Subject: Part 2 - UN Abuja Blast: Should Goodluck Jonathan and Ringim Resign?
A bomb rocked the UN building in Abuja on Friday, killing a number of people, leaving others trapped and causing heavy damage, officials and witnesses said. Is President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Competent to confront Nigeria's Boko Haram Terrorism? Nigerians continue with their assessment in this part 2. Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the suicide bomb blast that rocked the UN compound in the Nigerian capital Abuja
on Friday, killing at least 18 people, leaving others trapped and blowing out large areas of the building.
See also
Boko Haram: The silver lining
The problem with Nigeria is Nigerians. And the main problem with Nigerians is Government. The biggest problem confronting Naija Government is itself. The worst problem anyone could ever encounter in life is to delude himself that he is functioning as efficiently as one in his age or health would function. Nigeria does not have a "functioning" Government in the civilized sense of the word "functioning". Nigeria's Govt thinks it is a real Government. The Nigerian people think they have a Government. But is there a real Government in Abuja? - Afis Odidere Nigeria has a dysfunctional system of government under the guise of democracy or is it demonstration of craziness (democrazy)? Nigerians are not free yet. Far from it. The sooner we understand our national Agenda is driven only by imperialist interests, which set the rules and condone the malaises in our society so the West may benefit, the better for us. My hope for a New Nigeria still resides mostly on the shoulders of the Nigerians practicing and surviving abroad. I am still to truly find a single Nigerian at home who thinks much about our country in terms of reform and transformation. Generally, Nigerians act like brainwashed idiots or zombies who are driven in any which directions the imperialist masters dictate.
It wasn't too long ago, an agent of the World Bank led us to believe parting with $18 Billion, which would have otherwise serve some of our infrastrucural need, would free us from our questionable debts. We're still neck deep in debt and worse for it today. To me, the move was imperialist at best. We lost our thinking caps when folks were driven out of the country in search of the golden fleece and greener pastures.
Brainwashed!
Guys, we need a new Agenda for Nigeria. We need visionary and charismatic leadership that would deliver us from the grip of imperialism and the freedom we deserve. It is no gainsaying that our people are not represented in this democrazy. I am beginning to feel that in order for the masses to receive adequate representation, we may need to revise our system of government. It might be imperative to eliminate the office of the presidency and wipe out the small ruling cycle that is uninterested in the people but is only concerned with profits or self aggrandizement, if need be.
This is the type of debate and discussion we should engage our energies. As it currently is, we, the people of Nigeria and origins living abroad should begin to muster to build our own political party with strong ideas to free our nation and the people.
Nigeria is a big joke. The country needs us to develop the will and the ways to rescue it. For a moment, think of the quality of our leadership in comparison with the human potential with which the country is endowed. It makes one want to cry.
We can work it out. However, we have to first realize our oppressive slave mentality and map out the road to obtain the psychological, social and economic emancipation of the lot before the true Nigerian stars begin to shine.
Like Afis, I see a vision too. I see a vision of a Nigerian empire that rules the world in some 50 years from now. In my vision, the central players are the Nigerian youths living abroad and bold enough to descend on the corrupt clueless, self-centered and corrupt ruling class. I see a great Nigeria!
Your country needs you! God save Nigeria!! - Hon. Rotimi Osunsan
The most annoying thing about this bombing is that whenever it happens, there is this feeling of HELPLESSNESS- this feeling that there is no one in control, and that it will happen again and again, and there is nothing anyone can do about it...too bad!!! - Daniel Elombah
You hit the nail on the head. Your comment hit the bulls-eye. In a country where someone is in charge, the security chiefs would be looking for another job tomorrow. as you rightly said, there is no one in charge, and Nigeria is drifting into Iraq after the removal of Saddam and the debathification of Iraq. There is no one in charge of Nigeria. Nigerians are just paying some people to continue to fleece them. - Idowu
There is a terrorist attack in Nigeria, therefore, nobody is in charge in Nigeria! By that line of reasoning, nobody was in charge in the United States when Al Qaida struck on 9/11. Common folks, these kinds of attacks are always possible. All a government can do is to continue to learn positive lessons from history, in order to update the security apparatus of the state to meet current and emergent threats. - Fubara David-West
Some out folks carry their anti-government rhetorics to the highest stratospheres. You can bet that if instead of the USA, Hurricane Irene were bearing down on Nigeria--some folks would be claiming that the Hurricane has chosen to visit Nigeria because no one is in charge, while prosperity preachers might be claming it is God's sign that humanity has sinned or that the end of the world is just round the corner chronologically. - Ola Kassim
Fubara and Ola: You always miss the point because of your narrow mindedness. Since October 2010 under Jonathan and the same actors as security advisers, we've had more than 4 terrorist attack in Abuja with no action from the government and no one losing his job for incompetent or lack action. If such happened in America that you guys referred to, many heads will roll, but in Nigeria, the president is asking for increase in the salary of the NSA director. Furthermore, not a single person has been arrested or prosecuted regarding all these bombings except rhetoric and circle the wagons by crumb eating elites like you guys. The president, if he is in charge should show Nigerians that he is in charge by taking executive actions that could show us all that he hear us. - Idowu
ID: How long did it take for the USA acting in concert with NATO and other countries to track down and kill Osama Bin Laden? How many attemppts were made to bring down the World Trade Centre before 9/11?
And Nigeria is just another developing country--not even a middle power! The government could decide to deal with the Boko Haram menace--
using the 'shoot at anything that moves; burn down every habitable building" as OBJ did at Odi--but this approach will be met with loud protests not only from within Nigeria but throughout the world. Sadly, this approach is also not guaranteed to work even after the huge loss of lives and destruction of properties. Please give the Nigerian authorities a break! - Ola Kassim
Ola: You are missing the point. You will agree with me, that there is a failure link in the Jonathan administration. A couple of days ago the US government gave a scathing review of our security apparatus in Nigeria and concluded that Nigeria do not have the capacity to fight terrorism
"The United States has stated that the Nigerian security apparatus lack the capacity to fight terrorism within the nation's borders.
The position of the US government is contained in a document titled 'Country Reports on Terrorism 2010', an annual Congressionally mandated report that provides an assessment of trends and events in global terrorism from January 1 to December 31, 2010." http://www.leadership.ng/nga/articles/4073/2011/08/21/nigeria_can%E2%80%99t_fight_terrorism_%E2%80%93_us.html
Ola, this is what I am saying, the president is the chief security officer, many Nigerians are dying every month because of terrorist attack, and the president still keep the same team to be advising him. My brother this is insanity to say least. - Idowu
On this one, most Nigerians will agree with I'D. We don't think the government is doing nearly enough to address the issue of insecurity as exposed by recent bombings. Given the nature and magnitude of the attacks, the buck does stop with our president!!!. The man must really up his game on what is likely to destroy our country gravely - at least he should communicate his plans to address this issues and stay engaged with fellow Nigerians on this matter. - O Olawuyi
The problem of Jonathan is that he surrounds himself with people like my respectable very good friend Ola. They will never tell him the truth, but give him pat in the back when it is obvious to a blind and dead brain person, that he is losing it. The president needs to shake up his security chiefs and let the incoming one knows that you failed you go. - Idowu
The cockroach can never be innocent in the presence of the fowls who must eat him for dinner! Jonathan is damned if he does, damned if he doesn't!
Seriously, if terrorists are DETERMINED to commit murder, just how much effort do they need to invest before they succeed? There are thousands of schools, and terrorists can strike in any one of those!! There are thousands of churches and mosques, and terrorists can strike in any one of them. There are thousands of parks, markets, and other public places, and they can strike in any one of those! There are thousands of Government offices, and those too can be targets!
So if some people are determined to commit, how exactly are you going to stop them? In just how many places will you place security men and infrastructure, and at what cost? Even if you stop 99% of the potential attacks, all they have to do is get lucky ONCE, and you will have an event like this!
Terrorism is gorilla warfare. The economics of success and failure overwhelmingly favor the terrorists, and this would be true even if Nigeria were a First World nation -which it obviously is not. If the Government spends 1 Billion to stop 99% of terrorist attacks, the terrorist needs only spend 10K to have 1% success. I am sure the Government could do better, but if murderers are determined to slaughter innocent citizens, it is impossible to stop them completely. As long as there are people who are determined to vandalize oil pipe lines, 100% prevention is impossible, whether the man in-charge is Jonathan, or UMYA, or OBJ. Similarly, as long as there are people who are determined to murder, 100% prevention is impossible, whether Jesus Christ is in-charge, or Jonathan is in-charge.
These guys who died today have wives, children, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters. Those who murdered them have probably never ever met any of those they murdered. What we have here is a wicked cold-blooded murder, pure and simple. What we have is an deliberate attempt for undermine the Federal Government. Quite simply, political fanatics are going so far as to kill their fellow citizens in order to prove that the Government is incompetent.
Nobody should cheer this, and if anybody its cool to cheer, may God himself make them an innocent victim in a future terrorist attack. The responsible thing to do is to unequivocally condemn the murderers who are killing their fellow citizens for no reason at all.
May the souls of the dead rest in peace. - Dominic Ogbonna
But these guys are not hitting soft targets in Abuja. The Police Headquarters and the UN building are definitely not soft targets. - Mustafa
Hymmmnmmnn, Nigeria. I thought somebody once advised on this forum that we should be praying..... and I'm wondering if we have ceased praying as a religious country or the prayers are not being answered (again!). A former President also once advised the incumbent on what to do with BH, I wonder why the advise wasn't heeded to.
And while I commiserate with the families of the deceased and empathise with the Nigerian nation, I also APPEAL to our leaders to make tangible efforts at protecting the citizenry and stop using U.S as an example for justifying their apparent security lapses and failure. Since Sept 11, we've witnessed tangible and measurable efforts by the U.S government but the reverse is the case in Nigeria. It's been getting worse. From Niger Delta, to Maiduguri, to Jos and now Abuja (the seat of power) and not just ordinary places in Abuja but important and security-sensitive places. I hope the C-in-C is alive to his RESPONSIBILITIES. - Taiwo Olu
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