Occupation used to be a bad word. In the days of former Palestinian leader, Yasir Arafat, occupation conveyed an impression of oppression.Today, the word occupy has only a different connotation ' it means rendering inactive the things to which you areopposed. Not only that, it means fighting for a just cause. The occupy movement started as a political reaction to the reckless financial decisions that culminated in the economic meltdown in the United States towards the end of the George W. Bush administration. Let down by the financial institutions, angry citizens physically moved to Wall Street to heckle stock traders who aided the financial crisis. The movement experienced instance success as hundreds of clones became established around the world within a few months.The occupy movement as a syndrome received its shot in the arm from the Arab Spring, a revolution so sudden that it swept away Arab powerhouses. The revolution in the Arab nations was the result of pent-up frustration and anger among ordinary Arabs, who eventually received life from a poor Tunisian fruit vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, when he ignited ariot after committing suicide by burning himself in reaction to economic brutality by the police.The common denominators between the occupy movement and the Arab Spring is that they grew quickly and crossed major demographic lines. In fact, they both challenged and refined political systems and produced sobering results. Whenever they started, the force of state had not been able to contain them. Even Syria, the tough nut of dictatorship, has not been able to impose its will over protesters after months of unrelenting effort.The popular slogan for the occupy movement has been: we are the 99%. That is, the majority must have its say and its way. Nigerians are voicing their anger at this moment over the fuel price hike, which is important. However, fuel price will hardly break the nation. Where attention is seriously required is in the Boko Haram threat, failing which Nigeria may unravel. While the petroleum price occupation is a must, laying siege against religious terrorism is critical. The fight for oil pricing is of little consequence if there is no nation within which to enjoy the reverted price.Boko Haram has decided it has more power and willpower to have its way. In its bold vision, all Nigerians women and girls will cover their faces with religious veil, all men will shun Guinness stout and Harp beer, all churches will become mosques and all schools will become quaranic institutions. Some years ago, I would have called the Boko Haram vision dumb. Today, having seen all I have seen, particularly in the last month, the Boko Haram threat is real. If nothing is done, Nigeria can indeed become all of these or cease to exist. The president, Goodluck Jonathan, has nearly admitted defeat, saying all levels of government and security have been penetrated by the Islamic group, to the extent that he does not know who to trust.If the president can reveal this much about the extent to which Boko Haram has weakened our national security, it is time for Nigerians to help take their fate in their own hands. The 99% of Nigerians, who believe in religious freedom and fundamental rights guaranteed in the constitution, must be willing to fight the jihadists - the fewer than 1%, who want to determine the nature and shape of Nigeria's future through terrorism. The 99% have to, and must, occupy the 1%.The warning given to southerners to leave the north, in the aftermath of the deadly bomb attacks on Churches on Christmas day in northern Nigeria is a delicate and worrisome turn of events in Nigeria's quick slide towards political malignancy. Nigeria is at a dangerous crossroads, where it must decide which way to take, any of which could lead it to survival or destruction.Boko Haram remains largely a faceless group, lacking cohesive organization but packing the venom of a black mamba. We are told by the Nigerian government not long ago that this terrorist group is just a bunch of disgruntled miscreants who will soon fizzle into oblivion. The Nigerian Police and military, without doing their homework, assured Nigerians to go about their normal business and that the carnage being unleashed by the group will soon end. Stupid defiance of Boko Haram by those who are supposed to protect its victims has only produced more killings, bombings and agony all over northern Nigeria and the Federal capital.The terrorist organization has so far been able to attack as many important places as it wished, with the only exception of Aso Rock presidential premises. It has attacked the police to make a statement that no one is safe. It attacked the United Nations to say no one is too big. It attacked the churches on their most holy date to say nothing is sacred. Boko Haram rages like cancer, threatening to waste a confused nation before it develops a cure.
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