APAPA BLAST; A WHISTLE FOR THE SOUTH-WEST

“People must help one another; it is nature’s law.”

Jean de La Fontaine (1621 – 1695)

French writer and poet.

Fables, “L’Âne et le Chien”

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It has been half a decade now since the emergence of a nightmare. A nightmare, whose cancerous voice has been gagged for a long time escaped from its restriction and launched on to our national stage. Within just a year of performing, this nightmare has become a super star, with a stage name that now dances on every tongue – BOKO HARAM! That name sends down fear even through the spines of the bravest ones.

 

Since the debut of this insurgence in 2009, a lot of reviews have been written by political analysts. Stories have been splashed all over Facebook. Twitter already got bored by the numerous hashtags containing its brand. Gruesome pictures of its heartless performances deface the face of Instagram. Threads after threads have been created on Africa’s largest electronic forum, Nairaland about the ignoble feats of this dreaded theatrical group. Opinions have been written in their great numbers on blogs and news platforms. If such stories are like drones or some nuclear bombs, they would have obviously killed all those bad elements called terrorists. However, their story is just like that told in the Yoruba proverb, “ariwo ki i n pa alakara” the noise of the customers can never kill the Akara seller. Boko haram’s drums of destruction are becoming louder day by day.

 

This is a terrorist group we all believed to be a headache only in Borno state but which has now spread its cancerous tentacles to many states in the northern region. Boko-Haram, whether it’s a religious tool, a political tool or simply a response from our long-failed socio-economic system, has survived to this present moment because of the selfishness and insensitivities of our leaders. Yet another question is if this act of selfishness and gross insensitivities is a deliberate one on their part. When, it started in Borno state, other states figuratively shut their door and pretend not to have noticed anything bad going on there. Then came bombings and killings in other northern states and the Borno cries were wirelessly transferred to other states. Until the Chibok saga which drew national and international attention, other non-affected states did not seem to be affected by the acts of these terrorists. And after some days of shedding crocodile tears and making a world star out of the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, most players of that hypocritical game have resumed back to their chambers resuming their “Who-cares-so-far-it’s-not me” attitude, even though these poor girls are yet to secure their freedom.

 

It is saddening and heart wrenching to listen to some people, especially those from southwestern Nigeria saying “E je ki won maa pa’ra won lo, ki won sha ti ma d’ebi…” roughly translated as “let them continue to kill one another, as long as they don’t get to our territory”, this and other such statements are the reasons for most of our problems in this country. It is our inability to see any problem from a part of Nigeria as a threat on our nation as a whole. Our insensitivity to problems of other regions and states is what keeps adding fertilizers to the fast-growing tree of insurgence in this country. Ours is like the proverbial case of that fellow whose neighbor has specialized in eating poisonous insects and the fellow in turn has taken the “Who-cares-so-far-it’s-not me” attitude but who later has to have his sleep disrupted as a result of the incessant coughing of his neighbor at night. This is a problem we could have tackled together and nipped in the bud but because of our “Who-cares-so-far-it’s-not me” attitude, it has now upgraded to a national nightmare drawing international attention.

 

 

It was last week while browsing through my facebook feed that I saw the news of the two bomb blast that recently occurred. One was in Abuja, another one … I almost scrolled off since it has become a natural occurrence for bomb blast to rock Abuja and other northern parts of the country but then, something strange caught my eyes, that the last one hit Apapa in Lagos, “What?! That’s not possible”, I said to myself. Until I saw the pictures and I don’t even know when I said, “Now, it’s our turn…” The much prided safe southwest has been attacked and that just makes it complete – A COMPLETE NIGERIAN PROBLEM. Instantly, what came to my mind was a poem titled, “Not My Business” written by Niyi Osundare. Permit me to share the poem with you as I believe that it not only fits into this present situation but we all can derive a great lesson from the poem. If we do not stand up against an injustice happening to one man or one region, it’s just a matter of time before that same injustice will knock on our own doors.

The Poem goes thus:

 

 

They picked Akanni up one morning

Beat him soft like clay

And stuffed him down the belly

Of a waiting jeep.

 

What business of mine is it

So long they don’t take the yam

From my savouring mouth?

 

They came one night

Booted the whole house awake

And dragged Danladi out,

Then off to a lengthy absence.

 

What business of mine is it

So long they don’t take the yam

From my savouring mouth?

 

Chinwe went to work one day

Only to find her job was gone:

No query, no warning, no probe –

Just one neat sack for a stainless record.

 

What business of mine is it

So long they don’t take the yam

From my savouring mouth?

 

And then one evening

As I sat down to eat my yam

A knock on the door froze my hungry hand.

 

The jeep was waiting on my bewildered lawn

Waiting, waiting in its usual silence.


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Though, it was later confirmed that the Apapa blast was as a result of a Tanker explosion and not as a result of bomb blast. It still did not erase the fact that it will be our turn, sooner or later. Like the proverbial chieftaincy title that was conferred on the Iwo man, very soon, it will be the turn of the Ede man. It’s like the case of that character in the poem above, who has taken delight in eating one tuber of yam after another even when his neighbours are facing different kinds of injustice.

 

It is hightime we faced the problem of this insurgence together as a nation, putting aside our regional differences. This is an urgent call for us to answer as one voice so that we won’t wake up one morning to a resounding blast on the 3rd Mainland Bridge or a wonderful blast on the Cocoa House to induct us into the roll.

 

In conclusion, southwestern Nigeria should learn that it is still part of that Lugardian theory called Nigeria, and any problem rocking any part of its unit will either directly or indirectly affect the others. It is important we not only join hands with other regions to fight this menace but it is also very necessary for us to put up strict measures to protect ourselves from the duo communicable diseases of violence and extremism.

Stay tuned till next week when we shall be discussing ways of achieving a secured region.

– OREDOLA IBRAHIM

 

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