By Our reporter, Delta state
It is a common knowledge that if pacesetters must succeed in whatever way, then charity they say must begin at home.
No doubt thousands of innocent souls mostly the one of Christians has been sent to their untimely graves by the Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram since it launched an uprising in 2009.
Boko Haram, which means “Western education is sinful” in the Hausa language spoken in northern Nigeria, is loosely modeled on Afghanistan’s Taliban. It has claimed responsibility for bombing churches, police stations, military facilities, banks and beer parlors in the mainly Muslim north of Nigeria.
The sect focuses its attacks mostly on the police, military and government, but has recently increased its attacks on Christian institutions. It says it is fighting enemies who have wronged its members through violence, arrests or economic neglect and corruption.
In recent times, the South-South governors of Nigeria have time without number had been assuring the Muslims community of adequate protection of their lives and property.
Recently,Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State in Asaba assured the Muslim communities of adequate protection and restated their right to live in the state without molestation. He gave the assurance at a meeting with the heads and representatives of the Muslim communities in the state. “We know the challenges and the fears that we have had. In spite of those challenges, you have conducted yourselves very well. If you voted for this administration, why will you not be part of it?” urging them to remain peaceful and continue to cohabit peacefully with their neighbours, adding that adequate security had been put in place to protect them from being molested by anybody.
Also following widespread fears of retaliatory attacks on northerners especially Muslims living in the southern part of Nigeria, the police in Bayelsa State and the state Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, reinstated their commitments to protect all northerners and Muslims in the state.
In Edo State, the government has assured Muslims of their safety, saying there was no cause for alarm. Mr. Sahabi Umar, the Special Adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole on Community Relations said northerners in Edo state will not run from the state explaining that there was good working relationship between indigenes and non indigenes in Edo state.
On his part, Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers state called on Muslims and Hausa residents in the state to go about their businesses, assuring that the government would ensure that no harm befell them.
The governor, who spoke through his Media Aide, Mr. Dave Iyofor, said the government was committed to the promotion of peace and safety of lives of its citizens and residents in the state at all times.
The governor said: “We are appealing to all residents of the state, particularly our Muslim brothers and sisters from the north to remain calm and go about their normal businesses because Rivers State is safe and the government is doing everything to ensure that it stays that way.”
In the sight of the public this is a welcome development coming from the Chief Executives of the oil rich South-South region but the question therefore is how far have these governors gone in making sure that their own subjects far away in the Northern part of the country are also secured.
Every now and then the Southerners who are far away going about their legitimate businesses are been murdered with guns and bombs by the dread sect, called Boko-Haram yet these governors have done little or nothing to safe guard the lives of these helpless subjects right there at the fore front of the bombings but back home here the Northerners are been assured of 100% adequate security.
Reacting to what he called unholy act by the sect group, a clergy who pleaded for anonymity berated the south-south governors who may have not done anything to first protect the lives and property of their subjects who are been killed at random by Boko-Haram in the northern part of the country. “Where is it done where you allowed your own to be killed while you protect the lives and property of those killing your own at random. I think our governors must wake from their slumber and start doing something like the bold steps taken by their Eastern governors to protect the lives and property of their subjects by conveying them back home from the troubled land.”
For his party another man of God who wouldn’t want his name on mentioned, lamented the current situation in the country and challenged south-south governors to as a matter of urgent step up plans to making sure the lives and property of their subjects are well protected as been done for the Muslim communities here in the region because there are no confidence any more on the Northern governors to protect lives and property of the southerners in the domain.
