I call Olaolu one morning and ask if he could write us an article with the tag #BringBackOurSelves. I didn't particularly know how it was going to apply but i knew somehow we needed to call ourselves to order with the uprising caused by the missing Chibok girls. So well, He submits what we have below which I feel just hit the nail directly on the head.
Olaolu Oladokun is Life Fulfillment Trainer, an amazing singer and as you are about to see, an excellent and prolific writer. It's a pleasure and a privilege having him here.
Enjoy ...
Yes you read that right; #BringBackOurSelves. In what has become more of a twitter trend than a plight for emancipation, the compass of international affairs points toward Northern Nigeria. Or does it?
I personally had never heard about Chibok community until the whole #BringBackOurGirls saga began.
I don't move around a lot so you can forgive my negligence. But I'm sure a lot of Nigerians from the west or south had never heard of Chibok before as-well.
The circumstances surrounding the publicity of this community, certainly are not desirable. Nobody would want such, and believe me, everyone is making their stance known especially via social media.
I've listened to what some people have to say about the Chibok girls (and if you don't know what I mean by the Chibok girls, you probably must be living under a rock) and all I hear is anger, fear, regret, pity and all sorts that follow that trend.
I ask myself too, what will happen to those families that have lost loved ones to the attacks of the Boko Haram sect when an end is finally put to terrorism? Will they seek revenge, would it lead to the emergence of another terrorist group? Would financial compensation suffice? Would they ever be able to live without fear? Would they move on with their lives?
Questions! Questions! But answers I do not have.
But here's what I have to say. While the natural reaction to occurrences like this would be to get angry at everything that's not working,or chicken out in fear; thinking who could be next, or blaming the government for not handling the situation well, or as I've seen some people do; hold resentment against people from Northern Nigeria.
While we wait to see where this story will end. It is important for us not to lose ourselves to what we see and feel at this moment. Not to lose a sense of priority and what's important. Not to treat the issue as a northern problem, but as something that affects us all.
How do we do this?
I am a strong believer in the fact that there's more to us than our five senses, and a man of Faith. While I'm not hear to rub you in the face with Who I believe in (but seriously you'll be missing a lot), I believe only little can be done by our own means.
The twitter trend in my opinion,made sense when it all started. But right now I see people just using it as a publicity stunt. Everyone's just posing in front of a camera with the #BringBackOurGirls tag.
Well, that's my opinion and only you can tell what your motives are when you take those photos.
Let's do things that affect the situation, and not just add effect to photography and twitter trends.
I'll have to leave here as I believe more can be done when I intercede than can be done when leading protests on the streets and I believe you should do same. We need wisdom to handle these challenges, the kind you can get on your knees (if you know what I mean).
