Uche Nlechi

It is ONLY in Nigeria that citizens, who supposedly have functional brains, would advocate for an Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to be a VP to an Atiku Abubakar. I doubt there is any country where citizens would be too silly to promote such rude absurdity!✍️

This is the kind of news Nigerians want to hear more often: 360 abducted citizens rescued from a terrorist stronghold in the Mandara Mountains. Men, women and children who were taken from their homes and held under painful conditions are now returning to life, family and hope. The successful rescue operation by troops of Operation HADIN KAI deserves recognition. In a country where insecurity has become one of the deepest wounds of the republic, every rescued citizen matters. Every child brought back matters. Every mother freed matters. Every family reunited matters. This is not just a military headline, it is a human story. For too long, communities in Borno and other parts of the North East have lived under the shadow of terror. Villages have been emptied, farms abandoned, schools disrupted, families scattered, and ordinary people forced to live with fear as if fear is a permanent part of Nigerian life. That is why an operation of this scale must be treated with seriousness. It shows what can happen when intelligence, planning, courage and coordination are applied properly. But beyond the celebration, Nigeria must ask the bigger question: why are hundreds of citizens still being abducted in the first place? Rescue is important, but prevention is even more important. A serious government must not wait until Nigerians are dragged into forests and mountains before it remembers its responsibility. Security must begin before the attack, not only after the damage has been done. Communities must be protected. Intelligence must be strengthened. Border routes must be monitored. Local informants must be encouraged. Victims must be rehabilitated. And the state must show constant presence in areas where terrorists believe they can operate freely. This is where leadership matters. A country cannot defeat insecurity by press statements alone. It requires a national security architecture that works from the village to the federal command level. It requires troops who are properly equipped, properly motivated and properly supported. It requires intelligence agencies that share information in real time. It requires state governments, traditional rulers, community leaders, youth groups and local security structures working together instead of operating in confusion. The rescued 360 abductees must not be treated as statistics. They need medical attention, psychological support, protection, family tracing, rehabilitation and reintegration. Many of them have seen things no citizen should ever see. Their healing must become part of the victory. Nigeria must honour the bravery of the troops, but we must also demand a country where mass abduction becomes impossible, not routine. The lesson is clear: when the state is serious, terrorists can be pushed back. When intelligence leads, lives can be saved. When security operations are planned properly, citizens can return home alive. Now imagine what Nigeria can achieve with consistent leadership, stronger institutions, better funding, modern intelligence systems and a government that treats insecurity as an emergency every single day. The rescue of 360 abductees in Ngoshe is a powerful reminder that Nigeria is not helpless. What we need is the political will to make this kind of success the standard, not the exception. May the rescued victims heal. May the troops be protected. May every Nigerian still in captivity return home safely.

Whom among this three would you love to see as Atiku’s Vice Presidential Candidate? All of them are qualified, competent and professional.

Patience Ozokwor has acted in movies and sung a song. As the VP candidate, she brings a wealth of influence to the ADC. I hope Atiku sees this and thanks me.