Comments on naijablog: Today's Tragedy in Abuja

this just made me cry... why weren't the public al...

2010-10-02T13:44:23.013+01:00

this just made me cry... why weren't the public alerted of this????

Nigeria is cursed.

I just learnt the one of my best freiend's lost her husband of just over a year in that attack... her baby is about three months old. He wasn't even thirty years old yet. God.

Well, the shameless jamboree was unnecessary in th...

2010-10-02T07:08:33.878+01:00

Well, the shameless jamboree was unnecessary in the first place. What a tragic way to end the day.

The idea that "no one really knows what is going t...

2010-10-02T06:05:19.525+01:00

The idea that "no one really knows what is going to happen – both with the elections, and more generally, with Project Nigeria" unnecessarily exaggerates the current state of affairs.

I don't Jeremy, who is but an observer. I blame his Nigerian "intellectual" friends who can be certified as lacking national consciousness.

And while on the point, commending MEND for excellent planning is certainly in poor taste.

1) It is tragic that innocent lives were needlessl...

2010-10-02T03:00:23.285+01:00

1) It is tragic that innocent lives were needlessly lost.

2) It should come as no surprise that the security operatives failed. Wearing uniforms, and surrounding yourselves with protocols and carrying weapons doesn't equate to professionalism or capability. In a land where whole villages can be wiped off the map overnight, kidnapping is on the rise. Rag tag elements can free prisoners from jail, and get away, with very little resistance, this was only to be expected. You saw the foreign embassies behaving responsibly by telling their staff to remain indoors.

3) With the advanced warning, why wasn't the whole thing called off? I had observed some time ago, Nigeria is a land where human lives count for very little. The actions of the government and MEND have clearly demonstrated that.

If Britain, with a security apparatus infinitely more professional and better equipped than that of Nigeria's, can call off events to protect the public, why can't Nigeria?I'm not asking for them to find the bombs and diffuse them, that is probably asking too much.

3) MEND have a legitimate cause, ie resource control, but killing innocent people doesn't help them.

4) The government has to strike some sort of meaningful dialogue. After all people have been waiting 50 years and there, in that time, next to no other sources of income have been developed. So those people that do produce the wealth, are now demanding to keep more of their money.

5) A heavy handed-response by the military will not solve anything. Haven't MEND faced them before in the creeks and run circles round the nose of authority in the Delta? Increasing bitterness and misery amongst the innocent, achieves very little. They will probably not even reach their targets.

Let us hope that all concerned parties will turn a new page, so that the next 50 years are more productive than the "lost" 50 years.

I am not going to even bother to read the whole th...

2010-10-01T22:10:42.149+01:00

I am not going to even bother to read the whole thing yet, but I get totally worked up at this show of dem dem, sad!sad! sad!

What's really sad! is that some parts, some group of senseless bloodsucking lots in/around abuja would pack around abuja, blowing away $$$ in the name of a pointless celebration.

Its insane!

While the loss of lives - innocent lives are eternally regretted, I am one Nigerian who has not been an inch troubled at the fact that the whole charade of Abuja partying around in the midst of so much pain has been effectively truncated by the MEND activity.

It all fits the endgame.

Soon, they would be inspired to take it even to the heartlands where it may be more devastating.

It all fits the endgame...

Nigeria@50 sha? Nonsense

A sad day indeed -- vulnerable Abuja (Nigeria?), b...

2010-10-01T20:50:47.075+01:00

A sad day indeed -- vulnerable Abuja (Nigeria?), better prepared militants etc. Mend is looking ETA-like to me, forewarnings et al. But, militarisation of the Delta is no ones cup of tea (reading the tea leaves of US-Naija bi-national commission).

sigh!...what a pity! May the souls of the depart...

2010-10-01T20:15:46.772+01:00

*sigh!*...what a pity! May the souls of the departed rest in peace...AMEN.
This is the case of when 2 elephants fight, it's the grass that suffers!

HA!.........*S-I-G-H!!!!!*

What a rain on the parade and sadly too a metaphor...

2010-10-01T18:12:31.130+01:00

What a rain on the parade and sadly too a metaphor for the tragedy Nigeria has morphed into - its now normal to cry in the middle of a smile

A real tragedy. Why target innocent civilians on a...

2010-10-01T18:03:26.554+01:00

A real tragedy. Why target innocent civilians on a day of 'celebration'? Their beef is with the people in power is it not? Yet more tarnishing of an already soiled reputation. May God rest the souls of the departed.

Jeremy, it's so sad, incomprehensible and unbeliev...

2010-10-01T17:01:55.974+01:00

Jeremy, it's so sad, incomprehensible and unbelievable to be reading this today. I'm not quite familiar with MEND and their activities. But I do know and feel strongly that more has to be done for areas like the Niger Delta. For so long, we've all sympathized. That's what we do in Africa. The Niger Delta has come to symbolize what stealing from Africans looks and feels like. And yet, looking on from a distance at reporting from the Delta, it seems that nothing much has changed. Like much of Africa's poor areas. And BTW, MEND, by its actions, is not looking for sympathy anymore, are they?

This bombing is very symbolic and perhaps a tide has turned. It's scary. Because after all, it's sort of understood that whatever our problems are, we are to come together to celebrate and respect our independence days. Now a group has openly, and in the most horrible way, dissented. It's so sad, so sad. But we should be clear about one thing; there is yet again a fight on for Nigeria, for Africa.

I don't think that Project Nigeria has failed, for failure means an end. The project is floundering. It needs to be rescued. We continue to leave the fate of Africa and Africans in the hands of those who do not mean it well. I'll stop my rambling now.

How sad, that MEND decided to steal the day. But I...

2010-10-01T16:12:41.049+01:00

How sad, that MEND decided to steal the day. But I guess the country and its government and security operatives could have been more vigilant.

A tragic day it is indeed...This has put a serious...

2010-10-01T15:58:05.931+01:00

A tragic day it is indeed...This has put a serious damper on things and moreso the fact that lives were lost just goes to show much Project Nigeria has failed.
May their souls rest in peace.