A manufacturing company did the unusual when it sent emails to its staff to tell them that the enemy of the company had been captured. Those who were interested in its identity should proceed to the conference room. Those who went found a life sized coffin. Inside it was a big mirror. The message was not lost on the staff. They were, as they looked at themselves in the mirror, individually, and collectively, the enemies of the company.

We have all lived with the scourge of Boko Haram for the past eight years or more. But we know, if we are going to be honest, that we could have nipped things in the bud. Instead, we chose first to play the religious card, then the ethnic card. The Northern leaders found it politically convenient to treat it as a localised issue, a kind of ‘tiwa ni tiwa’ problem. When we could have treated them as bandits we did not. When they became emboldened and started bombing churches, some Northern leaders, including some of those in government today, romanticised them and wanted a kind of amnesty for them like the Niger-Delta militants—only they couldn’t manufacture a cause for these rebels. Even when Shekau took to the air and started insulting the sovereignty of Nigeria, some of our Northern brothers who hoped to gain some kind of political leverage, still defended them. And because we had a President who happened to come from the South, who happened to be a Christian, who happened to want a second term badly and who happened to be weak, he allowed some Northern elites to play the usual politics of religion and ethnicity and let things fester.

When they could have been listed as terrorists by the rest of the world, some of our ‘Northern leaders’ fought back and insisted they were not terrorists. The rank and file also shielded them thinking they were the better of two evils.

Exasperated, Jonathan’s Southern advisers allowed the North have its way and ‘kill themselves’ if that was what they wanted. By the time Chibok came, we had lost it as a people united towards a common cause. We are all losers in the Boko Haram saga. We lost our pride; we lost our humanity; we lost our communality; we even lost our spirituality. We treated the North-East as some remote parcel of land in the desert instead of as a part of ourselves, of our being as a nation. This is in spite of our colossal loss in men and materials. But the biggest loser is the North itself, including the people of the North-East. Families have been destroyed; homes have been annihilated. Children have lost their innocence while adults have lost their livelihood. Economically and educationally, the whole region would have to play catch-up to the rest of Nigeria for quite a while. All of these could have been avoided if we had acted decisively to deal with criminality without looking at tribe and religion.

We can blame the Jonathan administration because the buck has to stop somewhere and because he was not assertive enough. But the real enemies are those who felt they could leverage on the situation and those who see nepotism in everything. They are the enemies within.

We are doing the same with the Fulani herdsmen. Instead of treating them as bandits and murderers, we are ethnicising the issue. These people might be Fulani or they might not be. They might be cattle rearers and again, they might not be. But nobody, no matter the tribe, no matter the trade, no matter the religion, has the right to take a life. Nobody has the right to loot and maim. Those governors who gather together to defend Fulani herdsmen should cover their heads in shame. It is not about Fulani herdsmen. It is about banditry and murder.

The law enforcement agencies who look the other way or seek political solutions for criminal acts have not learnt any lesson. They should be held responsible if things escalate and individuals and groups are forced to defend themselves. They are—governors and law enforcers—the enemies within. Of course the buck stops at the center. At the end of the day, if this continues for too long, we shall all end up as losers but the greatest losers are the Fulani herdsmen who will be treated with distrust by various host communities and denied access and integration.

We all woke up on Monday to see the re-appearance of fuel queues which had largely disappeared by the weekend. The reason we are told, was because some strategic pipes had been blown up by the weekend. A group, called the Niger-Delta Avengers has claimed responsibility. Predictably, some South-South leaders are going to defend its actions. Many of the leaders will be deaf, blind and dumb, hearing and seeing no evil. The people who live with its members will try and shield these crooks from the law. Let us not again romanticise things. These people are economic terrorists and the earlier we dealt with them like the criminals they are, the better for the country. They are not after the emancipation of the Niger-Delta. They are selfish crooks who are after the emancipation of their pockets and don’t care who or what goes down with it.

The last six years have unmasked many a war lord who became as rich and as corrupt as the rest of the Nigerian elite. How many of them looked back to develop their communities? How many found vocations and means of sustenance for the youths who were in the trenches with them?


By blowing the oil and gas pipes, they might increase the hardship of the ordinary Nigerians. But their own people will suffer just as well. They might plunge the nation into another round of darkness but their people will not be exempt.
Yes, the country will suffer, but their people will suffer more. And for what? The blown pipes will increase the negative environmental impact on their communities while the violence and lawlessness will decrease the possibility of future investments and developments. The whole world is moving away from the curse of oil. The ‘Avengers’ are still stuck in it. By the time the sludge is cleared, if it ever gets cleared, the people will realise how much damage the militants and activists have done to their community and how far backwards they have dragged them.

The Yorubas have a proverb for it. A flea is killing itself thinking it is killing the dog. They are enemies within. My plea is that anybody who takes a life; anybody who destroys national assets; anybody who loots the treasury should be severely dealt with. Nobody kills or loots for their religion or tribe. They must be recognised for what they are, criminals and those who shield them, enemies of state.  

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modath:

Thanks but I was editing it/trying to highlight the salient points...

A flea is killing itself thinking it is killing the dog.

They are the enemies within. We are doing the same with the Fulani herdsmen. Instead of treating them as bandits and murderers, we are ethnicising the issue. These people might be Fulani or they might not be. They might be cattle rearers and again, they might not be. But nobody, no matter the tribe, no matter the trade, no matter the religion, has the right to take a life

Igbiboi:
Nonsense article.

Standing5:
You guys are pathetically hateful. I expect the comment from ur likes and so won't feign being surprised.

Igbiboi:
Nonsense article.

YorubaHighness:
The article must be written by a Yoruba person.

Yorubas always tries to see events with a diplomatic perspective, always trying to separate the corn (event) from the cob (tribe/ethnicity).

In a country where multiple group tries to monopolize violence (Fulani herdsmen and boko haram, ND Avengers) and some deals with victim complex (Igbos/Ibos), diplomacy won't work.

Yorubas need to stop being the only diplomatic group in Nigeria. Diplomacy doesn't work for Nigeria. Aggression does.

Igbiboi:
Nonsense article.

989900:
After all is said and done, all these villians from BH to FH to NDA will retain some weapons and eventually ultimately become armed robbers terrorizing their communities.
We've seen 'dance' many times before.

freeze001:
I think it is rather uncharitable for the writer to attempt to preempt the Southern Governors and leaders by saying they are going to defend the actions of the NDA.

Secondly, it takes a fairly obtuse person to lump the NDA with the boko haram and fulani herdsmen. One stark contrast is that the later two are murderers pure and simple. Every action they take is geared towards massive human casualty. Again, they have no identifiable cause other than greed and tribal/religious supremacy agenda which informs their modus operandi of killing the 'infidels' according to their kouran and doing so in the name of Allah (boko haram). For the herdsmen, they simply have a bad sense of entitlement hence the audacity with which they sack and take over communities, not without massive murder and pillaging.

The NDA however are fighting for the soul and ownership of what is theirs and it is easy to see why unless a person is just plain daft and greedy.

989900:


1. Who and what are the NDA made of ?

2. How would you define ownership of oil blocks and production?

3. How is the blowing up of oil installations, and killing of security operatives plus indirectly exposing the oil communities to enviromental hazards, economical and security hazards the most sensible way of achieving their goal (basically the same thing BH did)?

989900:


1. Who and what are the NDA made of ?

2. How would you define ownership of oil blocks and production?

3. How is the blowing up of oil installations, and killing of security operatives plus indirectly exposing the oil communities to enviromental hazards, economical and security hazards the most sensible way of achieving their goal (basically the same thing BH did)?

freeze001:
I think it is rather uncharitable for the writer to attempt to preempt the Southern Governors and leaders by saying they are going to defend the actions of the NDA.

Secondly, it takes a fairly obtuse person to lump the NDA with the boko haram and fulani herdsmen. One stark contrast is that the later two are murderers pure and simple. Every action they take is geared towards massive human casualty. Again, they have no identifiable cause other than greed and tribal/religious supremacy agenda which informs their modus operandi of killing the 'infidels' according to their kouran and doing so in the name of Allah (boko haram). For the herdsmen, they simply have a bad sense of entitlement hence the audacity with which they sack and take over communities, not without massive murder and pillaging.

The NDA however are fighting for the soul and ownership of what is theirs and it is easy to see why unless a person is just plain daft and greedy. Nigerian leadership has proved itself as incapable of being reasoned with. Dialogue has been tried and engaged in over the issue of resource control and system of governance but always remains dead because some in power particularly the North do not want it. Having systematically empowered themselves with unfair majority representation at every level of government including the legislature, they make it clear that it is their way or no way! The most recent and inclusive effort to address these issues, the CONFAB has been relegated by the same North. History tells everyone what happened to Ken Saro Wiwa again at the hand of a Northerner.

Now, there is no one that knows or feels the effects of environmental degradation more than the Niger Delta indigenes. However, because the Nigerian govt is determined to feed off the South without commensurate recompense, the freedom fighters know to strike at the jugular which is crude oil. Rather than see economic sabotage which is the outcome of their actions, I see a people pushed to the wall, damned tired of being told they count for nothing because of the 'almighty North' and to crown it all, majority of stakeholders in the ownership of resources in the ND come from the same north.

The FG controlled by the North during the military era, by fiat packaged as a Constitution today commandeered the resources if the South as belonging to the FG. Fairness and equity should have seen the same happen to solid minerals scattered over the North and major agricultural resources should have also been controlled by the FG but no, just the South simply because it's easy money.

Now there are rumbles, rather than give due regard n respect to a region, the FG once again run by the north has chosen to play the role of bully by unleashing military action. Same response that boils down to killing innocent people because they're never precise enough to actually gather intelligence, identify and fish out their targets.

The Nigerian government must learn to accord respect to each region in its own right and not by the number of votes cast in support of any govt in power. See the passion with which a whole President defends his kinsmen by saying no one should think of driving 'us' out because he is one of them but makes no attempt to understand the cause of the Niger Delta. Let me not even talk of IPOB and the right to self-determination now. So remind me again why unity is a do or die affair in Nigeria? How exactly is Nigeria one other than having no other country bearing the same name?

freeze001:
Wasn't done. Go back to my post...it's fairly long

989900:


1. Who and what are the NDA made of ?

2. How would you define ownership of oil blocks and production?

3. How is the blowing up of oil installations, and killing of security operatives plus indirectly exposing the oil communities to enviromental hazards, economical and security hazards the most sensible way of achieving their goal (basically the same thing BH did)?

malton:


I believe that you're using facts to reach the precisely wrong conclusion.

The Yorubas are highly educated people, well travelled and experienced as well. In my experience, people who possess such qualities view life from a different perspective from the rest.

There is evil in the world, and it usually persists until a greater force overwhelms it. A detribalised, sophisticated Yoruba race should be a rallying force for well meaning Nigerians in the face of all the myopia ravaging our lands. If i could, I'll donate every kobo I can to such fantastic movement.

So, the diplomatic roles played by the Yoruba and Nigerians of other tribes will spur us to even greater heights. As it's often said, persistence wears out resistance, eventually!

In an all-follower land, someone has got to be the leader!

Think of them as caregivers to those who have lost their way.

YorubaHighness:
The article must be written by a Yoruba person.

Yorubas always tries to see events with a diplomatic perspective, always trying to separate the corn (event) from the cob (tribe/ethnicity).

In a country where multiple group tries to monopolize violence (Fulani herdsmen and boko haram, ND Avengers) and some deals with victim complex (Igbos/Ibos), diplomacy won't work.

Yorubas need to stop being the only diplomatic group in Nigeria. Diplomacy doesn't work for Nigeria. Aggression does.




Yoruba. Philosophy.

That's why the Yoruba race can successfully practice Religion plurality. We don't belong in Nigeria's context. We're ordained for better circumstances. Sometimes i just think of Nigeria and I ask Oduduwa how we became so cursed. How I wish Awolowo's plan had been successful.

989900:


I think one of the most sensible article lately.

Can you explain why it is 'nonsense article' ?

AtlanticBreeze:

He said a detribalised and sophisticated yoruba race..

"Highly educated people" that voted a highly uneducated president.. I can't laugh abeg

Karm16:


Even a termite is better than a baboon with a zoology degree. Era of cluelessness has ended, thanks to the Yoruba race.

modath:



1.NDA is more the voice of Jacob and hand of Esau... no one(discerning minds) has any illusion about what game is actually being played here.

2. By painting lots of false pictures to court the sympathy of bias minds.

3.The hitting the govt and economy where it hurts most is what I don't get, no one is immune... it is collective problems, the darkness and economic vagaries.... but the pollution won't go beyond that locality... what a shame!

Someone here is trying to rationalise that NDA is "better" because they don't kill people, the military are inaminate objects? So people are just civilians, Law enforcement operatives are collateral damage?

AtlanticBreeze:

Era of cluelessness has ended, now we are in era of daftness and backwardness thanks to the Yoruba race.

Karm16:


If this is what you call era of daftness, then you're still stuck in the era of cluelessness.