Finally, The Gap Between Us Is Narrowing

By Gora Albehu Dauda

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: The gulf between our peoples. and faiths is finally narrowing up as it was sure to in due time. That Gulf has been responsible for the lack of cohesion and oneness between our peoples thus enabling the enemies to continue to exploit and use them as pawns on their chess boards. It took a cocktail of adversities not limited to hunger, poverty as well as other forms of hardship for our hitherto mutually antagonistic peoples to closing ranks. Emilokan’s now famous decree of May 29, 2023 on oil subsidy removal much like a spark consigned many souls to poverty, hunger and extreme hardship.

The longer the people remain divided and antagonistic to each other either ethnically or religiously only provides the fault lines for their continued exploitation. Talk of patriotism in today’s Nigeria is present only in the province of the impoverished. Those in the saddles of power are only patriotic to their immediate families and businesses. The truth remains that the more impoverished the people are the better for their exploitative policies and programmes.

The 8 years of Muhammadu Buhari’s dictatorship was anchored not on the tenets of democracy but on ethnicity and religion which conflated to taking Nigeria down the valley of despair. Prior to Buhari’s second coming, many folks including tragically Yours sincerely did think that he was that leader who could dredge Nigeria up from the bottom but never knew that the man was an empty barrel who had nothing to offer except thunderous noises and claims of inkwaraptability. The man simply did not have the capacity to fight Kwaraption and ended up the 8 years as the most KWARAPT leader in Nigeria’s History. He surrounded himself with his Fulani kinsmen who were looting and stealing right under his nose whilst he claimed not to be aware. Shockingly, this 21 Century Ali Baba who had more than the usual 40 thieves was left to go and enjoy his loot in dusty Daura or wherever he wished . With this lack of accountability to the people of this country, a precedent has been set for others leaders to tow the same line.

Whatever difficulties this battered contraption is suffering has its roots firmly rooted in Muhammadu Buhari’s poor leadership. Many folks are now earnestly calling for the 8 years of his presidency to be subjected to a probe. Doing so will set a precedent for future kwarapt leaders. This is standard practice in descent climes. The culture of allowing one kwarapt leadership to take over from another has been the standard practice in Nigeria which is why she has remained stunted. The question remains as to if the Emilokan regime will conduct itself differently. It does not appear that this will be so given that it is riddled with many contradictions too numerous to mention.

It is believed in some quarters that “ the greater the sinner, the greater the saint “. Can Emilokan ever contemplate doing things differently? Your guess is as good as mine. Long before now and it did not matter what the subject matter was, for they were and may to some extent be viewed through lens of either ethnicity or religion. If the epicenter of the issue in question was in the South or East the tendency has been that the largely Northern block will look the other way and if the other way round, it was likely to be seen or viewed as just a matter for the North to sort out.

The current hunger, hardship and poverty which the Emilokan leadership has so ruthlessly wrought on the people consequent upon the subsidy removal declaration of 29 May 2023 has norrowed the gulf between our people on either side of the seeming divide. Poverty, hunger and hardship are not discriminatory. They are blind and cannot therefore distinguish between the Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba or any of the other tribes in this country. Because we are all affected by their negative effects, common grounds have emerged giving vent to the protest against the lack of empathy and or concern by the Emilokan leadership.

There was clearly no option or another viable means or method by which affected Nigerians could have put out their very legitimate concerns to since the so-called representatives of the people have all but abandoned us to our own fate. It is so shameful as it is shocking that religious leaders mostly from the North could still preach against the protest having soiled their dirty and greedy hands in the amounts for which they were bought. This scandal is causing a crisis as many of those kwarapt Islamic clerics have lost what was left of their respect before their followers. Their voices wherever they speak from no longer makes any sense.

Emilokan is justified not to listen to any cleric since they put their conscience and reputation in the market place and he as a customer paid them what they were worth. But for the decay in our value system clerics and some traditional leaders have placed a monetary value on themselves such that they could be bought wholesale and off the shelves. As a consequence of the protests across the country lives were lost and some businesses suffered resulting in huge loses incurred, this is regrettably. Since the youths of this country are the hope for the future therefore no sane government can afford to rubbish their concerns. Current events elsewhere on the globe should be enough lectures as well as warning to the political dinosaurs who are running the show but who are expiring fast

Nigeria may still stand a chance of surviving her current travails if the present political leaders have listening ears to the concerns of the many unemployed and angry youths. The wanton display of wealth by the political class in the face of abject poverty cannot easily be wished away. It really does not make any sense procuring largely over priced foreign made SUVs for NASS members whilst thousands of graduates are without any gainful employment. That the president has not favourably taken steps to address the worsening insecurity in this country does give cause for concern. He, and all the top brass in his government may be safe in the light of the security personnel around them but the rest of the population is vulnerable. Without overstating the issue of insecurity, the president has as a priority the primary responsibility of securing all of us and he should not fail to deliver in this regard. To God Be The Glory.