better not to think of this situation as being unique to nigeria
how many children were kidnapped, turned into sex slaves or child soldiers, for the lord's resistance army. also run by a religious crackpot.
and how many thousands and thousands of children were turned, also, into sex slaves or child soldiers in liberia and sierra leone, during their wars, in the drc, and actually its neighboring states, also during the fighting there? i don't know enough about the fighting in other places, like angola, sudan, or elsewhere, but i bet children were also impressed into the armies, and that girls were not spared.
what happened in nigeria is truly abominable, but not really unique.
what is to be done? i won't make big pronouncements, except to say that i do not believe the nation-state is the ideal political structure of our times. we are set one against the other as "citizens" of states willing to do anything to maintain power, and, increasingly, incapable of securing the safety of its own citizens.
i wish we'd come to agreements, more and more, about how to end abhorrent actions like this abduction and enslavement of these poor girls; adopt them as our own, and commit together to fighting groups that imagine they are justified by committing atrocities
ken
This is an unfair and perhaps, ill-informed, characterization of Nigeria and its problems with governance and economic growth and development. Even, highly developed countries with robust and matured institutions are struggling with radical religious groups, which are determined to destroy both people and property. It is true that it is the constitutional duty of a government to protect its citizens and Nigeria is no exception. However, any government, like that of Goodluck Jonathan, that reaches out to others (including governments) to seek assistance in resolving domestic problems, especially those that involve transnational terrorism, should not be mocked.The most important and critical issue at the moment is the safety and immediate release of these children. This should be the pre-occupation of not only Nigerians and their leaders, but that of all human beings. To use this unfortunate situation as a foundation from which to criticize Nigeria's government for its supposed incompetence is cruel, insensitive, and a disservice to the parents of these missing children.There is no justification for this type of insensitivity!--On Wed, May 7, 2014 at 3:01 PM, Mobolaji Aluko <alukome@gmail.com> wrote:William Bangura:I do not blame you for this gratuitous diatribe against our Nigeria. The Yoruba say that when the rain falls, both pigeons and chickens are forced to huddle together. There is this other (probably more apt) Yoruba idiom of smaller reverses taking advantage of a person when felled (socially? medically? economically?) by giant ones....but let us skip that.And there you have it.Bolaji Aluko--On Wed, May 7, 2014 at 1:48 PM, william bangura <william.bangura17@gmail.com> wrote:--Being a Pan Africanist I empathize with the families whose daughters have been kidnapped by the Boko Haram whose actions are dastardly and should be condemned by all.
Though most Nigerians love to portray their country as the African "super-power" because of her population and natural resources, it is a failed state which can neither provide security for her citizens nor afford them vertical economic advancement.
After achieving independence in 1960 Nigeria became a republic in 1963. It is inexcusable thatwith her petro-dollars she cannot institute intelligence and security forces to safeguard her citizens and her borders.
There have been aspersions thrown in this forum at the colonialists and imperialists for the problems of the continent, but yesterday President Goodluck Jonathan of the Federal Republic of Nigeriawas on his hands and knees crawling to the British and the Americans to liberate those poor girls who did not demand to be born or reside in a feckless and corrupt country.
William Bangura
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