In less than 60 days, primary and secondary school students abducted in Oyo State, along with their teachers, have been rescued and released.
All thanks to the Governor and good people of Oyo State who kept President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his toes until adequate joint security architecture was deployed to facilitate the release in 56 days.
We pray to God Almighty to grant the slain teacher eternal rest. We also call on the Oyo State Government to immediately commence psychological rehabilitation for the very young pupils who have undergone 56 days of psychological torture.
But We Are Not Hailing Any Government : we are not hailing the Oyo State Government. Neither are we hailing the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Why? Because they have failed in their constitutional responsibility to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians.
They have allowed men of the underworld to take over our freedom. Farmers can no longer go to their farms without fear. Hunters cannot hunt in the bushes for daily survival. Market women and travelers cannot ply our roads again without fear.
In saner countries where we learnt democracy from, governors and heads of government would have resigned in the face of this geometrically increasing insecurity, kidnapping, and killing of innocent citizens.
The Woro-176 Question-
Now that Oyo abductees have been rescued in 56 days, what about Woro-176 in Kwara State? It is almost 5 months now. Almost 200 days that our brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers of Woro have been in captivity. What is the Kwara State Government doing differently from what the Oyo Government did to enable quick release?
Facts on ground reveal that the Kwara Government is more concerned with politics and who becomes the next Governor of Kwara State.
In as much as our people remain in captivity for almost 200 days, it means our government can no longer protect the lives of our brothers, sisters, friends and parents in Woro and by extension Kwara.
If we are quiet today because it is not you and I, just like it was Woro-176 today, it may be you and I tomorrow. That is why we must call out our government.
A few weeks ago, on taxpayers’ money, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazak sponsored Obas from Kwara to Abuja to meet the President and other APC leaders to discuss Kwara politics and his preferred Guber candidate.
No clip, no statement showed where the Obas nor the Governor were on the neck of Mr. President on the insecurity in Kwara and the urgent need for the release of Woro-176.
Another video online revealed where Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazak was discussing minimum wage increase with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. That is fine.
But does the Governor understand “scale of preference”? Government must prioritize the security of lives and properties of Kwarans above politics and optics.
This is unfair on the part of Kwara State government. They should intensify effort. The Kwara governor should prevail on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to assist Kwara the same way he assisted Oyo to facilitate release in 56 days. Woro-176 have spent almost 200 days in captivity. Some may have been impregnated against their will. Some are psychologically tortured beyond repair. Some have not been to school for almost a year. And our Governor is moving from Kwara to Abuja and abroad.
If Kwara State were in a saner country, her Governor who swore on the Bible and Quran that he will protect lives and properties but cannot, would be advised to resign.
Urgent Recommendation For Kwara Government
As a matter of seriousness, the government should set up a Joint Task Force with the FG, DSS, Police, Military and local vigilantes dedicated solely to WORO-176. Mandate weekly public briefings to Kwarans. End the silence. If this setup is on ground before hand, they should be handed over new mandates with weekly KPI reports.
Importantly, the government should
Immediately prepare psychological rehabilitation centre, medical care, and educational support for WORO-176 upon rescue, because 200 days of trauma cannot be swept under the carpet. The government should spice-up her work with all 16 LG Chairmen to equip community policing. Provide radios, solar lights, and logistics to hunters and local security outfits in all flashpoints across Kwara.
Our Excellency sir, deprioritized politics, sir prioritize the Lives of Kwaran, so henceforth, every trip by the Governor and Kwara Obas to Abuja must have one major agenda: Insecurity and the release of WORO-176. Publish the outcome. Let Kwarans know their lives matter more than 2027 calculations.
The Oyo rescue in 56 days. This proves one thing: that with political will, results are possible. The 200 days of WORO-176 proves another: that with silence and politics, captivity continues.
The oath sworn-on withthe Bible or Quran, that you are going to protect lives is being broken daily in Woro. We are not asking for miracles. We are demanding for urgency, transparency, and serious action.
Bring Woro-176 home now. God save Kwara and God save Nigeria.
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