A couple days ago, on a bus ride from the predominantly Christian, Igbo east of Nigeria to Lagos, I fell into conversation with my co-passengers. They were mostly young undergraduates and school leavers. Nobody on the bus had witnessed the Nigerian Civil War of 1967-1970 first hand. But as information on the Kaduna bombing reached us, almost everyone came to the conclusion that only Nigeria's break-up could end this Boko Haram onslaught.
This leaves me wondering if it is over for Nigeria. Since the bomb blasts in Madalla last Christmas, the massacre of Christians, Southern Nigerians and moderate Muslims in northern Nigeria has become a way of life. The effect this has on the national psyche is staggering. Fear and rage pervades the country. Sacred places do not feature on the bombers' hit list.
The implications of Boko Haram's campaign are ominous. Nigeria's fragile ethnic and religious links are quickly unraveling. Reprisals are getting more organized, bloodier. Extremist fringes of Christianity and Islam in Nigeria, hitherto checked, are having a field day in their proclamations, if not downright actions. People are finding that the Jonathan government cannot cope with the security challenges. The only resort seems to be self-help.
Interestingly, the north Nigerian elite, who are strongly opposed to President Jonathan's government, are pleading with Boko Haram to cease fire. Meanwhile, in southern Nigeria, the elite are seen as Boko Haram's invisible backers who seek to incapacitate the government. The logic goes: if this group now seeks peace, does that mean that Boko Haram is in fact their Frankenstein? And yet the role of fundamentalist Islam infiltrating from the Middle East and North Africa cannot be ignored.
Nigeria is unlikely to survive another civil war, especially a religiously motivated one. At times, I am tempted to write a posthumous apology to Colonel Mummar Gaddafi for the slurs my compatiorts heaped on him when he called for Nigeria's division along religious and ethnic lines.
As our conversation raged, one of the young men made it clear that it was the old generation of leaders steeped in tribal and religious zealotry who were instigating their illiterate young foot soldiers - to mayhem. Clearly, they want a break from this vicious cycle. And, if dividing Nigeria will end it, so be it?
But I came off the bus hoping, albeit cautiously, that these young Nigerians do not really want a break-up. They want a renewal.
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Well, Nigeria is ultimately or eventually going to disintegrate. But not now, not yet. The socio-economic, cultural--and even religio-political --intermix among the people of the ethnic nations in nigeria is intricate & advanced. But it's largely loveless...It'll take sometime to be sufficiently unravelled... Mark that the northern violent murderers are merely a big fish with it's big head above the water surface. They're the 1st or 2nd fuse to ignite. The South isn't safer with southern murderers.The greatest disintegrating factor is the criminal character of nigerians, especially their elites. Till they misunderstand themselves seriously...
Nigeria is not breaking up. All the President need to do is to follow peace with them, pure and simple. Help to develop the northern states if given the chance to do so and above all thing else, listen to the advise and teachings of Leader Olumba Olumba Obu on love and peace and all shall be well with the nation.
There's nothing wrong with Nigeria; the problem is in Heaven. There's Olympic games in heaven. Mohammed (Satanic god of Muslims) is drinking more blood than Jesus (Jewish god). Now Jesus has ordered his followers (Christians) to kill and supply blood to beat Allah on his vampire game.
Another part of the story said Hindu the god of India is lagging far behind Jesus because Indians are not killing Pakistanis proportionately. Imahmana Viracocha, the Inca Gods of South-America is disqualified for discrimination, drinking only blood of first girls born in a family. Buddha, the Chinese god is the referee in the blood-drinking competition in Heaven. The ticket for the heavenly Olympics of blood-drinking gods is free. Just kill yourselves you primitive worshipers of imaginary monsters.
@spencero
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It is insincere to suggest that the problem of Northern Nigeria is about development. Most of the money generated by the government since independence went to Northern Nigeria, the idea being to invest and develop the area. Right? That is where the problem lies. The Islamic North knows nothing of the self-help development effort that is common in the south and the middle-belt. That is why this culture of destruction prevails in the Islamic North. They are only good at destroying, not building or developing. You cannot develop a place that is always destroying. IT IS LIKE A BOTTOMLESS PIT. Unfortunately, all the destruction had been at the expence of the rest of Nigeria.
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When they have their own Islamic republic, it is possible that they will learn to build with their own resources. It is unlikely that they will destroy what they sweat to build.
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They should either seceed or be EXCISED. That is the secret to peace in Nigeria. It is not a matter of if but when. Discussion should henceforth focuss on the borders of the two countries.
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Excisionist
Copenhagen
hello, nigerias we have 2 look front and back;now every where peoples are in Good condition,in term of ,Education,social well fair,security and so on. but in nigeria we are still in darkness,we are not love our self talkless of loving some one. not only in nigeria dat have muslims and christians,we have 2 organasine our self face our Governmt just 2 4get enthinic .IS our present lerders ship has put us in 2 this problems not h ausa,ebo or yoruba and others .
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