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Adversary And Kukah In National Dialogue By Ahmadu M Sabo Jos
I read an interesting piece by Sunusi Lamido Sunusi on a website where he once again got my attention and I presume that of many others with his spectacular stunt. Discussing Garba-Deen analysis of Rev. Father Mathew Hassan Kukah person, position and disposition, he took a predictable position from what I have long been developing as stereotype or model mind of a troubled person. I say this with all due sense of respect and for the avoidance of doubt, I was one of those who threw our weight behind and supported Lamido when a segment of Muslim clearly were infuriated by his statements on the 'Rajamu' issue in a public lecture in Jos at the heat of the controversy of the penalty handed unto Amina Lawal while acquitting her allege rapist and Father to her child. Quite a number of youth like myself question the logic behind such verdict as it takes two to tangle. But subsequently reading his write ups from different sources, I began to question how his opinion seems to be consistently provocative and most of the 'times' on the 'other side'.
I had thought that if Lamido is sincerely honest about his inadequate knowledge of Rev. Kukah as he inadvently confessed and admit, he should have treated the opinion of GarbaDeen whose knowledge he admitted superior, with some respect and probably never rose in defense of what he is ignorant about. Lamidos' reasons 'to prevent dangerous insinuations' in the interest of Nigeria, is untenable and I keep on wondering whose interest he thinks he is portraying and protecting. The present reality in Nigeria is a country in a difficulty where things are falling apart and the unity of the country is at stake. Unity can not be gotten by sweeping issues under the carpet but most be earn through truthfulness and mutual respect willingly.
The recent worst damage to the Nigerian project is the prolonged Nigeria media propaganda which has succeeded in presenting one region of the country as a parasite and blood sucking Leech that is constituting an impediment to modernity and growth of Nigeria. Agreed that the North has produce one or two rulers legendary in their stealing (not sterling) qualities, but that is not enough reason to assume that the average Northerner is a beneficiary of the loot. In the hay days of these ugly misconceptions, an ordinary moderately dressed trader from the North in Lagos get such uncomplimentary remarks on his/her cloth from Southerners as "no be our money be this?" in obvious reference to stolen money by serving military rulers from the North. Strange and unpleasant as this narration may sound, it is just one of the many successful campaign of calumny launch especially by southwest press on the people of the North.
Also the sudden and seeming 'reawakening' by the Christian in the North to what is refer to as Christian domination by the 'Hausa-fulani' oligarchy was a creation of the press in Lagos-Ibadan axis. Not only the press, the music industry follow suite with release of such track singing"Alhaji Mallam, don't take my Woman -Alhaji Mallam don't break my heart' in reference to the promiscuous and adulterous habit of few Muslim Northerners that is misconstrue to a larger population. Imagine the emotion and likely sentiment when most of the media outfits reported that the arm robbers that beat up and nearly killed a handsome, sensational and much loved Nigerian artist and singer, 2face, were speaking Hausa. By implication Hausas from the North coming down South to commit these atrocities. I wouldn’t have been surprise if most of the Hausas in that state were attacked and killed after that incidence as it happens in the early days of Obasanjo when he was falsely reported death possible due to poisoning (supposedly by Hausas who never wanted him in ASO villa in the first place). The massacre of Muslims Hausas in Lagos was excused by Obasanjo as he put it "the reaction of the people is understandable" after emerging alive and healthy. A lady reporter for BBC English to Africa service falsely reported that the September 12th Jos crisis was as result of Muslim celebrating September 11th terrorist attack on world trade centre in New York. This painful lie is inexcusable because it was never told in ignorance as Jos was still under curfew from the 6 day old crisis from September 7th. I think the aim was to probably attract America to fight Nigerian Muslim in what Bush describe as the 'crusade'. Amaka the reporter was never rebuke for this fundamental and professional mischief and blunder. These are examples of the effects of heavy sentiment building. If a Northerner had protested these heavy sentiment building and then alert the danger of the bitterness these may bring, he would have been arrested by combined team of SSS agents, the police,the army etc.; It is no good if Northerners (especially the Muslims) start talking as it is viewed.
Our Northern Christian Brothers were sucked into these propaganda obviously. Every act in which a little child is kidnapped and decapitated by ritualist is thought to be masterminded by the evil Northern Muslims. Remember the case of the unfortunate Ibo girl that was lured by a fellow Ibo for ritual enucleation of the eye performed by his 'Hausa Maisuya' collaborator in Lagos and numerous others that arouse emotion in Nigeria. The press failed to show that this is a general Nigerian societal problem resulting from decay in our morals, poverty, ignorance and general lack of security and vigilance. With the benefits of hindsight everyone should have seen now a striking balance with the Okija shrine ritual mass murder, the Clifford Orji (the Man eater) horror story etc.
The evolution of ethno-religious crisis in he North was consistent with the activity of Babangidas' MAMSA orientation orchestrated by Jerry Gana, the ethnic minority mass mobilization (or instigation) project. This has heralded some of the most ugly clashes seen in our history. The culprits convicted in tribunal (non-military) for the Zangon Kataf massacre were released because the south west press thought little of the muslims mass murdered and thus campaign against the imprisonement term on General Zamani Lekwot as being too harsh even after the death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and later to about 8 years imprisonment. Not only the culprits were released but rewarded with elevation of their traditional institution which they claim was the direct cause of the Zangon Kataf crisis. A precedence was then set, any tribe that want to break away from so called Northern Emirs domination need only to look for the closest Muslim community and massacre and they would be amply rewarded with elevation of their traditional institution in the interest of peace and the criminal law of the land thrown into the dust bin always in such cases. This is the fruit of the Government of MAMSA. So other communities in the North follow suite and hence the Tafawa Balewa Massacre among many others.
The premier 'Gero' massacre in Plateau state of muslim peasant farmers by their Northern Christian compatriots, the Mambila Plateau massacre of Muslim Fulanis, the Numang massacre of Muslims by the Bacchamas are just but a few of the many results of media war wage on us by the Southern media. Looking at these unfortunate events what readily comes to mind is the self declared media inadequacy and helplessness in the North and the attendant effects. The situation would have been different if the North had a voice to cement the bond of understanding and unity between the Muslims and the Christian within the region. Leaders from the North also couldn’t marshal and help decree/legislate even when Northerners were in power to help promulgate laws that would protect all the ethnic nationalities in the count ry against media motivated hatred; an equivalent of antisemetism, capable of provoking ethnic cleansing and genocidal tendencies.
To suggest keeping quite in the interest of Nigeria in present day Nigeria, as Lamido is insinuating, fall short of blasphemy and treason against what ever entity he thinks he belongs. The National conference is suppose to be more than palliative measure but radical cure approach to the problems of Nigeria. To think that the National dialogue is between North and South is a fallacy, to assume a united North in the dialogue where the Christians can go and protect the interest of the Muslims is a dream especially after the damaging effect of the Shariah controversy in the North actively fueled by the Southern Media. Rev. Mathew Hassan Kukah has interest he is protecting and his adversarial tenden cy and direction was clear to many during the Oputa panel and the question of Muslim-Christian ratio is thus more than ever important. The earlier we stop treating such issues with levity, the better, as the interest of Christian association of Nigeria (CAN) on the national political reform conference (NPRC) becomes glaringly clear. The truth about Nigeria is that we have never been united but have only enjoyed some prolonged period of calm though not devoid of non-physical aggression. This is the time to wake up and stop dreaming as issues bordering on national survival and our future; such as resource control (oil and non-oil resource such as custom earning in the ports in Lagos, Nigeria’s 2nd highest revenue earner, as Senator Afikuyomi was saying on NTA Tuesday live a couple of months ago), devolution of power etc are gaining momentum and being discussed. Interests in Nigeria should start thinking of how to survive in face of in advent revolution as this may shape the socio-economic and political life of the nation. No such thing as inhibition in the interest of Nigeria should be allowed. Everybody seems to be going there to get something and the North and its people should not be going sorely to protect what we all ought to be protecting. It would be a callosal lost to us if we take the likes of Lamido's position.
As for the personality of Sunusi Lamido and how it is possibly affecting his judgment, I have been given food for thought by a friend's statement that "what do you expect of a prince without a Kingdom". I don't buy that idea though, but Lamidos predilection for the 'other side' is worrisome as it is often with no intellectually sound objectiveness. Spare GarbaDeen, he has judge well a person he knows so well.
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