There is no doubt that the Federal Government and indeed all Nigerians are traumatised by the bizarre abduction of more than 250 female students of the Government Secondary School, Chibok who were sitting for examinations when the Boko Haram terrorist group struck. And to underscore its concern and commitment to rescue the girls, the Federal Government on May 4, 2014 set up a Presidential Committee whose mandate is to ascertain the actual number of girls involved in this most inhuman mass kidnap saga.
The setting up of the committee though laudable has been a subject of controversy with elders of ChibokLocal Government Area of Borno state faulting the timing of the gesture.
According to a statement from the Secretary to the Federal Government, Anyim Pius Anyim, who announced the establishment of the committee, the terms of reference amongst others, include: to liaise with the Borno state government and establish the circumstances leading to the Chibok school remaining open while other boarding schools in the state were closed; liaise with relevant authorities and parents of the missing girls to establish the actual number and identities of the girls abducted; mobilise the surrounding communities and the general public on citizen support for a rescue strategy and operation.
While the the committee is necessary, the question is why it took the Federal Government, about two weeks after the abduction to set up a committee. It seems that for some reason, perhaps political, someone somewhere did not take the abduction seriously or did not believe it took place. This is the absurd level to which those in authority can take irresponsibility and inefficiency in governance. Clearly, the response of the Federal Government to the kidnap saga and other Boko Haram-inspired violence has been tardy and unserious.
Considering that the Boko Haram menace has been with us for a long time, this kidnap should have been averted. It has even been revealed that the military detachment guarding Chibok town was informed of the impending attack four hours before it took place but the military command could not mobilise or reinforce. Rather, eyewitnesses revealed that the out-numbered and out- gunned Nigerian soldiers ran for their lives with the inhabitants of the town when the insurgents landed!
Government and the army have shown gross incompetence to secure educational institutions in these troubled parts of the country given past unsavoury incidents. It is for this reason that many Nigerians have been forced to write-off the committee as the belated action of an uncaring government and its lacklustre security force. By now, Nigerians expect President Jonathan to have sacked the Army, Air force and National Intelligence chiefs! Similarly, the National Security Adviser (NSA) and Minister of Defence should be removed as they are mere seat warmers in their offices!
However, it is important that the committee tells the nation why the school in Chibok was operating when others had been closed for security reasons. If the decision of the authorities were to close schools because of the insurgency, who allowed the Chibok School to be open? And if the school was opened because of the examination, why was no security provided considering the thousands of troops stationed in Borno and its environs? It is important to get the true picture of things while sanctions or punishment must be meted to all those indicted. We only hope that President Jonathan would show leadership in this regard.
While indeed it is the duty of the security force to find the girls and rescue them from the clutches of captivity, it is important that general sensitization and mobilisation of all stakeholders and communities in Borno state and the neighbouring countries be carried out to ensure total success.