Ordinary Nigerians and Nigerian Citizens

If all you do is to condemn and make mockery of Nigeria and anything Nigerian, then, you are a Nigerian. But, if you are the type that is optimistic and passionate about the Nigerian Project, you are a Nigerian Citizen. This definitions are according to my humble self!
It has become imperative to make such differentiation considering the 'Fulani Madness that has been making rounds among those we regard as elites and the ruling class! It (the Obsession about the Fulani man) keeps me wondering if these dudes are aware of the consequences of their speeches and actions. They are people that have traveled far and wide and tend to see themselves as authorities when it comes to good governance and politics. But, so far, all I see is a big disservice to the Nigerian project.

Ignorance or Selfish Interest?
Considering the media hype of so many conspiracy theories in recent times, a salient question that begs for an answer. Why are these dudes misbehaving so suddenly???
I'm sorry, but, what do you make of all the talks about the Fulani being a security threat to all ethnic groups of Nigeria, especially the Southern part of Nigeria, why the sudden alienation of the Fulani man, is it because Buhari is a Fulani? Are these so called leaders unaware of the nationality of the Fulani or they have forgotten that Nigeria is a sovereign country where people of diverse, culture, tribe and religion of Nigerian origin are free to live in any part of the country or they are just being mischievous and trying to manipulate the opinion of the people to satisfy their selfish interests???
I can't really tell for sure. But, whichever it is of the two, it is a great disservice to the people of Nigeria. I mean, these are guys that are supposed to inspire the people to do more in strengthening the chord of unity that binds the country together, instead, they are found promoting ethnic bias on a very large scale.
The most painful is the involvement of OBJ as a key promoter of this separatist move. This is a man that have ruled Nigerian both as a military Head of State and as a civilian. One fascinating thing about his times in government is that it was the Hausa/Fulani that helped him to power. If the Yorubas should have their way, he wouldn't get anywhere close to the corridor of power! Little wonder, some Hausa/Fulanis see Yorubas as Hypocrites and traitors!

Violence and Intolerance Solves No Problem
 Show me a problem that was resolved by violence and I shall show you a crisis that is bound to re-occur again! World War I led to World War II which was far more brutal. Some are predicting that there shall be a World War III, but, God forbids! The World War was largely fought and ended forcefully which left so many parties disgruntled especially Germany, Ottoman Empire and Japan. By the time the second World War was fought, the World Powers have learnt their lessons and would make efforts to create and maintain world peace through the creation of the United Nations...which was then as the League of Nations. In other words, the War ended with a dialogue!!!
The way our leaders have been handling the crisis between the herders and the local farmers leaves a lot to discern.This is why I very much question their sincerity of purpose! The Fulanis have been around for centuries, they come and go. They come around during the dry season when there are very little grass up North for grazing and return North wards as soon as the Rains are here for the fear of the  Tse-tse fly that are careers of the River Blindness parasite and the gradually restoration of grasses in the North. So, they are not new to us, neither are we to them!
Just as you have leaders, so do they. Therefore, one expects that issues bordering on misunderstanding should be resolved quietly and amicably among the traditional leaders of both parties. When they don't agree, they can get the Police involved and probably slug things out in court. This is the peaceful path to thread for peace loving leaders. But, the moment the local tries to flex their muscles and the guests too refuse to be intimidated, such crisis between the Fulani and the local Farmers that are plaguing the North Central are inevitable.

Politicizing the Crisis is a Great Disservice!
This crisis between the Fulani and local farmers have lingered on for decades and was gradually turning to a normal routine. It's highly embarrassing, however, to note that politicians have weighed into the crisis not to find a lasting solution to the crisis but to aggravating for selfish interests. A particular governor, for instance, is taking sides and raising security alarms to whip up public sentiments in his favor so as to hide his incompetence as governor and to mount unnecessary pressure on the National government simply because they belong to different political parties.
As mentioned earlier, these are crisis that have been there for decades if not centuries. The Politicians, with a collaboration with the Media launched a media hype concerning insecurity. They have managed to tag the Fulani herdsmen with all sorts of crimes...from armed robbery, to kidnapping to murder without concrete evidence. This has gradually created an atmosphere of intolerance for the Fulani man who some socio-cultural groups have shamelessly declared war on without hard evidence. With these shameful acts going on, I begin to wonder as to where is the so called education these self acclaimed heroes claim to have???

The Differences Between an Ordinary Nigerian and a Nigerian Citizen
From the definitions given above, the differences are very clear! Firstly, the ordinary Nigerian is a Nigerian simply because he was born a Nigerian but the Nigerian citizen is not only born a Nigerian, he is passionate about the Nigerian Project. 
The Nigerian citizen knows and understands the diversity in culture and religion of the many tribes and ethnic groups of Nigeria and never allows these differences to cause a bias or a rift. To him, we are one despite the diversity. He sees people from other tribes as brothers and sisters from another mother. Anything and everything that can cause division or hamper development of the Nigerian state are no go areas for him. He's a patriot that puts Nigeria first in everything he does and wouldn't share his loyalty for Nigeria with any other country. He's so proud of the green-white-green that he doesn't hesitate to tell anyone concerned that 'I am a Nigerian' despite all the negativity attached to doing that...he's never ashamed of his country Nigeria. That's a dutiful Nigerian. That's a Nigerian Citizen. The reverse is the case with an ordinary Nigerian!

So, I ask you, are you a Patriotic Citizen of Nigeria or just an ordinary Nigerian???

Insecurity & Prophet of Doom!

In the last blog, I said that I shall be shedding more light to the sudden rise of insecurity in our dear country Nigeria. The Blunt truth about it is that the news of rise in insecurity is nothing but a product of media hype!

Boko Haram is No Longer Making the Headline
Ever wondered why the talk about the Bokos are no longer making the headlines? The Insurgents are still around but are no longer getting the kind of attention they used to get in the past. This is partly due to the military activities of Nigerian Armed Forces that continue to deal with them. But, there's another reason, people of the North East and Nigeria at large are no longer buying into the hype, so, there's need for a change in tactics. There's need for the creation of a new security threat!
It all began with some pockets of banditry in Zamfara and Kaduna states that are already plagued with the so called "Herdsmen" attacks and kidnappings...there are also reports of cattle rustlings in Kaduna. But, right now, the most trending is the "Killer Herdsmen".

There are No Killer Herdsmen, It's a Media Hype!
It's no news that politicians own media houses...of course, you don't expect such media houses to carry any news that shall tarnish the image of their bosses do you? Rather, they shall serve as willing tools for the promotion of their pay masters' interests at all times. This is why the AIT would not spare any derogatory piece of information about Buhari in its efforts to discourage people from voting Buhari to power. Nnamdi Kanu had used the Radio Biafra to create a religious following in the South East before he fled shortly after his release on bail. My brother, I can go on and on!
It's not like the clash between the farmers and cattle herders just began a few months ago...it has been there for decades! All talks about the 'Islamization', 'Fulanization' and the 'Killer Herdsmen' are all the brain child of such politicians in the opposition such as Obasanjo, Fani Kayode and Reno Omokri who are all PDP members!
Today, if a goat is stolen in your family compound, it is the 'evil work' of the Fulanis, when there's a armed robbery, it's the Fulanis, when there is a murder...be it high or low, the Fulanis are the Prime suspects! Habba!!!
These are all traits of 'fake news' and ethnic bias! The Champions of these troubling news, especially the Prophet of Doom (OBJ) are all PDP members and they are all out to down play whatever positive achievement that the current administration have made. When there's news of insecurity all over, who cares about the availability of good roads and other public utilities? Absolutely nobody!
They are trying to make the country ungovernable. They figured out that unless they do so, they would stand no chance against the APC by 2023. But, just like in the case of Jonathan, if they create a long time chaos, they stand a good chance to win no matter how well Buhari would have done with other sectors of our national life. You know why? Because, nothing is useful without safety and security of lives and properties!

Looking On the Bright Side!
Nothing in this world is 100% good or Bad. It's always the mix of the two. We, however, classify those things with more evil as evil and those with more good as good. This issue of insecurity in the land gives us a golden opportunity to learn more about our citizenship of a chaotic country as Nigeria. This shall be the focus of the next blog post. What we can do as citizens to end the seemingly gigantic security issues we have. 

 See you soon!

Understanding The Problems of Nigeria

The last post was a kind of an intro to this post. The way I see things right now is that Nigerians are yet to understand what it means to be a citizen of a country...come to think of it, have we ever understood it???

Ethnic Clashes and Bias has Always Been Part of Us!
Honestly, ethnic bigotry has always been there from the word go! We never gave Nigeria a chance as we've always been at each other's throat from the very beginning. Even during the struggle for independence, we didn't agree on a particular stance. While a part of the country was not interested, as at that time in independence, the other regions were fighting tooth and nail for independence. The British, I believe, noticed this and saw the opportunity to create chaos and did create it by putting those that are ready and those that said they aren't together as a nation. In the end, what do we have?
Nigeria became one with those that said 'No' to independence taking a leading position while those that proposed it follow. But, really, that's not the problem. Ready or not, those that said 'no' are now part of the great new Nigeria. The Problem is the lack of patience and tolerance that can make us all come to the negotiating table to dialogue and compromise just to forge ahead as a nation.
Yes, they fought for independence, the more reason, in my opinion, why they should be more willing to compromise and move the nation forward. The people of Southern Nigeria, were at the fore front for the struggle for an independent Nigeria. While the South West tend to understand and had moved forward, the South East are still there trying to make a political statement about attaining a political goal that takes something much more than a miracle to achieve without the help of the other regions.
 In 1966, there was a coup that involved military officers all of Southern Nigerian origin which toppled a national government that was headed by a Northerner. Of the 5 Majors that led the operation, 4 were from the South East while the remainder was from the South West. My brothers, if you ask me, Nigeria's political boohoo-w aha began with this infamous coup that saw to the assassination of both military and civilians from all over the country except for those from the South East. We are still suffering from the unfortunate incident till date.

Is Disintegration An Option?
The Answer to this question is a BIG fat 'NO'! The Fact that we are yet to be there doesn't mean that we won't get there! The war that broke out as a fall out of the 1966 coup has gone much further to widen the gap between us. But, sincerely, is this the true cause of our woes as a people today? I beg to disagree!
For the fact that the rich of this country, Nigeria, get to shake hands over cups of tea and laugh heartily in Abuja means that the problem is not really political grudges and ethnicity that's tearing Nigeria down. On the Contrary, the real problem is POVERTY & GREED!
Just before the recent general elections, something really funny happened. General Obasanjo was in the Media criticizing Buhari as though if he had the chance to sit with him, he would tell it to his face that he has failed and should resign. But the very next day, the same Obasanjo was at the Villa to attend a meeting that includes former Presidents and he was seen shaking hands like old close friends with the same Buhari he criticized in public barely 24 hours earlier!
I remember one guy from the East expressing his concerns about the safety of the life of the President in the hands of Obasanjo! So many are like this innocent Nigerian who thinks that those at the top are quarrelling that much. Well, the Blunt truth is that whenever you hear of such words as 'Islamization', 'Fulanization' and 'Nepotism' is used by the Elites of Nigeria, please, ignore it, don't take it seriously. It's there way of whipping up sentiments to drive home their personal demands. They have made themselves the mouth piece of their ethnic groups and tribes...more like godfathers that must be appeased at all times. The fact that we act as though they speak for us gives them more leverage to hold the whole country to ransom whenever they so wish and we would be there supporting them BLINDLY!

Take, for instance, the issue of the killer herdsmen. Do you know how it all started, I mean, this is not the first time we are experiencing these type of clashes, how come it is taking centre stage today and why is it that it seems impossible to resolve? My brother, that's another Government Magic! Insha Allah, I shall elaborate on that in the next blog post, do keep a date with me!

The Conspiracy Theories Of Nigeria

Ordinarily, the herdsmen saga shouldn't have escalated this far if the Northern governors have done the needful. Now that it's the Federal Government's palava, my advice to the Federal Government is to get things done very maturely and not dance around aimlessly!
In my opinion, I think the Federal Government should re-organize the North for Agriculture. Instead of spending Billions on Ruga or any other settlements that the Governors are not willing to accept, I think they should create forests that'll be ever green up North so that the Fulanis won't be kicked around as they are now! I can only imagine how frustrated they are by the rejection they get from fellow Nigerians down South when I read that they wouldn't mind to settle in the deadly forest of Sambisa! What do you think if that happens?
I think the Bokos would be fed fat again to resume strikes against us. This is going by what they say...as per being concerned only with the welfare of their cattle.
It's gonna be like Nigerians abandoned them and the Bokos may show up and strike a deal of protection in exchange for intelligence. Then you shall experience more successful and well coordinate  strikes up north from the Bokos...that would be back to square one. Is that what we want???
We must be very careful with what we want and ask for. We shouldn't let petty politics and sentiments over ride our sense of judgement. All these conspiracy theories we formulate or are formulated for does nothing but slow down the process of integration.
It's kind of embarrassing to hear people still talking of a particular ethnic group leaving their land for them. Where is our senses of brotherhood, how can you tag a whole tribe dangerous without hard evidence???
Let's grow up people! We need to wake up to our national life and responsibilities. We are one and must see ourselves as such despite the difference in culture at all times! Unless we do, we can't progress and shall continue to suffer!
God willing, the next post shall be more elaborate! Do have a lovely day!