Public enemies are citizens that derive joy in public disorder,create enmity among tribes, promote sectionalism and widen religious divide between citizens for selfish benefits. They love anarchy than peace and gain from negative occurrences.
They mostly hide under the banner of their religion or tribe to perpetrate this evil agenda against the nation, but many are still unaware of their destructive agenda.
With this unholy pursuit, some had gotten to the position of authority, occupying various high offices, attain celebrity status as well as being regarded as respected religious figures. This is so unfortunate for Nigeria as many young people have joined this cliq to continue the trend of negativity especially on the social media.
It is equally unfortunate that Nigeria has gotten to a stage where young victims of misrule and bad government are made to ignore integrity and capability to deliver good governance in making choice of leaders, they are rather programmed to be concerned about the religion or ethnicity of the intending leaders. Majorly, this is the handy work of the public enemy.
It has deteriorated to an extent where, irrespective of the competence and capability of an intending leader to deliver good governance, his religion or ethnicity is mostly a constrain.
The beneficiaries of this ugly scenario ensured that, to have follower-ship and be loved by Nigerians, the easiest means to achieve this is to follow one of the two (2) means. Religion or ethnicity.
Let me explain how these 2 factors are utilized in the Nigerian polity.
1. Religious bigotry.
If you are a Muslim, you have to attack anything Christianity, condemn it, claim they are marginalizing Muslims,insult Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and everything related to Christianity. After this is done, check your public support level and trust me, you will find that some large crowd of ignorant Muslims are always supporting you no matter how stupid and unreasonable you sound. It doesn’t matter if you are not making sense, it also doesn’t matter even if what you are doing is against the principle of Islam, just do it and claim you are doing it to protect Islam and your Muslim brothers.
Also, if you are a Christian, make sure you master the act of using English language to redefine minimization. Attack Muslims, condemn them, abuse Prophet Muhammed, insult everything Islamic. Call Muslims terrorists, blood suckers and murderers. Claim Christians are being marginalized, hit up the polity with unguided statements to further widen the divide and be rest assured, your public support level will rise dramatically. It doesn’t matter if you are senselessly doing it to gain wealth and publicity, it also doesn’t matter if you are doing it out of your own stupidity and bigotry.
You even stand a greater chance if you are known to be either an islamic cleric or Pastor like Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Shiekh Gunmi and their likes leading a congregation or an organization.
If you are a pastor, you can sign a gentle man agreement with an islamic scholar and both of you shall engage in this public exchange of religious attack since it is a lucrative venture.
When you go public, raise your voice among the Christians and tell them how Muslims are trying to Islamize Nigeria. Your Islamic colleague would do the same among the Muslims and both of you shall command huge ignorant follower-ship.
I recall a fraudulent incident that occurred in Taraba state in 2010.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (efcc) arraigned 3 clerics, 2 leaders of the Taraba state chapter of the Muslim Council, Alhaji Inuwa Usman and Alhaji Chindo Bose and a reverend father, Rev. john Simon Jatutu who is the leader of CAN in the state.
According to report, economic and financial crimes commission (efcc) arraigned the 3 clerics before Justice M.S Shuaibu of the federal high court, Yola in Adamawa state on a six count charge bordering on money laundering and obtaining N10 million by false pretense. Efcc stated that, the Muslim clerics were alleged to have conspired with Rev. Jatutu to divert part of the funds approved towards the celebration of the country’s golden jubilee.
A statement by the head of publicity of the efcc, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren said, the Taraba state government had approved in September 2010 the sum of N42 million for the Christian Association of Nigeria and Muslim Council for purpose of the 50th independent celebration.
However, the 3 accused persons cornered N10million each from the Muslim Councils and CAN share of the grant. Members of the groups later got wind of the actual figure approved for them which prompted a petition to the efcc.
It is worth to note that, when christian and islamic clerics pursue personal interest of engaging in stealing what is meant for the large group, they are united and see no barrier. But after sharing the loot, barrier will suddenly surface and they pitch citizens against each other.
Furthermore, It has been observed that, If you choose to be an objective person in terms of religious issue, neither your fellow religious person nor others from the other religion would take you as friend.
If you are a Muslim for example, make sure you do not condemn any Muslim leader when they act wrongly. Instead, praise and defend the leaders or just keep silent. To them, that is religious loyalty.
Also, If a christian leader act wrongly, don’t try to condemn him or her unless you are ready for war of words.
If your name is Abdulrazaq for example, no matter how truthful, objective or sincere you are, expect to be attacked from various quarters. Christians shall hit you hard, call you all sort of names, blooding sucking bokoharam,hypocrite,hater etc. Even when they are victims of the same abusive action, they prefer to be victim and defend their fellow religious fellow than to be truthful.
Therefore, unless you are ready to loose friends and be very unpopular like me, don’t try to be neutral and objective in religious discuss.
To gain friends and be famous among Muslims, be a Muslim bigot, and to be popular among Christians, be a christian bigot. If you are the objective type, both Christians and Muslims don’t care about your neutrality, very few truthful, objective and sincere adherent of both faith would adore you.
Truly, we were born with nothing, but when we came into this world, we all need something and if we work hard enough, we will acquire something. However, Causing division and destruction on the surface of this earth is not the best way to acquire whatever we desire.
Therefore,If you are a christian, be a good Christian. If you are a Muslim, be a good Muslim. Even if you are a traditionalist, just be a good one. It is my believe that, if every Muslim and christian in the world choose to be good, there will be little or no problem in the world.
2. Regional hypocrites:
Another major route to fame in Nigeria is being a regional hypocrite.
When names such as Femi Fani kayode, Edwin Clarck, Femi Aribisala, Adamu Ciroma, Junaid and others come to mind, nothing is remembered of them other than the regional rants and divide they are promoting.
When you visit the social media space for example, there are countless regional champions trying to undo each other by means of spreading propaganda and lies to get popular. These hypocrites are divided between North and South.
No matter how incompetent a northern leader is, never criticize him, else, the northern regional champions would attack like there is a war. Also, No matter how incompetent a southern leader is, don’t attempt to express your opinion about his leadership or else, expect bashing from these regional champions. Though, they mostly claim to be regional champions, but in reality, they are nothing, but regional destroyers.
These regional destroyers don’t need to know the individual leaders, they also don’t need to be aware of the issue is discuss or have any prior knowledge, even if the individual is guilty or not, they don’t care, reasonable or unreasonable, it doesn’t matter. They are ready to defend everything, by any means no matter how evil it is.
With the way they blindly claim to defend their region, you will get an impression that they love the region and are passionate about defending its general interest, but a close examination reveals that,personal gains and undeserved honor is their target.
If you ask yourself, who are those defending president Jonathan, Stella Oduah, Allisson Madueke and others despite the obvious failure in this administration? 95% are from the South.
To them, it doesn’t matter if $20billion is unaccounted for, it doesn’t matter if Stella Oduah spent N250million meant for the public on her personal upkeep, it doesn’t matter if the president can’t guarantee security of lives and properties, it doesn’t matter if over 200 girls are missing for over 2 months, it doesn’t matter if ASUU went on strike for over 5 months, it also doesn’t matter if ASUP have been on strike for over 8 months keeping polytechnic students at home.
Again, who are those defending Sanusi Lamido, Sule Lamido and others? 95% are from the North. To them also, it doesn’t matter if Sanusi had misappropriated billions, it doesn’t matter if he does selective donation of public funds, it doesn’t matter if a CBN governor gave wrong figures that misled the whole nation and subject the country to international ridicule, it also doesn’t matter if the children of Lamido are found with huge public funds.
Their basis for defending and supporting these people are not about the issues, but false regional loyalty and personal interest.
Consequently, any Nigerian that speak truth and remain objective on national issue is seen by both side of the divide as an enemy that must be hated by all means. Such enemies as they perceive are assumed to be working against their regional interest no matter where they come from.
For example, if a man from Beyalsa state find the government of Good luck Jonathan as being very poor and expresses such in public domain, such man may be attacked and regarded as an enemy working against south south interest.
The regional category is even further divided into ethnic and tribal champions. The likes of Asari Dokubo and others that consider promoting one single ethnic group within a region are perfect examples. To these groups, anything outside their ethnic group is a threat that must be neutralized or eliminated. Through such regional blind promotion, many had become famous and enjoy public respect within their sphere of clout.
So, if you want to enjoy such status, you can never be neutral, truthful or objective when discussing national issues. These groups are like bokoharam that believes in only one principle,’’ its either you are with us or against us’’. If you are with them, forget about neutrality, objectivity and sincerity. Just channel every of your words and action toward promoting the vision no matter how bad it is. Here, Nigeria’s interest and the good of general public is never a consideration, what is considered is basically the maintenance of power by that regional interest.
Finally, let me end this piece by noting that, these set of groups and individuals are the public enemies hiding under fake regional loyalty. They cannot benefit the nation in anyway, neither can they benefit the region they claim to represent.
The good people of every region must quickly identify these set of destroyers and dissociate themselves from it to avoid giving the bad people privilege over the good.
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Written By Abdulrazaq O Hamzat
[email protected]
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