Boko Haram has done it again. Repeatedly this nonsense group has harassed both the Christian and non Muslim people of Nigeria. They refused to leave alone people who refuse to attach their lives to the rules and lifestyle of Islam. Unfortunately, people living in the northern half of Nigeria have paid with their own freedom, body, and lives for their choice to not follow Muslim rules and traditions. Now the harassment and terror has highlighted much worldwide attention in a remote northeastern corner of the country, a secondary school in Chibok, Nigeria. On April 14 over 200 Nigerian school girls have been abducted by the fanatic, religious group. And several more have been abducted since then even after promises made by Nigerian President Jonathan Goodluck to get those girls back. As of today nobody knows the whereabouts of these girls. The United States of America have made promises to help. They along with the Nigerian leaders even gave stern warnings to Boko Haram of potential consequences but the rebel group leader Abubaker Shekau continues to laugh them off, refusing to take them seriously. He ruefully insists on forcefully marrying these girls off to strangers as if he owns them. The US military managed to send 18 soldiers to Nigeria to provide search and rescue assistance. They along with the British military have sent eavesdropping equipment to search the Sambisa forests where some believe the girls to be hidden. National leaders, including President Obama, his wife Michelle, as well as Hilary Clinton have called out Boko Haram for the release of these girls. US celebrities like Anne Hathaway, Amy Poehler, Kim Kardashian, and Alicia Keys have publicly insisted that the terrorist group release the innocent students.
The people of Nigeria have emphatically thrown their leader President Jonathan Goodluck out in front of the world, holding him accountable for his government's seemingly lack of concern for the girls captivity. The people, parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, citizens tired of being harassed for not desiring to follow religious traditions that they feel have no part of them have gone in front of the television cameras and internet videos displaying their weariness and displeasure in their leader's shortage of serious action. Us military leaders have commented on the leader's lack of interest in receiving their help. Countries like France, China, and Britain have also offered their assistance, strangely the Nigerian leader has not responded to them with the eagerness or desperation that a typical person with concern for the safety of his or her own people would respond. What if these were his own children? What kind of picture does his lack of interest portray to the world who is watching? African nations already own a terrible history for their treatment of their own people, especially women. Though it is unfair to judge and associate African countries together as if they are one huge country. As it is, Africa is a continent filled with many different countries that have their own separate rulers, laws, religions, different various languages, and customs. But many people in the world still habitually view the continent as one. In many ways what one African nation does influences the world's opinion of the remaining nations.
The good news is that all of this present worldwide attention may force the Nigerian government to make an honest effort to rescue these girls. The country may now send serious military power against the Boko Haram force in order to get these girls out of these militant's hands and back into the safety of their families. The Nigerian military may now be motivated to send the necessary force needed to wipe out this terrorist group that has been a brutal bully to Christians and non Muslims living within the country.
The bad news is that without the world wide attention it is very likely that very minimal action if any would have been taken against Boko Haram. Without the attention of people like Michelle Obama and Hilary Clinton, and the western media it is very likely that these girls would be doomed. Unfortunately President Goodluck resembles a lack of concern Nigerian leaders have for their own people. This is a matter any Nigerian citizen or person very familiar with the country can state easily and at times with a shrug. But the lack of concern has also been an annoyance that is often difficult to ignore. But now with the pressure from all of the evil coming out of fanatic religious groups from the north and the increasing numbers of curious as well concerned citizens from around the globe, Nigerian leaders may be forced to care or else be added to the permanent list of the world's most terrible, inept leaders. Nigeria as a nation may face even more challenges from the world in it's struggle to rise toward becoming a richer more powerful nation. People familiar with Nigeria know very well, the country has tons of talented, rich individuals, spread out all over the world who are making money, building business, powerful ministries, successful medical and psychological practices, even popular well selling music. Some are even in the west African nation building booming businesses while making boat loads of cash. But as a whole, as a country, Nigeria has often been a disappointment. A nation as rich as this country should be able to discover ways of handling evil like Boko Haram so that such people don't run the country. A group of radical people should not be able to so easily force their religious beliefs on other citizens.
An obvious route towards a better Nigeria, a gerater country, is that groups like Boko Haram have to go. It is embarrassing that a well known, rich country has a gang of militants running to and fro through throughout the norther border, acting, doing as they please. Nigerian leaders must begin caring truthfully for the well being of their people. Too many leaders behave selfishly, reacting only towards their own wealth and well being, or the well being of those contracted to them via business or blood relations. Hopefully this ruthless capture of innocent women is about to ignite some heroic energy from Nigeria leaders. The world is watching.
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