Religious Harmony and the Violence in Nigeria

Many of us are quite aware of on going incidents of violence in Nigeria our beloved country. It borders on differences of perspective in terms of the acceptability or otherwise of a form or origin of education as we have it today in contemporary Nigeria. It is a disturbing development because on such instances of spontaneous and unchecked behaviour, losses are what we count, never gains. Lives have been lost, albeit innocent lives in what could have been avoidable clashes and disruptions to everyday, normal living.

A closer examination of the executors of the killings will reveal that those responsible for the maiming and killing are merely pawns. They do not particularly have a stake in the outcome of the war that they wage. And for those who are familiar with the strategies that the game of chess is most known for, pawns are what you sacrifice to protect a back row of officials, Kings and the Queen. The Queen is never sacrificed for a pawn. The pawns do the killings in Nigeria and naturally get killed as well - a balance some may say, but the loss of innocent lives is most reprehensible, condemnable and putting it mildly, an elongation of deliberate wickedness by men in our society.

Unfortunately whether by direct or indirect persuasion, we have played a role in the past or at present in the unfolding drama. We have been lackadaisical and adopted a regrettable "siddon look" approach that has today left us to nearly nothing for our commonwealth. The killings in the Northern part of Nigeria friends, are an end result of poverty. Poverty debases the fundamental good that men should be disposed to and colours by the cheapest of means, their thinking. While I worked in Nigeria, no Bishop or any "Man of God" no matter his place in society would and could come to me to tell me to take up arms or a knife to make a ritual of another man and I would budge. It is an impossibility because I understand that such actions breed a disturbing personal sense of negativity and are clearly of no human value. I am sure the same applies to my 720 friends on Facebook. Will a man give you a knife or gun to kill another man and you gladly oblige such a most indecent request like it was done a few days back?

However, when a man is sunken in the worst forms of impoverishment, engages in animalistic labour to get one meal a day, the prospects of two meals in a day to such a person is a bright one not to talk of food for a week. When a man gets a proposition that seems to 'advance' him, he considers it and most likely takes it. If you take time to investigate what was on offer to the killers in Maiduguri, Jigawa, Bauchi and other affected states, you may discover that the inducements to kill may not be more than N500, forget about whether the purpose of the action is a noble one or not. Someone is tethering on the verge of physical collapse and you snap him a crispy note to kill, you may be surprised with what you get.

And let us not make the mistake of thinking that it's Muslims that have the problem. No. My neighbours in Abuja are staunch Muslims and have been a major blessing to my family. We love ourselves and against what many may want me to think, that man will not use a knife on me under earlier circumstances of disturbances in Nigeria. The problem is poverty. Poverty of the pocket and poverty of the mind. Lack and wants, the same that drives beautiful daughters of God into prostitution is responsible. And can the Nigerian state offer us not better than we have?

Back to why I push a bit of the blame on us, we have let men of evil will hold sway for way too long. We have become accustomed to seeing things done corruptly. We have grown up shouting 'NEPA' upon restoration of basic electricity supply such that it is a celebration of sorts to 'have light'. We see it as a luxury to live in areas where 'light is constant' - what is a given and what should be a given in Nigeria considering our resources. We have watched as politicians continually use and dump us. We are looking for 'opportunities' to make our own from the system forgetting that the 'killers' never picture or ever share in your dreams. They do not look forward to the future like we do. We get our visas out of the country when we need it but they die without the Nigerian passport! We are concerned about how that 'uncle' may help and neglect long standing chances to build a nation made of tough fabric and a tough spirit.

Nigeria is weak, you can strenghten it by demanding that things be done appropriately. The journey starts with you - that is the truth! Demand credible elections.


'Wole Aguda