Arise, O compatriots,
Nigeria’s call obey
To serve our Fatherland
With love and strength and faith.
The labour of our heroes past
Shall never be in vain,
To serve with heart and might
One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity.
National Anthem
A compatriot is defined as a fellow from the same country; a fellow country man or woman (to repeat the common expression!). With as many as 176 million fellows, Nigeria is certainly not short of compatriots. Nigeria’s 17 million huge Diaspora population ranks one of the highest in the world in a peace time! With such number of compatriots all over the world, Nigerians are scattered enough all over the world to rise in support of their country any where with any means. Alas, contrary to the calling of our national anthem, 176 million compatriots, (home and abroad) seem indifferent while few hundreds of insurgents rampage the land, killing and turning some millions into Internally Displaced Persons! With as many as 36 governors, 109 senators and 365 members of the Federal House of Representatives, Nigeria is not short of political compatriots. Yet with these hundreds of political compatriots, we are yet to get a political solution to the interactable challenge of insurgency, almost five years after. Recently Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, reportedly redeployed the Police personnel attached to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress. The groundswell of national solidarity by thousands of compatriots that trailed the IG’s ill advised order shows that compatriots can truly arise to defend another compatriot under siege. Since the security details of Aminu Tambuwal were withdrawn, it’s being reported that not few paid soldiers had since fled and abandoned thousands of compatriots in Mubi, Hong and Chibok .among others. Whence the compatriots rising to defend these defenseless compatriots of the North east? Of course an injury to one ( read; Speaker Aminu Tambuwa) is an injury to all.
Definitely multiple injuries to as many as a million internally displaced persons (IDPs) of the North East must be multiple injuries to us all. Patriots are defined as those with notable love for his country. With as many as 400 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), Nigeria is not short of patriots. With as many as 8 million organized workforce in the NLC and TUC, Nigeria parades patriotic workforce. It’s time these compatriots and patriots alike heed Nigeria’s call for solidarity and support against the invasion of our territories and cherished values of peaceful coexistence and tolerance. Many thanks to the few patriots who are still standing, namely, former Military Governor of Kaduna state,Colonel Abubakar Umar and Professor Wole Soyinka and elder statesman, Emeka Anyaoku who have warned all compatriots not to be indifferent to the sad development in the North East.
Few of the ideas of Col Umar must serve as food for thoughts for us all to rise as compatriots; “Nigerians irrespective of our religious and ethnic differences, at home or in diaspora must feel threatened and act accordingly, against this growing threat of BH insurgency. We must be psychologically and emotionally involved in the war against BH. It is a task that we must do while we still can. The BH cancer must be prevented from metastasizing. For an effective war against the insurgents we must resolve to do the following:
Show unity of purpose by stopping all divisive recriminations as to which group of Nigerians is responsible for the emergence and support of BH. It is not true that the Federal Government is behind the BH nor is any anti President Jonathan politician responsible.
We must give unalloyed support to the Federal Government and by extension our security forces in their difficult task of combating the BH insurgents.
More than ever before, Nigerians must be security conscious.
Politicians must desist from using our security challenges to score cheap political goals. They must also show example by refraining from excessive celebrations during their electioneering campaigns.
All national celebrations must be suspended. We should also suspend our participation in international sporting events until our security situation improves.
In an effort to mobilize and focus the nation’s attention on our war effort, the FGN should declare a period of mourning in honour of the victims of insurgency.
Special prayers should be held in churches and mosques for the victims including prayers for the release of the Chibok School girls and other abducted victims.
The need to beef up the strength of our security forces cannot be overemphasized.
To this end, the federal government should recall all armed forces personnel in the reserve. It may also consider reabsorbing all able bodied and willing discharged veterans of international peacekeeping operations. There is the need to order back to barracks all security personnel who are currently deployed on nonessential duties for retraining and redeployment to the war front in the NE….
The general welfare of our troops must be enhanced. The FGN may consider launching a troops’ comfort fund or maintenance fund as was done during the civil war. Minister of Defence and service chiefs must be seen paying regular visits to frontline troops and in hospitals.”
Issa Aremu mni
