Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity has condemned the rising cases of kidnapping and killings in the South-East zone.
Adesina said this in an article on his official Facebook page on Thursday titled, “I Miss The South East We Used To Know.”
He added that the people of the South East region have not been marginalised by the Buhari-led government as claimed.
The presidential spokesperson also laments on those calling the country a zoo, shooting security agents and civilians but expect leadership on a platter of gold.
He said, “Some people glibly say; it’s because we’ve been marginalized. Really? So, the medicine for headache is now to cut off the head? Is that not self-immolation, and cutting the nose to spite the face? And if you talk of grudges, is there no part of the country that doesn’t have its grudges? So the next thing would be to visit murder and mayhem on society, killing the very people that are allegedly being shortchanged? It doesn’t make sense.
“In my days in active journalism (I return soon, mark my words), I had always written that there must be fairness and equity in how leaders emerged, particularly for the position of President. The South East, just like other parts of the country, must produce the number one citizen. But it must be by a combination of factors. Good politics, building alliances, negotiation, deft footworks.
“You can’t call the country a zoo, shooting security agents and civilians to kingdom-come, and then expect leadership on a platter of gold. It’s not done anywhere in the world. Yes, there would be a President of Igbo extraction in this country, but it won’t be by intimidation or bullying. We will all team up to produce such leadership.”
According to him, each time he reads about killings by gunmen in the region, he goes into the doldrums.
“I get mortified by the sheer waste of precious lives, the wantonness, malevolence and viciousness of it all. And I mean killings on both sides. The innocent law enforcement agents, mowed down in cold blood, and the misguided, brainwashed gunmen, who more often than not do not get away with their evil acts. MAD. Mutual Assured Destruction. That’s what usually happens.
“I then tell myself. This is not the South East we used to know. What happened? How did grace turn to disgrace? How did young men, who used to be moved, motivated by sonorous songs and choruses suddenly become bloodthirsty hounds, not distinguishing between friends and foes, good and evil? How do you claim you want to liberate a people, after first shooting them to ribbons? How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (Isaiah 14:12).
“The South East we used to know had Voice of the Cross. Oh, what a group of gospel singers! It had Sir Warrior, Oliver De Coque, Oriental Brothers, and many others. They would sing, and inspire you, and transport your mind to nobler things. Now, the soulful tunes have given way to the staccato sound of gunfire. What went wrong?
“Let Reverend Sisters in the Convents, with their white attires sing those Igbo gospel songs, and nobody could convince you that they were not angels direct from above. Let the men, old, young, play the drums and other musical instruments, sing in baritone, and heaven would come down, and glory would fill your soul. Let a preacher from the region take the pulpit, and he intersperses his sermon with heavenly songs, which the congregation would respond rapturously to. That was the South East we knew, and not the current killing fields.
“On Tuesday, this week, a combined security team of soldiers and policemen was stationed at Obeagu-Amodu, along Amechi-Agbani road in Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State. The security agents were the husbands of some women, fathers of some children, or they themselves were grown sons of some fathers and mothers. They had dreams, visi