What is the matter? Am I missing something here? I eagerly scrolled through my Facebook newsfeed to figure out what it was that had got almost everyone all wired up and I still could not tell what in God’s name had happened though everyone and their mama had something to say about the issue. But one thing was for sure, in a span of 24 hours a lot of friends had been unfriended. Why you may ask? Me too, I wanted to know. So I decided to visit the pages of some of the ordinary people that had suddenly become certified judges on Facebook because I know one of them will feed my curiosity. There it was on Ms. Know-It-All’s page; it was over a change of a mere Facebook profile picture. Unh! People are fighting over that! To show solidarity with Paris, some people decided to add the French flag to their profile picture. Apparently this change offended some based upon the fact that when the same issue happened in Kenya or Nigeria, no one replaced their profile picture to show solidarity with the two countries. Some even complained that there was inadequate coverage on Western news media outlet of the killings in African countries by terrorists.

So here is my take on all these, why are we always looking for sympathy from the Western world when it is very clear that we are at the bottom of the barrel? At the bottom I say because our issues in Africa are the least of the Western world’s concerns. Also, why would they take action on African issues when they can see the inaction of the African leaders and the African people? I am sure we all remember the show of solidarity support from world leaders during the Paris attack in January. Check this picture out. Is that not the Mali President? Jonathan Goodluck, who was the president of Nigeria, called the French President to offer his sympathy when he never offered one to the parents of the missing Chibok girls. Not a single word to the people of Nigeria condemning the barbaric act at that time. Was there an uproar about the African leaders holding hands with their Western friends? So why are we bickering among ourselves over a flag?

Someone came up with the idea for the world leaders’ march and someone also came up with the French flag profile logo idea. Was the idea to replace our profile pictures to the flag of Nigeria or Kenya pitched but ignored? Remember the hashtag days of ‘Bring Back Our Girls’. It was an idea by a Nigerian man and some of us participated in rallies and carried placards with the famous hashtag: #BBOG. Do you know there were some Nigerians who mocked us and till today still believe it was a political propaganda. To them there are no missing girls in Chibok. But the same people that can’t show sympathy for the inhumane act in their own backyards want to condemn others that mourn with the world.

To me, changing a profile picture to the French flag is a mere show of solidarity. What is the difference between that and someone showing empathy as they watch the news broadcast of the attack? Misplaced priorities I say. We need to stop walking around as if we have no feelings. These two actions does nothing to resolve the terrorist issues the world is experiencing. Expecting the world to give Africa the same treatment and attention as they give the other parts of the world WILL NEVER HAPPEN as long as we continue to ignore our own issues and elect corrupt beings as our leaders. I just wish we wake up to realize this and start resolving our own issues for our own kind.

Stop expecting Obama to come from America and resolve an issue in Ghana. If Obama comes to you from the US, trust me he is coming with a vested interest. You think he will come down from the White House to fight Boko Haram on our behalf just because he loves us and wants peace to reign in Nigeria. Stop whining about whether Mark Zuckerberg display a French but not an African flag. Some of you are elated thinking you finally got through to Mark. Really!  Facebook is only going to create a platform to give you a chance to create features like profile picture overlays to express support for a variety of causes.  Why is that? So they wouldn’t lose subscribers. Do you think that Silicon Valley dwelling organization cares? Wait a minute, when has Africans ever boycotted anything.

Y’all ain’t going nowhere because Facebook is free anyway!

Claire Kopenhafer, an NPR.org reader said “Putting the flag makes people feel like they are supporting a cause without actually doing anything supportive.” I couldn’t agree more but I will like to add to Claire’s comment…“So are the African people whining about it on Facebook.”   

Ummmh! Africa breeds super intelligent people. Very capable hands that can bring a total and permanent change to Africa but I just don’t understand why we have decided to be a dependent of the West and not quench our own fire.

What do I know? Just my usual rant before coffee.