I am feeling a tinge of melancholy as I write this piece. The reason being that our land might be degenerating into a ‘sentimental terrorism”. Do I hear you saying, “Here comes the pessimist?” Isn’t it frightening if certain groups have such audacity to claim they were the faceless crooks behind the Bellview plane crash tragedy that brought pathos in all of us? Whatever their grievances or demands, this bunch of sadists should be ashamed of themselves just like the greedy politicians in our midst.

These people should be told point blank that Nigerians do not want guerrilla warfare tactics whereby physical or emotional blackmail would be the hallmark of their agitation. They should know from the onset that malicious sadism of killing innocent citizens to advance their cause – justified or not – would definitely jeopardize whatever they are fighting for or against.

Nigerians have suffered a lot, and therefore need no impoverishment of any kind. I am on my knee appealing to these groups to desist from any reckless act that would turn our country into a den of frightful ruffians. Or is there anyone who would like our country turning into a “terrorist domain”? Is there anyone praying for what is happening in places like Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and other places where the so-called terrorists are hiding? That would be a doggone shame.

The Punch online reported, “The Coalition for Militant Action in the Niger Delta has claimed “full” responsibility for air crash at Lissa Igbore in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun state, involving a Boeing 737 aircraft belonging to Bellview Airlines.” Even if there were “serious inconsistencies” in the group’s statement, indicating it was just “hungry for hype” – the claim itself is serious enough for our great concern. I am equally appealing to Nigerian administrators to marshal facts through wisdom of governance for genuine negotiations in order to quench murderous thirst of this group.

The group, according to The Punch, was demanding for the unconditional release of Alhaji Mujaheed Dokubo-Asari, the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force who is being held for treason. This group wants to unleash terror on the innocent citizens and would “continue to attack the infrastructure of the Nigerian state”. However, it brings a sigh of relief to hear that Dokubo-Asari has denounced the groups, saying it is “non-existent”.

Having said that, I am angry with whatever or whoever responsible for our present situation in which we cannot get along as brothers and sisters. Is it injustice? Is it the falsehood way the country itself was established? What could have provoked some of us to declare war on the rest of us? Hear the group further, “They that haunt will be hunted. Those that sow deceit and discord will have fury visit them in their backyards.”

Who exactly are they referring to? The ordinary man and woman who boarded that ill-fated plane or the government? Deceit and discord are key element words in that sentence. So who is sowing deceit and discord? Is it my mother who is feeling the same injustice everyday like this group? Then, does it augur well to kill her in the name of fighting injustice?

What I can deduce from the group’s agitation is the problem that has been facing us as a people. Even our unborn babies know where our troubles lie but we either supremely egotistical at heart or nonchalant – to face the truth. I believe Nigeria is a blessed nation both in terms of human and natural resources. However, events have proved we lack forthrightness to execute the wisdom needed to set us in the right path.

Our major problem is the issue of amalgamation. But those who can set us in the right path regarding the falsehood of amalgamation are too stubborn to change their minds, because yielding to such pressure would eventually destroy their own “achievements”. For instance, Obasanjo would prefer to keep Nigeria together as long as he lives rather than allow its disintegration irrespective of what happens after him. I have no problem with his stand because I also believe Nigeria as a whole can be of great benefit to every man and woman in terms of economic development. The possible danger, however, is coercion.

We should not rule out the fact that Obasanjo’s obsession to keep Nigeria together might be a piece of blatant egotism. Or let me ask this question: Do you think Obasanjo will allow Nigeria to be divided even if it is sure separation is the only option to bring peace and stability? I don’t think because doing so would defeat what he has been fighting for all his life. His stand on this issue is only human and not necessarily cruelty but of course, you may think otherwise. What I am saying is this: as human, we love winning irrespective of the consequences of winning.

I am going to argue here that the issue of amalgamation is a profound problem we have not resolved, and I believe it is the foundation for our co-existence. The president made a fatal mistake to have declared it a “no go area” in his National Conference. For him it might not be a mistake because keeping Nigeria together is the best for his own survival, to boost his own existence as General President Olusegun Obasanjo. He can be credited for taking a stand unlike those secessionists under and on top of his roof who believed otherwise, but prefer to live a divided life so they can clutch at the remnants.

Most Nigerians are aware of our history. I mean the fact that our land was built on falsehood. “The British amalgamated the country not the people,” says Richard Akinjide, Second Republic Attorney General and member of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) while speaking with vanguard Political Editor, Jide Ajani. “The British came to Nigeria to divide and rule. The creation of the South and the North is solely for commercial interest – for the colonial “masters”. It was the structure created for us by the British that incapacitated the first republic politicians because what we were practicing that time was not a federal system of government…but unitary system masquerading as federal.”

There are many Mujaheed Dokubo-Asari in our land today but either too timid or benefiting from Nigeria and therefore unable to voice out their real opinions. And these are important people amongst us. Or do you think politicians who siphon our money overseas believe in the country? Or do you think it is reasonable if those we look up to prefer to die in overseas hospitals instead of our LUTH, UCH and so on?

If they genuinely believed in one Nigeria , our situation would have improved at a tremendous speed. If they think of Nigeria as a country, they would have made hospitals in our land a safe haven. When I sense the despair that arises from our charlatan and greedy politicians, it is hard not to share it. So I have been forced to ask myself whether the “pessimists” are right. If they are, integrity would require me to stop peddling false hope about good governance.

Perhaps we are wallowing in this mess simply because whatever human beings built on falsehood will never prosper. And it is sad to know that many Nigerians are exploiting this dark side of our history to advance their own “selfish” interest – of win or die theory of competition called success. But do you think we can actually convince die-hard secessionists in our communities to reverse their thinking? How?

Robot  Villager

# 1 Link to the article is here Posted by Robot| 31.10.2005 23:47

Guest

# 2 I admire your style and accept your/Akinjide\'s challenge to think originally in these matters. Had our military (with their boxed-in-one-by-force) mentality not overthrew democratically elected Govt Jan 15, 1966 we would have amicably resolved our differences. Some of us are already infected bytheir rigid ways and incapable of accepting your challenge. Its hard to convince the OPC, MASSOB, etc that separation is negotiable. We have however made progress. On the table, we have an Isaac Boro/Ojukwu/Fasheun idea and a Gideon Orka idea. You are forcing me and others who share Obasanjo\'s idea (obsession) to think again with your powerful submissions in this article.We owe a duty to question the status quo in order to amend what is amenable or \"if the calabash cannot be opened, break it\" - as long as we have something to propose/support or replace it with. We have to think outside the box of disintegration or secession. Prove me wrong, I have not heard of any other plausible models outside the above. Its really hard to come up with anything different or new but the PRONACO promises us just that. Obasanjo model (obsession)is before the National Assembly. PRONACO Model will soon come. You and I will come up with ours through our reps or support an existing one; then we can have a nation-wide refrendum. (If you do refrendum in a part only, that will be unworkable as every people must be allowed to equally exercise its right to self determination) This has nothing to do with corruption and lack of infrastructure which is the resultant effect of the take-over of power by the rotten ones of our military. But the situation would have been considerably assuaged if the best of our military had not been sidelined. Terrorism is unjustifiable in our circumstances for the sound reasons you mentioned and it will be a great set-back to our development efforts if the Bellview crash is traced to it. Make no mistake, Chief Akinjide belongs to the \"obsession\" group but as a seasoned constitutional lawyer and intellectual favours novel practicable ideas and I am at one with the legal luminary in that also. There is nothing unique false or fraudulent about Nigeria\'s multinational state(China,India, Uganda, Rwanda, S.A Ghana etc have similar composition) but like you, I am getting impatient with the characteristic instability due to dearth of creative solutions. The \"ramshackle\" Republic is salvageable (Buhari) but not under another Army-General President. ADEBAYO ADEJARE Posted by Guest| 05.11.2005 17:54