RE: VICIOUSNESS OF NIGERIAN POLITICS
Inna lillahi wa innan ilaihi raji’un! Our uncle was killed barely five hours after I read your column. Wallahi I had no idea when I was reading the article that I would be a victim. He was killed at Marmara, about ten kilometres from Nasarawa town of Nasarawa State. Do you know why my uncle […]
Inna lillahi wa innan ilaihi raji’un! Our uncle was killed barely five hours after I read your column. Wallahi I had no idea when I was reading the article that I would be a victim. He was killed at Marmara, about ten kilometres from Nasarawa town of Nasarawa State. Do you know why my uncle was killed? He had decided to wait and hear the final result of the PDP Senatorial Primaries of Nasarawa West Senatorial District, where he comes from. One politician won and another lost. Loss of primaries led to my uncle’s loss of life! Only Allah will avenge our sorrow now. The thugs who killed him have made a woman a widow, and five children orphans. May his soul, and the souls of other similar victims, rest in peace, amin.
ABBATI DANKANTI, GUMEL:
I think one of the things I like from your column is the frankness and sincere attitude you have shown towards touching the lives of our human endeavour. Present unfortunate events happening will always reflect the bases of which decisions are taken to guard against future occurrences. The analysis you made could be termed ‘New Year Political Deaths Envisaged’, just like the Accountant who prepares his projected cash flow statement, or the Government that presents its traditional Annual Budget on forecast cash receipts and expenditure. I think the ‘New Year Political Deaths Envisaged’ could be averted if, and only if, the political class could bring in their sons and daughters into the political game to participate actively. May be if one or two of their family members become victim, the country may reduce the number of casualties/deaths and eventually, restore confidence in the political system. In addition, a law should be enacted to put a life ban on any politician who politically contributed to the death/injury of innocent lives, and the perpetrators must be made to face the consequences of their acts.
NEWSPAPER REPORT:
An Oyo State High Court Wednesday deferred judgment till Monday on the bail application filed by Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin and three others on their detention in connection with the killing of factional leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Oyo State, Alhaji Lateef Salako (a.k.a Eleweomo). (But Breaking News Thursday: Court Orders Release of Senate Leader Folarin…and he was sighted at Thursday’s PDP Primaries)
DR. YAHAYA MOHAMMED, MAIDUGURI:
As always, you have hit the nail in the head. My heart mourns for those that are soon to be murdered (and I hope to God that I am not among them). But honestly speaking, I always have the notion that this type of democracy is not for Africa (look all over the continent and see). There is too much chaos and bloodshed and sit-tight or perpetual leaders wherever there’s democracy in Africa. Africans better evolve a home-grown system and adopt it.
AISHA YOLA, YOLA:
You said ‘Death will take a break and return in April to harvest more Nigerians…’ It seems to me our leaders and people have lost touch with the reality of what murder means. You have helped to remind us. Though I know the chances of justice catching up with the real murderers and their being punished is zero today, I feel confident after reading your piece that some day it will happen. History is replete with unexpected twists and turns driven by the sudden coalescing of public mood, realisation and anger enough to demand change. After reading your piece on the viciousness of politics in Nigeria I know I am not alone in my outrage. You put everything in its proper perspective: these killings, like all before and the soon-to-be, are murder, plain and unforgivable, and those that order/aid/abet/execute such murders are murderers, plain and simple. And the most important point is that no nation can be at peace until each murder – of every man, woman and child – is punished. Murderers must be found and punished, whether they reside in government house or buka. In sha Allah (SWT), some day those (and their leaders) who strolled at dawn into a public mosque and shot to death late Mallam Ja’afar Mahmoud Adam will be found and punished. That murder took place a day before the 2007 elections. Now we are just before another set of elections. It will come to an end one day.
NEWSPAPER REPORT:
Delegates of the PDP from Gambir Ward of Damaturu, Yobe State, yesterday called on the police to probe the death of their leader, Mallam Kyari Balume, who was killed Sunday night…along with two others, Abba Bishara and Sulaiman who were killed Monday…in skirmishes preparatory to the commencement of the gubernatorial primary elections…
ABUBAKAR ABBA, ABUJA:
Peace be on you. The problem is that we, especially Muslims in this country, are really confused. We must first know and believe that democracy is not a substitute for our God-given system of governance. But we have to manage this contraption called ‘democracy’ as a system of governance as ‘darura’ (necessity) till such a time we are able to get the ultimate, God-ordained system of governance.
SAGIR GEZAWA, KANO:
This time I disagree with you. Though I agree with the fact that our elections come with violence that often leads to uncountable number of deaths, and the non-involvement of the real players’ members of immediate family, but I don’t think it is proper to make such a prediction. Let’s all be optimistic and pray for better things to happen in the forth-coming coming elections.
NEWSPAPER REPORT:
An orgy of violence weekend swept across Bayelsa State as six people were killed in a clash between rival political groups…In Port Harcourt, young men suspected to be hoodlums waylaid the convoy of the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Bayelsa, Timi Alaibe at the airport and reportedly stabbed six of Alaibe’s political associates to death.
ISA TURAKI, MISAU:
I can no longer resist the temptation. I am going to start a free Hausa translation of these your columns. I have had the idea for such a long time, but this ‘viciousness’ provoked me all the more! Non-English speakers must hear what you are saying!
ABDULLAHI SARKI, KANO:
Haba Bala! This is the second or more time you are calling for a dictatorship, benevolent or not. Do you perceive yourself as that benevolent dictator? How many died under Polpot, Idi Amin, Nasser, Mugabe, Abacha, IBB, Mengistu, Samuel Doe? How many Cubans went into exile? Didn’t your BBC once report the beheading of two speakers of Britain’s Parliament, all within one day in days gone by! We are still at that stage. Killing is a human folly. A nation-state such as ours has an intrinsic violent character. Such are the genes it has passed onto its citizens. Hasn’t a House of Reps member in the US just been shot? My solution is more education, not reorientation: you can only reorient an educated person. Our system should allow someone like you to be the local Police DPO. Would you send your boys to rob and bring you returns? No! Do you know what oils the dictatorial Saudi Monarchy? Oil and Hajj. Remove those and you have a Yemen. Meanwhile, your point is well made, but democracy enables us to know ourselves as the barbarians that we are!