PROFERRING SOLUTIONS TO NIGERIA’S PROBLEMS PART ONE

DEALING WITH OUR ETHNO-RELIGIOUS ISSUES

The problems of Nigeria to an average Nigerian are endless and as such do not deserve our attention. But there are no problems without solutions, even the much dreaded Covid-19 will have cure with the passage of time. So we can’t sit still or stand aloof and watch our problems kill us. There may be myriad of problems but they are not in-surmountable.
One of our major problems in this country is our love for ethno-religious crisis which has constantly been a tool in the hand of politicians. They divide us along tribes and religion but their aim is to hold on to power so they employ the use of a divide and rule mechanism. So far there are two main causes of crisis in Nigeria which are; tribalism and religion but for the sake of space I will bring them together as ethno-religious crisis.
Religion has been a feature of the world for as long as it has been in existence. Different religious traditions have played a major role in the evolution of society. Religion has often been a vehicle for intolerance and fundamentalism, religion has been used as an excuse for persecution and war, but religion in its purest form has provided many benefits to mankind.
In 1851 the British invaded Nigeria and in 1901 Nigeria had become a British protectorate, colonization came with its own religion. In 1914 when the British amalgamated the northern and the southern regions, each region had formed distinct religious beliefs. In the north Islam held sway while in the south Christianity was the mainstay. Nigeria became a husband with wives that held different religious beliefs and views. Now for this marriage to stand the test of time each component of the country must accept the other component’s religious beliefs and views, hence the need for religious tolerance in Nigeria because of its importance to our unity and development.
One of the most sought after ‘commodity’ apart from the various economic quests for development is the desire for peace and unity. That no meaningful development can take place in an environment of rancor is stating the obvious. In 2011 the world development organization reported that over 20 million children have been denied access to food due to crisis. As in this case many African countries have been bedeviled with one form of crisis or the other and Nigeria is not an exception to such experiences. Ranging from the various incessant ethno-religious crisis. The post-election crisis and the recent incidence of the Boko Haram crisis, which are most times fuelled by religion and tribalism.
Peace and prosperity are nearly inseparable. When one is absent the other is at risk. And peace in this context cannot be achieved in the absence of religious tolerance, because the most frequent crisis in the country has been ethno-religious crisis which is usually caused by religious intolerance.
Religious tolerance emphasizes cooperation, togetherness and oneness, and the end product is unity which is lacking in today’s Nigeria.
For long Nigeria has experienced perpetual religious crisis as extreme religious teaching have clouded the minds of many, leading to violent crisis that threatens the national unity and security.
There are three main religions in Nigeria: Christianity, Islam and Traditional religion. These religions have their faithful’s and adherent in different parts of the country. Followers of each of these religions believe that their religion is the right one. However, it takes maturity to accept and tolerate other people’s beliefs. Unfortunately this maturity is absent as religious fanatics kill and maim others without mercy. This is evident in every part of Nigeria, just few days ago followers of certain religion burnt down a police station for stopping their worship, even in this era when religious gathering is been avoided in every part of the world because of the Covid-19 virus.
Nigeria has faced over 30 religious crises since 1976. In the middle-belt region, hundreds of people have died from religious violence. In 2001, a religious crisis in Jos left about 1000 people dead. 700 people were killed in Yelwa town, Plateau state in 2005. In 2008 10,000 people became homeless from religious clashes in Jos. In northeast Nigeria, Boko Haram has turned many communities into graveyards while making life miserable for the survivors. The activities of this jihadist group has resulted in over 2 million internally displaced persons in Nigeria’s northeast.
But we can make things right because religious tolerance is of essence in achieving unity in our country.
In 1948, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa stated thus in the legislative council: since 1914 the British government has been trying to make Nigeria into one country. But the Nigerian people themselves are historically different in their backgrounds, in their religious beliefs and customs and do not show themselves any sign of willingness to unite.
But religious tolerance and one Nigeria is not impossible in Nigeria, our national unity depends on it , hence, the need for religious tolerance in every aspect of our national life. As the same things that divide us can unite us.
There is diversity everywhere in Nigeria. If not by religion then by region, if not by tribe then by tongue, if not by dialect then by idiolect. Our problem is not the diversity but how we manage it. An excerpt from a discussion between Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe and Alahji Ahmadu Bello gives us an insight into our problem as a nation and goes ahead to to confirm that religious tolerance is not a recent theme in our national life.
Zik; let us forget our differences
Ahmadu Bello; no let us understand our differences. I am a Muslim and a northerner; you are a Christian from the east.
Now, the big question begging for answer is; ‘are we really different?’ are all easterners not Nigerians and are all northerners not Nigerians?
Religious tolerance will help to see ourselves first as Nigerians before thinking of our religion or region. We must accept to live together and understand that whether you are from the south or north, the unity of the nation is more important than any one region of the nation and that whether you are from the south or north does not make you inferior or superior to any person from other part of the nation. We are all Nigerians and that is what counts.
Every single Nigerian must embrace must embrace the national philosophy of General Tunde Idiagbon which was ‘Nigeria is our country and we have no other country but Nigeria’. With this concept in mind I dare say that we must stand up to the task of uniting our nation then stay as one and develop our nation. Because if we don’t know one will. One Nigeria is achievable but it solely depends on us as Nigerians. According to Ahmadu Bello let us understand our differences (problem) and see how we can surmount this great mounting standing between us and unity. As we cannot achieve any meaningful progress without first achieving peace and unity.
Written by Victor Utomi
He is a writer, an entrepreneur, a business consultant and a speaker
For comments, you can reach him via victom.dmay@gmail.com or 08133933149