Let me start by commending men and women, old and young, able-bodied and physically challenged, Christians and Muslims who stood up for the future of our female children in rain and cold, on streets and highways, day and night collecting signatures and collating results. It is the likes of you that give us hope that indeed there is a possibility of a new Nigeria; a Nigeria free from selfishness, tribalism, hatred, religious differences, corruption, anarchy, and pedophiles!
It is worth recognizing the efforts of ‘finger-triggering’ Nigerians on social media who took the campaign against child bride to every nook and cranny of the world. To the comrades who not only ranted online but went further on the streets of Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Akure, Ilorin, Port hartcourt, Kaduna, Warri, Asaba, Abeokuta, New York, Washington Dc, United Kingdom to demonstrate their displeasure and abhorrence against the will of our infatuated senators. The likes of Omojuwa Japheth, Kennedy Henshaw, Dupe Killa, Ayobami Oyalowo, Tolu Ogunlesi, Ms. Nemah among others who remain determined and focused to ensure a sane society, I say thank you.
To Stella Damascus, Seun Kuti, Oby Ezekwesili, Atiku Abubakar, Ali Baba, Sina Kawonise, Peter Okoye, Pat Utomi, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, Pastor Sam Adeyemi who were bold enough to put away politics, sentiments and religion, but laid down their career and network to speak up for the mutilated children and the future generation, you have earned my respect. It is my hope that when the time comes to take power away from our oppressors you will join the folds.
Who are the Yerimanians? These are men and women in ‘Agbada’ and ‘bubas’, in suits and ties, Kaftan and Guinea brocade who are psychologically traumatized due to excessive exposure to corruption, overdosed with geometric fraud and enslaved by impurity to such an extent that they lust after babies and infants. These men have been discovered to be mentally colonized by ‘Agbako’- a demonic deity known to spread evil and bad luck. The sights of fully grown women disgust them, the sights of matured naturally endowed ladies nauseate them, they take pleasure in diapers and nappy, the mere mention of ‘ba’ arouse them. Evil occupies their heart, their soul possessed by the beast of hell, their mind overshadowed by darkness.
In Nigeria they are 35, thirty five able bodied men who should be fathers to families, husbands to wives, brothers to siblings and uncles to relatives but choose to drag their souls in mud to satisfy a demonic desire. The Yerimanians who keep quiet when important bills are being discussed in the National Assembly also fall asleep when security issues are being raised and close their ears when petroleum prices are being increased but are only present when jumbo pay is being dished out. Some say they will rot in hell, but they are hell, some say they will die in pain but they are pains – pains to the young girls they forcefully put in the family way, to the babies they rape because they paid a few thousands of naira on them, to the children lying lifeless in the morgue through Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF). I am glad we have a supreme being one who will neither take gold nor silver but dish out judgment according to our earthly deeds, I leave them to Him.
Alas, in the midst of the societal outcry and international condemnation, it is disheartening that the Nigerian league of progressives who for the past months have held crusades and town hall meetings on their plan to free us from the shackles of PDP maladministration and make lives better for the common man were nowhere to be found at a time we needed their support. The likes of Lai Mohammed, Rotimi Fashakin who are quick to jump on political issues and castigate the government suddenly went mute in a way that suggest that the usual condemnation against government policies were only a masquerade parade to the gallery channeled only to win cheap political points. This past week has brought to notice that the intention of these breeds of progressives is only geared towards winning election and nothing more, that the wellbeing of the common masses counts for nothing in the eyes of these sudden men of honour and that indeed they are not different from the oppressors running our nation’s socio-political affairs.
Could it be that the ‘Jagaban’ of Bogun and members of the newly merged All Progressive Congress (APC) are afraid of incurring the wrath of some powerful elites in the North? Could it be that a move to rebuke this preposterous act will translate to going against the desire of Senator Yerima who by extension is an APC member? Could it be that Alhaji Yerima was merely doing the bidding of APC and need not be blamed for a job well done? These are salient questions on the lips of Nigerians who have over the years handed powers to rogues and thieves, pretenders and deceivers, liars and murderers who only end up pushing the masses by the way side when they get into power.
How truly would APC save us from the venom of the PDP if it continues to choose politics over our wellbeing? How do we hand over power to them when they suddenly go missing in times of tribulations? How can we trust them to make policies that reflect the yearning of the masses? What do they really represent?
Events are unfolding quickly in Nigeria, the war against pedophiles may have been won but we are far away from being free. The extravagant lifestyle of our legislators must be checked, the wayward lifestyle of our ministers must be stopped, we must take keen interest in how we are being governed and start asking questions. Questions like why are the refineries promised in 2012 by President Jonathan during the subsidy protest still not in place? Why does the salaries of political office holders continue to skyrocket while minimum wage is being renegotiated? Why is the federal government paying lip service to the educational sector? Why must power generation continue to increase on paper and not in homes? Why should our unemployment indexes continue to increase in the face of our economy potentials? These and more we need to start demanding answers to.
Change is moving fast across Africa, now the people have come to realize that truly they are the government but can Nigerians march against these ills? Only time will tell.
Adekoya Boladale a political scientist is the Convener, Advocacy for Better Leadership (ABEL) and an Alumnus of Political Leadership Academy (POLA) wrote via[email protected]. Please follow on twitter @adekoyabee