Both the Islamic and Christianity religion had co-existed from time in this country; even though there are factions and fracas, which is basically caused by externals forces with their agenda of caliphatism, recruiting some unemployed and destitute individuals; especially youths to help in carrying out insurgence and unrest in most regions.
From pre-history the issues of the tribe and religion and ethnicity tussle had been there. And many factors had also contributed to flame this up the more. Nations and countries that allowed these destructive ideas, to envelop them, had actually had themselves to blame. Tribalism, ethnicism, and religionism are serious issues in Nigeria, Nigeria is a multi-tribal nation and with diverse ethnic groups and religious enterprise.
Before and after Nigeria becoming an independent state, there are so many unscrupulous elements who had orchestrated some underserved incidents as a result of being tribalistic, ehtnicist and religious extremist. And whether we like it or not there is no human being born of a woman, who likes to be marginalize as a result of coming from a minority group, tribe, ethnicity or religion.
I want to bring to our remembrance that Nigeria civil war according to Nigeria history broke out as a result of tribal and ethnicity struggles of supremacy and superiority; where one tribe and ethnic group of the same citizenship sees others as intruders and unwanted elements in their territory, ‘tribaphobia’ was the order of the day. In 1962 a faction arose within AG under the leadership of Ladoke Akintola who was selected as premier of the west. The Akintola factions argued that the Yoruba people were losing their pre-eminent position in business to the people of the Igbo tribe, because Igbo-dominated NCNC was part of the governing coalition and AG was not. The federal governments Prime Minister Balewa agreed with the Akintola factions and sought to have the AG join the government.
The party leadership under Awolowo disagreed and replace Akintola as premier of the west. The national council of Nigeria citizen (NCNC) was dominated by the Igbos, the Northern people congress (NPC) represented conservation Muslim, Hausa and Fulani interest that dominated the northern region of the country. The AG-Action Group (AG) was a leaning party that represents the interest of the Yoruba people in the west.
The AG was manoeured out of control of the western region by the federal government with a new pro-government Yoruba party, the Nigeria National Democratic Party (NNDP), there was a lot of disparity in economic and educational development between the south and the north.
Then 1965 national election produced a major realignment of politics, and, a disputed result that set the country on the part of civil war. The Central Intelligence Agency CIA (a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, and analyzing national security from around the world through the use of Human intelligence), comments in October 1966 in a CIA intelligence memorandum that, ‘Africa most populous country (population estimated at 48 million as of then) is in the throes of a highly complex internal crisis rooted in its artificial origin as a British dependency and often antagonistic tribal groups. The present crisis started with Nigeria independence in 1960, but the federated parliament hid serious internal strains.
It has been in an acute stage since January when a military coup d’état destroyed the constitutional regime bequeathed by the British and upset the underlying tribal and regional power relationships. At stake now is the most fundamental question which can be raised about a country, beginning with whether it will survive as a single viable entity. The situation is uncertain with Nigeria, sliding downhill faster and faster with less and less chance of unity and stability unless present army leaders and contending tribal elements soon reach agreement on a new basis for the association and take some effective measures to halt a seriously deteriorating security internal turmoil, possibly including civil war’ after this intelligence observation and comment, the next year the Nigeria-Biafra civil war broke out 6 July1967-15 January 1970.
The amalgamation of the northern Nigeria protectorate and the southern protectorate, and the Lagos colony, was done in 1st January 1914 by Lord Fredrick Lugard. Permit me to say here that Nigeria was given birth to and became a man in 1960 and was more responsible in 1963. He was born with complete, imbedded resources for sustenance. And the national cake had been well bake for the satisfactory of every Nigerian to enjoy.
Bringing in segregations, incivility manipulations and inordinate calculation of favouritism is odd and obsolete. I will say and continue to preach it loud and clear to all and sundry, that what had happen to us and still happening as a result of these unnecessary turbulent of internal rumbling, should served as an eye opener to curtail, mystical like and unmystical like trouble, we are seeing or have seen.
Until we begin to see ourselves as brothers and sisters; irrespective of where we emanated from, we cannot move this country forward. End SARS, the joint task force group, and, other civic organizations and paramilitary organizations put together to fight insurgence should be a notice or a message to those that are still bill boarding tribalism, ethnicism and religionism. What we should know is that cannot do without each other-the Hausa and fulani man from the north cannot do without the Yoruba man from the west and the Yoruba man cannot do without the Igbo man, from the east-we all need each other.
Religionism is another biting insect that is causing more harm than good, falling back to originality, historian made us to know that Islam reach northern part of Nigeria in the 11th and 12th century through trade, migration and through the travels of the scholar-mystic-wayfarer along trade routes, through the regions of Kanem-Bornu, Kanem Bornu before now had been in contact with Muslim traders as early as the 9th century. And while Christianity came in 4 years later, in 15th century by Augustinian and Capuchin monks from Portugal, the first mission of the Church of England was established in 1842 in Badagary by Henry Townsend. And two years after 17th century to be precise, the Roman Catholic missionaries, found their way to Nigeria. They came into cities like Benin and Warri where they preach.
Both the Islamic and Christianity religion had co-existed from time in this country; even though there are factions and fracas, which is basically caused by externals forces with their agenda of caliphatism, recruiting some unemployed and destitute individuals; especially youths to help in carrying out insurgence and unrest in most regions.
Even in the Christianity religion, there are factions. Factions cause by denominationalism, where the orthodox, despised the Protestant, the Evangelical looking down on the Pentecostal and vice versa. And this is carving a loop hole for discrimination and undignified unity and belief.
A situation whereby a Christian from another denomination can not vouch for another Christian, from another denomination, is unfathomable and very masterminding. And these can make these enemies of the state to waylay and aggravate their bombardment, and accomplish their planed agendas.
There was a time a general election was conducted in this country, a reverend minister from my hometown came up to contest in one of the parties, unfortunately for him, nobody voted for him according to the vote counts; and it was later discovered the reason behind his failure, was that his denomination was not a popular one.
Mister Peter Obi president aspirant from labour party is a catholic, most of the campaigning and visitation was also embracing the churches. Calling Christians to exercise their franchise, and above all even if he did not win the election, at less the unity of the church and other religions was obvious.
All these outline issues, should be taken into considerations, let us remember the scars of the civil war, which is still seen vividly clear; let us remember the dead of the innocents and our hero that had past, let us remember those who had not been able to get up from their falling stage as a result of our previous mistake and hold up to a new Nigeria that is united.
Every person in every geopolitical zone is one way or the other part of these triangular entities (tribe, ethnic and religion), and whether we like it or not these unite us as one. when we all hold unto our belief, when we don’t over rate a tribe above others and we don’t amplified our ethnicity in expense of others; what we will see is unity, progress and peace.
Sunday Ikpang is a poet, an author, scripts writer, and a ghostwriter. Contacts address; [email protected], WHATSAPP number: 09011866308, phone number: 08080953711.