The recent hoopla about kidnapping, banditry and all that has happened across the nation calls for sober reflection by Nigerians. I say this because Nigerians should learn to see beyond the divide and rule gimmick of politicians. The back and forth narrative about herdsmen and eviction and the direct politicization of it should show Nigerians that politicians are the greatest agents of national polarization.
It is sad that we have started this nefarious dance of political interests over national interests and we don’t care who is affected. The Nigerian political class should remember that the will of the Nigerian people is more than any personal ambition.
It should be stated that the same embers than fanned the “wetie” riots in the 1960s in the Western region has started again. All of the talk about sectionalism is a build up to 2023. It is sad that the ruling class have started their games and they don’t care if Nigerians lose their lives.
I ask, why polarize an already polarized nation in the bid to hold on to power? But I remember that ambition is like a metastatic cancer, it does not stop until the organ is destroyed. It is sad that our ruling class have not focused on the challenges bedeviling us as a nation. All they are concerned about is power – power at the expense of suffering Nigerians living in abject poverty; power at the expense of infrastructure and betterment of the citizenry. It is sad these political class get richer why the people get poorer.
It is time for Nigerians to stand united and not fall for the political game of division and violence. We must not fight ourselves over the politicians, because the politicians don’t fight themselves they are one with their interests. We must stand united as Nigerians to demand good governance at all times. Let us stop this beating drums of war. It is the political class that always benefits: they have another passport, they can run. We have nowhere to run to, this is the only country we have and we must build it and make it work.
––Rufai Oseni, rufaioseni@icloud.com
