Boko Haram is the fruit of a country whose leadership has not had the courage to break the eggs of different identities to make the omelette of a united country. The undefined role of the feudal institutions continues to get in the way of our building a united nation, not because there is anything wrong with ethnic identity, but becauseincreasingly, our sense of nationhood and loyalty to a common flag and Constitution remain subordinated to other loyalties. This has left a huge vacuum that Boko Haram has exploited. Confronting what seemed like a rag tag army of misguided fanatics has turned into an nightmare and has further exposed the underbelly of our nation. We have watched helplessly as the competence and commitment of members of the Nigerian military has been tested. Wrong diagnosis has led to a total misreading of the context of the war and our inability to identify the best strategy for fighting the war. Now, before our own eyes, it is an unconventional gathering of illiterate hunters who are now scoring victories where the Nigerian military has failed. There could not be a further metaphorical expression of our predicament. The people of Nigeria must note that there are lessons for us. The collapse of the Army is usually the prelude to state collapse. The stories of the collapse of the armies in Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and Sierra Leone are all before us. We know what followed. Our fractures have been the result of bad politics. However, it would be suicidal for us to think that the process of healing should be left to the politicians. Healing our nation is too serious a business to be left to our politicians. Those who aspire to lead us must know who we are and what our fears, anxieties and hopes are. When they win our votes, they ought to know what to do because they have asked to lead us and our votes have given them to job. Creating a team of rivals should then be the real challenge. This is why vigilance on our part remains a key part of politics. The time to start is now and the place to start is here. Thank you very much. God bless Nigeria. *Matthew Hassan Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 16:25:46 +0000
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