It is happening again. Another kidnapping, another attack, and once more the President’s first response is to send the Defence chiefs or a Minister to the scene. For what exactly, to look busy, to shake hands, to take pictures while lives are already lost
This has become a tragic routine. A performance repeated over and over, while our leaders react after the damage is done instead of stopping it before it happens. The headlines scream, the villages burn, the families mourn, and the people arrive too late
Why are preventive measures never in place, Why do intelligence reports gather dust instead of saving lives Why do attacks always happen first and only then does the government act
Look at who is sent to handle these crises. Bello Matawalle. The same man whose tenure as Governor of Zamfara left villages in ashes, thousands dead and displaced, and families shattered beyond repair. And now he is trusted with national security, How does that make sense, How can someone who failed spectacularly before be trusted to protect millions now
The truth is uncomfortable but it must be said. The leadership of this country has normalized failure. Citizens are left to fend for themselves, terrorists act with impunity, and those in charge only arrive when the headlines demand it. This is not leadership. This is theatre. And we are all unwilling actors in a tragedy with no ending
What is the point of sending ministers or generals after an attack if they cannot prevent the attack before it happens, Are these trips meant to reassure the public or to reassure the leaders themselves that they are doing something while lives are being destroyed
We need answers. How many more girls must be kidnapped, How many more villages razed, How many more lives destroyed before this government realizes that appearances cannot replace competence, That reaction cannot replace preparation, That photo ops cannot replace strategy
Why do we allow the same people who have repeatedly failed to handle national security again and again, Why do we trust past failures to protect the present and the future, Are they incompetent or are they simply indifferent
It is time to stop the clichés. It is time to demand proactive measures, not reactive ones. It is time to demand a security architecture that works. Every life lost is not a statistic. Every life lost is a failure of imagination, preparation, and courage at the highest levels
We cannot continue to accept that the safety of Nigerians rests in the hands of those who have repeatedly demonstrated incompetence. Leadership requires foresight, accountability, and action before tragedy strikes. The people deserve more than afterthoughts and photo opportunities. They deserve protection
Enough is enough. It is time to demand leaders who act before tragedy strikes. It is time to demand transparency, accountability, and strategy that works. It is time to stop pretending that sending ministers after a crisis is a solution. It is not
The day must come when prevention replaces reaction, when competence replaces failure, and when the lives of Nigerians are valued more than appearances and social media statements. Until that day tragedies will continue to repeat themselves and those in charge will continue to perform for the cameras while the people pay the price
We need leadership that thinks ahead. We need a government that protects, not one that performs. We need answers, accountability, and results. We need action before the headlines explode, not after the bodies pile up
No more clichés. No more photo ops. No more excuses. The people of Nigeria have suffered enough. It is time for leaders who understand that true power is not in appearances but in saving lives before it is too late.
And if this government cannot rise to the occasion, then history will remember them not for their speeches or their deployments but for the blood they allowed to spill while they performed for the cameras
Stephanie Shaakaa
08034861434
