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E O EkeSaturday, November 1, 2014
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IS THERE STILL ANY REASON TO BELIEVE IN NIGERIA?

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he recent comment by the Sultan of Sokoto that the Nigerian government should negotiate with Boko Haram, while the group continues to burn down villages, hold innocent girls as sex slaves, and kill and make attempt to invade other parts of the country, is to say the least bewildering. I cannot stop wondering what informs the attitude of the Sultan to Boko Haram and why in his comments, he spares little or no thought for the victims of Boko Haram’s atrocities and combines his comment with his advocacy for sharia to be enshrined in the Nigerian constitution. He has been silent on the terrorist activities of Fulani herdsmen in southern Kaduna and middle belt.

I would like to disagree and oppose the views of the Sultan and his stance on the role of Islam in the Nigerian polity. What the Sultan said is tacit support for Religious extremist groups fighting to enthrone sharia law in all of Nigeria. His comment would only fuel religious prejudice and worsen religious differences, which sow the seeds of mistrust that lie at the heart of our instability and insecurity as a nation. While I respect the position he occupies in the society, I do not believe in theocracy or feudalism which he represents. I believe in liberty, justice, equality of all before the law, democracy and the inalienable rights of people to choose those who exercise power over them. I do not believe that any human being should have power over others by virtue of the fact that his ancestors were the most barbaric in killing and terrorising others. The continued relevance of the institutions, which the likes of the Sultan represent, is one other reason why Nigeria has failed to evolve into a developed nation under the rule of law.

Moreover, I do not wish for my children, grandchildren and people to belong to a Nigeria, where religion in form of Islam or Christianity in the present form they are conceptualised in Nigeria, are enshrined in the constitution and enforced by the force of the law. That would be a very retrogressive and intolerant society. What I wish for, is a Nigerian with secular constitution, where all Muslims, Christians and atheists are equal under the law, and at liberty to practice their religion or non-religion, without fear, discrimination or intimidation. This is the minimum that would guarantee the continued existence of Nigeria as a united country and make some people to continue to wish to be a part of Nigeria. What the Sultan and many like him believe and would like to enforce in Nigeria is a recipe for anarchy of the type playing out today in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan and Syria.

What Nigeria needs is less of both religion and ethnic nationalism and not more of both. If Islam or Christianity is include in Nigeria constitution in the way the sultan advocates, it will simply spell the end of Nigeria as we know it today. A religious war may break out, which would be unwinnable by either side. Many, who once believed in Nigeria, will begin to advocate for self-determination. A government cannot make moral goodness its main aim and remain just. Its duty is to pursue legal goodness by ensuring that all obey the law, whether they like it or not and ensuring that those who break the law pay a deterrent price and leave the pursuit of moral goodness to religion.

It would be difficult for many rational people to continue to be a part of a Nigeria, where Sharia or the Ten Commandments is enshrined in the constitution even though they believe in the morality both advocate, but disagrees in the use of political power to enforce morality as understood and defined by religion. People have ample right to practice the Sharia or Ten Commandments in their private and personal lives and there is no need to undermine the peace, and stability of the country by making them part of the constitution. No peaceful and equal country allows bigots and extremists to use the guise of religious morality to smuggle their misguided and intolerant dogmas into the constitution.

The utterances and attitude of many people in leadership positions in Nigeria give serious cause for concern and betray a serious gap in their understanding of what should be done to make the country viable. Many are still too obsessed with sectarian considerations and determined to foist their worldview on all, instead of seeking genuine ways to achieve a peaceful coexistence and equal society, where liberty, justice as fairness and peace reign supreme.

It is utterances like those of the Sultan, that make it difficult for the country to unite in condemning corruption and many of the evils perpetrated by groups like Boko Haram. There utterances sow the seeds of religious and ethnic differences, which grow into intractable conflicts. Instead of being a moral conscience of the nation by condemning the way politicians appropriate disproportionate share of resources to themselves like a 23 million monthly life pensions for ex head of states and presidents, the Sultan is busy fanning the flame of religious intolerance.

Sadly, the politicians do not fare any better. The president is not minded to lead by example. This is a man who declared assets worth about eight hundred million Naira, when he became vice president and few years later refused to declare his assets, when he became president. Today he is cited as the sixth richest man in Africa. It is difficult to know whether it is true or not. However the question is why the president has refused to declare his assets. He has made little or no strategic decision to put the Nigerian economy on sound footing. Even the road that leads to the only refinery in south Nigeria remain in a very bad shape six years after he became president. .

Of late, two planes from Nigeria carrying cash in excess of 15 million dollars has been intercepted by South Africa. This is happening just few months after the president replaced Sansui, the formers Central Bank governor who has become an Emir a position that would ensure that his mouth is permanently sealed about what he knows about corruption in Nigeria.

In a good democracy, the president would struggle to keep his job, because of all these, but in Nigeria supposedly reasonable people are queuing up to support the president for another term. I can only describe the politics of Nigeria as schizophrenic to say the least. If not, how else can one describe behaviour, which is not underpinned by any rationality apart from primitive instincts? Why would any reasonable person think that Jonathan has been good for Nigeria? Is it his insensitivity about the Chiboki girls, the corruption that has gotten out of hand, his continued poisoning of Nigeria politics with religion and politicisation of the Christian Association of Nigeria CAN and his surrounding of himself with criminals, who have shown no remorse for their crimes and are planning to steal more?

At the same time, I cannot see Buhari doing better for Nigeria, even though he will do very well for the north, if the way he behaved when he was Chairman of PTF is anything to go by. My concern about Buhari is how far he may wish to go with Islam and the fear that he may focus and care disproportionately about what is important to the north. This is an area I think he needs to reassure his critics to give his challenge further national flavour. He needs to show his national credentials and convince critics that he is not simply a scion of the north with born to rule mentality. Looking at Jonathan and Buhari, one cannot think of a better Hobson’s choice. Nigeria has been offered a choice of two bad leaders, one incompetent the other with autocratic tendency and sectarian mind-set. How can Nigeria choose between bad and worse, when what is need is a good leader? One may fight corruption, but focus only on his religion and ethnic group, while the other may do nothing, while corruption rages out of control and politicians continue to steal.

What Nigeria needs is a debate about the type of country we want, and what we expect from our leaders. We cannot continue to allow political parties to throw up highest bidders who see their application form fee as investment and expect Nigeria to develop. What Nigeria need is to lay solid foundation for democracy, which would throw up the best candidates with competing alternatives of how to move the country forward and not people who are poised to loot and loot and loot. We need to allow the evolution of Nigeria as a modern free and democratic country, by redefining the roles, if any, for the institutions which the likes of the Sultan represent and figure out a way to implement the rule of law and end the rule of men.

I suppose it is time for those, who have overvalued ideas about their religious beliefs to be told that while they have a right to believe ancient tales and wisdom frozen in time as gospel truth, they do not have the right or mandate to impose it on all. Nigeria should stop playing with fire and people like the sultan should recognise that they are sectarian leaders who must be conscious of not upsetting the necessary balance and trust for peaceful coexistence.

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