Let the dialogue with Boko Haram continue
Adaka Boro and his compadres may have been some people’s heroes, but it is doubtful if federalists saw him as one. When cultists took over the eastern part of Nigeria, the Bakassi boys took the laws into their own hands but reduced minimally, the terrorism of the cultists. Frederick Fasehun’s OPC, may have been mirrored […]
Adaka Boro and his compadres may have been some people’s heroes, but it is doubtful if federalists saw him as one. When cultists took over the eastern part of Nigeria, the Bakassi boys took the laws into their own hands but reduced minimally, the terrorism of the cultists. Frederick Fasehun’s OPC, may have been mirrored after the celebrated or berated agbekoya in Yorubaland, but Fasehun escaped the hangman’s noose only by the skin of his teeth. His successor, Ganiyu Adams is a holder of several titles today, but at the height of the OPC saga, both men could have been tagged ‘terrorists’.
If you ask the judge who tried Ken Saro-Wiwa, he would have sworn on his oath of office and the evidence before him, that the man was at least an environmental terrorist. We all know that all these is taking it too far or even standing logic on its head; but the judicial murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa, like that of Adaka Boro before him showed environmental activists, that they need to do more than carry placards to draw attention. Today, Asari Dokubo born from the necessity of that history is some people’s generalissimo, to others, he is a terrorist. It is fast becoming a fact of life that one man’s freedom fighter would be another’s terrorist.
That is why it has become very difficult to either shrink, exclusify or expand the frontiers of the definition of terrorism. Northerners have been accused of the conspiracy of silence in the debates and even condemnation of the activities of the group – Boko Haram in the press and even on social networks. All Muslims believe in the infallibility of the Holy Quaran as the immutable law of Allah. Evidently, not all believe in the extreme or literal interpretation given to that law by members of the Boko Haram group. From a safe distance in Lagos, Enugu or Port Harcourt, it is easy to point accusing fingers; it is a different thing if you have to contend with your neighbour whose allegiance you do not know and knowing that your actions or inactions may result in sudden death. We all want to go to heaven, but who wants to put his own head on the guillotine to get there?
The saying is true – it is better to jaw-jaw than to war-war. Dialogue was the road taken with Ojukwu’s Biafra; Dokubo’s militancy; the OPC, Bakassi Boys or whatever else has terrorised our nation at one point or another. This is why I doff my fedora for President Goodluck Jonathan’s acceptance of dialogue as a means to ending the mindless violence and continued insecurity in our nation. It is an act of patriotism to save what is left of Nigeria. However, this will have no effect except patriotism replaces mindless competition in the media. Nigeria’s history would be nothing without the patriotic role of its vibrant media. The media was the midwife of the Nigerian state and the soldier of the birth and preservation of its democracy. It must see itself as the preserver of its corporate existence.
Unfortunately, the 24-hour news rat race appears to be haemorrhaging the patriotic blood in today’s media minders. Speculative reporting is killing true journalism and robbing us of our patriotic duty as citizens whose trade thrives only in an atmosphere of peace. The botched attempt to coax Boko Haram into dialogue should be one area where our sense of patriotism should come back full throttle. We have enough on our hands if we focus on the other issues in the country and wait for official information on these talks. Such attitude is not a sign of weakness or dereliction of duty, it is in my mind, a patriotic duty.
In spite of our perceived differences, there are still scores of Nigerians who believe that this corporate entity should be preserved. The consequences of a reversal are too grim to be contemplated. Nothing should be regarded as too much to sacrifice for the corporate survival of our country. The media can thrive only in an atmosphere of corporate peace and tranquility. If Boko Haram gives an olive branch and government accepts it, our duty is to encourage both to thrive rather than thwart the efforts with our spectre of speculative journalism. It was this that is jeopardising the attempts to broker peace and dialogue with the group.
The media must realise that the profession thrives only in an atmosphere of peace and security. The quest to correct socio-economic and political imbalance can only be better accentuated under such tranquility. This is one period when Nigerian editors should rewrite the rules of engagement without compromising on truth, fairness, justice, equity and other ideals. Let us paraphrase the scripture by pursuing peace first, so that every other thing can be added unto us. To Boko Haram it is time to realise that it will never defeat the Nigerian state with mindless violence or convert anyone thereby. The state too should realise that the end to the mindless violence is not to visit the violent with more violence. Lets hope that somebody is listening because, two wrongs will never make a right.