Several centrifugal forces are pulling at Nigeria to different directions of precipices.

The political opposition and opponents of President Obasanjo have ratcheted up their do or die battle for power, in order to end their political orphanages; And in their obvious search for the plums that are usually found in public political offices. As government remains the sole growth industry outsider of profiteering religions in Nigeria.

At another angle, Nigeria is being pulled by the so-called Biafrans, with their errant MASSOB and the plethora of dreamers that are awaiting the rebirth of the defunct or stillborn Biafra. MASSOB had sought to interfere in the just concluded census exercise in Nigeria and there are sputtering news of their frequent distributions of worthless paper currency that they dub the Biafra pound in market square from Aba to Onitsha.

Then there is the Odua Peoples Congress or the OPC, a group that has been known as a violent ethnic militia with daggers drawn at the throat differing ethnic groups and at war with the federal government of Nigeria.

Additionally, there is MEND the Niger Delta group that has resorted to kidnappings and hostages takings during the past several months. MEND appear to be most daring, the most organized and as well as the one possessing the most sophisticated weapons.

It therefore looks as if there are now arrays of different pockets of violent agitations in every region of the major ethnic groups in Nigeria. Added to all that is the ever combustible and fiery fire mixes of religious flare ups that have occurred too frequently in recent pasts. There are now violent militias along ethnic lines.

These are all the incendiary ingredients that appear now to have coalesced into some ominous axis of evil, which is very discomforting, to say the least.

A valid comparison can now be made between these gathering storms in the various parts of Nigeria. They are spread across the major regions and ethnic groups and the similarities between these disagreements and the disagreements in Somalia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, the Congo, Darfur Sudan, Haiti and of course, Iraq.

I honestly assumed that most Nigerians have watched listened and learned from the unsavory experiences of the countries just above mentioned? I thought too, that most Nigerians are also aware that there a vultures, openly waiting in the wings to devour us and leave our carcasses dry in the wind. We appear to be currently oblivious of all these,  in our mutually induced zeal to annihilate each other. The vulture sees the oil, the loots to be had, without the requirements of invasion and occupation or re-colonization, because we are taking care of that in a self-destructive way. But are we willing to be dead rather than see the other Nigerian live? Are we as unthinking as that? Are we now Zombies

I have an eerie feeling, it is almost weird and sinister, a foreboding or harbinger of something unwanted, preventable and yet catastrophic and cataclysmic that is about to happen in Nigeria. If our negative passions are not put in check

Whatever this is, whatever it might be, it is all completely preventable. But some Nigerians appear to marching willingly towards the precipices, as if in acts to cut their noses to spite their own faces. Intelligent and discerning Nigerians, who are capable of doing right, are not doing so, but instead, they concentrate on parochial or myopic gripes which they hold on behalf of their subdivisions within Nigerian political arrangements.  ACF is engaging in apparent political blackmail in the North, which it calls power shift. Then OPC is in the West, with numerous agitations that is not clearly defined, but distracting nevertheless.

Then MASSOB in the East, with a sort of an ambivalent and head spinning demands, the East demand the chance to realize genuine political aspirations of producing Nigerian president in 2007, while elements in the East also demand a Biafra republic, which of the demands from the East is valid and possible in the circumstances? Can a foreign citizen (a Biafran be president of Nigeria? No!)

MEND  introduced itself with drum-rolls and bangs! MEND have made demands regarding needed development, environmental degradation, enhancement of life and means of livelihood. All these are reasonable and reachable. But MEND has also made completely outrageous and outlandish demands. The nullifications of impeachment against DSP Alamie the former governor of Bayelsa, who they argue should be reinstated. MEND want Nigeria to overlook Alamie’s money laundering charges in Nigeria and England. These demands are nonstarters!

Now, when all these are added together, it tends to look very ominously dangerous. It is as dangerous as, say, a room full of gun powder, petrol and a lighted fireplace. In the case of Nigeria, it as if the owner of the room is aware of the gunpowder, the owner of the petrol is aware of the gunpowder and the owner of the fireplace is equally aware of all the other equally dangerous elements that will combine to produce a volcanic eruptions that will produce toxic ashes covering more than 150 million people. But all are beclouded by passionate bile.

It appears that everyone is aware of this literal seismic fault; it does appear as everyone is aware that this could be the mother lode of all earthquakes. An earthquake that could measure 9.9 on the Richter scale and yet, everyone is preoccupied with their individual and group righteous indignations about their rights as owners, separately, of the room, the gunpowder and the fireplace. Even as it is obvious, that such insistence will consume and destroy everyone and everything

At the end of these pent up anger, these righteous indignations on the part of each owner, there will be no properties left to own and there might even be no owners alive to engage in any petty squabbles or quarrels about right to own room, gunpowder and the fireplace. As wrath produced a schism culminated in  the shock and awe, volcanic eruptions which puts a permanent and yet undesirable end to the family quarrels over how to proceed and whose rights were first in time and turn. No one benefits in the end results.

Some Nigerians do not want anarchy and disintegration of Nigeria, but on the contrary, some other Nigerians believe that the only end to their sufferings and bondages is when anarchy and disintegration befalls Nigeria.

In Nigeria currently, it is as if, too many are too consumed in, consumed with their parochial interests defined by negative common denominators, such as region, religion and ethnicities. So that each and everyone, of them, are working separately to bring about, very possibly, annihilating volcanic eruptions of an indescribable magnitude while insisting on their aversion for tragedy and catastrophe.

But why are there, these coalitions of unlikely bedfellows? Why are too many Nigerians fixated on gathering these combustible incendiary elements or devices? Why do some choose gunpowder, fireplace in rooms without ventilations?

Why can’t the groups in Nigeria, with vested interests in what happens to Nigeria, with vested interest in the final eventual outcome of Nigeria, manage to eschew bitterness and therefore, avoid these magnified precipices? Why do they all seem, unwittingly, but most willingly, joyously walking off the cliff? Why are they engaging in what clearly appear as if an adventure in mutually assured destruction? There can be no benefits in assuring mutual defeat. 

Why can’t some Nigerians see the benefits in our diversities, our size and our uniqueness? Nigeria must not self-destruct. We must accentuate the positive

Robot  Villager

# 1 It appears that everyone is aware of this literal seismic fault; it does appear as everyone is ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 12.04.2006 02:40

demonteufel  Villager

# 2 Why can’t some Nigerians see the benefits in our diversities, our size and our uniqueness? Nigeria must not self-destruct. what is therein in nigeria that amounts such immense ENERGY to keep it together..? for the the meantime, below is a spiritual nutrition to nourish your mind-level abit further! Resuscitation of Igbo-Life-Force Ndiigbo has to find the missing component; the missing component is the LANGUAGE (IGBO). You throw the language away, your Life-Force is gone, is your Life-Force gone, there is confusion and The Ultimate is SOUL-DEAD. In condition of Soul-Dead there is no orientation, lack of traditional values and everything characterized as DECENTNESS is gone. There is anarchy of mind, worst-case-situation, situation of fear, which are elemental manifestations within the context of Soul-Dead phenomenon. In presence of Soul-Dead the fundamental root has gone, is no more there, in this vacuum there is lack of awareness to comprehend and adequately define and interprete the events of happenings, because the language the Life-Force, the All-Embracing/Encompassing-Power has been raped and forgotten. to be continued.... For the meantime, what can we do? To attain the highest mind and spiritual Developement we must make IGBO compulsory- it must be obligatory at all level in Igboland. IGBO first, english may come second... "The Grasshopper which was killed by Okpoko was deaf" That's where I stand... Posted by demonteufel| 12.04.2006 03:28

UNREGISTER

# 3 Answer: Nigeria Is A Nation Where The Worst Never Happens And The Best Is Yet To Come! Posted by UNREGISTER| 12.04.2006 04:51

Odeyemi

# 4 I hear you demonteufel. I understand and respect your point. One must not allow one's culture to die (IGBO first, English second)... But there are many cultures in Nigeria; we were not all lumped together of our own free will, Nigeria was planned from its beginnings with ill intentions by the colonialists. We must however, defy this plan and turn tragedy to triumph. Yes! Let the Igbo man embrace the Yoruba man, the Yoruba man embrace the Ibiobio man, the Ibiobio man embrace the Hausa man, the Hause man embrace the Efik man and so forth (we are all close family if you trace our histories). Let us learn to love ourseleves equally and help each other preserve our cultures. We can be great beyond measure if we unite and stop the internal wars. These same wars precipitated the atlantic slave trade. The man that wrote this article has a valid point, let us listen to him before its too late... Posted by Odeyemi| 12.04.2006 06:01

rodman  Villager

# 5 Abolish monthly allocations to States now,choose progress! I believe, it is time to blow off this garb of laziness and hypocrisy, if people cannot generate wealth, they should bear the consequences to the full. Living off monthly rations from the hands of Abuja would not do and has not done anyone any good. As long as this lacks what is going on in Niger delta would never stop, it may even take a very dangerous turn!Governement has no responsibility to cater for people, I do not say they should not help but it shouldn't be a birthright--if you want to swim in poverty, go for it! If this is what people call unity--a unity based on oil--- I am ashamed of my countrymen and women, that they could be so complacent and heartless. It never dawned on past governments to take the burden off oil for a second--I am not talking of rhetorical nonsense---they fattened their wallets on the lazy remittances of oil. One thing I know is that injustice does not stand for long--history testifies: transatlantic slave trade ,official segregation in America, South Africa, South America, Britain et al abolition! Maazi Rodman Posted by rodman| 12.04.2006 08:08

Naija for life  Villager

# 6 @ Unregistered, Odeyemi and Rodman, God bless Nigeria for people like you. If you do not already, may you have many strong children, and may you live long to enjoy them to the fullest. And may the face of misfortune never look upon your house. Amen Posted by Naija for life| 12.04.2006 08:36

rodman  Villager

# 7 ...An African child is born in an Africans Only hospital,taken home in an Africans Only bus,lives in an Africans Only area and attends Africans Only schools,if he attends school at all.When he grows up,he can hold Africans Only jobs,rent a house in Africans Only townships,ride Africans Only trains...his life is circumscribed by racist laws...--LONG WALK to FREEDOM, Nelson Mandela Brutal Truths Unfortunately, not until we take a clinical espousal of our country's ill, would we begin to make a headway.Accountacy in this system would do nothing! The fact is, this system is useless and unjust and it deserves to be destroyed! I stand by my word of seeing the immediate dismantlement of this lazy revenue allocation-- I believe we must all participate in unravelling the infrastructures of evils in our country. Did you know that the government owns every land,waterway,oil field in Nigeria? They achieved these through enactments. Do you know which people profit from Nigeria? All these injustice conspire to strengthen secessionists. It appears to me, that people want to retain this communist and socialist status quo—you cannot preach peace while every action of yours negates it.We cannot continue to hold on to this flimsy thread of oil unity in Nigeria.We must come out of this hypocritical cocoon and face things square on—we do not bark at MASSOB,MEND et al while every clandestine action of ours espouse deep divisions.I believe we must face our problems for true healing to take place not deceitful and hypocritical deceptions.Look it has begun,these people would never give up.We might create unity by addressing these issues and flogging out a pathway,not hiding in the sideways and taking jibes at people we do not differ from in the disunity of our country. After decades of independence the country lies in the ruins of sub-nationalism—we see each other as aliens—one of such example we have just written about is inter-ethnic marriage.You cannot have accountancy in an unjust scenerio.We must grab the bull by the horn and quit fighting with veilities.Nigeria must reconstruct, should she desire to move forward. People like me would not allow compulsive laziness to sink us down. There are people that are willing to die, as I speak to you to maintain this status quo!I do not know what would become of Nigeria if it carries on like this--one section of our country is currently in a civil war with the federal government. The Nigerian government is peopled with uncle tomists and lazy people that cannot see beyond their nose. As long as we carry on this lazy remittance of oil revenue to states it is indeed bleak. Governors that cannot generate a source of wealth-- people who are alien to production. My kind of governor is one that can generate funds amongst other functions.Afer more than 6 years we can hardly point to anything on the ground? I am against the Igbo presidency given as a birthright to my ethnic group. I repeat for the umpteenth time: sectarian palliatives would not do anything for anyone. I hate the way our country is already polarized on everything, and then we bring this one? People should be seen on their merit period--- as long as we are within these borders. Abolish resource allocation to states now!It would expose and build! Mazzi Rodman Posted by rodman| 12.04.2006 09:20

rodman  Villager

# 8 Naija for life, Thanks! Together we can pull our nation from the doldrums it if we so desire! Mazzi Rodman Posted by rodman| 12.04.2006 09:24

Observer  Villager

# 9 Mazi Rodman, You have hit the nail on the head. Even if we do not dismantle Nigeria because we want collective progress and development, we are deceiving ourselves becuase the truth is not in us. Even if Nigeria exists the way it is for the next 500 years, we shall see no progress nor development. The system we have is parasitic and it benefits just about 1% of the population that is in government or at the corridors of government. Let us face reality and carry out a surgical operation which may be painful but in the long run will heal our ills permanently. A system that encourages laziness cannot be productive. Let us think of what will become of Nigeria under this inefficient structure in the next 50 years when the crude oil and possibly the gas would have disappeared. Or when the alternatives to these products become acceptable to mankind. Running away to America or Europe is not the answer. East or West, home is still the best. Posted by Observer| 12.04.2006 11:24

robert  Villager

# 10 Methink Nigeria needs a LEADER to achieve any progress, or perhaps, 'Nigeria Is A Nation Where The Worst Never Happens And The Best Is Yet To Come!', whichever gets realized first, but it appears it will not be the latter Our present endowment who professes patriotism to die in office is a demi-god with tyrannical mien, his whims and caprices brought to bear on a hapless, militarized, and demoralized populace, if not stopped, will hasten the implosion of Nigeria. OBJ is not the Leader Nigeria needs at this time, or any time; his several comings show a pattern of crass incompetence and progressive decay. He is too old, opinionated, and out of touch with mainstream aspiration of Nigerians. Posted by robert| 12.04.2006 14:23

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