by Henry Okafor,
This is a consciousness-raising article on people looking for a pretext for aggression. You will all agree with me that our beloved country Nigeria is on the verge of an implosion and millions of Nigerians are gradually renouncing their human feelings of tolerance and reason for one another. What started years ago as the union or marriage of the north and south today has evolved to different brand names like Arewa, Afenifere, Ipob, Oduduwa, Niger-delta avengers etc. Is it our fate to live in a crucible of conflict?
Is it necessary that millions of Nigerians, in whose hands lay the real power should consent to carry out the will of a few weak individuals who parade themselves as their leaders and should have to be induced to do so by an infinite number of diverse and complex causes (ethnicity, religion, culture etc)? We will soon be forced to fall back on fatalism as an explanation of irrational events likely to reoccur in the near future. That is to say, events the reasonableness of which we do not understand. This so-called leader who you hold on high esteem and as a result are dumfounded impels you to insane self-oblivion. This weak group of leaders arouse a warlike spirit in the people to defend their selfish interests, the very incitement which is the chief cause of the various and numerous threats from different parts of the country today.
It is pertinent to note that this so-called followers are of 2 groups: the true believers of the cause of these groups, while the vast majority which are a group of lazy opportunists who see anarchy and discord as a means to loot and enrich themselves; unfortunately, in the organism of states, groups or people, such men are necessary as wolves are necessary in the organism of nature (they always exist and always appear).
Every country and society they say has its own character, but in the case of Nigeria lays an air of menace of serious danger giving a particularly threatening character to everything and everyone in the country. Must we always be absent at the formative phase of success and always pioneer the destructive phase?
Man lives consciously for himself but is an unconscious instrument in the attainment of the historic and universal aims of humanity. The drumbeats of war we are gradually beating are an act I know we won’t like the music we are trying to produce; if you doubt me ask the Syrians and Libyans how external forces are really taking advantage of their foolishness (excuse my French). The more we will try to explain reasonably this events we are eagerly working towards achieving to our children and grandchildren, the more unreasonable and incomprehensible they will become to us all because if you really believe that another tribe is the cause of your problems, then I will honestly tell you the hard truth that you have just been lured into the greatest Ponzi scheme of all time.
Those whom God wishes to destroy he drives mad. A deed done is irrevocable and its result coinciding in time with the actions of millions of other men assumes an historic significance. It depends on you and me to preserve Nigeria from the calamity of another civil war. Let us work together to hold the centre now before things really start to fall apart. “To favour revolutions, overthrow everything, repel by force? No! Every violent reform deserves censure, for it quite fails to remedy evil while men remain what they are, and also because wisdom needs no violence” – Leo Tolstoy
Henry Okafor writes from Lagos State and can be reached on 09096970531 or [email protected]
