PETROL, SLIT THROATS AND TRICYCLES

Petrol, slit throats and tricycles

I decided to catch up with local news tonight and tuned in to AIT. I was not quite alarmed when the report of the ongoing fuel scarcity in the capital Abuja was airing until the they got to the point when a young man and established black market trader was interviewed by the reporter. In poor  English, he boldly defended his trade and remarked that he hoped the scarcity persisted for 1month at least.
Then the news of the students slaughtered and burnt in their sleep at a Federal government college in Yobe last night. This was followed by the report of a condolence message to those concerned that emanated from the president.

The final news I was able to pay particular attention to was that about the youth and women empowerment campaign by mama peace GEJ in Okrika as part of the MDG programmes in Rivers state. The camera picked up shots of sewing machines, grinders, mattresses, bags of possibly food substance, tricycles and a few other primitive items.

The sight of young men hustling and thriving on the apparent scarcity of petrol gives insight to the kind of chaos and destruction that is potentially lodged within the minds of these idle ones if and when they are pushed to the wall. I actually think they are almost at that wall. The news was interrupted by a live report from the petroleum workers responsible for the pseudo-scarcity. They had just concluded their meeting and determined to press on with the strike due to the failure of our refineries to work. Could it be that they know something about the potential of these refineries that we don't know?

Why are we bothered about the massacres going on in the north? Should we be bothered at all since it doesn't get to us? Do the Borno and Yobe governors not know that they owe the president GEJ a world of gratitude for drafting the military to those areas in the first place? How ungrateful the Borno governor is! Would he be able to sleep for one night if GEJ opted to withdraw his troops for even one night? Why are they talking as if Boko Haram started in their zones? If they don't know, it started in Abuja...the UN building was bombed now...abi?

Okrika youths and women must  be so skilled and talented and must be delighted to do great jobs like pepper grinding (i wonder if they grow enough pepper there) and tricycle racing  after which they sleep on flat mattresses upon bunk beds. She rightly advised them not to misuse the little she brought for them. Somebody's 'Jesus Christ' on earth has spoken.


jide akeju
25/02/2014