Should History Extinguish us....

Like seriously, it hurt and shocked me to the marrow anytime I hear that religion and/or ethnicity is barrier to achieve an ettle one know is capable of venturing into. This favouritism in the name of religion and ethnicity clash is killing us greatly in this nation. imagine not wooing (marrying) Fatimah, Jamila, AbdulRauf, Rasheed, Susan, Oluwabusolami, Oluwayemisi, Emeka, and Henry whom you so much love and ready to profess your love for all in the name of religion differences, not being employed where one would have contribute his/her quota all in the name of this religion dichotomy. Even at the epicenter, in spite of the fact that we are a secular entity, religion that ought not to matter in line with ethnicity play a shenanigan role in destroying us and it is now as if we are under a spell (no, we must have been spellbound).

Does that mean we are not yet aware of the fact that being a Christian or Muslim is just by chance? Are you not yet awake from your slumbering that your progenitors and the majority of you who claimed to be Muslim might have been other way round if the Arabian traders had came in through the Atlantic Oceans and that reversal would have also be the case for my forebearers and the larger percentage of us who carry Christianity on our heads as if we are hawking gala sausage at Nyanya park in Abuja (seriously wish I can ask you how market?) if the Christian Missionaries had lunched in through the Sahara Routes.

Is it not worthy to be said that those Berbers never had the intention of coming down to Nigeria (Africa) all in the name of religion but because of their trade activities. Is my people not yet aware that for more than three centuries our dear Missionaries never had the intention of using Christianity to curb trade in slave and other vices until the age of Industrial Revolution in Europe (assiduously brought to being by the same slaves efforts) hence the Nigerian (African) slaves were being relieved of their works and hence constituted social problems, it was at this moment that Christianity became an opium to stop the holy trade turned immoral and servitude trade. So, belonging to either of these religions is just by chance and should not be a prerequisite for dealing with people.

The failure to spread the tentacles of our history is the beginning of our nemesis. The truth is, nobody want to study History as a course at degree level, ask majority of those that bagged either B.A. and/or B.S.C History they will yarn you their preferred course of study initially was law, Masscommunication, Political science and what aview. Whereas there had been a time in our history whereby citizens had been sent out of the country to bag degree in other field of specialization but switched to History (Odumegwu Ojukwu comes to mind here).

Is this how we planned to cure this nation of its inanity? Is it not time will kill this ruse of national tragedy of our inability to dine and wine with History that is affecting us religiously? History (Nigerian history) I believe is a subject that ought to have a compulsory curriculum right from primary school stage to that of higher institution. Our History supposed to be a subject that would be a prerequisite in all ramifications like the English Language and the likes, rather it is a course that is being study out of pity. It must be noted that when we go against the path of history, it forgive easily but so adamant to forget. Before our lackadaisical attitude towards religion extinguished us, it is still better and never too late to give History it is deserved attention in our midst instead of letting religion putting knife to what bind us together.