OPINION: Will The Chibok Girls Ever Be Rescued?

It has been close to 2 months since the abduction of the over 200 Girls in a town called Chibok, Borno state.

The fact still remains that we don’t know the conditions of the girls in the hand of the Boko Haram. It has been one speculation after another. We have just Videos from Boko Haram to bank on. When the news came in that, the Nigeria Government had struck a deal with a coalition of Nations that includes the United State of America, to help in the rescue of these innocent and helpless school girls, it was celebration galore. But, its being weeks since that news and no concrete reports as regards the Chibok Girls.

Can somebody tell us what’s going on. Are our Girls still alive? Hope they are not been used as sex slaves? Will they ever remain the same, psychologically? Will our girls ever be rescued? We recently learnt Boko Haram ran out of food supply, so how are our girls feeding?

The Defense Chief, Alex Bade said they knew the location of the Girls, so, are we suppose to clap for the military. Don’t we need more than the location of the Girls? When the United State Special forces laid ambush on Osama Bin Laden in Abbotabad Pakistan, was there any announcement to the world? A military officer of Bade’s caliber should know that sharing Military Intelligence with the public don’t always help. Agreed, the public should be briefed on happenings, but definitely not such sensitive information. Does the Military realize that the Terrorists also follow the news as well? What happen to covert operation? When such statement emanate from the Military, it only give room for the Sects to re strategize and counter the Military. It is as clear as a crystal ball!

I have come to realize that one of the things serving as stumbling block to the Nigeria Military is that they are playing to the gallery with their level of indecision. All over the world, the Military is synonymous with being proactive. They get there before any unscrupulous acts are committed. Even when they are beaten to it, they respond swiftly. So, why is our Military lackadaisical in their approaches? Oh, spare me the old long sayings that our military are the best on the Continent, they excelled at the Congo, Sierre Leone, Liberia during peace-keeping and the rest. Didn’t they say charity begins at home? Why are they not replicating these in the country? Let's give to the foot Soldiers, they have been immense and massive. Can we say so of the Commanders and Generals?

Listening to some serving Soldiers, you would weep for this country. The problems stretches from politicization of the force, wages and salaries not getting to the lower level officers, ethno-religious rivalry nay sentiments and so on. Or how do you explain the recent mutinies? With all these knowledge, how come nobody has been brought to book? Why is our Military so crisis ridden? Are our innocent school girls not more in danger with the helplessness of our Military? I can only ask, will our girls ever be rescued? It is SAD!



- by Clement Ogbemudia