Regional Agitations: A Tool By The Political Elites

Since I come of age, Nigeria has not known peace, all thanks to political cum ethnic violence. I was rounding up my high school when June 12 broke out and for several years, June 12 remain a national Day of debacle in Nigeria especially in the South West. This is aside the pre-independence and early independence violence.

In those days, it was Hausas versus Yorubas, such that parents are advised not to allow their wards to go to school on June 12 because anything could happen.

Democracy came with Yoruba man in the saddle, the agitations ceased. Then come the introduction of Sharia by the Northern Oligarchy. It took  wisdom for President Obasanjo to allow Sharia fizzle out by itself because to all intent and purpose, Sharia was an aberration in a secular State like ours especially when it was being applied to non-indigenes. Alongside this was the evolution of Niger Delta agitations by Militants which allocation of 13 percent derivation helps to reduce its flame.

The coming of Yardua government rekindled the fire until amnesty program was introduced for the agitators. This President Jonathan consolidated upon and this brought about reduction in the agitations. This hardly snowballed when Boko Haram became a monster almost bringing all the Nigeria military apparatus to its kneels. To all intent and purpose, Boko Haram was a tool to protest the emergence of President Jonathan at least in the initial stage until it became a turn in the flesh, funny enough, President Jonathan played to the gallery through sheer negligence and inactions.

Today, it is IPOB crying of marginalisation, apparently, because some people have fell out of the national equations.

So many things are begging for questions in this country. While arguably there are genuine reasons in some of the agitations, yet more often than not, it is often a tool of the elites to remain relevant in the scheme of things at the expense of the average man on the street.

This to me is sheer wickedness because over the years, nothing has changed concerning the real issues. Rather, the poor is getting poorer while the rich is getting richer. Our roads are not getting better. Hospitals have continued to remain in a state of comatose. Our schools are nothing to write home about. So what are the gains of the agitations over the years, except that some people have enriched themselves at the expense of others.

We cannot continue like this, lives of people should matter. The next question on my mind is who will save the helpless, when it has not shown the willingness to be helped because that seems to be the case with Nigerians. I wish all the vituperations on social media is devoted to constructive arguments and channel to the leaders, we would certainly fair better. Far from it,it is abuse against needless enemies. Sometimes I weep silently for our ignoramus and sheer wickedness against one another.

Only in Nigeria, you will see a potholes being exploited by hawkers to sell their wares to the extent of digging it more. In some cases,it is an avenue for the police to ply their trades of 'waiting you carry or where is your particular' even by some of them who cannot read what is written on the papers. I shake my head for my country.

The other day, I boarded a vehicle that ordinarily should carry four passengers,and my attempt to draw the attention of the conductor to it when he was trying to pack us like 'Sadin' was being rebuffed by my co-passengers. They automatically became the advocators until I have to keep quite. It is so shameful we have become so accustomed to the culture of mediocrity and exploitation.

Somebody said what we need is restructuring of our minds, of which I totally I agree because our real inequality is our injustice to one another from childhood to adulthood and that is what the leaders took to the national stage.

'Water cannot rise above its level',one of my lecturers would say. The society indeed deserves the kind of leaders they get. But it is time to save the shinking ship, otherwise, we may all perish with the waves of storms ravaging our land.

God save Nigeria.
God bless Nigeria.