Negotiating peace is a more better deal.
– Steve Ovirih.
Nigeria is a country of so many languages though of three major ethnic groups, Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo. While she derives her strength from the time tested claim of unity in diversity since her Independence in 1960, in the recent time, ethnic suspicion and disharmony seem to be threatening not just the foundation of the nation state but also the unity that had once existed among the major tribes in the country.
The first time Nigeria experienced mutual suspicion among the major ethnic groups was during the build up to the civil war between 1967 and 1970 and the outcome of the unhealthy tribal suspicion did not bode well for the nation state. Almost fifty years after that unfortunate era of the civil war, the country seems to be back full circle to that point where one ethnic group sees the other from the unhealthy prism of hatred and mistrust.
The major challenge to Nigeria’s unity is the fact that Nigerians do not see one another as a member of a Commonwealth that are stronger and more prosperous together. Rather than call for separation because of socio cultural misunderstanding of values or economic challenges bedeviling the nation, we should take our time to listen to ourselves and look inward for those ideals that can strengthen and develop the nation as a unified entity.
Mutual distrust and hatred can all be resolved if we all are ready to take on our challenges collectively as one nation established not by historical circumstances but by Providence.
Independent People of Biafra ( IPOB), an aggrieved and aggressive movement of Igbo youths led by Nnamdi Kanu has been agitating to break away from Nigeria. In the same vein, in the South West, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly called Sunday Igboho has also been championing a separatist agenda buoyed by the Ilana Omo Oodua group which has as its arrowhead, the Emeritus Professor of History, Banji Akintoye, an elder state man.
These agitations from the East and the West of Southern Nigeria have no doubt been heating up the polity, calling to question the fundamental issue of the continued existence of the nation state. Looping the now apparently permanent challenge of banditry into the mix, one cannot help but conclude that more than ever before there is the need for a National Talk by the nation’s stakeholders .
Even the blind know that banditry has evolved into a national challenge to the continued peace of Nigeria. If government cannot tackle internal insurrection and external aggression as expected of it by the electorate, this will continue to give rise to needless regional agitators. Government should up its game beyond rhetorics.
As per security challenge , the Southwest Governors have taken the bull by the horn and bought into the South West Security Network, codenamed ‘Amotekun corps.’ Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has provided the corp with the necessary wherewithal for optimum performance and the benefit is the prevailing peaceful ambience across the state.
Beyond this , Federal Government should allow and provide the necessary support for State Police to kick off. The incessant invasion by bandits in Ibarapaland was what aroused the separatist agitation championed by Sunday Igboho. If the body language of government has not been so lukewarm, the Igbohos of the South West would not have reason to think that ‘unknown bandits’ from the Northern borders of Nigeria are out to annihilate them from the land of their forefathers.
When war breaks out, it is resolved at the round table; if there is a round table which Nigerians can still take advantage of to prevent a crack to national peace, a negotiation for peace in the nation is not just a better alternative but the real deal.
