Why it is Difficult for Peace to Reign in Nigeria

Nigerians have a couple of attitudinal issues that are making peaceful co-existence and unity very impossible. We can blame the government and every other institution for our woe but one thing is certain even when we have a perfect government without addressing these issues any hope of peace can as well be signed off as a daydream. Peace and development have eloped most Nigerian states because the government and the people lack political and social will to face issues squarely. There have been so many violent crises in Nigeria. Since the dawn of the fourth republic alone the country has suffered over 345 socio-political crises; the number is outrageous for ethno-religious crises...it’s something near uncountable. Painfully, no matter how bad these events turn out, little is done to prevent a reoccurrence and this is why we should discard all thoughts of peace in the nearest future. Until we brace up to factors and element that are robbing us of peace, we don’t deserve to live in peace.

The peace process in Nigeria can be described as political, inept, superficial and weak. This is better exposed in the lip-serving attitude the government and the people have towards peace. Almost every Nigerian will profess peace as the panacea to development and better life; and even yet, almost every leader will assure you that his leadership will give up its mandate for peace. There has been far more government programmes and policies on peace, than there has been to address corruption. Nigerians talk more of peace and unity than any other black nation but it’s all a façade. Yet we are not as peaceful or peace-loving as we claim. I have seen common people lose their patience with the slightest provocation – even if it was a rumour.

Firstly, we find it hard to tolerate one another...we disregard people’s beliefs easily and we don’t respect the ways of life of others. You see it playing out in how easily we make caricature of the culture and religion of others. We are good at calling people from other tribe disrespectful names and describing them with awkward phrases. For instance, the Ibos call Yorubas “Ofe Mmanu”, which means “soup full of oil”; the Hausa’s call the Ibos “Yammiri” coined from the Ibo phrase “N’yem imiri”, which means “Give me water – a phrase that originated during the civil wars when Ibos were believed to beg for water to survive”; and Hausa’s a known with different derogatory names including Aboki-slave boy, Malo-thoughtless, “Mmu Ewu-goat’s kids”. These names have become entrenched in our vocabulary, yet they are the most obvious signs that we don’t respect people from other ethnic or religious group. From the religious angle Muslims call Christians “arhner (not sure of the spelling) – one without faith” and the Christians call the Muslims many names that somehow relates to the phrase “one whose head is always on the ground”.

Another problem we have as a country is that we are too religious. Our search for God and a relationship with Him strives on fanaticism. We have not even made our way right with our creator, but we want to show others how to make their way right with their creator. Every issue relating to religion is taken completely out of context. We pretend so much to love God but we don’t even know him. How can one truly love someone they don’t know? How is it possible to say you love God who is far from your sight and grasp when you are irritated at the neighbour you see every day of your life? We read our scriptures alright, but we interpret the holy message in several unholy ways to suit our unholy and carnal desires, and aspirations. We claim to be the torchbearers but we live each day in darkness – with a heart full of hate, and a mind soaked in pretentious evil.

Also our politics is too dirty and too childish. Politics is designed to help players compete for the interest of the people they represent and not to promote the interest of the player exclusively. What we play as politics is deception – a type that is too strong that the players even deceive themselves. The game in Nigeria is so dirty and it is played with little or no dignity or regard for sportsmanship. Competing teams never mind staking the values they hold so high to score or even the scores. This is why it is very hard to differentiate a religious leader in Nigeria from a politician, and even more difficult to tell what our Holy Scriptures say from what the manifestoes of our political parties says.   

Nigerians are also a bunch of insecure groups of people. We are always looking over our shoulders. We are scared of what will happen if someone from the other side takes over power, or is placed above us. Even when they are below us we throw-up at the thought of a take-over. Yet this warped sense of comradeship or brotherhood is discarded as soon as everything falls into position. There are actually very few leaders who used their position of power to effect any meaningful change for the people they supposedly represented. When the chips are down, it becomes an issue of “just for my family and friends”. Even yet, we still clamour to have our person at the herm of affairs if not for anything, to tame our insecurity and endemic inferiority complex.

I will like to stop here for now...

ok...I don’t like being a problem rooster; it can be more fun providing solutions. I will just list what I think should be done to help Nigerians address attitudinal issues that are robbing us of the chance to live in peace

1. We need to start being Nigerians and not Ibos or Muslims. People should not be made to identify their place of origin when they seek jobs or pursue contracts. Also, the national ID card should only contain the Name, state of residence, and a unique social number. Every religious festival should become a serious public holiday and vernacular should be thoroughly discouraged in public places.

2. Let us dissociate every institution that is a twine of religion, culture and politics. Steps to take here is to amend the electoral act to give more power to votes coming from regions or areas of people from different religion, or tribe. Only political parties that don’t have religious or tribal undertone should be registered. Each party must prove its acceptance nationally before it is registered. Any party that is perceived to promote a religious or ethnic group should be abolished.

3. Christian students should be forced to take Islamic subjects like Islamic religious Studies and Arabic while in school and also Muslim students should do same. Inter-ethnic (and maybe religious) marriages should be encouraged – if possible people should be rewarded for such relationships. Laws need to be enacted against verbal insults or speeches against other religions and tribes. Any disrespect or abuse of religion and religious structures should be treated as a crime against the nation.

Now am truly done with the subject....