FROM CHIBOK TO SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY FLORIDA

Fortune favours the brave, writes Monday Philips Ekpe

Check out this list: Muhammadu Buhari, Yemi Osinbajo, Atiku Abubakar. Bola Tinubu. Abdullahi Adamu. Iyorchia Ayu. Aminu Tambuwal. Rochas Okorocha. Anyim Anyim. Lydia Pogu. Nyesom Wike. Yahaya Bello. Chris Ngige. Peter Obi. Bukola Saraki. Rotimi Amaechi… Clearly, Miss Pogu is the odd name here, not only because it represents the only female in the pack, but that she alone is relatively unknown, not directly involved in the growing drama of the nation’s transition of political power, arguably the most animated aspect of our national life at the moment.

The temptation to always focus on those in high political positions cannot be wished away easily but, then, for anyone desirous of genuine inspiration, the activities within our current political space do not really offer anything new. The challenges of this country are mounting but one does not have to be very discerning to know that nothing has changed in the disposition and conduct of our politicians. While Nigeria’s political, economic, social and cultural components are literally gasping for breath, not much has happened to give hope to the citizenry. In the midst of this frustrating and despondent domestic atmosphere, away from our shores in far-away United States, a speech by a grateful young Nigerian is not only worth celebrating but can also be identified as a true lampstand.

Pogu was one of the students of the Government Girls Secondary School Chibok in Borno State who were abducted in April 2014 by Boko Haram gunmen but miraculously escaped to safety. Together with her cousin, Joy Bishara, who was also set to suffer a cruel fate in the hands of the insurgents, they travelled to the US and were later admitted into the Southeastern University in Lakeland, where they both bagged Bachelor’s degrees in 2021. Last week, Pogu had the honour of speaking at the university’s graduation ceremony on behalf of the graduating students as she obtained a Master’s degree in Human Services Administration.

Far above the accustomed, ubiquitous public political promises and pronouncements, I find the young lady’s speech more relevant to the present travails of my compatriots, most especially the younger generation. Her words: “My journey is an example of God’s love, grace and faithfulness. I was born and raised up in Borno State in a small village called Chibok. Some of you might have known my story but I love sharing my story because it shows that God works everything for my good…. When I was in that truck (used by the terrorists to convey the abductees), I heard a voice that said, ‘Jump out of the truck’ but another one said I ‘shouldn’t jump out of the truck.’ I took a step of faith to jump out with my friend. I knew it was God; I knew God didn’t want me to stay in that truck….

“I thought all my dreams had changed but God had a different plan for me. After the warning from Boko Haram that they didn’t want any girl to go to school because, according to them, it was ‘haram,’ I began to live in fear…. Boko Haram told us that school was a taboo for women and warned us that if we went back to school, they would come for us. Because of what happened and what Boko Haram told us, I got so scared to go back to school again. I told my parents that I would rather stay with them at home and suffer than go back to school again…”

How thankful or ungrateful can one be in her shoes? Eight years after that ugly incident in which the then federal government lived in denial for weeks, over 100, representing more than one third of the girls, are still in captivity, in various physical and psychological states. Many have since been forced into marrying their predators. About 164 of them have been reunited with their families while nursing different kinds of trauma. Some have died. Many have become disenchanted with existence altogether. Some have picked up the pieces of their lives and are forging ahead somehow. To successfully flee those devastating experiences is one huge feat; moving on to achieve lofty goals like obtaining higher certificates is even more fulfilling. I think too that the significance of the ordeal and odyssey of Pogu and Bishara transcends a personal level.

We must not ignore the manifest themes of their story that make them ready models who deserve respect and emulation. One, they personify the “grass to grace” narrative, a familiar plot both in real life and acting. By cooperating with support structures like the Jubilee Campaign, a Virginia, US, based human rights organisation, they have proved that one’s background is not the ultimate decider of what one eventually becomes. Acknowledging the role of Divinity the way Pogu did in the presence of that august audience would surely be thrilling to most Nigerians who have ensured that the name of God, at least, is not in short supply in their land.

They, youths in particular, must, however, keep tab on one specific detail in Pogu’s narration: “I heard a voice that said, ‘Jump out of the truck!’ ” She took a chance when it presented itself. Being alive is a risk already. Now that we are here, too much caution or hesitation cannot then be a virtue. Carefully weighing your options is one thing; to be weighed down by indecision or fear is purely another thing. Sadly, the latter has kept many people away from attaining even low-hanging heights. Life is about taking steps at the right time. History shows that there exists a strong link between bold leaps and winning big.

If dread had incapacitated those ladies in the truck that fateful night, they would have ended up in the less fancied categories of their remaining colleagues. The accolades that have followed Pogu’s talk around the world would simply not have been. Before laurels come the will to stand out, to do the impossible, to defeat self-doubt and dare to conquer. As Professor Wole Soyinka declares in The Man Died, “A man can only grasp at his authentic being through confrontation with the vicissitudes of life.” Stepping onto that podium in the State of Florida, US at the end of her graduate schooling, years after escaping likely conscription into the harem of those conscienceless men of the desert and forest, was not just a product of luck. It was a salute to personal resilience and an environment programmed for excellence.

Equally noteworthy is the attitude of Pogu and Bishara to their native country. As first-hand victims of our failing systems, we will understand if they are bitter towards it. Instead, they have even expressed a desire to return home someday to contribute to its development. Not so fast, girls, someone should kindly tell them. They remind me of a former Super Eagles player, Victor Moses, whose parents were killed in one of the senseless ethno-religious conflicts here but he put all that behind him to play for the nation. Oftentimes, Nigerians confuse their underperforming leaders with the fatherland and transfer their anger to the latter. The testimony of our Chibok ambassadors and the way they have navigated their tortuous journey to fruition tend to signify that there might yet be a positive light for Nigeria after all.

Dr Ekpe is a member of THISDAY Editorial Board