By Sylvester Udemezue
Nigeria is far from the road to redemption. 2023 may not be our promised land. Look, our Leaders and most of the followers, guided by ethnic jingoism and religious bigotry, caused all the terrorism and insecurity we’re grappling with in Nigeria today. Check out, and tell me it’s not true:
- Senseless, needless extrajudicial murder of Mohammed Yusuf escalated Boko Haram, turning it into a dangerous terror group that later gave birth to a more ferocious ISWAP.
- Desperate efforts to win elections at all cost, by hook or crook, to burn down Nigeria in case of loss, led to the importation of foreign terrorist bandits into a peaceful country. Okay!! Election won, for peace to reign, what did we get in return? (1) never-before-seen backwardness and light-speed regression and (2). an unprecedented brand of bold, vicious terrorism by imported terrorists operating freely, in an above-the-law style, and even being compensated (sorry, TURBANED) for killing, kidnapping and terrorizing indigenous peoples of Nigeria.
- Stupid, senseless, and needless Python Dance 1 and 2 led to the UGM menace in the Southeast. And instead of retracing their steps, our leaders guided by the same ethnic jingoism and religious bigotry, and irredentism, have invaded the southeast, to wipe off the youths of a Dot in a Circle that is regarded as outcasts that must be “defeated” (not welcomed or given a sense of belonging) for Nigeria to progress.
- Terrorist herdsmen’s unrestrained activities caused Yoruba Nation and other agitations and the rise of Sunday Igboho activism.
- Bad governance escalated youth idleness, joblessness, frustration, restiveness, and delinquency, resulting in the escalation of Yahoo-Yahoo, and giving birth to bizarre Yahoo-Plus ritualism and wanton waste of lives of the innocent in Nigeria.
- Terrorist activities of herdsmen on a mission, and leaders’ condonation of their terrorist activities, resulted in the setting up of multiple vigilante groups by indigenous peoples of Nigeria for self-protection and survival, resulting in the proliferation of arms and ammunition and deployment of these for wanton extrajudicial murders and massacre of defenseless, innocent Nigerians.
- Myopic, segregative, clannish, and exclusionary leadership style heightened agitations for self-determination some of which have turned violent, worsening insecurity.
- Violation of rule of law resulted in violent protests, lawlessness, etc
Tell me the insecurity in Nigeria, that was not caused by our Leaders. And when I say it, some jingoists and bigots proceed against me to persecute me on WhatsApp platforms. I Remain Focused. I can’t get distracted. Only truth will restore sanity to a country that once was, but which could be rescued to take its proper place in the comity of prospering nations.
Where are those lawyers who say insecurity is not a legal subject? There is now a raging fire on the mountain. What are you doing about it? You’re the ones giving Leaders bad advice that guided them to adopt exclusionary, clannish, and parochial leadership styles that have devastated our country, and as a result of which we’ve lost our safety, economy, etc. in our country.
Our country could have been better if we had adopted altruism, broad-mindedness, inclusion, and nationalism. Our country has now been destroyed by ethnic jingoists, religious bigots, and their thoughtless advisers, and brainless blounossers who attack and persecute every wise counsel and voice of reason.
There is only one solution to restoring sanity: go back to the drawing board, and start mending fences, restoring love, and assuaging frayed nerves. Go back to accepting wise counsel. Jettison your quest to take over NIGERIA; Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians. Return to the path of Rule of Law. We destroyed Nigeria. Only we can rebuild it.
Best wishes, Nigeria
Udemezue is a Law Lecturer at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos
