By Tai Olaniyi
‘To no person no matter how rich should we mortgage our conscience.
To no nation no matter how powerful should we mortgage our independence “.
This goes the admonition to us all Nigerians by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe the Owelle of Onitsha in his inaugural speech as President and Commander -in – Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria on 1st October 1963..
This primal message if taken to heart, mind and soul by Nigerians at the inception of the worth-fought- for, sovereignty of Nigeria would sure have taken Nigeria to high pedestals of both human capital development, socioeconomic and political advancements of Nigeria.
Nigeria would have from then been built on a profound solid rock of nation building as well as epitomes of patriotism and national advancement.
However, oozing from ethnocentric centeredness in tribal affiliations, religious adherence of the faithfuls of especially the two foreign religions, Islam and Christianity tend to connote mere observances on the outer planes than the moral excellence for which they are propagated.
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The tenets to which adherents openly profess and preach subtly or/and vehemently sometimes get them merely engrossed as practitioners but also in the array of fundamentalism.
These most times go contrary to the holiness, righteousness and purity of the hearts of religious adherents.
Religious pluralism and differences seem more dividing and divisive hence negating the vision established in the maiden national anthem of the desire for cherishing and treasuring the noble ideal encapsulated in ‘Brotherhood” not minding that:” Though tribe and tongue may differ”.
Contrary to following the noble tenets inherent in the admonition by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, disparities attendant to geopolitical and economic developments of first, the three regions, North, East and West and later the addition of the Mid-West similarly led to many divisive tendencies beyond national cohesion.
Hence, the tribal and religious oriented ‘Araba’ in the then Northern region, the political inferno in the West culminating in “Operation Wetie” and the resultant coup and counter coups all denigrate the global best practice infused in national pride and patriotism.
I remembered as if it were yesterday, the impression and expression by one of our history lecturers alias Lafayet at the School of Basic Studies in Kwara State when he alluded that: ‘The moment tribalism entered the military, every other coup was being organised along tribal lines”.
Nigerians in Nigeria later experienced the unfortunate civil war of 1967-70 the attendant woes and miseries which till today constitute a recurring obstacle to national unity and true sovereign independence.
To one’s dismay, such an unforgettable occurrence still lingers and is being perpetuated not only in thoughts, but also in words and actions during even this current day of the American styled presidential democratic process replacing the previous British Parliamentary political system.
Though a number of steps had been taken and still being taken by previous and current dispensations, the recurrence of more crisis than progress reports are frightening and gives cause for concern.
Adoption and obeisances to the normal constitutional provisions and the rule of laws are more deflected to suit vogues and fancies of the highly placed political classes, their caucuses,the cabals and cartels all at the ruin of the rule of law.
The average Nigerians especially the downtrodden masses get discouraged about poor results in their dividend of democracy that should accrue to them.
In many instances the lawmakers the pundits refer to as lawbreakers, lawyers or legal luminaries are taken now as bulk of liers at the peril of justice in the Temple of Justice.
Nigerians are today witnessing the rich getting stinkingly rich while the poor so get poor to an extent they no longer believe in God.
Or why the killings without a hoot, banditry, kidnappings, the herders and farmers deadly clashes and now the fringes of genocide all around almost the geopolitical areas of Nigeria.
Terrorism is daily gaining more ground, the attendant miseries and woes not only depopulate but get victims displaced here and there.
Nigerians dependence on God is now daily being thwarted under the different immoral practices by both the political religious rulers and leaders.
Our oneness as true citizens of same nation and of same humanity are now under the siege of foreign influences and the perception that our independence as a nation be cocooned under their whims and caprices.
As President Donald Trump once tagged Nigeria as a “Shit Hole’s and now as a “Country of Particular Concern” what readily comes to my mind are Christ’s assertions in:
(1) Beware of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees they will go to the market place to pray.
By the way who is a Christian or are Christians these modern day of anything goes?
These days of religion and politics co-mingling in ignoble tones which Dr. Kenneth Idiodi in his Sanctum musings described as,’ Religion has been politicised, politics has been religionised while both politics and religion have been commercialised.”
(2) Similarly our Lord Jesus Christ also affirmed in Matthew 7:21,
“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.”
It is therefore obvious that partakers of evils in any form have no soft landing in Paradise be highly or lowly earthly placed.
I therefore wish that Donald Trump, a Christian apologetic and cohort, the Christian and the Islamic leaders in Nigeria and abroad would learn more the way to ‘Peace Profound’ than engulfing us Nigerians and the world at large in genocidal wars, their skirmishes and humanity’s attrition.
True Muslims and their counterparts the Christians should learn to engage in holy war that will enable them be “Refined” by the “Fire of spiritual passion” so that we all be,”Born again”.
Nigerians deserve being more scientific and research minded than continue to cling to the crudity of the past in religion, politics, agricultural practices, animal husbandry, mining techniques and outmodel technologies.
These include less clinging to stinking and corruptible affluence at the peril of the dying masses and the denigration of our nationhood,our sovereignty and independence.
Donald Trump and others in the class of world powers should learn much more to be lovers of peace than sellers of weapons of mass destruction.
Bob Marley once intoned in his rich minded music which goes for Trump’s
” To Be or Not To Be’ when tagging Nigeria a
” Country of Particular Concern”.
Whatever be the case, according to Bob Marley and the Wailing Wailers:
We don’t need
(No more troubles) no more troubles, no more troubles, no more troubles
We don’t need
We don’t need no more troubles, no more war, no more war
No more war, I say
… Speak happiness
Sad enough without your wars
Come on and speak love
Sad enough without your fault, yeah
We don’t need no trouble (spread love)
What we need is love (what we need is love, sweet love)
We don’t need no more trouble.
We need to be reminded the admonition of late President Muhammad Bihari when he was Nigeria’s Head of State,
” The present generation of Nigerians and even the upcoming ones have no other country to call their home.
Nigeria belongs to all and we must all remain here to salvage together ‘.
God bless Nigeria.
