By Tai Olaniyi
Yorubas are apt when they say that , ” If there are no crevices or broken spaces in the wall it becomes impossible for a lizard to find a place of refuge’. At the family, ethno-tribal, political and religious levels, Nigerians are getting so divided to such an extent that suspicions of all sorts are craving into everything and anything Nigerian.
Bob Marley and the Wailing Wailers might have seen Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” far beyond the current religious collaborative pretence of powerplay induced taxonomic trappings of Donald Trump.
Is it not a truism the music of Bob Marley when he sang in his great mindedness that:
“Man to man is so unjust, children:
Ya don’t know who to trust.
Your worst enemy could
be your best friend,
And your best friend your worse enemy.
Some will eat and drink with you,
Then behind them su-su ‘pon you.
Only your friend know your secrets,
So only he could reveal it.
And who the cap fit, let them wear it!
Who the cap fit, let them wear it!”.
We now daily live in an era of what the Yorubas asserted as “O ri owo mi, o ri inu mi, demo ni mo wa” this paraphrased as a song during the political campaigns in the first Republic as: You surely can see my finger raised up for your party but in mind my support could be somewhere else”.
The levels of betrayals in almost everything Nigerian and Nigeria have murdered the traits inherent in thoughts, words and actions toward the noble ideals that should reign supreme at the family up to nation building in all their micros and macros.
Insecurity in Nigeria is borne out of superiority and inferiority complexes at the family, religious, political and economic levels everywhere hence, Bob Marley’s submission that “Some will eat and drink with you” and behind they su-su pon you, stab you from the back.
Loyalty to an ideal course enshrined in the family, community and societal unity of purpose is rarer than hen’s teeth but when it comes to ethno-tribal justifications for crude subjugation of fellow human beings Nigerians adduce religious pretences as the destiny of downtrodden folks and allied inhuman treatments of fellow creatures by the one and only Creator of every living being, everywhere.
The high hierarchies of religious rulers and leaders see nothing wrong in building brigade of guards amongst the downtrodden, milk the poor dry, promote archaic and unscientific approaches to life and living and thus subject the lives of the downtrodden to wagers of wars,banditry and terrorism.
It is an ample act of betrayals of trust that animal husbandry, cattle rearing and herding should continue as it were from Abrahamic age till this period of Artificial Intelligence and Robotic technologies.
The highly placed Nigerians and their wards in politics, governance and economic spheres create insecurity for all Nigerians because of their commitments to gain the whole world at the peril of not only their souls but also the downtrodden ones that are now forced to partake in the iniquities of drug and substance abuses, kidnappings, banditry and their advanced forms of religious and/or irreligious fallout in terrorism.
American Donald Trump which today is proclaiming the holier than thou religious puritanical and saviour harbinger if subjected to “Conscience, the Eye of God in the heart of man” in the Holy of Holy Sanctuary may end up denying our Lord Jesus Christ as a Prince of Peace, a warless Avatar when it comes to gaining the world and losing one’s soul.
I wish for the sincerity of purpose at bringing peace to the warring parts of the world against mere and mundane claims of America first in world economy, the superiority of weapons of war and mere geopolitical superiority in subtle but modern methods of empire building.
I ask of what use are the cabals, the cartels, the political bigwigs including “Biabia” beard infestested so called religious leaders whose lives are more blood stained than peace seeking in their stories of lives and living?
I wish that the days will come when Nigerians home and abroad will best appreciate unity in diversity and the realisation that as once opined by General Yakubu Gowon after the Biafran war as encapsulated in ” United We Stand, Divided We Fall”.
I strongly believe the need for rearrangement of regional configuration of Nigeria as we once had, but to add sociocultural embellishments for considerations as a means of advancing a new rearrangement of the current geopolitical zones.
This attempt if truly constitutionally constituted shall see to Migeria’ s advancements and united in paces and strands.
I cannot see why my Offa town which unfortunately had pebbles of American salvo meant for the terrorists hideouts in faraway Sokoto should deliberately or otherwise be emptied in one or two Offa locations.
Offa people pride in their trio religious persuasions and Yoruba culture and characteristic features which cannever allow terrorism to hold sway in Iyeru Okin Olofamojo.
God forbid
Little wonder the impression that Offa and environ in Kwara Southern Senitorial District should be configured in zonal arrangements with the Southwest where Offa truly belongs.
Donald Trump’s American intervention may be good or bad but is Alhaji Ahmed Gumi’s equally insidious suggestions of settling the terrorists by paying ransom, giving them amnesty and that Nigeria should relate more with Turkey, China and Palestine a way out of the heinous bloodshed the bandits, kidnappers and the terrorists are daily meting to innumerable peace loving innocent Nigerians?
Whatever be the case let it be mentioned loud and clear that only in our unity and patriotic efforts that Nigeria can be salvaged from our inimical problems of dense insecurity to lives and property.
If “Man” according to Dr. Kenneth Idiodi a Rosicrucian personage is said to be the problem invariably he has to remain the solution to his innumerable problems.
I concur in conclusion with the admonition of Dr. Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe who in his inaugural speech of 1st October 1963 as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria gave an injunction to us all:
” To no Person no matter how rich should we mortgage our Conscience.
To no Nation no matter how powerful should we mortgage our Independence “.
What a glorious charge to us all for an ideal encyclopaedic strive for a true apparatus for nation building.
Realising the glaring fact that “When conscienceless power rules over powerless conscience , it is the former that first laughs but the latter laughs last and laughs best.”
Benjamin Franklin while observing the nature of those in positions of authority and their adamant to holding and ever clinging to power at all costs simply conclude that: ” They that cannot be counselled cannot be helped”.
Who then are the power blocks behind religious fundermentalism, the financiers of terrorism and banditry including political rigmarole as harbingers of insecurity in Nigeria?
Time will tell, time will tell as time will always tell.
God bless Nigeria.
