Governor Murtala Nyako, Boko Haram and Rest of us ~ Part 3

Concluding part started from Part 1 and Part 2

Part 3 – The Ugly

The Governor’s letter highlights some ugly realities. He is convinced that Boko Haram is the creation of the Jonathan-led administration as he called them “phantom” at some point. Unfortunately, I’ve heard a number of persons around me reiterate this view when their guards are down. My wife is about the most practical person I know in my life and she has taught me to always call something green when it is green. It is not emerald or turquoise but green (why she chose green, till this day I do not know). The simple lesson is this: DO NOT LIVE IN DENIAL. It always aggravates the problem.

I grew up hearing about Maitasine in the 80s. Thousands of non-muslims were being killed in northern Nigeria by this violent, religious sect at the time. The ethnic pogroms in the wake of the ill-fated coup of ’66 were also an ugly feature of our national past. No other place in Nigeria has had the kind of history of intolerance that northern Nigeria has demonstrated in Nigeria’s 54-year history. Boko Haram is not a recent invention as there is record of their history. Why live in denial rather than address the issues especially as they affect lives of the innocent? What elements within the northern reaches of the country make it a veritable breeding ground for these types of provocations? Denial does not make anything go away. It only festers and aggravates the situation.

By referring to the President as being from Eastern Nigeria, Gov. Nyako commits several grevious sins. Firstly, he refuses to recognise the evolution of Nigeria since the ‘70s when we had only 3 regions; eastern, northern and western. Now we have 6 geo-political zones and 36 states and 1 Federal Capital Territory. Small as this may seem, it shows a man who refuses to shift his perspective even when the whole world has moved on! Secondly, while the President has not scored highly on many people’s scorecards, asking “Eastern Nigeria” to ”team up with him (Nyako)” is at best laughable. Which Eastern Nigeria? Peter Obi’s or Edwin Clark’s? The biggest faux pas in this regard, however, is the attempt to justify the killings of thousands of innocent people resident in northern Nigeria (people who were mostly of eastern extraction), as a consequence of the silence of eastern Nigeria over the murders of political and military leaders of northern and western extraction on the night of 15 Jan 1966. Sir, we refuse to allow you take us back to a place where we should never have been as a country. One wrong does not justify another! It was wrong to have the leaders slaughtered they way they were on the night of the Jan  15, 1966 but it was “wronger”(forgive the word, I could find no better expression) for the retaliation to target innocents the way they did in the aftermath.

I just read some statements coming out from South Korea in the aftermath of therecent ferry which capsized and in which hundreds of innocents died. That incident is considered by Koreans as a national shame! That country has a sense of national shame ie certain things cannot be condoned irrespective of any attempt to excuse or justify their occurences. Where is our sense of national shame as a people? How dare a former military administrator, former Chief of Naval staff, former deputy chief of defence staff and current state Governor attempt to justify that most shameful and debased past of our national history in a such a manner?

Speaking of shame, the ongoing national conference is throwing up its share of shameful behaviours from those who should know better. I was totally ashamed to read about the visit of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs to Mr. President to protest the composition of the national conference as having too few muslims. According to the Secretary General, muslims were short changed in the composition of the delegates to the conference. This was backed with actual figures showing who is a muslim and who is a christian. To further compound the merry-go-round of shamelessness,   the Christian Association of Nigeria has registered its own protest that the conference chairman is favouring muslims in the chairmanship of the committees citing the chairman of the committee on religion, Alhaji Lemu, as being from the same state with Justice Kutigi! Don’t we know where to draw the line? Is the issue of muslim/christian delegates to the national conference the predominant issue to tackle in today’s Nigeria? Where is the vocal condemnation of the senseless acts of killings backed up by financial aid, humanitarian support and continuous assistance to all the affected from these 2 leading religious groups? Personally, I don’t think the NSCIA has done enough to condemn the scourge of Boko Haram. Condemnation is beyond issuance of statements; there is need to provide ongoing support to the affected by the muslim community especially because Boko Haram carries out its activities in the name of religion. For every deed done by Boko Haram, I would like to see an even stronger response in terms of positive action from the NSCIA. This will demonstrate that Boko Haram is indeed not promoting the ideals of Islam. I would like to believe that the Council unlike the governor, does not think that Boko Haram is a phantom group. Also, CAN needs to step away from issuing inflammatory statements which only heat up the polity. If Christianity is about peace, let CAN spend its money and mobilise its members to join with the muslim ummah to provide relief materials and ongoing support and assistance to the affected peoples and places in the Name of the Lord, after all that is what th love of Christ is about isn’t it? Tell me if this will not douse the flames of religion that the politicians are so quick to fan each time we have an election ahead of us. When do we realize that Nigeria is beyond religion as espoused by our numerous and often times overly zealous religious leaders, and bow our hearts and knees in true reverence to the Almighty Creator? What a shame!

I wonder if the governor realizes that he actually shouldn’t be sitting in the position of a state governor right now. For those of us who may not know, Gov. Nyako was the first ever military administrator of Niger state in 1976! At the time, I was barely born! I am close to 40 years of age now and the same man is still a state governor in the same country. That itself must be a world record of some kind! He also occupied the position of Chief of Naval staff in Nigeria at a time (January 1990) when such a position was as close to absolute power as you could get. At the time, Mr. President was studying for his Ph.D while also lecturing at the Rivers State College of Education! Doesn’t he realize that his being in the position of a state governor under the current President is, at best, a thing of shame? Or is Adamawa state unable to produce men/women with the necessary competence, strength, vision and capacity to govern?

When the late Chinua Achebe published his final epitaph, “ There was a country”, a great cry arose from different quarters over certain things said in the book. My favourite rejoinder, however, came from the current Lagos state governor, Tunde Fashola, who voiced my thoughts in simply stating that he was part of a generation that had moved on from the ugly past and would rather not be drawn into the murky waters of division and ethnic strife. Gov. Nyako, sir, unfortunately, some of the words you have written in your letter are intended to divide rather than bring us together or heal the hurts of the past. Since you are unlikely to be around to deal with the aftermath of your words when they assume shape and take a life of their own, posterity rules you out of order. Please take your bitterness away with you, we want no part of it. I am a father of 4, of western extraction married to a lovely wife who hailed from eastern Nigeria (before I colonised her completely!). I have looked forward all my life to a country where we will address issues that make for growth and development and leave behind the ugliness and pettiness which have bedevilled us so far. Each time I’m out of the country, my first thoughts on walking through the streets of London or Jo’burg are,” Why can’t Nigeria be like this, why?” All the while I have adopted a siddon-look posture about issues in the country and how to generally improve our lot as a nation but its about time that I, and others like me, start to speak out and take deliberate developmental action. This madness must stop.

Gov. Nyako, had my late father been alive today, you would have been a few years his younger brother and he would most likely chide me for speaking to an elderly person like I have but it really doesn’t matter anymore. If a man who was a state governor when I was a baby is still a state governor when I am 40, I would be a fool to hold my peace when that man speaks about issues which could affect my future the way you have, wouldn’t I? And my father did not raise a fool!

On a final note sir, I truly thank you for your letter as it has exposed the true state of your heart (and many others who think like you do). Though it is said that a leopard does not change its stripes, there may still be an opportunity for you to have a rethink on some of the issues you have touched upon in your letter especially considering the numerous rejoinders you have gotten. Therefore I urge you to do some introspection and consider what testament/legacy you will actually leave behind beyond these dark words. God bless Nigeria!

 

This article was written by Akintayo Ayo-Bamisaye. He lives in Abuja.