Before we crucify him

As a graduate awaiting the next batch of service, I experienced a hopscotch of sadness and fear at the demise of the corps members-this was a tragedy down my alley, more personalized and felt in the bone. I could imagine those young adults as they carried out the final rites of passage we carry out in the final year- dinners, barbecue nights, beach parties, signing of year books, throwing of biros and screaming of hoorah after the last paper, these are the rote carried out by final year students. Some of them would have crafted CV’s with self-help books-waiting for the end of service year to mail that to blue chip companies. Probably one of them had-like me, written a list of gifts he would buy for every member of family with his allawee. These were green stalks who had just started living-who were just learning to take first steps in an independent life, but they were cut down in their prime. These were the ones who did not ‘runs’ their service posting. I also feel a deep fear for those of us who will be posted in July- What will be our destiny?
Standing like a brand in all this darkness is the statement by the Bauchi State Governor saying it was the destiny of the corpers to die. I made a double take when I read that one, so I read his entire statement. Here is a vignette of the entire speech by His Excellency, Mallam Isah Yuguda. It should be noted that the carnage claimed the lives of nine corpers in his state.
- The corpers were well taken care of in terms of remuneration and living conditions while serving in his state
- In the course of election duty, the corpers were the responsibility of INEC and not the state government
- Violence is not generic to the north as he also almost lost his life in Ibadan
- He also suffered some level of mishap during the period as his house was set on fire and his son almost lost his life.
- Safety of life is adequately not provided for in the service year as he almost lost his life in 1979 as a corper
- In the wake of the violence, he acted with quick dispatch as a camp was created for the survivors-he visited and gave them a token for transportation.
- And for the corpers who lost their life, it was their destiny-this being said from the standpoint of Islam where it is believed that whatever happened is written in the stars and cannot be avoided-a matter of fate.
Reading the full statement made me understand his standpoint better. The destiny he talked about was from a religious standpoint and he non obstante, would have called it destiny if his son died. This was not an insouciant reference to lost lives or an I really do not give a damn situation.
Several issues come to the fore like lack of diplomacy and media unprofessionalism. You see, I hail from Ogori Magongo in Kogi State and the belief is that a leader cannot point to his wounds when the citizens are mourning-that is the price of leadership. What Yuguda has done is a classic case of a leader pointing to his own wound in a bid to pacify bereaved and wailing citizens. Grief never cures grief, sir. I remember this one and same Yuguda had also inflamed the nation in the Yar-adua sickness and handover saga with his inflammatory comments, so I think it will not be out of place if he goes to a finishing school where diplomacy is taught.
Also, we would thank the media to report statements in full rather than pick certain excerpts which would sell the news and create a sensational story. I think it was a case of the media grafting a piece of his statement and sensationalizing it.
I sincerely hope that with this piece, I would have salved an angry heart, explained an incomplete matter and made Yuguda carry out his destiny of leadership better by taking some diplomacy lessons.
Rest in peace my fallen comrades, you died in service of the nation and will always be remembered. Adieu.
This piece was sent in by Osisiye Tafa, a political Science graduate of the University of Lagos. Email: osisiyetafa@yahoo.com