What else is left for us?

In Nigeria, things keep getting awful in every second. The life of a poor man is at a very big risk because no scale can presently weigh the kind of killings and abductions Nigerians are going through.

We have nothing to be proud of as Nigerians even with the so called fundamental human rights enshrined in the Constitution. The only hope left for a poor man is school for him to be educated and perhaps be able to contribute to the development of the nation.

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Unfortunately, the activities of bandits, Boko Haram and kidnappers are about to end education in Nigeria considering the immediate announcement of Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle and his counterpart, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano for the shutdown of all boarding secondary schools in the states.

The abductors indeed accomplished their mission of not only sowing fear in the minds of populace but government too. I understand shutting down of boarding schools in Zamfara and Kano followed the incessant kidnappings which appeared to have overwhelmed them.

My question now is, will the government keep folding hands and continue looking at these issues? For me, the decision taken by these governors is very discouraging; does it mean the government itself is losing hope over the security situation of the nation? What then will be the hope of those of us who are not in authority and have no personal security to guard our affairs?

The happening in the country is very shameful.

I am talking on behalf of poor people in Nigeria, not the elites.

The hope of the poor person keeps vanishing considering the deteriorating condition of education, health care facility, infrastructures, among other social aspect of life.

Before I drop my pen, I will like to let government understand that protection of lives and property is paramount. President Buhari has said that bandits are not powerful than his government and as such, he must do something quickly to ensure the security of lives and property. Failure to do so means his government is compromising the lives of its citizens.

We are very ready to sacrifice our lives for the upcoming generation hence, our is on the spot line; the future of the upcoming generation is at stake and something must be quickly done to address it.

I suggest that schools shouldn’t be closed no matter the situation because, doing so will pose threat to Nigeria as school remains the only hope left for the younger generation. The government should immediately do something before the menace becomes uncontrollable.

Lawal Ibrahim writes from Department of Mass communication, University of Maiduguri ([email protected])