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Shekau told us everything that was wrong with Nigeria. Shekau made us understand the level and implications of looting in Nigeria as well as the level of institutionalized disenfranchisement of the masses. He exposed how evil we are and can be and as well triggered good advocacy and most human, altruistic behavior in some of us. He exposed the hypocrisy and cowardice of our Elite and Religious leaders. Shekau made us know how many who claimed to be crusaders, ready to die in Jihad over ripping of pages of books were mere cowards who cowered away and tucked their heads under their mothers’ laps when the true call to rescue our weakest was made.
Shekau made us understand how much of a crime authority stealing was. President Buhari just referred to him when defending his extra-judicial imprisonment of Dasuki. He said, “look at the 2 million displaced people and I should let Dasuki who looted the billions go to London?” This was academic course Shekau 101: the implications of government looting.
Shekau did not lie as all our administrations do, Shekau always told us the truth. Shekau exposed our rot which he took advantage of. In fact during Shekau’s time, Shekau was the only institution that worked in Nigeria when all others were thoroughly dysfunctional. Shekau operated his Boko Haram with efficiency, discipline and professionalism, something we lack in all ours till date. None of his members ever divulged company secrets. On the information sector, Shekau’s press releases were always relevant and timely, even at times when he was dead. When Jonathan could not procure arms, Shekau did right from the jungles of Sambisa and when the Nigerian army could not fight, he could. Remember how 300 of his men used to defeat 3000 of Alex Badeh’s without even shooting a bullet? Just as us, he kills everyone and their families who dare block his path.
Shekau taught Nigerians a lot of sense. He showed us how foolish we are. He ridiculed the north and drilled them on their extremism. Notice, since Shekau came to town you no longer have those insane northern youth running around at the beck and call of the Takfiri fanatic elite, burning Churches and Igbo businesses for beauty pageants “in Indonesia?” Shekau took them to school and gave them a mirror to see their dark souls. Shekau taught Nigerians to live in peace and harmony, well to a degree he did, though it has already worn off in the north and east and within sectors of the demolishing government. He brought us together to vote for change which would have been otherwise largely impossible.
I miss the days and ways he boldly called our bluffs and dismantled our government lies. Today we and our media are not bold enough to stand to authorities and tell them when they lie and declare stuff as technically corrected when it is not, that they are lying. We are not true to ourselves and our existence as Shekau was. Shekau let us and the world know how useless we are/were. He made things vividly clear.
We could never be united as a nation in truth, goodness and justice, but at least, thanks to Shekau, we eventually even if reluctantly got largely united in anger at evil. Like Paul of the Bible, Shekau will be remembered for the mantra “Let us do evil, that good may come.”
Without Shekau we return to our lies, our intolerance, sectarianism and self hate.
Today under a pretense of good, may insufferable evil not come.
You can call me a lunatic, but truth be told, I miss Shekau the mirror to our dark souls as I wrote of him sometime back.
Dr. Peregrino Brimah; @EveryNigerian; also on http://Naija.Live online radio.