The red carpet to Dapchi

There is a marked distinction between celebrating and grieving. Not even under the weight and influence of status, gender, religion or ethnicity does an equilibrium exist between these two dispositions. They are mutually exclusive. And any attempt, by way of omission or commission, to make both moods look equal, as was the case during President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent condolence visit to Dapchi, Yobe State,  calls into question the sense of rationality and sensitivity. The people of Dapchi and indeed the entire country are still saddened by the avoidable abduction of 110 girls from the School of Science and Technology, Dapchi, by Boko Haram terrorists.

• Buhari’s politicisation of Dapchi abduction worrisome ―PDP

The pain and trauma of the parents of the girls are still too fresh to brook the laying of  the red carpet for President Buhari who came to commiserate with the people, but that was precisely what happened. And even if unrestrained by the official embarrassment caused by the daring act of the terrorists, especially because there was a precedent from which, apparently, no lessons have been learnt, no one goes on a red carpet to a disaster site for any reason. Otherwise, it would be construed, as is the case now, as an unabashed expression of insensitivity to the plight of the victims and their loved ones.

Yes, President Buhari may not have asked for or known that he would be given a red carpet treatment in Dapchi but his aides who arranged the visit should have known and prevented it. They should not have missed out on such an important detail because of its sensitivity. The presidential advance party to Dapchi too could have averted the embarrassing spectacle hours or even minutes before the president’s arrival by removing the red rug that tended to turn an event that strictly called for sobriety into one of fanfare and merrymaking. It was uncalled for. Even President Buhari had options:  he could have taken a different route just outside the red carpet to his seat or the podium to underscore his aversion to a red carpet in the circumstances.

And assuming that the protocol and security teams confined him to a pre-planned route, they could not have stopped him from making an off-the-cuff remark that would have alluded to the impropriety of a red carpet in the circumstances. He could have assured that he would have felt well received, honored and respected even without the red carpet, given the prevailing situation. Such a statement, whether terse or profound, would have reined in the plethora of besmirches that have attended the otherwise well-intended condolence visit.  It would, in addition, have portrayed the president as having a perfect understanding of the seriousness and enormity of the matter at issue and his supposed empathy with the victims and their parents would have been more believable. Sadly, the president and his handlers failed to advert their mind to this important and sensitive precaution or simply did not think that it mattered.

Regrettably, the manner of reception ostensibly permitted by the president at Dapchi, coming on the heels of his appearance and participation in an elaborate wedding party in Kano State a few days earlier, gave the impression that he was lackadaisical about the grave incident of the abduction of the girls. This negative public perception may not necessarily impact on the critical issue of rescuing the abducted girls as quickly as possible but it does have effects on the psyche of the parents of the abducted girls. It would be recalled that some parents of the abducted Chibok girls died before their children were rescued because they went into depression as a result of poor handling of the post-incident management of the disaster, especially in the areas of negative official disposition and careless utterances that failed to inspire hope.

Dapchi girls: Abductors want to surrender ―Aisha Wakil

To be sure, we do not suggest that the entire country should grind to a halt or that those who have reasons to celebrate should not do so because of this collective misfortune. The point being made, however, is that the president as the head of the family should not be overly celebratory at a time when some members of his family are grieving. He should learn to apply the balancing act, in which case moderation would be key. In whatever way it is viewed, going to Dapchi with a red carpet is patently in bad taste and the symbolism is simply awful. It did not show empathy with the distraught parents of the kidnapped girls. President Buhari would appear to have a need for better advisers and/or learn to take good advice. Whatever is the cases, it is time he began making necessary adjustments to obviate the spate of unforced errors that have continued to expose the underbelly of his government.