First Lady’s and the President’s visits: footprints of horror?

By Bolaji O. Akinyemi

The visit of the first lady and that of Mr. President to any community are usually blessings directly or in disguise. Maryam Babagida was the initiator of the Office of the first lady in our Clime, her project was Better Life for Women, which was an absolute success. It was indeed an era of better life for Nigerian Women, so much so that Nigerian Men went green in envy of her pet project. Support for the project was across the board, one among many was the music maestro, Ebenezer Obey’s support for the project, of which he sang, “I support better life, for my mama na woman, I support better life for my wife na woman, I support better life for my daughter na woman.

During the dark Christmas on the Plateau, many Nigerians expressed surprise that the State Governor Mr Caleb Mutfwang, could leave his state as the Chief Security Officer on visit to Mr President at his home state of Lagos, not to brief the President on the security situation in his home state but to share the joy of Christmas with a Muslim President while his Christian Brethren were going through what appears as the darkest moments of their lives. As against the best global practice of leaders going on visit to areas under their security oversight which are going through such carnage as experienced on the Plateau to calm nerves, assure the dismayed, encourage the faint hearted and motivate the security personnel. The President for whatever reason, which may not be unconnected with intelligence reports sat back up till now while the spilling of blood continues.

Before Christmas, the first Lady, a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God and wife of our Muslim President had visited the Plateau in what seems like a thank you visit for the election of her husband. Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The first Lady expressed her concern for displaced members of plateau communities who are victims of terror attacks being media-packaged as communal crisis. She made a donation of 500 million Naira relief funds under her pet project, Renewed Hope Initiative RHI, to Bassa, Riyon, Barkin-Ladi, Mangu and Jos South Local Government Areas.

Success or failure of Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President and his wife as pastor and the first Lady seems to be at the mercy of our intelligence Communities. If common sense is querying the connection between the communities that came under attack by the terrorists after her September visit in December and the intelligence community are not digging for information that may link September to December and inform the Commander in Chief how best to deal with what seems to fill his hands, then there is a compromise. Could September be the kindling of the ember that became the inferno that will consume the joy of Christmas on the hills of Plateau? What was the perception of the other camp to the donation of the first lady, made in her love as a concerned mother in view of the plights of children, some who are separated from their parents and others displaced from their homes?

Packages were distributed to beneficiaries from affected Local Government Areas of Bassa, Riyon, Barkin-Ladi, Mangu and Jos South, who were victims of the communal conflicts and other insecurity challenges.

In the words of the first lady, “the financial support of a sum of 500 million Naira by RHI is a modest step towards helping these families rebuild their lives, providing them with the means to secure shelter”.

Are there forces on the Plateau frustrating the help our First Lady intended will help families build back their lives?

Who are those who don’t want the First Lady’s desire to see the displaced sheltered?

What was the timing of her visit and giving; to wit the threat to the life of the First Lady by Idris Tenshi the Islamic cleric who called the First Lady an INFIDEL deserving of nothing but death as instructed by Allah according to Idris. Though Tenshi had tendered an apology, I would like to know from him if Allah has changed his mind on the instructions. The intelligence and security agencies of this government are daily setting on fire whatever little credibility that is left for it, if any, under the APC Buhari’s administration by clamping down on journalists and others expressing their opinion.
Idris Tenshi is walking free, while Daniel Ojukwu of the Foundation of Investigative Journalism, FIJ is languishing in detention.

Insecurity didn’t start with Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Presidency, and it won’t be a sin if it can end under him as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and the President Federal Republic of Nigeria.

If the visit of the first lady was compromised by a sincere gift made in love for victims of many years of rampage on the hills of the Plateau, how bad is the conspiracy to which the visit of Mr President may be subjected to?

In Kaduna State which shares boarders with Niger State, came the unbelievable news yet true, of 287 Nigerian children who were pupils and students of Local Education Authority Primary and Secondary School Kuriga, Kuriga Kaduna State, North West Nigeria on the 7th of March 2024. By the 9th of March a crowd of parents, guardians and sympathizers have built up at the school in hope of news from the Renewed Hope Ambassador. The President and his handlers however failed to be sympathetic to the people whose mandate they were holding in trust as they didn’t deem it fit to address the alert of global emergency that the security situation constituted, but while the world was waiting for news from our Presidency regarding the fate of our abducted children, our President was packaged by his handlers for a visit to Niger State where an Airport was renamed after him.

All Nigerians in hope of defending freedom of speech must henceforth anticipate arrest, not by the Police but the Military. May I appeal to Nigerians ahead of my “emilokan” my turn of arrest by this government which may go round all lovers of freedom. In its determination to deprive the minority of their rights and privileges of having their say in a democracy; my plea is simple, Nigerians should ensure that I am allowed access to my lawyer, doctor and that I am fed according to my nutritionist instructions. The arrest of Segun Olatunji the General Editor of an online publication and the Gestapo manner in which it was done by the MILITARY is a reflection of the metric of our Presidency. Given the man at the centre of Olatunji’s journalistic work. Though neither BAT nor Gbaja are in dark goggles the fact is, Abacha days are back with us!

Like the First Lady’s visit to Jos, the President’s visit to Niger has become a footprint of horror. A legacy of increased terror. The visit of a Commander in Chief to his troops at the war front is usually a motivation that should turn things around and give victory. However, the turncoat situation in Niger communities is nothing exciting!

I will allude to the circulating report on the social media as propaganda being sponsored by the enemies of our secularity and sovereignty as a state. Such minds as Idris Tenshi and the interest they represent. Trending is the news that thousands are fleeing Niger Communities as Army withdrew men, true or false the Army needs to make a clarification on this. Before now, Boko Haram Islamic terrorists have taken over critical local government areas and villages of interest to their agenda in Niger State. The reason for the Army withdrawing its men if true have not been clarified. If the presence of troops in those communities have offered no hope but rather has left them at the mercy of the terrorists, then it is expected that palpable fear should grip the locals, consequently, thousands of villagers are rumoured to have fled their communities in Shiroro local government area of Niger state after men of the Nigerian Army deployed to fight terrorists was said to have hoisted a white flag, for peace or surrender; whatever that means in military communication experts should interpret to us. It was rumoured that the Islamic terrorists superior firepower overwhelmed the Nigerian army troops.

News of increased hostility by Boko-Haram Islamic terrorists and Jihadists resulting in killings of soldiers, officers and civilians in Roro, Karaga and Rumace villagers in Allawa is disheartening!

The alleged tactical retreat as a result of renewed attacks must have left many defenceless civilians with no other option than thronging after the military whom they had relied on their for security.

Would the President fold his arms till the fear of the first lady and the President not visiting us become the beginning of wisdom at avoiding terror attacks trailing their visits?

Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also President Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table. BoT Chairman, Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC Naija. He is a strategic Communicator and the C.E.O, Masterbuilder Communications.

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