Nigeria is a
heterogeneous society with different religious beliefs and affiliations. It is
an entity where unity in diversity ought to be its strength to the nation and
threats to other nations no matter their status, but the reverse has become the
case. The most volatile ailment in Nigeria is not poverty, marginalization,
poor governance, political hypocrisy but religious fanaticism surreptitiously
aided by the government through an ailing constitution. While a part of the
constitution claimed that Nigeria is a secular nation, the same constitution in
another section dabbled into religious issues setting some provisions for the
running of Sharia system of adjudication. The government who are the custodians
of a secular constitution sponsors pilgrimages to Mecca for the muslims, and to
Jerusalem for the Christians. In Nigeria’s currency, you will notice some
symbols of Arabic writings typical of a particular religious identity while
English Language remains our adopted lingua franca. Who is more of religious
fanaticism: the government or the citizenry?
The process of choosing
representatives of the people, from the post of the President down to that of
the Councillor is permeated with lots of religious jingoism, thus loathed with
attendant religious breathes. For instance, in Nigeria, if the President is a Muslim,
the Vice will certainly be a Christian or vice-versa; else there will be
massive disdain to the system and process, and a likely resultant bloodshed.
The same thing applies to the election of governors and their deputies except
such states are overwhelmingly from a particular religion. Retrospectively, it was
only in 1993 presidential elections that Nigerians collapsed any religious
considerations and voted conscientiously, when Late Chief MKO Abiola and Ambassador
Babagana Kingibe were elected as ‘President’ and ‘vice-president’, respectively,
under a muslim/muslim ticket without any protestations or religious sentiments from
the citizenry. This, to a large extent, is to say that Nigerians can unite
without any religious tensions if government does not interfere and incite
religious crises; but the government will not allow this peace to foster. They tactically
fan the embers of religious extremism. What happened to the result of the
“binding and unifying” 1993 general election? It was gruesomely annulled by the
GOVERNMENT who ought to protect the doctrine of secularism. The annulment itself
sparked tensions and resultant deaths among the citizenry in hitherto peaceful Nigeria.
Ordinarily, all Nigerians irrespective of religious differences are good
people, great people and accommodating set of people, I make bold to say!
I still wonder why
government dabbles into religious affairs, igniting emotions which are
practically destructive to the Nigerian nation. I agree that secularism means
that the country does not adopt any one particular religion as a state
religion. This concept is a misnomer in Nigerian context, just as the
constitution is kwashiokored on this. If Nigeria has not adopted Christianity
and Islam as its religion, why does the government waste its resources in
building national Mosque and a national Chapel (Church) in the presidential
villa? Is this still secularism? Why are Nigerians employed based on religious
sympathy and not on competence and merit? It is unthinkable that in a federal
employment or admission form will create a column for a prospective employee
and students to fill for his/her religious identity, respectively. Is this
secularism? Is this not to twist one religion against the other and see which
is more superior? Last year or so, in Osun State of Nigeria, it was the
government that initiated a religious debacle on whether to wear hijab to a
public school or not. It was not the peaceful people of Osun state that started
this abnormality.
In the military
barracks, they have religious worship centres to the extent that they have
Military Chaplains and Muslim Leaders among the military organization. I
remember there was a time that the federal government frowned at indicating our
tribes by tribal marks on our faces but hypocritically of the government, I
have not so far seen that anyone who are involved in religious violence prosecuted,
not to talk more of being sentenced. Our problem is not facial marks of
identity. Our problem is the cancerous constitution. To me, Nigeria is not in
anyway secular but a bi-religious nation. Cristianity and Islam are the two-state
religions.
Do you remember a man
called Akaluka in Kano State, when in some years ago was beheaded and his head pinned
to a long stick and the murderers danced all around the streets of Kano with it?
What of the Redeemed Pastor Eunice who was murdered in cold blood in Abuja just
late last year? What has happened to all these killers? What of the massacre of
Christians recently conducted by the Muslims in Southern Kaduna where over 120
people were allegedly killed? NO ONE has been arrested, prosecuted and
sentenced. Rather it was Pastor Johnson Suleiman that was being hunted by the
DSS as if he was the one that ‘bombed’ and killed the Southern Kaduna victims. The
alleged ‘inflammatory statements’ of the Pastor were more grievous than the
actual murders of the innocent Christian victims? What an irony of situation!
The government is not chasing the murderers, but chasing an Edo man who went to
Ekiti State just to preach the gospel. Are you seeing the role of the government
in religion and the touted secularism of Nigeria? Is this therefore not a
mockery of a system called secularism?
I lay all these anomalies majorly on the shoulders
of the government and the sick constitution of Nigeria. The government must
radically hands off any involvements in religious affairs, and let the country remains
truly secular. If Nigeria was actually a secular nation, all crimes committed
in the name of religion would not be branded as mere religious riots or unrests.
Such acts would be treated as crimes against the State and humanity. All murderers must be answerable to the law. Religion
should squarely be individualistic and personal. The government can only guide
its operations where it contravenes the rights of others or threatens the
corporate existence of the nation, and not the government igniting crises by
reason of omission or commission. The constitution of Nigeria must be REVIEWED
and all the provisions on religion completely expunged, restricted, guided or
properly redefined to moderate government’s involvement, and to criminalize all
evils committed in the name of religious upheavals.
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