OUR SHIP IS SINKING BUT OUR COUNTRYMEN AND WOMEN ARE JUBILANT. Written by KEMKA S. IBEJI

I don't know why it's difficult for everyone to understand or realise that there is definitely a grand plan going on and which the governments, past and present, are clearly part of.

When I say that I dislike former President Goodluck Jonathan, it is not personal. I dislike his lifestyle as a leader. I don't have anything to do with his personal life. My concern is where it affects me as an individual and fellow citizens or humans occupying the space called Nigeria. This is because he was our president who, by law, was holding my will in administration. So I have the right of expressions on and about him especially as it affects me and the society.

When you fail to carry out your responsibility the way it ought to be carried out and you continue in your failures, yet holding fast without resigning, it all makes you clearly irresponsible.

My dislike for GEJ is that he was clearly irresponsible and unworthy. This is a man who by all standards was blessed by God Almighty who bestowed on him the love of the people and the rest of the world. He got into leadership on a platter and it was all blessed with the love of the people. But what did he do?

President Goodluck Jonathan got into power by shear providence having been blessed with people like former President Olusegun Obasanjo around him. Without money, Obasanjo helped him to shut down the powers of money and ensured that his presidential primary election was done without inducement by and from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. What did GEJ do after his victory? He went into full scale corruption enriching himself to be able to sponsor the next election instead of upholding fairness and uprightness through work and service to the people.

What happened to the insecurities?

Was he ignorant of the happenings? What did he do? What did he not do? What was or were his reasons for doing what he did or not doing what he didn't do?

GEJ clearly showed that he didn't love Nigeria. If he didn't know what was happening then he was ignorant. And if he was ignorant, why did he stay back and why was he fighting to remain in office? Why didn't he resign? And if he was aware of the situation, why didn't he take action? Was he afraid? Afraid of what? He couldn't die for Nigeria that gave him everything. Indeed, his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian and that was true.

Nations are built with the blood of matrys and compatriots who surrender themselves for the good of the rest of the country. It's noble, honourable and commendable. If at that height of leadership he can't die for Nigeria then something is amiss. He knew everything but was weak and disoriented. So why didn't he resign?

What about late President Muhammadu Buhari? Will you still excuse him for ignorance? A Major General of the Army? Of course, they have asserted that they brought in the terrorists into Nigeria for the purpose of election. But I think that's not actually for election alone. You know when people work in a group they still have their individual interests. Buhari and his goons like former Governor Nasir El-Rufai with many others have their own interests and we were deceived into believing that it was all about the political leadership of Nigeria and the good of all. LIES!

Buhari could abandon his healthcare and rush back into Nigeria to kill, destroy, annihilate and decimate Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB but he couldn't ask his Fulani cattle rearers to stop moving about and shielding the bandits and terrorists who have capitalised on their movements to mask their evils. Buhari harboured people like Bashir Ahmed and others who are pronounced terrorists through religious extremism and jihads. Buhari couldn't stop his brothers from carrying firearms and ammunition around. We saw and keep seeing herdsmen with AK47 and other high profile weapons but Muhammadu Buhari looked the other way.

What about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu? What has he done in the face of the current hunting down of Nigerians like games under his watch? Has he visited any of the victims? Has he made any decisive declaration about the situation? While former Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Woke and Gov. Sim Fubara were still talking without really insulting each other openly he declared State-of-Emergency in Rivers State. So the entire Northeast that has been engulfed in the terrorists occupation doesn't matter to Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his people? Or is there something he knows which we all don't know? I think definitely so!

Why has Tinubu not declared a state of emergency in the entire Northeast? Why has he not stopped open grazing? Why has he refused to end the occupation of the forests by these folks? Why has the president not declared that any herder seen with arms should be caught? Why is he negotiating with the terrorists? Why is there no matching orders for everyone to get involved?

The obvious truth is that the government knows what is going on and they approve of it. Apart from this truth, there's no other reason why they profess incapacitation in action yet reject the offer of help from President Donald Trump of the United States of America.

Why are we all pretending that what is going on is normal? What is wrong with Nigerians? Can an entire country of such numbers be under some spell? How have we become comfortable with normalizing the abnormal? Even respected pastors and members of the clergy like E. A. Adeboye, Wa. Fi. Kumuyi, Bishop David Oyedepo and the rest have gone dumb and numb. What is going on please?

Yes, a few of them like Dr. Paul Enenche and scarcely popular ones have made some remarks but that's really not a pinch of what is supposed to be happening now.

What about scholars like Wole Soyinka who used to be loud on issues? What about people like Pastor Tunde Bakare, Matthew A. Ashimolowo, Pastor Paul Adefarasin and others?

What has any governor, past or present, in Nigeria said about the ongoing genocide in Nigeria? Everybody is mute because every one of them has a hand, one way or the other, in what is happening.

What about the National Assembly (Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives)? What about the judiciary? Clearly everyone is involved and so consciously asleep.

Nigeria's situation is worse than a failed state. We're somewhere below and behind the Hobbesian state of nature. Indeed, life in Nigeria is solitary, brutish and nasty. We're in a condition that enjoys less quality than a kingdom of beasts. Our leadership is absent and our citizens are in comatose. Where is the hope for Nigeria? Where are we to run to? The world here is crumbling and we can barely touch the roofs of the world from here as it's falling unrestricted.

The rest of the world seems to be enjoying this tragedy. Only one voice has echoed near the picture. Only President Donald J. Trump cares. He, indeed, is that lonely voice in the wilderness. But one thing that the rest of the world seems to have not known or brought to mind, humanity is the same across the globe and its violation in Nigeria is its violation in the entire world. This silence is so deafening and those who defend these barbarians are left for posterity which will recompense without loss of adequacy.

Wake up humanity!
Wake thee up Nigeria!
Stand up now Nigerians!!!

We may sleep forever if we fail to wake up now. Our ship is sinking and doing so ferociously.

I am,
KEMKA S. IBEJI