Recall Rivers Governor Wike’s demolish of a mosqueweeks back; the flow of emotions thereafter, especially on the social/new media;
Kano Governor Ganduje’s threat to sue Wike; and every other thing that followedso far were all exercises in cheap political scores and dogma of the type fromthe opium of the people – unnecessary bickering of blind religious sentimentand biasThey all were meant to cover-up and shy away fromthe main issue in public service – some governor’s abuse of public funds forinfrastructural development and the need for public demand for that from truantfew. Up to now, there is neither hero nor villain out of all the actions andbickering.
Of course Wike’s action touches on a seriousnational issue, which is the fact even to Wike’s own knowledge that his actionwas a huge breach of national peace and unity, and a gross violation of thefederal constitution.
But because of the simple notion of two wrongs donot make right, all the actions and reactions in the saga do not seem torepresent any sense of national responsibility, which again, trivialise seriousmatters and tend to invite yesterday’s shadow.
God has been merciful to Nigeria. Talking aboutGod’s hand in the affairs of a nation full of churches and mosques and millionsof devouts should be normal. But double standards and hypocrisy remain tobecloud our feelings and thoughts so that we continue to pretend over issues onthe surface, with deliberate purposes to ignore the facts beneath them.
Is it any coincidence both Wike and Ganduje have wontheir elections out of the cloudiest of electoral issues, irrespective of theirparty representations? Is it difficult to ask if they both so acted and reactedin order to retake, since maybe now that they cannot buy, political legitimacyand to win the majority back?
Anger is a human possibility at the slightest ofoffence, yes. But the reaction to it matters most. Some of us are disappointedat how Wike is disappointing Nigerians. Visiting Bauchi as Minister of State, Educationback in the dark years, he was simple and avoided protocols to make the visitevents smooth, quick and manageable, admired more the then President.
He was loved by the attendees and the story stillhangs among the people here until that bad return from away home, years after,because he is now Governor with billions oil money no one dares ask him toaccount for. Many Governors up the Nigeria have similar behaviour but becausethey build mosques instead of construct roads or provide water, we chant inhail to their mispriorities.
So demolishing is not new. It is their hallmark andof every Nigerian who is not comfortable with the way things are working,making strong tides against even our own northern odds – the kidnaps, rustlingsand killings in the northeast and west. So it is Nigeria at work against thosewho do not want it work and they can be anywhere, any tribe, of any religion,colour, region, bias, sentiment, ideology or party.
Wike is an agent of the disgruntled Ibos and Ijaws.I don’t know when he lowered so low into the quagmire of dirty politics. Butyou see, judging a man even at the helm of money and power is difficult. Atfirst it was the thought that man changes with not just the test of money andpower but also with circumstances.
Wike may be a subject of that but if you believe me,I tell you it is nothing more than politics, and it is the politics ofbitterness against the north that bears Buhari to be so dominant and strong,against all the intimidations, the seditions and the destructions of theeconomy through the demolish of oil pipelines.
We ought to know that this is all remotely linked tothe 2023 politics played too early by those who lost out on national affairstwo times back and now swear not to fail a third time even if God so wisheth.
So it comes down to the self, the individual. In thepast, I tried showing how individualism and our submission to it is the sameproblem undermining our nation progress. And instead of looking at the realproblem and face it, we always escape it and lookout for the trivial and themundane, with no apology even to the self.
Lots of good government programmes and projectswould work better, multiply results but for our use of the self to be moreimportant above common interest, even as God tells us that satisfying the selfis a mission impossible, only God Himself can make.
Wike acted to offend The North. Unfortunately eventhe Muslim north is noth monolithic, not on the demolish, not on any issue,never. Muslims from different sectarian views saw and reacted differently tothe story, and that is the main problem of the reactions toWike’s action andeverything that followed it.
We pretended over mosques when our hearts as Muslimsare destructs of trivial differences of the different sects we represent. AsNortherners we are further partitioned region, state and north-south localpolitics garnished with more fractures of remote differences of religion.
That is why northern Christians were either silentof in defence of Wike. That Christian who must stand up from up the Niger andcondemn the Wike action must have met yours faithfully in life, and will standan outcast in both his church and the neighbourhood, right then.
The genuine intentions and concerns for nationalspirits in both actions and reactions since the story were only express. Theimpending danger of the tragedy that will eventually ensue after Buhari leavesis this single issue of Nigerians saying what they do not mean.
How many of us cannot be Wikes? Be honest, I dareask you what you will do if you find yourself in such position. It is the samefair view Muslims should give first and then the laws of the land are there forthe agents to take them up against a sitting Governor like that.
What is bigger than all we lived, live and bickerabout to happen before we understand the need to take more important mattersabove sentiments and divisive tendencies? When do we stop unnecessary interferenceswith legal processes and let the law agents be allowed to take responsibility?
Sometimes a case is worn not by the suer but by thesued. If we understand the antics of a people as demonstrated in many failedaction/events for national jeopardy since 2015, it takes to understand andforgive Wike, take great solace and to thank God for the Nigeria we now haveunder President Muhammadu Buhari, who defies all antics.
I have been referring to mirror theory for long now.It says in the event of a problem, always look at yourself first and then waitfor some time before you jump at the beauty of your looks. It is difficult butyou bear it for humanity.
Muslims ought to know Wike’s disposition withregards to national politics, and to forgive his frustrations in the loss ofthe south-south and south-east in national politics and relevance. His State,with billions of grant is the only den from which he can offend.
But we have not understood the motives. Dogma, biasand sentiments are the terrible social diseases we live with, as long as theylast in our body, they will eventually kill us all. They blind us to our ownproblems and look a thousand miles away, just to heap blame at someone’s door.
Bickering can only make you worst than Wike just forasking why. But then is it not enough solace to just hold on to watch Wike’sstupidity and then see how he joins the great club of the Iboris andAlaighemesiyas? Where are they now? Doesn’t time heal again? What more a way towait to see the enemies of Nigeria destroy themselves by their disservice tohumans of Nigeria’s origin?
Look at you, the north: same tribe, people,religion, neighbours in the same state, kill themselves for reasons of poverty,land, hatred, economic power, social statuses and even ego. What reason pushesa Hausa kidnap, kill or rustle the cows of a Hausa or Fulani, or Jukun againstbrethren Tiv or even Jukun over massive northern land?
Look at some of your own governors trailing the oldpath of abusing public funds in the name of security votes, foreign trips andcheap recurrents to service and maintain elitist statuses and power. Only fewof them are working, and the example of the few negligible does not invitemassive attention of the majority to make a case against the erring and demandservice for the people.
The energy that is needed to raise awarenesscampaign to demand more action from governors is wasted on a mosque demolishand bickering on the FGN, the President and the service chiefs who are doingtheir best but their best is not enough because of the behaviour anddisservices of erring governors and the misdirected ideas and energy of theirgullible followers.
Why is it difficult to understand and pray for aGovernor who demolishes a mosque even if for political reasons or may be themosque violates the metro plan? We didn’t ask when we jumped to conclusion andlash: drunk of the opium?
I thought we are healing wounds, picking pieces fromscraps all over the country and to focus on tomorrow. Are we learning somethingat all, from the experiences of the ongoing killings, theft and kidnaps? Havewe learnt anything from the past and are we interested in the focus on thefuture in order to consolidate on the achievements so far gained?
Now, those who say PMB is not talking about aGovernor’s breach of national law will not expect him to do. Buhari has notdisappointed you in many ways like that. He will not. He is not an idea ofdogma. He is a national hero for all who believe, respect and work in diligencefor the Nigerian Project. He remains so as God wisheth.
Feedback:A young maninspired by last week’s issue of mental laziness among journalists, wrote back. His words:
It is really great to read your piece on the above topic ofdiscussion, and I am sure that I have learnt one or two things from it,inasmuch, only those who are ready to face the truth will know and acknowledgeyour position on the state of journalism and journalists in Nigeria today.
Sir, I will be brief in this reply as to give you time to engagein other things which might be within your capacity. As a youngjournalist, though I might not have had enough of experience in this field ofwork but at same time, I have been able to sit down, if not talk with butlisten to experienced ones in the job, as they also relay out their feelings,thoughts and emotions, in the job, how they feel, and whatever else that itmight be according to the job.
As we all know that “passion” is the main thing behindmany people’s standing on the profession till date, yet some are of nobeneficial reason or purpose why they are in the job, and these are those oneswho sit down at home, copy and paste stories, formulate stories, without anymeans of getting their facts, statistics and data before embarking on thestory.
These kind of people are mainly behind the ‘dirts’ found in theprofession today. Also, our respective bodies of practising journalists havelost their purpose to the main core of why the profession is importantfirst.
To bring it to an end, as I have promised earlier to make itshort and brief, Sir, you expect journalists, who are even of passionate ideason the profession to always follow due process of getting facts and figures,and also response a story, which make a story more balanced and not differentfrom others.
Yes it is good but how many media houses today pay theirreporters well, how many publishers give freehand to their reporters/staffs,how many reporters today undergo more and frequent trainings again….these andmany more questions will help in finding solutions to the malaise facing ourprofession.
God bless you Sir.
Samson Adeyanju Uwala <samsonadeyanjuuwala@gmail.com>
Hassan Alhaji Hassan can be contacted on 08032829772/08050551220 (text only with full names and address)abuna2406@gmail.com
The views expressed in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect WikkiTimes’ editorial stance.
