So the lavish Centenary celebrations are over, but still very little from our government about our massacred children. Someone asked me what I would do as regards the massacred Yobe students if I were the president. Whether the person asked the question to mock me or not, here are a few of my thoughts:
1) I would meet the families of the children and tell them their nation mourns with them. A President represents the country as mourner-in-chief in times of national tragedy.
2) I would organise a press conference where I address the Nigerian people, and tell them that while evil has struck us, and this tragedy has devastated is, we remain united and resolute as a nation, and our armed forces will catch the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
3) I would announce a 3 day mourning period with flags flown at half-mast.
4) I would announce a plan to secure all boarding schools in the affected areas with a Military presence, so parents can be reassured their children are safe.
5) I would set up a scholarship fund called something like the ‘Yobe 59’ in memory of the massacred angels to support bright children going to Federal Government Unity schools all through to University – a deliberate slap in the face of Boko Haram who are against Western education.
6) And I would announce a task-force, made up of Northern traditional leaders, religious leaders, academic leaders, intellectuals, community and social leaders, youth leaders – to immediately sit down with military representatives to work upon a plan where the Boko Haram insurgents will be condemned with one voice by the task force, with plans put in place to protect people who give intelligence report about the insurgents. I will further announce that if Northern leaders refuse to come to the table to work together with the government, then the blood of the innocent is upon their heads.
And those are just a few of my thoughts right there. The nation needs to know the President cares about our children. We need Boko Haram to hear that Nigeria will not be cowed. We need to know our President is leading us in the war against terrorism. Above all, we need to unite the entire nation – North and South.
What are your thoughts and suggestions? Please let us keep the discussion clean, healthy and polite.
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