21st NOVEMBER 2002:
THE DAY KADUNA BEGAN TO BOIL
SAMUEL PETER ARUWAN
Kaduna State is indeed a melting pot of Nigerian politics. It is also a mini
Nigeria, because people of different ethnic groups dwell here. There is even
this aphorism that "When Kaduna catches cold, the nation freezes". Kaduna is
a building ground to success and fulfilling life desires and ambitions.
Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the astute labour leader started his unionism here
in Kaduna, then rose to national and international lime light.
Late Chief Bola Ige the late icon and
sage, did his early primary schools here in Kaduna. The revered Catholic
priest Matthew Kukah cut his priesthood teeth here in Kaduna; the rest is
history of his exploits in international discuss related to religion and
politics. Don't also forget that Kaduna is a home to many prominent
Nigerians and foreigners. However it has the renown Ahmadu Bello University,
Kaduna Polythechnic, Kaduna State Polythecnic, Nigerian Defence Academy etc
on its soil.
Anywhere Nigeria recorded victory in the
sport arena, there are always Kaduna siblings. The first Nigerian footballer
to win the prestigious African footballer of the year and the first Nigerian
to score a goal in world cup, talking about Rashid Yekini was a product of
Kaduna soccer college. However of 18 Olympians that did win football gold
medal at Atlanta Olympic games, five of them were Kaduna siblings.
I can go on and on. Kaduna has a lot of
things to look at and feel proud of being associated with the fertile
ground. Life used to be good and memorable one, why? Because there were not
sentiments and animosity. Any place that could have all that Kaduna
possessed would of course rely on its possessions to harness good living and
peaceful co-existence.
Having come this far, one wishes to
digress . Today I remembered with nostalgia on how we used to blend with our
Muslim friends. We were younger, and thought nothing about our differences.
We moved freely from Kabala West to Angwan Muazu, Rigasa and Tudun Wada
without any religious or ethnic animosity. But today life has changed for
there are now Christians and Muslim quarters, how and why?
Answers to these questions still hunt
one. One was only forced to write because things are getting worse by the
day and right and effective mechanisms are not being put in place to curb
this cancer that has gotten deep into our body of life, despite our
religiosity. For everyday I am watching with deep pain the way the so called
conflict managers or experts are making capital profits out of the
situation. They claimed they know and have answers to what does precipitate
the fracas, but on the other way they exacerbate the complex issue,
amounting to further ignition of chaos.
The carnage that began on 21st November
2002 and continued for several days was very emphatic and frustrating. The
whole issues revolves around an allegation, that one Isioma Daniel a
journalist with This Day newspaper wrote a piece on Saturday November 16
that blasphemed prophet Mohammed (SAW). The said unrest started like a
child's play but has left many tragedies to mourn for life. Houses were
burnt and looted, human beings butchered akin to animals in abattoir. Why
was the crisis coming after almost a week of the said blaspheme? Is it that
some people capitalize on the write up? How many of our people who indulge
in the crisis, can afford newspapers, digest their contents and come out
with a common resolution? Why would people who have lived together for time
find any "solace" in killing one another?
This brings to my memory a particular
question, a friend of mine asked me, in the heat of the said matter. He
asked Sam "Is religion a blessing or a curse?" I then answered saying,
"religion is in the life of every society, if it is being practiced with
sincerity and honesty, it will positively reflect in the society and then
there would be peace, development and of course good moral way of life. But
once religion becomes just a tool to achieve political interests or desire,
far from its original form then, it will detonate unrest, agony, poverty,
instability and mal-administration and bad governance."
Sudan is an example of this. When Nimeiry
discovered his loosing of legitimacy and acceptability, he quickly adopted
religious law as a cover to extend his political mileage. El-Mahadi, the
former Sudanese prime minister confirmed this during the Association of
Muslims Intellectuals annual lecture sometimes the rest are now history as
we all know of the instability in Sudan. The same for Chiluba who sometimes
as declared Zambia as a Christian state, all was to extend his political
mileage. Today he has been running from many troubles from divorce to
allegation of corruption.
Those who orchestrated conflicts should
think of its consequences, children becoming orphans and destitute, women
become widows and men becoming widowers. This brings to my memory a neighbor
whose wife was killed barely days after giving birth. Of what gain would one
benefit after masterminding such evil acts? There are many things our
diversity can positively work than to brew sorrow and hatred. We should by
now learn to live together peacefully along with love and compassion for
this are right before God. All those who do cause havoc should know that it
is not part of religious obligations to do what they are doing, for they
shall face God's judgment here or hereafter. For God's case has no provision
for appeal.
We should stop capitalizing on
controversial issues to disintegrate our society, because we don't know who
will fall victim, it could be the master minders or their siblings. Rather
we should use complex situations to harmonize true concept of pluralism.
True religion is not all about being too attached with religion, but
strictly adhering to the laid down rules and regulations governing different
religion, which is basically being kind, compassionate, showing love and
kindness, giving to the needy, doing justice to all, sincerity and honesty
etc. However there is need for our religious bodies to be monitoring the
proliferation of these too many clerics who go about inciting and deceiving
adherents via their own fabricated theories of religion. Furthermore they
are always dishing out unguided and sporadic sermons to the teeming
populace, who has less understanding of events. Some of these clerics
usually pretend as godly people are known faces who have less religious
knowledge and moral balance, and are even allowed through the media
especially government owned media to exhibit their ignorance and violent
oriented messages that could trigger chaos sooner or later.
As it marks two years of this horrible
experience one is optimistic that someday our people would understand all
this delicate complex issues, so as to dwell again as it used to be, when I
used to visit Tudun-Wada to see Habibu and Shehu ditto them.
Kaduna now has changed from all race
quarters to Muslim and Christian quarters, people residing on the basis of
religion and ethnic lines. Who will close this gap and reunite us? Is it the
so called conflict resolution people who do make capital profit out of our
rancor and acrimony? Is it the constituted authority who are only concerned
with their political expediencies? Or is it the same people who do engage
one another in free for all fights? Is it the religious and traditional
leaders who also incite violence and instability? I don't have answers to
these questions, please help me. God forgive us for all that occurred here
in Kaduna where human life was reduced to nonentity, human beings were
murdered, burnt beyond recognition, children and women crying, watching
helplessly as life were being scoffed out of their bread winners before
their very eyes. Houses, Churches and Mosques being burnt and looted.
May God give us the mind of tolerating
and accommodating one another and the mind to do justice to all irrespective
of diversity. For peace can only be where there is justice and equity.
I am dedicating this piece to all who
lost their precious lives in the crisis and those who experienced one misery
or the other.
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