Nigeria: 'Kaduna is the Problem of the North'

Ismail Mudashir And Christiana T. Alabi

29 July 2011



interview

Kaduna — The Anglican Archbishop of Kaduna State, Most Reverend Josiah Idowu Fearon, holds a PhD in Islamic Studies. In this interview, he speaks on the recurrent sectarian crises in the North. He traced the history of such crises and suggests solutions. Fearon also speaks on the plans to introduce non-interest banking in the country.

As someone who is very familiar with Christianity and Islam, what would say about the recurring religious clashes in the North?

The problem we are facing today as far as my own limited understanding is concerned, it is not something that was planned. I maintain that it was not planned. However, as students of Sociology, particularly, Sociology of religion, a good number of us saw the indices, saw the signs, what people in the area of conflict resolution called early warning signs, we saw that coming and in order not to go too far, I will begin with the 2011 elections.

Majority of Nigerians were very happy, the desire by the then sitting president and now president to have a fair and credible election. Knowing Attahiru Jega and the role he played with the university set-up, a lot of people were excited with his calibre accepting to chair INEC. That really gave everybody something to look forward to. However, the ruling party (PDP) created a problem, this zoning or no zoning and because of that, there was a northern group led by Ciroma wanting a consensus candidate within the PDP. Before then if PDP were able to resolve this within their party, we may end up with a credible election which Mr. President promised us.

Alas it didn't happen. But before then, campaigns were fairly okay but when the northern effort to present a candidate flopped, CPC now came up with Buhari and from the failure within the PDP to produce a consensus candidate, that is, the northern effort been made, actually now brought in the role of religion. If you look at history, the failure of Atiku to come out was what actually gave room for PDP presenting Goodluck Jonathan and CPC presenting Buhari as a Muslim and a Christian candidate. When this happened, I felt like running away from Nigeria because everybody saw, no matter what happened after that.

Secondly, the ordinary northern person especially the poor, the uneducated were made to look forward to this election been what was going to give them liberation, what was going to solve their problem of poverty, unemployment and what have you in the person of CPC candidate. Then from certain part of the north, a presidential candidate of PDP Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, some saw him as someone coming to give them liberation to the areas in the north where we have minority Christians. Those were the signs everybody saw and by the time we got to the presidential election, everybody could see. The CPC became , like an aircraft that is about to take off with full speed and full power. That was where we were by the time we got to the presidential election. So there was no way of aborting it, aborting it would have led to a crash and of course, because of the hype CPC did not win, Buhari did not win while Goodluck Jonathan won. To support what I am saying, you will see that the state where we had the cataclysm are all the states where CPC won. So that is where religion has played a very negative role, everybody is saying this was the fairest election Nigerian has ever had, but why this, if it was the fairest, why the killings? So for me, we have seen the negative role, the manipulation of religion, this is what has brought us to where we are today.

Are you saying the crisis was caused by CPC and PDP attacking each other? Why do you think was it so?

Well, that is what I am saying. The people who were made to understand that Buhari is the solution, CPC is the solution, we are going to change PDP from PDP government to CPC government, it did not happen, so they felt betrayed, they felt cheated and they felt that there is no hope. Unfortunately because of their level of understanding, most of these people forget that the CPC running mate was a Christian and you know I wrote against it because I didn't like that concept of a Pastor running as a vice president. I wrote against it and I still maintain it, it was wrong because it is like getting up today and say if I have a party at all, I will leave the church. I already have a constituency, there was no way I was going to be fair, that was my rationalization and I made it very clear that it was wrong to have had a pastor. It's like having an emir or an Imam, it's wrong, you can't do things like that. So the people didn't even see in Buhari's running mate a Christian, so it even made it worst.

Many people believe that the pots-election riots were first political but later assumed a religious dimension.

What do you think exactly happened in Kaduna?

Kaduna is the problem of the northern part of this country and until we resolve the Kaduna problem, it is going to be very difficult for the North to be united as it used to be or like its southern part. It is going to be very difficult, you will see that it actually degenerated, now there is no trust anymore, there is no confidence anymore, neighbours have become enemies, why? Will one say it is because President Jonathan won the election or because Buhari lost? I think there are deeper reasons and this is where we have to be very open and honest with ourselves, we have always had this problem between the northern part of Kaduna and the southern part of Kaduna. The election crises gave room for the old scores to be settled, that is the way I look at it. Until we are able to go back to where we were after the Sharia crisis, we have a long way to go and it means you and I as a Muslim and as a Christian, we just have to find ways of respecting each other, making our contributions because everybody has a role to play when it comes to integration, development and social responsibility.

Why and how has Kaduna become the problem of northern Nigeria as you said?

Uh, that is why people say Kaduna is tumbin giwa, kowa ya zo ya diba (i.e. a melting pot). In my research, I discovered that a significant number of the civil servants that served in the North from the northern part of the country have properties here in Kaduna, so everybody has a vested interest in Kaduna. So whatever goes on in Kaduna affects other parts of the country. We were peaceful here and we were trying to integrate and it was working then but to show that it hadn't taken root, you saw what happened because of simple loss of election. It was an impulsion and I disagree with people who usually maintain that it was pre-planned, I feel it was spontaneous and as everybody knows it started with PDP and CPC. So to show that the old wound hadn't fully healed, otherwise, tell me why people will attack churches and co? The Christians from the southern part of Kaduna always felt marginalized and they've always felt that the Hausa/Fulani do not respect their culture. These are hard facts and I will say the truth because I want to die well, I want to die happily in Kaduna because this is my part of the country. This is why I am in love with the Sultan, he is one of the objective and fair leaders that we have today in the northern part of this country.

Kaduna used to be the capital of the North during the era of the Sardauna and the North was so united. Why are we now in this mess and what is the way forward?

This mess we find ourselves has a lot of reasons. One, politics has become the most paying job in our country today. Those we elect or select into political offices don't have any sense of accountability, they come to campaign, they say we are going to build the roads, we are going to make sure there is water, we are going to make sure the schools have teachers, teachers are paid and the classrooms are well furnished, but nothing happens and no one gets up to ask councillor or local government chairman about his promises; so we are made to serve them and when it is time for another election, they come again to tell us we are going to give you poverty alleviation.

Poverty alleviation in the North means sharing money to some people monthly. So politics is the most paying job. Secondly, there is no accountability and because it is the most paying job, I want to be governor so I will do everything possible to ensure I unseat Yakowa and Yakowa will do everything to make I do not unseat him. These are some of the problems we are facing and until there is a reform within the electoral system in this country, we are wasting our time, it's a cycle, unless something is done, 2011 will be a joke. Unless there is that reform when firstly, political offices are made less attractive that has to be done. I pity President Jonathan, he has a hard task. Secondly, INEC itself has to be reformed and Justice Uwais's recommendations are there. I believe it's about time we began to clamour for independent candidate, candidates that the people themselves want. And thirdly, there is so much indiscipline in the political parties, in fact most of the political parties are now like cult where you have a cabal within, the cabal tells every other member what to do because there is no justice, no fairness so people are really disgruntled and you know this takes us to the suicide bombers.

What do you think of the agitation for the creation of a new state for the southern Kaduna areas?


Well, that is a very emotional, emotive, political question but you know I don't run away from hard facts. My worry about that is from what I have seen. You know I am a Nupe man from Lokoja in Kogi State. You know in Kogi State today, we have Igalas with us, they were formally in Benue, they clamoured and clamoured until they came to Kogi. We don't have peace in Kogi, so creating Kogi from a part of Benue has not solved the problem. I know with a state, you will feel like, well, this is our own state; I think I am still thinking seriously and looking at the country where we have similar problems. You see, the problem here is exactly the same as it is in Kogi State, there is no way a Lokoja man can be governor of Kogi State because of our population, we are tiny. Look at the history of Kogi State to date, we have always had an Igala man so, it's a question of agreeing, I don't want to use the word zoning anymore but it is a question of giving every segment of Kaduna State a sense of belonging.

Nupe man they bear idowu? Oduduwa republic may extend to niger state

seanet02:

Nupe man they bear idowu? Oduduwa republic may extend to niger state

What if he doesn't want to be with Oduduwa republic? seanet. Names no matter ooo, na allegiance matter ooo.