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It is a known fact that without blood, there can be no life. So therefore, blood is life. Truly, God creates every life and they are precious. Life should be jealously preserved because human life means a lot before God. No wonder God said that blood speaks and can communicate. (Genesis chapter 4 verse 8-10).
Wasting or shedding of blood attracts consequences. Unfortunately, Nigeria has shamefully joined the league of countries that she d innocent blood unjustifiably. We shed blood at random. We shed blood on the roads and call it accident. We shed blood when struggling over land issues and we call it communal clash. We shed blood when a village rises against another and we call it war. We shed innocent children blood for rituals.
We shed blood of young men and women while seeking for political or economic power.
Most painful, is the shedding of young graduates who were freely released for national assignment during election.
Hundreds of them were recruited for the February 29 and March 9, 2019 elections national service by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). They were drafted to many states of the country. Unfortunately, many were mowed down by political thugs, thereby leaving their parents in deep sorrow, pains and tears.
Innocent graduates who volunteered to serve their country, believing they were doing the right thing, being patriotic, are now lying in the mortuary.
It is a moment of regret and pain for their parents and family members.
One is not sure if the commission has any insurance policy in place for these fallen heroes.
One is not sure if the commission knows how to celebrate these youthful patriots. When a country continues to down play the tragic death of its patriotic youths, where then is the moral lesson to imbibe the national anthem. A situation where the death of innocent Nigerians is now waved aside as if they are chickens killed for merriment speaks volume.
We have suddenly lost our conscience as a nation. We no longer lower the national flag for our dead heroes like these slain Youth Corp members. Human life no longer amount to anything. Children no longer feel or shed tears at the sight of dead relatives. Children are already exhibiting riotous lifestyle. Yet the government hardly speaks in total condemnation of these killings.
While the blood of these innocent NYSC members were being shed by thugs hired by devilish and desperate politicians seeking for power, no report has pointed to the fact that any of them is related to any of the politicians.
In Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Oyo, Akwa- lbom, Kwara, Kogi, Imo and Kaduna states, blood of innocent Nigerians were shed because of power. Those who lost their lives and those still going to loose their lives in the remaining inconclusive elections, were supposed to be protected by our security agencies. Even lNEC is reviewing the events that led to these tragic incidents one is absolutely sure that there will be no mention of these dead corners. Others were killed while exercising their franchise and were carrying out their national service, yet their blood was shed on the streets of Nigeria. They are the true heroes of 2019 general election. Their blood was shed while politicians were seeking power.
Bashir Abubakar: Exceptional Customs officer
The uniform attracts respect, because constitutional power flows from it. Some get enlisted to wear it for several reasons. To some, it is to subjugate their fellow beings, to others, it is to intimidate while to others it is to get wealth and very few, it is merely to serve their country and humanity. In today’s Nigeria where money answereth all things, it is near impossible to find men and women who would be so tempted like Customs officer Barshir Abubakar who presently is the Comptroller of Customs in Charge of Apapa port in Lagos, Nigeria. According to a letter of award by the Board of Maritime Media Ltd Publishers of Nigeria’s flagship Maritime journal, Shipping World, “ Bash” (as his colleagues call him), was singled out for an exemplary honour for bluntly rejecting a whooping sum of N150 Million Naira being bribe offered him to look the other way so that a forty footer contraband container can have its way into the country. It was noted that this unique Customs officer who fears God after investigation discovered that the content of the container was assorted types of illicit drugs. Bashir did not wink when he rounded up the importers as they approached him with the bribe cash money of $420,000 (#150million). Frankly, in today’s Nigeria, only a handful of workers can overcome such temptation. Today, that men of God illegally and fraudulently misappropriate church fund without blinking an eye. Today, that corruption has almost eroded the fabric of the country. A situation where morality and integrity are daily being washed down the Nigerian drain. So, finding patriotic, clean matured and morally strong homo-sapient like Bashir Abubakar seems like taking a trip to heaven.
How can one juxtapose an officer with family challenges and societal pressures who earns about N400, 000 monthly as a Controller of Customs, which is an equivalent of a Commissioner of Police ignore such mouth watering close door offer.
Cumulatively, his entire 35 years carrier should be some how closer to the N150million amount offered him as bribe . Such an officer should be well celebrated. It was also discovered that as the Comptroller in charge of human development, Bashir would never pen down any officer who offer him bribe for training. He is known for forthrightness. His records are inundated with positive and hair raising testimonies. Since his posting to Apapa Area command, the revenue of the command had soared from N350.9 billon to N404 billion giving a revenue increase of 13.12 % between 2017 to 2018 . What this shows is that corruption depletes the economy of a nation or institution when perpetrated. Bashir should have not only the Comptroller General’s handshake but should also listed for the national award. Indeed he has made the country proud, and his organization and family too.
SECURITY FILE joins well-intentioned Nigerians to congratulate Comptroller Bashir Abubakar.
