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By: Ifeanyi Izeze
It beats myimagination the way our minds have been twisted to think in
this country. Howcome Nigerians have become a people of warped minds and
so naive that it is nowvery difficult if not impossible to actually think
straight and deeply too?
Whether or notwe like the senators for their selfish deportment in
allocating themselvesunreasonable pays, is outrightly immaterial in this
case of a national tragedythat happened last Wednesday 18th April at the
Senate Chambers ofthe National Assembly. It is vexing that most Nigerians
are only pissed by whatthey described as “assault on our democracy”
whatever that means but totallyignored the actual tragedy that befell the
nation on that day.
Beyond Omo-Agegeand his naughtiness, does it occur to us that all our 109
Senators (whether weliked them or not) could have been or rather were
killed in that single attackinside the Senate Chamber?
Supposing thesix men or more terrorists that freely strolled into the
Chamber with theestranged Senator, Ovie Omo-Agege, came as suicide bombers
to blow up the Senateand all its occupants in session, could they have
succeeded or not? The answeris very clear: they actually succeeded in
killing all our 109 Senators (in thatsession) including the Senate
President and all the principal officers.
Where did wemiss it as a nation of serious –minded people? Do terrorists
come dressed inrags? No! They come dressed to deceive their
targets/security agents and/orevade detection before they carry out their
dastardly acts. This was the samething that played out at the National
Assembly. The well-dressed and well-fedmiddle-age men came into the arena
in high-class SUVs and other vehiclesalongside Ovie Omo-Agege posing as
descent men. They walked into the senatechambers headed straight to the
seat of the President where the mace was stationed.And not a single
policeman, or DSS, or National Assembly security personnelsuspected any
foul play and breach of security. Worst of all, no single Senatorseating
in the chamber even suspected that these men walking with their
estrangedcolleague could be a threat to their lives and that of the mace
(their onlysymbol of authority to sit and make laws for us). Haba! What
kind of flaccidpeople do we have everywhere in this country.
Could there havebeen any section of the country; state; local government;
or even communitiesthat would not have been affected if it were to be that
in one swift attack allour 109 senators (whether they are good men/women
or not) were killed? Couldthere have been any religion: Christianity,
Islam, paganism, and even atheismthat would have been spared in the grieve
that would have followed such attack?Would the Hausa, Fulani,Yoruba or
Igbo senators be spared from being killed insuch attack?
Until we learnto tell ourselves the bitter truth, this country will not
make any meaningfulprogress. Our Senators are so naive that all they have
been concerned with hasbeen the recovery of the kidnapped mace and the so
called “assault on ourdemocracy.” None of them saw the issue of the
security breach which clearlyamounts to treason and coup d’état.
How did theseattackers in the company of Omo-Agege beat all the security
check points andmetal detectors at the National Assembly (Senate)? Does
the National Assemblyhave policemen, DSS officers, and even Civil Defence
personnel working toprotect the facility and people within that that
premises? One would havethought that by now, all the policemen, and other
security agents posted to theNational Assembly (Senate) would have been
arrested and detained forinterrogation on this act that borders on
negligence of duties or worst stillcomplicity in the terrorist attack at
the Senate Chambers. Whether anybodywants to hear this or not, the
security agents posted to the National Assemblyhave serious case to
answer. The Inspector General of Police and DirectorGeneral of the
Department of State Security Service should be compelled toexplain the
failure of their agency to live up to their duty call.
The story of “orders”coming from the cabal at the Presidency asking the
security agents to “stepdown” and allow free passage of the Omo-Agege
terrorist is nonsense and anoutright escapist excuse. Get the officers to
explain why they should not bepunished for allowing terrorists into the
senate chambers and then let them sayit was somebody in the Presidency
that asked them not to do theirconstitutionally mandated duties.
Anyhow you wantto see it, what happened at the Senate may be setting or
rather has set adangerous precedent in this country and this is the more
reason we must addressit without bias or partisan politicking. Today it is
the Senate, tomorrow itmay be the House of Reps, and next tomorrow it may
be the Presidency. Supposingit was at the Presidency, we will call it a
coup plot to topple the government.Now, because it happened at the
National Assembly, it was the “activity of somepolitical thugs” to protest
the suspension of their paymaster. Abi? Me I delaugh o!
The terroristattack at the Senate was not just a happenstance. The way
they came in and headedstraight for the mace, brushed –off any resistance
to their escaping with themace; and their escape route which was a back
door and back gate different fromthe ones they came in from, obviously
shows that the attack was well-plannedand severally rehearsed before the
actual launch. The Omo-Agege man should berearrested and kept in custody
of the DSS because he sure has serious things totell us. Granting him bail
is making light of his action except the authoritiesare confirming the
wide spread insinuation that he is working with someinterest group in the
Presidency.
Are we going tofold our hands and let this be swept under the carpet again
or stupidly turnthis into PDP-APC or National Assembly- Executive blame
game? The FederalGovernment has to institute an independent apolitical
investigation into theunfortunate incident at the Senate. Well, first and
foremost, the SenatePresident should organise a thanksgiving service in
the church/mosque to thankGod/Allah for bringing them back to life because
they were all dead but nowthey live again. God bless Nigeria!