Nigerians have reacted with outrage over President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to Kano to welcome former governor of the state, Ibrahim Shekarau, to the Peoples Democratic Party, a day after a car bomb killed dozens of Nigeria and injured several others in a suburb of Abuja.
The government said 75 people died while 124 others were injured although body count by witnesses and our reporter suggest over 200 Nigerians were killed.
Insensitive, irresponsible, terrible, and wicked are some of the words that have been used to describe the president’s political visit to Kano.
“Let’s face it, is it even proper, as a father, for the president to be dancing at a rally and clinking glasses at a chief’s party just the day after?” said Betty Abah, journalist and activist. “What really would happen if he sends representatives while he pretends he’s meeting security chiefs? Even if he doesn’t care, is this even good for his image? What message is he sending out? He did same during the Centenary celebrations. How do you explain this crass insensitivity?”
“It is plain insensitive, really. It an evident that the leadership of this country does not take our lives seriously at all,” said activist lawyer, Bamidele Aturu.
“Over 200 people were killed by Boko Haram insurgents. Less than 24 hours later, the president was in Kano on political mission. That tells you they don’t take us seriously and our lives don’t count for much. That is the height of insensitivity I have seen in recent times,” he continued.
“He wouldn’t have lost anything if he had postponed the campaign for another one or two months and let the people who are bereaved come to terms with the gruesome reality,” he added.
Mr. Aturu said the President’s action showed the huge disconnect between Nigerians and their political leaders.
“Our people need to understand that there is a big disconnect between them and the people that leads them who only require them to vote to be in power.”
He said the president’s action, if done in other countries, could have cost him his job.
“This kind of things would not happen elsewhere. In other countries the president can even be impeached for what he has done. It is terrible. For him to embark on that trip show clearly that for him politics is more important than the lives of Nigerians.”
“It is very insensitive and irresponsible,” said another lawyer, Festus Keyamo.
“That is a sign that the government does not value the lives of Nigerians. As a matter of fact it is confirmation that the present system actually enjoys the pogrom that is going on in that part of the country. It is very condemnable that the president could not even declare a day of national mourning after we have lost about 200 lives,” said Chairman of CACOL, Debo Adeniran.
“The president is not thoughtful; the president seems to be sadistic, enjoying the show of bloodletting. Our president doesn’t care. You know he said the other time that he doesn’t give a damn. He doesn’t give a damn whatever Nigerians say, he doesn’t give a damn about our feelings of agony, he doesn’t give a damn about those who are suffering the pains and pangs of the carnage going on in some parts of the country.”
The Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, also chided the president for being insensitive to the lives lost in he blast.
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| Kano Gov snubbed and mocked the president |
“At a time when several innocent lives have been lost, when many of the victims are in hospital seeking blood donations to survive, the president is gallivanting around the country in the name of PDP unity rally”, he said during the matriculation ceremony of the Northwest University.
A columnist for Premium Times, Pius Adesanmi, was sarcastic in his condemnation of the president’s political rally in Kano.
Writing on his Facebook timeline, Mr Adesanmi, who is a professor of English at Carleton University in Canada, said:
“People can tell lies sha. They are saying that a day after terrorists struck his country’s capital in an attack that killed and maimed hundreds of his employers and on the same day that Boko Haram kidnapped two hundred school girls, all daughters of his employers, President Goodluck Jonathan was on the campaign trail in Kano.
“The people telling these horrendous lies against my President might as well go ahead and say that Dr Jonathan’s pals, Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela, would do likewise in similar circumstances, bringing out the fatted calf to make campaign merry just after losing hundreds of Americans or South Africans. Even my eyes, watching TV, are part of this conspiracy of lies against the President. Twitter is in on the conspiracy too, telling lies that Reuben Abati has twitted triumphant pictures of the President’s triumphal entry to Kano,” he wrote.
“I am sure that what Mr. President did today was embark on a sweeping working visit to military and other security formations all over the North to boost morale, listen to the needs and challenges of our men and women in uniform, and use the carnage in Abuja to sensitize them to the fierce urgency of the task at hand.
“I am sure that my President continued the task of mending the traumatized psyche of his people today. I am sure that my President and his handlers cannot be dumb enough to miss the symbolic significance of the nation seeing images of him hands-on on the security front – and definitely not on the political front of self perpetuation in office – a day after Abuja. So, my eyes, TV stations, Twitter, and all other conspirators, stop telling lies against my President. If you saw anybody campaigning in Kano today, wasn’t him. It was Shaggy!”
Crocodile tears
“It was crocodile tears he shed. He visited just because it happened in Abuja close to Asokoro. He wouldn’t have visited; he didn’t visit Maiduguri, he didn’t visit several other sites of pogrom. He only managed to make out time for that because he was in Abuja when that happened. It wasn’t that he was concerned about the lives and properties damaged.”
Similarly, Mr. Keyamo said the president was only pretending with the emotions he displayed after he visited the scene of the blast hours later.
“It is just pretence, nothing but pretence. We ought to declare clear seven days of mourning for those victims. No political activities should take place with those seven days,” He said.
On his part, Mr Aturu said the president was only playacting like a professional mourner would do.
“Politicians can playact. You know in Nigeria there are people that are paid to weep at funerals ceremonies. What he has done clearly shows that he didn’t believe what he was doing.
“If he was weeping just yesterday and now he’s in Kano doing politics when people are yet to come to terms with what happened. All they want is power that’s the impression they are giving unfortunately.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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is good to show concern for the people that lost their lifes but am sure those attack happened to limit the president's political movement. so the only way to shame the distractors is to sing and dance at any avenue. shame to those behind the dastardard act.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness when lives are lost and you are supporting and encouraging merriment. What of that life if it belongs to your loved ones?
Deletemr jonathan plz i beg u. Sack ur group of aides.they r jst decieving u. Hw cn they let dis happn. Evn if they dnt work. Dnt u av sense n conscience? I pity nigeria 4 picking a dunce lyk u. I am 4rm niger delta. I voted 4 u bt i regret it wit so mch pain. U av failed us.
ReplyDeleteHw i wish one of his brother is there i cold have see whether he will go out 4 his political campaign and dance God is watching those who play with human life 4 political interests
ReplyDeleteHw i wish one of his brother is there i cold have see whether he will go out 4 his political campaign and dance God is watching those who play with human life 4 political interests
ReplyDeleteLike I have always said, all politicians are just self centered thugs out there to grab, grab and grab. Be it money or power, that's all they care about. Haba Nigerians are too docile walahi. We would continue to suffer and smile, while they smile to the bank and dance on our graves. How senseless can people be? How do you justify what the chief security officer of nigeria did? If the presidents security detail were to be on strike, I wonder if he would go and dance at kano. When square pegs are fit into round holes, they don't fit. Our political elite are all clueless as far as I am concerned and we as a people are culpable, cos we allow them get away with it. How long are we going to keep suffering and smiling?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 8.04, what kind of an insensitive, heartless ethnic sentimentalist are you, so u can actually sit where u are and applaud the spineless bastard of a president for his action after what happened in Abuja,and u saying it is a "move to stop the president's political movement"? I am asking you an honest question here, if your mother, brother, sister,wife or kid was a victim of that blast,or your younger sister or daughter was amongst those abducted in maiduguri! can u in your deepest heart still stand and say it is the work of the president's distractors so its no big deal? Come on,where is your heart, are u sure u are human at all, I very much doubt it. Try to stand for what is ryt even if it means standing alone. The President knows and has a hand in what is happening to the masses, that is why he cares less, so don't be decieved by this so called ethnic/tribal loyalty in the face of the truth, ok. Have a retink
ReplyDeleteur very stupid how did fail u?how much fg put for security.?is just dat notherners feel dat they are burn to rule
ReplyDeleteOne's interior dispostion usually manifested itself in an external manifestation. We are yet 2 see something, watchout 4 part B
ReplyDeleteBros...u go skool at all...wetin u score for WAEC English language...cos dis ur English na die...God punish d man wey invent fone with Internet capabilities...kai
DeleteOne's interior dispostion usually manifested itself in an external manifestation. We are yet 2 see something, watchout 4 part B
ReplyDeleteGej did the best thing by visiting the scene what else did u want him to do u wl just take take everytin serious as if he is the one that is killing those people all this kind of thing is happen everywhere and their president is traveling we did not hear anytin but in nigeria we wl broadcast everytin both on online and on news paper look at seria there is war there they did not broadcast as this.....we are killing ourselves in this country
ReplyDeleteBastard..so by visiting d site of d incident he has done all that needs to be done abi...u must be certifiably insane...its pple like u that'll bring dis country down by assuring our imbecile of a president that "all is well sir,carry on"...brainless fool like u
DeleteAccidents happen on the road,water everyday nobody says anything about it but when it is an air mishap the nation stands still. People are killed everyday in other states and nobody expects the president to mourn for even one week. Now it is in Abuja and the president must mourn for a month. Then since people are killed everyday he can as well stay in Aso Rock and be mourning and cancelling all his intineries since that is the target of his distractors. It is saddening what is happening but enemies of this government will not achieve their aim by God's grace.
ReplyDeleteI sincerely hope n pray that ur father...mother...sister n brother are killed in d next bomb blast n that u urself loose a leg n an eye in d same blast so after u've spent like 18months in hospital...u'll be both cripple n blind in one eye...not that i'm wishing u bad luck...just saying this so u'll feel d pain of those who were affected either directly or indirectly so u'll stop vomiting rubbish...and b4 I forget...just to top it....i pray ur daughter is also kidnapped n used as a sex slave for a few months b4 being released...mad man.
DeleteGoodluck ur leardreship is d best.y wil boko harram suddenly cum durin ur stay as predent. Fool if d state gv 1 week 4 dead 1 wat is d value ntin.all dis bormbin is jux 2 stop Gudluck.foolish governor of kano here dis no matter ur write up dis country wil keep movin no mata wat u plain.
ReplyDeleteSo unkind to mankind dat is hw I see mr president. A man I voted for and hoped will change dis country has nw turn a villain first it was the centenary celebration just after dey massacred poor innocent children nw it is campaigning just after the bombing. GEJ is a beast in human cloth.
ReplyDeleteMAY ALLAH (SWT) BRING AN END TO THESE MADNESS, MAY ALLAH EXPOSE ALL THOSE BEHIND THE BH & FULANI HERDSMEN ACTIVITIES. MAY ALL THOSE BEHIND THIS ACT FEEL THE PAINS, AGONIES, FRUSTRATION OF THE VICTIMS OF THEIR UNGODLY ACT.
ReplyDeleteEither u abuse me or not,it is crystal clear that GEJ is responsible for all the killings in this country.it is just a matter of time ,all eyes shall see
ReplyDeleteprobably you should have been one of the victims so you will not be writing such bullshit.
ReplyDeleteNigeria must move forward weather boko haram likes it or not! Their aim is to stall and destabilize and Islamize Nigeria, but we say NO to that devilish religion, instead the country should split and the northerners should go Islamize themselves. As for Jonathan, He taking Nigeria to the permanent site, no one not even boko haram can stop him.
ReplyDeleteI pray that ur "permanent site" shld be ur alotted space in d cemetary...fool
DeleteGod let those who think wat Jonathan did is good by dancing in kano b a victim one day bt spare dia lives so dat dey can watch him dance again frm dia hospital bed probably wit dia legs or hands amputated. Let those who accept say Amen
ReplyDeleteMr Jonathan am from south west n believe me, i regret voting for u, u knw y? Bcos u don't act like a president by taking bold steps in handling issues. But dnt forget oo, na wetin we do for life go speak wen we don go, ask Mandela, yar adua, Luther king etc, God dey
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing wrong for a man to dance and shame his detractors in the face of all odds.
ReplyDeleteThis write is nonense, so you expect president after visited venue and victims in the hospital to aboundon his assignment enter room and lock up himself, so that the whole world wil know that jonathan is murning them. Nonsense
ReplyDeleteIt shall not be well with you and ur househood. U will not know how it will happen u shal be d next casuality in BH attack.
DeleteIt shall not be well with you and ur househood. U will not know how it will happen u shal be d next casuality in BH attack.
DeleteHmmmm God help us.
ReplyDeletekhalid , that Allah u ar calling for help is the cause of boko haramist, u will hear the bokos charting alahuakbar when Eva they attacks , u see them reciting d Koran wen beheading people, d motive behind the Islamic terrorist came 4rm d Koran d book of Allah u at calling 4 help. d solution nw is let Muhammad rise up and remove d suras and ayas in d Koran DAT tells d Muslims to kill the non Muslims. period.
ReplyDeleteNot every Muslim is a terrorist but every terrorist is a Muslim.
ReplyDeleteThe opposition party APC is just looking for something to castigate GEJ just to boost their political self esteem. I watched the Kano PDP rally on NTA throughout and i did not see where GEJ was dancing, if this is the exact picture they are referring to, i was watching it with some of my colleagues in the office, he did not dance, he only wave his hands in respect to greet the people, APC is just looking for cheap way to blackmail him and it is obvious that they did not like him but either you like him or not does it change the situation of yesteryear years? let the past and the present leaders seek to the progress of this country and let them join hands and build it instead of destroying it with personal aims
ReplyDeleteWhat do u know abt broadcasting? I am a broadcast person what you and ur friend watched might have been EDITTED to prove to people that he didn't dance.
Deleteyes, let Khalid stop mentioning that name Allah bcoz d more u mention it d more u see more terrorist attack bcoz he is the cause.
ReplyDeleteThese BH people they always know when the president want to do something important and then they will strike wanting to stop him. Opposition at work. Politicians stop shedding blood to play politics. This country is not only for politicians. Don't kill us and then rule the remnant that did not fall victim of ur game. We are tired of bloodshed politics.
ReplyDeleteLETS B MORE PRAYERFUL MY COUNTRY PPLE. WE'R IN A STATE OF SERIOUS PROB. LET GOD, THE ALMIGHTY DIRECT OUR AFFAIRS BEYOND FROM NOW TILL 2015 AND BEYOND.
ReplyDeleteIf the families of top guns in nigeria politics,including our president are the ones involve in the nyanya bomb blast i bet you they would have still b mourning by now,but d lives of the poor does'nt count except during elections.GOD ALMIGHTY save us from this VAMPIRES;amen
ReplyDeleteThe same man that had no shoes but now a president!
ReplyDeleteI wished he remembers his past and be humble glorifying Almighty Allah.
Within 24hrs he pretended or stage managed crying. He then jumped on the stage for political campaign!
I wished he surrounded himself with honest friends.
Dancing while your house is on fire
ReplyDeleteThis almighty allah that pple are calling is one major reason some muslims and boko haram slaughter Like chickens. may God save us from this bad government.
ReplyDelete