Prayers Definitely Not Working For Nigeria As Boko Haram Ratchets Up Suicide Bombing Attacks

While Nigerians have been inundated with calls to pray for the challenges facing their country, Boko Haram insurgents are slowly but surely picking up their recently faltering momentum. It started with attacks on Kimba, a pastoral village in Borno state on boxing day, then a fierce gun battle with members of the militia group, Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) yesterday in Maiduguri, the capital.

Earlier today, a bomb allegedly planted in a mosque also in Maiduguri went off and killed a yet to be determined number of persons, while twin suicide bombers wreaked havoc in a busy motor park in Madagali, Adamawa state a few hours later killing at least 30 people.

President Buhari, shortly after assuming office, had promised that the terror group would be defeated this month, and one of his aides, just a few days ago, even said that the promise had been kept. I would not be surprised if the calls for prayers not only continue, but intensify based on this renewed onslaught by Boko Haram, a trend which sadly will continue because I believe that the recent lull in Boko Hram's murderous campaign was not due to the army's anti terror campaign, but was a strategic withdrawal by the terrorists. They are now back, and the Nigerian army has its work cut out.

While Nigerians continue to pray and not hold their leaders to account for the state of their country, their leaders continue to drag their feet and see no reason why they should act in the people's interest. But the leaders are not idle; they are busy stealing state funds and stashing them in foreign banks, while Nigeria's major source of income, oil, continues its price free fall in the international market.

Boko Haram is giving Nigerians a glimpse of what 2016 will look like. On Thursday night, millions of Nigerians will gather in thousands of churches across the country to usher in the new year with prayers; I suggest they all stay at home and not waste their time and money. We have wasted way too much time and energy on prayers which have yielded absolutely no results,why not invest them in going to work on our country?