Nigeria has been swamped in a protracted economic difficulty, which, inadequately resolved over the years , has dovetailed into an equally protracted security challenge that threatens national cohesiveness and unity. Unbridled banditry, ransom kidnappings, and ethno-religious separatist insurgencies straddled many states and communities across the country. Aside from the festering Boko-Haram/ISWAP insurgency in the northeast, the Fulani herders/settlers Vs farmers/indigenes killings in the North Central and northwest, and the increasingly bloody IPOB uprising in the southeast are wreaking the greatest havoc on national security and unity.
One of the reasons why the bloodbath continues unabated is the narratives that have been brought to rule, and the wrong answers being given to the abiding questions on the crisis. Take the herder/setter and farmer/indigene crisis. The questions here are who are responsible for the killings? Who are the victims? What led to the killings? Unfortunately, rather than dig and find true answers, the narrative that has been set and propagated is that the Fulani herdsmen are the sole killers and the farmer/indigenes are the only victims. Furthermore, the narrative label the Fulani tribesmen as “muslim jihadist” and the farmer/indigenes, as Christians. It is a dangerously erroneous narrative which has brought cumulative public anger against the Fulani tribesmen, mostly because Nigerians are mostly responding to the tragic situation based on ethno-religious colorations and sentiments.
Absolutely, as citizens, Nigerians have every right to be angry about the unabated bloodlettings, and the actions or inactions of government. However, to make a blanket judgment that indict everyone because of their ethno-religious orientations, is to say the least, dangerous. And even more so, is to continue to fan the narrative that presents any particular religion or ethnic group as the sole perpetrators or victims of the crisis that is terribly harming national harmony and peaceful coexistence. This brings to question the role of the media and Civil Society Organization in the fanning of these dangerously polarizing narratives.
As it is well known, media operations and operatives across the board, function on the oilings of financially inducements; a truism that equally holds for civil society organizations. This makes the creation of a new generation of Nigerian journalist that is imbued with a sense of humanity , patriotic zeal and the preservation of national statehood, an abiding imperative.
The promotion of all-inclusive government that prioritizes equitable development to improve the lives of Nigerian citizens, regardless of ethnicity and religious orientation, is now an urgent imperative. The rising waves of divisive, secessionist and separatist agitations that promote ethnic and religious identities must not only be denounced, the root cause of the separatist angst have to be understood and dealt with. And this should be an urgent national priority.
Nigeria is a country of rich diversities – which calls to question the resurgence of desperate youth groups who promote ethnic and regional identities and extremist positions in the different geo-political zones across the country. The challenge therefore is for the government and its leadership to commit itself to ensuring national unity by dispensing its projects and services in manners that serves all parts of the country fairly and equitably; as a way of ensuring the emergence of a Nigeria that would be regarded as their home by all Nigerians. This relates to the abated IPOB separatist insurgency in the southeast.
Most Nigerians are observing the activities of this and similar ethno-religious groups mushrooming across the country with consternation. And grief at the reckless and bellicose utterances of these groups, organizations and individuals, that fan the fires of ethnic and religious hate, and who are openly seeking the dismemberment of the country. What is more regrettable is that many of these groups issuing provocative and inciting pronouncements on behalf of sections of the country lack roots in the communities they posture to represent. These nonetheless, it has to be appreciated that the proliferation of these youth-led groups, is in the first place, a reflection of the failure of government and inclusive developmental governance, and specifically, the failure to create a future for the youth population who now devote their time and energies to unproductive ventures, including serving as the vanguards, and cannon-fodders for divisive politics and the violence associated with it.
Factually, at the core of the forces now tearing the fabrics of national unity and coherence is the yet unfound meaning of what Nigeria nationhood and its citizenship is to many Nigerians. Alongside this is the widely felt perception that Nigeria’s federal system has not been fundamentally reformed to assure the constituent parts of the country of inclusiveness. These are genuine cumulative grievances dating from Nigeria’s colonial and post-colonial history of bad governance and manipulation of ethnic and religious differences. Hence, the holders of public offices must now resolve to effectively govern and deliver services and promote social justice; formulate policies take take account of Nigeria’s ethnic and cultural diversities; and promote the security and welfare of citizens across the country irrespective of the ethnicity, and religion of individuals and groups.
The country’s ethno-religious contestations are politically related problems. They can only be confronted with the demonstration of political will at the highest level.
(This discourse consist of excerpts from the book ” Power of Possibility” by Salihu Moh. Lukman. Pg 144,and was edited by rnn.org.ng)