Adam Gopnik wrote that ‘Every time we tell the truth about a subject that attracts a lot of lies, we advance the sanity of the nation. Plain speech matters because when we speak clearly we are more likely to speak truth than when we retreat into slogan and euphemism; avoiding euphemism takes courage because it almost always points plainly to responsibility’.
There is a saying that no nation goes to civil war twice and survives it. This gives me a sleepless night whenever i think about my country, Nigeria. Anytime i go through Nigerian newspapers, i always see and read the tone of war!
The civil war of 1966 is fresh in my memory, i was 5 years old then, despite the fact that i didn’t knew what is the meaning of war then, i noticed that my parents were panicked all the time, they always talked in low voices, we couldn’t put on light in night, our movement were curtailed, what i can understand then was that there is ‘KOROBA-KOROBA’ in the land which i later known to be civil war.
In my parents farm then at Shasha-Olumogo, a farm settlement in present day Ijebu-East local government area of Ogun state, then lots of people are working as farms hand , they comprises of Ibos, Hausas,Isokos and Yorubas, but immediately the civil war began, the Ibos were no longer at ease, they always having series of meetings with my dad, thank God my dad was able to protect majority of them until the end of the civil war, we eventually become one big family since then.
Having said the above, i will like to thank one OMAR BANGURA a Sierra Leonean who wrote the following thought provoking facts to remind us Nigerians that we are treading a path that will lead to destruction. He wrote thus:
"I don't think you guys know what you are playing with. You can call each other names and laugh about it now but when you end up inciting hate here as I read through your posts here and a real civil war start in your country you will regret what you are doing now.
Your religious and political leaders are trying to divide you between religious lines and you are helping them do that rather than standing up and say we are all Nigerians never mind our tribe, region or religion. That's the only stand that will save your blessed nation.
The foreign powers pushing the government to take certain decisions will abandon you when you start killing each other and reject you from running to their countries so be careful. Our 11 years war in Sierra Leone was not even based on religious or tribal difference and see what we did to our country.
The worst conflicts are those based on tribal and religious differences. See Central Africa, Bosnia. My heart bleeds when I read what you guys are saying bcos I know what this will lead to. You will be the losers; all of you whether Christian, Muslim, Ibo, Yoruba or Hausa stand as one and save your nation together bcos you have only one Nigerian that has the potential to lead Africa.’’
Omar Bangura spoke my mind, at least DSTV now allows Nigerian populace to view foreign channels like CNN, BBC, Al-JAZEERA etc. We do see what is still going on in Syria,Iraq,and Palestinian. The genocide that peoples of Rwanda and Burundi went through!
To be frank with all those that clamours for war, the western nation will let us down and abandon us, our country will then turns to testing ground of all sorts of ammunitions, people will die in thousands, looting and stealing will be the order of the day; those people that ignited the war will run away! The benefactors will be the mercenaries and war-contractors!
The blunder committed by Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, sometime ago when he spoke derogatorily of a section of Nigeria origin, calling them ‘destitute, parasites and marauders’ and his determination to destabilise Nigeria if he is ever arrested for his comments and that Nigeria will be history , if the security ever try to arrest him!
Excerpts:
“We will match violence by violence. We will match intrigues by intrigues. We will match bullet by bullet. We will match blood by blood.
We are ready for them. Goodluck Jonathan will complete his tenure of two terms whether they (northerners) like it or not. To us, they don’t even exist because we pay them. He who pays the piper dictates the tune.” — Asari-Dokubo.
This guy dares and dented the securities (SSS, DIA, POLICE, GUGURU DEFENCE ETC) with his felony statements. If these three words ‘destitute, parasites and marauders’ are well analysed, it could trigger hatred which eventually can lead to war. That is this guy statement is a call for war.
I am still surprise that since Asari Dokubo made these blunder statements, nothing happened! Not even an interrogation from police or SSS! In a country that has a government, and security operatives, and someone made this type of felony statements but nothing happened need a trillion Pounds questions than answers!
The likes of Asari Dokuboh will abandoned you, don’t forget that Asari Dokuboh is a multi-millionaire in dollar, having been enriched by Jonathan; he is just playing politics with peoples’ life in Nigeria.
All the legislators, both at the states and federal level, the ministers, Governors, serving or retired, all level 12 and above officers in Nigeria, even the chairmen of local government will run to Europe with their families, because they all got the visa standby!
The question then is who will then defend the defenceless? Our soldiers who cannot rescue 230 girls, how would they now secure the lives and properties of 170 millions Nigerian?
The most traumatic of it all is the post-war trauma! Rebuilding of the country, starvations, reformations, etc,etc,etc,
In my humble advise, Nigerian youths need to call the likes of Asari Dokubos to keep quiet and allow us to build a good and egalitarian society.
