Unlike other countries where citizens response to national issues constructively,Nigeria’s case is a very palpable case,here in Nigeria a Notherner is praying patiently to hear any ugly news from the South, While a Southerner is fasting day and night to hear an ugly news coming from the North,to make it more easier to comprehend,Nigeria’s Citizens responds to matter’s of public and regional issues is more dangerous than an Attack editorial which a newspaper outlet uses to fight any opponent. The northern man calls the southerner” Agents of Baby factory” why a Southerner calls the North “Born to rule mentally inclined” these war of words and display of hatred are seen more on the social media like facebook,on the mentioned platform it is a no go area,News outlets like Premium times,Punch,Sahara reporters Et al have been turned to a war Zone,concluding that the Nigerian youth’s do not border reading the details of a news is a mere irony,Youths do not border to read the tiltle of a news,all what they are interested is which ethnic region does the news speak bad of so that other tribes can attack them.
On March 6, 2014, the All Progressive Congress (APC) held its inaugural National Summit with the theme “Unveiling the Roadmap for a New Nigeria”. The major highlight of the summit was the unbundling of APC Manifesto which stated clearly what the party intends to do to create a better life for all Nigerians. Perhaps, the most significant aspect of the inaugural Summit was the signing of a social contract for good governance with Nigerians by APC State Governors and party leaders at different levels.
This was not only epochal but also another first in the series of firsts achieved by the APC in its bid to deepen democracy in Nigeria .
While the rest of the world and millions of Nigerians applauded the dignified approach of the APC to politics, the PDP, as usual, responded in a panicky tenor resorting to malicious name calling. This is not the first. Upon the registration of the APC by INEC last year July, the PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary went to town that the APC leadership has been hijacked by Muslims .In October, 2013, the PDP went out of the line of decency to label APC as an Islamic Party that is bent on jihad. On January 7, 2014, the PDP National Publicity Secretary completely outdid himself by claiming that APC is a party of terrorists and even went as far as linking APC with Al-Qaeda. Nigerians are not surprised! Few months ago, the Special Assistant to Mr. President on Social Media, Reno Omokri, was exposed to be the brain behind the social media hate campaign directed at certain Muslims from the northern part of the country. So, clearly, Nigerians know the location of the kitchen that is cooking the broth of ethno-religious hate which is dangerously dividing the country along ethnic and religious lines. PDP’s only response to burning issues of socio-economic welfare of Nigerians, as eminently raised by the APC, was to label the APC as “Janjaweed terrorists”.
Given, Nigeria’s diversity in ethnic and religious affiliations, it is most irresponsible for a political party that claims to enjoy the genuine mandate of the Nigerian people to continue to paint its Muslim populace as terrorists even when Muslims constitute about half of the population of the country. This is nothing short of indirectly calling for a religious war in the country. This is the height of insensitivity, impunity, and official debauchery.
If the PDP has any more decency left in its ranks, it should save itself of further ignominy by facing the real issues of joblessness, hunger, poverty, insecurity, dilapidated infrastructure and mind boggling official corruption currently ravaging the country. It is in the best interest of PDP to quit the destructive path of ethno-religious incitement.
The APC on its path is even more dangerous when it comes to this war of words,few weeks back an austrailian man reportedly brought to mediate between Nigeria and Bokoharam named Ihejirika and Sherif as Bokoharam sponsors,a claim many Nigerian belived was paid for by some old wicked politicians,that claim and allegation however made men like Lai Mohammed and El-Rufai calling for the Head of Azubuike Ihejirika and Sheirf,branding them the major sponsors of Bokoharam,this is a very pitiable conditions these men has enslaved Nigerians into. I cannot become a martyr for a country like Nigeria because it will yield nothing. Believe me, we've had so much martyrs but nothing significant happened.
If you need to know my rescue plan, I don't think it'll change much because there's no one to implement it. Is it GEJ? Who? Nobody is happy anymore about Nigeria the country's image have been stains for so long,and when it look like something good will come out of it along the line another spring of violence either terrorism or tribal war the worst thing is that the government are too relax about it, corruption and looting as much as they can,their is nothing in place in that country no system,and population is increasing poverty increasing,things are getting more expensive everyday for common man.The country have turn a lot of able men and women to be handicap's frustration will set in people will find excuse to cus tension and it will finally lead to destruction of lives and properties.
This same circle is been going on for 55 years and is not getting better rather than it getting worst,the country is now becoming a global embarrassment
Nigeria is the only country where Citizens RIGHTS have been turned to PRIVILEGES, We no longer enjoy basic infrastructural amenities, No security of lives and properties.
We have corrupt- stricken leaders, yet they are clamouring to be working for the good people of Nigeria. Just Imagine, our past is becoming better than our future.
In the beginning, it was not so. The culture of kleptocracy and sycophancy has been extolled to the highest levels It is not gainsaid that most active politicians in the country right now have not really learnt any useful lessons from the repercussions of politics of fear and hatred that almost caused the disintegration of Nigeria as a single political and economic unit. How, one may ask? Because they are still using the old and irresponsible tactics of whipping up ethnic sentiments and religious fanaticism to cause unnecessary division, fear and hatred among members of different ethnic nationalities and religions in the country. It is sad that some political outlaws still employ undesirable elements to maim, kill and destroy for the sake of power. I am convinced that the hideous boko haram phenomenon are the unintended consequences of politics of fear and hate engaged in by some prominent politicians. Aside from that, exaggerated fear of probable economic ruin in future compels our politicians to steal public funds to an extent detrimental to their physical, mental and spiritual health. Nowadays, top politicians no longer steal millions. Rather, they prefer to embezzle hundreds of millions and billions, with the full knowledge that our compromised judicial system is impotent to stop them.
Just last week there was a report of a Jet seized by South African Governemnt,the Jet however was reported to have carried Money on transit.For the single fact that Pastor Ayo Orisejeafor admitted to be the owner,it has generated social tantrums,fowl and abusive languages from many Nigerians who has renamed the umbrella body of CAN to Criminal Association of Nigeria,without reading details many Northerners has concluded that Papa Ayo is the sponsor of Bokoharam.These are the negative effect of these tribal war,and with such Nigeria cannot admit to be in unity,certainly we are not
Hatred and fear are acidic emotions. They have a corrosive effect on the hater both mentally and physically. In acting out of fear triggered by hatred, the average politician tends to lose every sense of proportion in the pursuit of his political objectives. The level of hatred in Nigerian politics is too high: it is responsible for our arrested political development. It incubates and nourishes the winner-takes-all syndrome that has caused a lot of havoc in the society. Hate makes politicians to sabotage the efforts of their rivals occupying public office. Another ugly repercussion of hatred in politics is the obdurate refusal to acknowledge the achievements of one’s political rivals. For instance, in my estimation, President Jonathan’s performance is slightly below average. That does not mean that in some areas his administration has not made some positive impact. It is good politics for his rivals in other parties to criticise him; it s bad politics for them to continuously lambast him from A to Z, without recognising those areas where has done something tangible. The same reasoning applies to every political office holder in the country.
“Any politician who uses fear and hatred to achieve political ends is immature and unfit to hold public office in any capacity”. The reason is simple: fear and hatred divide, whereas politics at its best is for consensus building to determine the best way to govern society for the benefit of everyone. Therefore, the use of abusive language, language that promotes hate and fear is not part of responsible politics.
The blame for this ethnic wars can be laid on the table of our politicians,they started it and now it has infested the brains of many Nigerians.
Can Anything Good come from the North? An Igbo man will loudly answer NO.That is the condition we find ourselves in Nigera.
Promise Uzoma Okoro,A Political analyst write from Portharcourt
Follow me on Twitter@PuoUzoma
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