I am directed to write you this letter and communicate to you our resolution as regard the security of our lives and property, this being our rights as patriotic citizens of this great rich country.
I write on behalf of all the market men and women of this prosperous nation with lots of goods and services and versed in rich resourceful land. This letter is a voice of the Nigerian farmers who have been deprived of their rights in tilling their land in search of food to keep body and soul, due to insecurity in virtually all corners of our nation.
This is also part of the voices of our mechanics, bricklayers, Okada riders and the large population of beggars and other oppressed and marginalized Nigerians across the country, who have lost their lives one way or the other in senseless rioting, bombings and ethno-religious crisis that seem to have overpowered you all, despite all the billions expanded on you annually.
I am directed to let you know that the market women association in collaboration with farmers in the country has vowed to deprive you of food and other chop-chop you might need to sustain your frames in the course of your purported securing of lives and property, unless you all sit up boldly to your responsibilities and shame these various alarming threats to our nation. Again it is important that you know that some of your wives, sisters, girlfriends, concubines, brothers and sisters, including those of you with husbands and boyfriends, have actually become a laughing stock to them as they are yet to understand why despite all the resources at your disposals, the skirmishes in Jos and Maiduguri are still exposing your weakness, while a bunch of miscreants are daily sending some of you cheaply to their early graves. And for your information most of them have promised to all dress in black and join the women in Plateau in their protest against the killings and insecurity in their state. They are baffled that you have participated successful in ending hot crisis and wars in other countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone, Congo, Bosnia, Yugoslavia and other troubled spots across the globe, but could not conquer the ones at your backyards.
In fact, the Okada riders are still amazed on how you could allow killers on motorcycles to continue to impersonate them on Okadas and unleash terror and operate freely in Maiduguri, while most of their genuine members across the country are daily harassed on the roads for twenty naira and some of them innocently killed by some trigger happy uniformed men, for refusing to comply with this egunje pendemic.
The bricklayers on their own have promised to ensure that no member of their association henceforth participates in erecting any gigantic mansions owned by our expensive politicians and some of your top ogas across the country, where most of you spent your time protecting their siphoned wealth and their over -pampered families, while the majority of those who are part of the real tax payers are left to either defend themselves or succumb to cheap death in the hands of robbers, assassins, rioters and ritualists.
Some of the questions the majority of the people are asking are: are you people sure and confident that you can actually defend the territory of this great nation when God forbid, some adventurous invaders decide to take over some of our states, including the people?
They want to know why they should trust your words and have full confidence in you, when close to ten years now, you are yet to find solution to the barbaric killings on the Plateau, the senseless ones in Bauchi and the mystified ones going on in Maiduguri?
They want to know why they should continue to contribute to your salaries and up- keeping when the Niger-Delta is still restive, and kidnappers are still roaming about zealously across some of the states in the east, south- south and some part of the north?
I think it is also pertinent that you should know that some of the complainers have even proposed disbanding some of the security agencies in the country and replace them with old soldiers, yanbanga, hunters and the various vigilante groups scattered across the land, whom they felt might be more efficient if properly trained and all those billions budgeted on you, channeled to them. In fact, some of them suggested that the country should engage the services of Babalawos, Mallams, Afas , Bokas and the large number of juju men and women available, yanfu-yanfu, to protect their lives and property, instead of relying disappointingly on you.
They want to know if truly you can protect our territory from invading al-Qaeda, modern day Vikings and invincible military raid. I am directed to ask you on how safe are our waters, our airports, our borders, our expensive over pampered federal capital city and the other less secured cities across the country, if the unexpected decide to pay us a visit?
They want to know if their children are safe at schools, on the roads and around their neighborhoods, from kidnappers, Gbomo-gbomo and ritualists.
Some of the teachers too are feeling the pinch of this insecurity palaver and may decide not to come to school again unless you agree to provide those escorts with loud siren as done to some politicians and your ogas, who ironically happen to be their forma pupils, but have long abandoned them to their fates.
The tailors are not left out in this, as they have also threatened to stop sewing your infiltrated uniforms and allow you to revert to wearing knickers or wrapping leaves or bante around your waists, since you cannot even protect your uniforms from being used by imposters to unleash terror on helpless citizens over the years. They are ashamed that these uniforms sewed with pride and dignity are now like gwanjo in our markets for every armed robber, Boko Haram, kidnappers and even any agbero to easily obtain.
Lest I forget, some of your families are also worried about going out to shop in our markets or sending their children freely to school, since we all passed through the same roads, and buy garri, rice, beans, yam, kpomo, dawadawa, tomatoes, pepe and all the eatable from the same market, irrespective of who you are in the society.
This could sound like amebo, but the truth is some civil society groups are not too happy with the way you have allowed some politicians to use you and indoctrinate your hitherto neutral minds with ethno-religious sentiment in carrying out your national duty, and might decide to organize the whole grandmothers and the entire old men in this country against you. And this you should know is a big wahala, because the curse of these old citizens is like thunder and it strikes with force from generation to generation.
Finally, I am directed by all sincere registered Nigerians in the forth coming elections to ask you boldly and loudly if really we are all safe during the elections and what modalities do you have on the ground to stop ballot snatching ,election rigging and assassination, including all the other wuru-wuru and magu-magu that normally characterize elections across the country?
Please take this as a formal complain, while we await a more proactive and efficient change from you.
This is our submission, in the hope that you will all discuss these issues among yourselves and as a matter of urgency sit up to your responsibilities and reclaim your rightful position as one of the best security forces not only in Africa but the world in general, made up of capable and patriotic security men and women ready to defend every Nigerian irrespective of class, religion, tribe or gender.
Your Compatriot,
Dangari
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