
The assailants released over 1000 inmates among whom are about 150 terrorists held on charges linked to several heinous crimes against humanity, some already condemned to death but still being fed by the marasmic public treasury due to the existence of lily-livered men in power who lack the will to implement the letters of the law and fulfill the mandates of their Oath of office.
Residents of the immediate vicinity were said to have said their last prayers as the frightful rain of bullets and soul-melting sounds of dynamites shattered the peace of a town forgotten by development.
Many Nigerian leaders have paid the traditional sympathy visits where revelations that ought to have sent more than seven senior officers of state back to their villagers were made.
No one has been advised to resign or asked to go on compulsory leave to pave way for investigations as we read.
Whereas the escaped detainees are on the prowl perfecting their escape from the law and others plotting to deal with whoever contributed to their arrest, prosecution, and conviction, the nation anxiously awaits where next, what next, and how next in the unfolding series of weekly disturbing occurrences in the polity.
The Conservative people of Great Britain were ruffled on Thursday when the BOJO man Boris Johnson who clearly hired on nothing as he witnessed as the carpet was being pulled off his feet finally succumbed to pressure and resigned as the Leader of the Conservative party while retaining his position as the Prime Minister.
Mr. Johnson’s sins are many. It centres around Executive recklessness and utter disregard for public opinion and damming of the consequences of his misdeeds. He broke the very Regulations he signed into place. He surrounded himself with friends that neither respected the hallowed offices of state nor appeared to realise the gravity of disappointing one’s benevolent spirits.
Johnson was an accident that was predicted and happened. Political sophistry has proved again to disappoint even as intelligence alone isn’t all that matters in governance.
Friday was next. Its dawn ushered in the pathetic news of a lone assassin who on suspicion of remote involvement of Mr. Shinzo Abe the immediate Prime Minister of Japan in a religious group which was suspected to have misled his mother into misappropriating the family funds which adversely affected him, took time to make his own double-barreled high caliber gun and shot out the life of a man attested by the world to have done his best to serve Japan as a leader.
News has it that there was intelligence on an impending attack on Mr. Abe as he campaigned in Nara South Japan; policemen were attached to him for protection, yet a former martial arts self defence personnel shot Mr. Abe point-blank in the glare of everyone. Despite the Abenomics that kept Japan afloat, especially during the recession at the turn of the millennium, a man harboured so much grudges against Abe and served him cold justice- a phenomenon that will confound scholars for a long time to come.
Saturday capped it. The Sri Lankans took up the responsibility to take back power from the pretenders who slept as power, fuel, medicines, and food became very rare or scarce commodities.
They despite the thick deterring layers of security barriers, matched their way into Mr. Rajapaska the Prime Minister’s official residence.
The mob after cooling off at the palace’s swimming pool and cozy air-conditioned living rooms and perhaps, helping themselves with the sumptuous delicacies inside Mrs. Rajapaska’s kitchen, set the villa on fire.
What a week indeed!
Time and space will not allow me to dissect the events in detail, especially with the view to deriving lessons that can help humanity.
However, scratches at them will reveal a heightened conspiracy involving state and non-state actors especially those considered rag-tag organisations and high offices of state.
It reveals further how the state apparatus could be made dysfunctional in order to achieve a determined end. Abuja streets at night for a few weeks now have been without the usual presence of armed security men at designated checkpoints.
Some insist that the Army checkpoint close to Kuje Prison was dismantled a few days before the attack. Many believe these are parts of the plot to exchange some for some.
Would someone like Boris Johnson happen again to the UK? Did karma visit him to serve him its justice on its usual cold plate? Would the UK go forward with Brexit or back off?
Japan may not remain the same after Mr. Abe’s assassination. The Japanese police have been indicted as many believe that the lone wolf 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami may not have acted alone. Japan has once more “consoled” many in Nigeria who are afraid that our country would soon have another alias of “headquarters of failed intelligence” in addition to being the Poverty and open defecation capital of the world.
Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka must have been taught a lesson by the ordinary man on the street including Buddist monks in their red robes. The combination of spiritual power, raw physical energies of the young whose future the politicians toyed with, fired up the anger of committed patriots who couldn’t stand aside to watch as their country crumbled due to the crass ineptitude and cluelessness of the ruling class, and God whose spirit departed from the leaders have opened another page in the annals of that Latin American nation. Rajapaksa’s exit could sink or rescue Sri Lanka.
Where are we in Nigeria?
Week 27 of 2022; what a week in the history of the world. Would another week resemble it?
Henry Ewunonu
Abuja; July 2022.
