NORTH AND SOUTH DICHOTOMY IN NIGERIA TODAY: ETHNICITY SOWS THE SEED AND RELIGION HARVESTED IT.


What is becoming of a nation whose conventional law and constitutional provisions were deeply rooted on the utopian ideology of ‘Unity in Diversity? Even if the unconscious marriage that brought together the Southern and Northern region as far back as 1914 was of colonial creation without the due consultation of the couples to harmoniously agreed upon the union, it is high time we buried the machete and work our alchemy toward a united Nigeria. If our generation had inherited a weak and fragile Nigeria build with the bricking blocks of ethnicity and pillars of religion sentiment, can we be proud enough to pass the same thing to our coming generation? With such hatred of one another buried in our heart the progressive and prosperous Nigeria we all dream of will forever remain a mirage.
Of recent is the trending posts and counter posts on social media between the North and the South aftermath of Presidential Election. The Southerners tag the Northerners as Almajiris (Beggars), illiterates and Uncivilized. The Northerners reciprocate and tag Southerners as political slaves and second class citizens. Of course begging objectively seems to be negatively affecting societal values as no society will be proud of beggars. Of importance also is the role of beggars in our societies. A glance at Aminata Sow Fall's popular literary work 'The Beggars' Strike' will reveal to us how indispensable beggars are in our society. Moreover, both Islam and Christianity enjoined each of us adhering to these faiths to give alms to needy who are mostly economically less privilege. I could imagine how tragedy it will sound if there is no beggars to give alms to. This however did not justify a claim to make begging a profession as most Nigerians do today. Let me at this point also remind my Southern brothers that begging is not only restricted to northerners alone. I have spend a couples of years in both South West and South East. I have witness people of Southern origin begging but in a more corporate manner. You could see a man whose clothing outfits could feed an average Nigeria for a week. Well dress to the level of mistaken him for a banker or lawyer. But to your greatest surprise he his a professional beggar. So if begging is to be use as abusive term i think northerners are not the only victims. Except for the fact that northerners kind of begging is dominant.
An average northerner is an illiterate? I think gone are those days. Without doubt the literacy level between the north and the south might not be weighing the same on the scale. But one cannot dare say a northerner is battling with illiteracy because no statistical justification to back up such claim. The rate at which Northerners pursue education is today impressive and unimaginable. Most northern universities are becoming much overcrowded. Admission in the north is now a serious bone of contention. Literacy in the north is growing to a scary levels.
That the north are the political lords of Nigeria is a fat lie. If you belong to the class of individuals who subscribe to this view then you need a quick surgical political reorientation. Southerners are not and will never be political slaves to Northerners. If the north think her population is enough to put her in a position of deciding the political direction of Nigeria then it is a wrong political calculation. Right from inception the mere geographical expression that was later known as Nigeria was not well politically structured. Those who mapped out the regional arrangement of the country architecturally favoured the North. If today a state like Kwara and Kogi states were geographically treated as northern states then one begin to wonder if northerners are truly the inhabitants of these states. Back then in 1966 when the Agunyi Ironsi led military government promulgated the Unification Decree of number 34, the northerners were upset and bitterly reacting to it. Just when the north is yet to get healed from the wound they suffered from the Chukwuma Nzeogwu Kaduna led first military coup which claimed the life of most northern political figures, it was foolishness to accept another humiliation from the southerners by welcoming unitary system in the place of Federal system. When the Yakubu Gowon led Military government came on board and created twelve states out of the existing four regions. The result was the outbreak of a life claiming civil war from 1967 to 1970. So North today were not politically advantageous over the south as many perceived it to be. Even if the state arrangement today is 19 states against 17 states the fact is that northern monopoly of determining the political direction of Nigeria can be easily neutralize the day the South West and South East balance their power and act in unison as southerners. Until then, the north can still be believing they are our political Lords.
Discussing religion and ethnic issues is not my way but this is a child of necessity. Ours is today a society where religion is the major passport to a better life. We cannot treat others equally until we know if we share similar faiths or belief system. We judge people today by their faiths rather than their intentions. The discriminations suffered on religion lines is further widening the gap between us rather than bridging it. The Muslim says the Christian is infidel or unbeliever. The Christian says the Muslim is pagan and terrorist. Then i was forced to asked if any of the Northern Muslims and Southern Christians can tell me what their religion was before the spread of Islam and Christianity? As far as history books are concern, every reference was pointing to thecfact that prior to the Uthman Danfodio Islamic Jihad of 1804 most part of Northern Nigeria with the exclusion of the Kanuri empire were predominantly idol worshippers. Even the so called Kanuri empire had contact with Islam ahead of the rest of the north simply as a result of the Trans Sahara trade between the empire and North Africa barbers. The Southern Christians also were idol worshippers until Christianity came in through Christian missionaries from across Europe. Today the same religion that was brought to us is now the weapon we use against each others. If only we adhere to the teachings and doctrines of the two Holy books Qur'an and Bible, i bet non of us will be unfair and unjust to one another. Our clergies and religion leaders preached hatred and interpret the scriptures negatively and we consume it wholeheartedly. They make it difficult for us to understand our differences. They made us understand that it is ungodly to inter marry across religion line. Both Muslims and Christians believe we all came from the same root of Adam (Adamu) and Eve (Hauwau). I suppose both of them got married and we are their descendant. Were they Muslims or Christians? Did they married in the church or mosque? Was it a Pastor or an Imam witness and give blessing to their Union? Oh my God! Nigerians why do we allow religion sentiment to take over our thought and emotions? Everyone of us were practicing either of these religions because we were born into it. We are Muslims not because we choose to be but because our parents were Muslims. We were Christians not because we choose to be but because everyone around us was a Christian. So devastating is the effect of religion in our day to day life. Our political leaders today have taking advantage of our vulnerability to religion doctrine. They are using it today as a weapon to realize their political objectives. They use it in their campaigns to make us perceived one another as enemies. At the end their political ambition is fulfilled. Ethnicity has sow the seed and religion is harvesting it. If only we know there is strength in unity. Until we learn to understand and mend our difference, our nation will continue to walk on its broken feet.


Ismail Abdulazeez Mantu
Political Analyst