OPINION: MALI ON MY MIND..... By Frederick Odorige.

Are you observing the huge protest in neighbouring Mali? The people are asking their President Keita to step down. They are fed up with the insecurity and hardship in their country. They are very angry that many of their soldiers are dying in the hands of terrorists.

 Please note that their government is not using their borrowed funds to integrate terrorists like in Nigeria. 

I observed that they did not ask their fellow citizens living abroad to come home and lead a revolution. They did not say that they must divide their country because of bad government. It is even more interesting that all tribes, civil society organizations and regions came together on a common platform and spoke with one loud unshakable voice. Some of their soldiers and police officers joined the revolution because they can no longer pretend that all is well. Members of Keita'a political party also joined. The revolution march is being led by an Imam named Mahmoud Dicko. Alas! The people decided to take their voices out of the social media. To them, enough is really enough!

I recently read a post where somebody wrote that the problems of Nigeria are worse than that of countries that are protesting. He mentioned that Nigerians are not protesting because we have too many tribes. I disagreed with him because terrorism and hunger does not know tribe. Revolutionaries speak one language. Those persons that steal, borrow in your name and weak to fight terrorism do not speak one language.

The day a famous Nigerian artiste, religious leader or known figure decide to lead a peaceful revolution in Nigeria, is the day we shall be free. I have lost hope in the National Association of Nigeria Students and the Nigeria Labour Congress who are supposed to lead us to freedom. Tuface Idibia tried but he chickened out and postponed our days of freedom when former Inspector General of Police simply clapped his hand. The sound of the clap clipped Tuface.

When my people will become hungry and angry enough at the nonsense going on, they must act within the law and in the spirit of Revolution Without Ammunition. Malians are not killing themselves in their revolution. They are not burning their houses and government properties. 

Some of our youths are not aware that MBuhari's government is borrowing blindly. You cannot pay the debt in 40 years. Your tomorrow is indebted. MBuhari and company will not be alive when the burden of debt will begin to crush. More of our soldiers and innocent civilians may die. Katsina people have confessed that their Buhari has failed. Northern leaders have equally confirmed. Aisha Buhari has told us that her husband is in office but not in power. There is steady disarray as the court confirmed the expulsion of the national chairman of the ruling party. Children are now killers and suicide bombers. Infants are being sold for bread or house rent. Others are helplessly raped. Journalists are arrested and charged for terrorism because they wrote to open the eyes of the people.

If President Muhammadu Buhari is truly patriotic, Nigerians do not need to protest before he honourably resigns. It is apparent to everyone, including his biological children, that he has lost control of the ship of state. The past five years has been very traumatic for Nigerians. We have become a huge embarrassment to onlookers. Our country has been breathing from borrowed oxygen and the time is ticking quickly into further slides. This is not the country we hoped for when Buhari desperately contested for 12 years. This is not the dream of our founding fathers. Today, there are various agitations to secede, discontent among the citizenry and hopelessness for our teeming youths. Children are now born into begging and go to bed hungry as in times of war. Our land is drenched in blood with endless cries for loved ones. These tragedies seem to have become a culture because foreign leaders no longer send President Buhari condolence messages. Sadly, they are used to our many tragedies.

We know that our country is presently not being governed. We cannot pretend about that despite the many sounds of sensational sirens. Now tomorrow is no longer a promise. 

 No security agency can stop a mammoth crowd of citizens determined to be free.  200 million persons must not be shy of the 5,000 destiny traders in government.

Our freedom is in our hands!

My simple prayer: Father God Almighty; may I not be counted among those like Moses who was opportuned to stand on top of Mount Pisgah to see the promised land but could not enter into it!!

#APCisAterroristOrganization

#PDPisNOTbetter 

Twittering: @FOdorige

Frederick Odorige is the Global Coordinator of Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria, GCSDN.