AN event happened during the week in a small town called Foshan in China. It is a story that bears so many similitude to another that happened years ago near Jericho, in Israel.In the Israeli incident, a man was travelling to Jericho from Jerusalem one day and unfortunately for him, he fell among thieves like the copies daily operate with impunity on Nigerian roads. They successfully stripped him of all he had and wounded him like they did to a barrister friend who works with a bank in Benin City, Edo State who was robbed and matcheted recently. They left him for dead.In Foshan, industry made a woman take to dry-cleaning to make ends meet but, unfortunately for the family, while the woman went her way collecting other peoples' shit to launder, her two-year old daughter strayed to the road and was entangled in the under belly of a van being driven by a mad man.Wounded and obviously crying for attention like the Jerusalem businessman who had been attacked on his way to Jericho, little Yue Yue found no helper as 'several pedestrians and vehicles passed by the girl without stopping. Several minutes later, she was hit by another vehicle'.The Jerusalem businessman also did not find succour in the priest and Levite who passed by, and who seeing him wounded, found his condition a pointed attack on their consciences. They passed by on the other side of the road until an ordinary usually despised Samaritan man came to his rescue. It was the despised Samaritan who took him to an Inn and made provisions for his care.Just like in the Israeli example, it was 'a rubbish collector (who) finally helped her(Yue Yue) but she was (already) said to be seriously hurt'.Yue Yue was eventually taken to a hospital for emergency surgery but being so petite, and having had a whole van run over her tiny legs, she stood very little chance of survival.Last Sunday, according to the report in China Daily, Yue Yue was pronunced brain dead.The cheering news about it all, however, is that surveillance cameras captured the whole incident and that enabled the authorities to track down and arrest the drivers of the two vehicles which dealt the innocent girl these deadly blows. In Nigeria, that would have remained a pipe dream. In fact, the only thing that would have necessitated a search for the drivers would be if the little girl belongs to a prominent politician or religious leader. What when the money that would have been spent on the cameras have been shared by the thieving governors and their cronies. If the street surveillance cameras ever gets bought, the money to buy the diesel to power it would have been embezzled since the billions we have spent on the Power Holding Company of Nigeria(PHCN) has not brought us succour, or some of the parts of the camera would have become obsolete or castrated before they get installed. Even the so-called cameras in Lagos have not done much to relieve the city of its heavy doses of criminal activities.The truth is, however, that the careless priests, levites, pedestrians and the cruel economy are all as guilty as the robbers and the drivers. When the society becomes immuned to the sight of blood, or corpses in the environment, or when stories of deaths occasioned by visionless leaders or mindless Boko Haram sect members no longer draw any emotional reactions such as is becoming common in Nigeria, then something catastrophic may just be lurking around. May God save our generation.Lewis, omotayolewis@yahoo.com (08055001746)ReactionsRe: What work does Abati really do'Thank you Sir for your factual analysis of President Goodluck Jonathan's recent comments and self explanations to the media and Nigeria public. Unfortunately, Mr. President is now being compared with a market woman who virtually say anything, seen or heard, anything she was asked or not asked, comment on issues and rumors, etc.Such actions or 'miscommunication or undercommunication' is highly embarrassing for someone at that echelon office. He should allow Abati do his job or, release him. One common negative attitude of our political leaders is that they underuse and finally render well trained and experienced Public Relations/media advisers useless. I hope Dr. Abati has enough time to go through your write up. Keep the candle burning and do have a wonderful weekendRegardsEzenwa Opara, Mail2ezenwa@rocketmail.com____________________________________Hello there,Thank you for the article you wrote in Tribune concerning the President and Mr. Abati. In fact, I was disappointed in Abati when he accepted the job because I knew he would not be allowed to do his job properly. Besides, Abati should have known better than me and that is why I am still livid. I have been reading the President's comments or statements recently and it is obvious that Abati did not sanction those statements. These are statements he would normally comment on during his heydays at The Guardian. Anyway, my final comment is that if Abati is not doing anything in the villa, I think he should just leave the place now so that he can still have some credibility.Regards,'Olayemi Fadoju.yemifad@aol.com___________________________________Hi,Went through your article and I believe it went to the heart of governance at the present time. I pray that GEJ understands that criticisms will never go away hence he should face whatever programs he has set out for himself thus improving the plights Nigerians are facing. Thank you. Seyi Odetola,seyi16@hotmail.com____________________________________I sincerely comment on your write up keep it up. At the same time, please try to always encourage our president as you have done. He has being doing a good job and ought to remain focused.Omah, Malaysia
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