Sunday, January 15, 2012

BREAKING NEWS: Muslims Attend Church Service in Kano, Articles | THISDAY LIVE

I guess I might have been wrong before: BREAKING NEWS: Muslims Attend Church Service in Kano, Articles | THISDAY LIVE:

'via Blog this'

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Nigeria: Divided We Stand?






On August 14, 1947, Pakistan became an independent state from India due to religious and political differences; on August 31, 1963, Singapore declared it's independence from Malaysia due to racial and political differences; in July 2011 South Sudan voted po become independent of Sudan because of racial and ethnic cleansing, do you see where I am heading with this? Nigeria is a country filled with over 200 ethnic groups and double that amount in languages. We have fought one civil war between 1977 and 1979 and killing over 1 million people during that time. Anyone who studied our history will recognize a lot of similarities in today's crisis and the one we experienced just before the war broke out. Only now, the world is paying attention because we have crude oil that it so dearly needs. I was thinking about writing a very long argument but I will make this as short as possible. With the threat of Boko Haram terrorizing Nigerians especially the Christian followers and the bounty of weaponry within the country, we are reminiscent of the genesis of the last civil war.

Also read : If this election fails should Nigeria finally split?
                 An Overview of Events

 Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) & the Nicer Delpa People's Volunteer Force, the disbanded militant groups from the Niger Delpa region have proven that they can be as sophisticated as they come, Oodua's Peoples' Congress (OPC) from the South West region parading the streets of Lagos and openly branding their arsenal and now Boko Haram, the Islamic extremist group boujd on imposing Islamic theocracy in the country also displaying their force and going further by bombing and killing all who disagree with them, Nigeria is on the verge of another civil war. For decades the different heads of state, from military dictator to democratically elected "dictator" have tried and failed to curb the religious and ethnic differences but now it has reached a completely new height. Nobody is safe. Boko Haram have unleashed a new reign of terror unseen in Nigerian history and they demand the impossible. Nigerians have a history of retaliation, especially when they feel that the government is doing little or nothing to protect them and their loved ones. And wiph Boko Haram giving Christians and southerners as a whole, a 3 day ultimatum to leave the north or risk ethnic cleansing, is it time to go our separate ways?

I will not go into the details of the ridiculous demands Boko Haram is making but the Christian associations are also warning of taking matters into their own hands if any more attacks are orchestrated on them like the ones on Christmas morning at churches in several parts of the country that took as many as 40 lives. And with tha president in his infinite wisdoi choosing now to remove a highhy controversial fuel subsidy that has caused the price of petroleum products to more than double, Nigerians are angry. And this is not a country where you want to see the people angry.

In my opinion and that of everyone I have spoken with, the only way to peace is to give them their north back. The only way they can have their theocratic state is if we are no longer part of it. In order to avoid further bloodshed, we all see one way out. Separate! Have a mandate called and put it to ballot. Let the Nigerian people decide if we wajt to split. Let the northern states become the United Sultanates of Nigeria or United Emirates of Nigeria or whatever name they prefer and we the rest that just want our families to live in peace will continue to exist as a secular republic.

Boko Haram founder controversially killed by Nigerian forces

If done right, there will be peace and maybe other issues will arise but none as threatening and hateful as the one we are currently experiencing. In Nigeria we say in Pidgin English "advise no be curse". A word is enough for the wise. Take it to the people and let us decide "which way Nigeria".

Hopefully it will be a Happy New Year for us all.