Nigeria’s Religious Fundamentalism and the Government’s Fundamental Indifference By Douglas Ogbankwa Esq.

Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gun powder. A Trivurate Trimester of Religion , Regionalism and Tribaliam .These sign posts of diversity are sold as a dummies to dumb followers , who do not know that the sharing formula of the National Cake do not conform to religion , regionalism or tribe as they are united by greed .

Tribalism is a tool used by political goons to pool fools .Recently the blogoshere was inundated with videos , audios and write ups , that spurned fron the callous killing and imulation of a young and innocent Nigetian girl in Sokoto -Deborah , over what the cold blooded killers called “Blasphemy”. Perhaps , the most antithetical anomaly in this crime against humanity , is the fact that the killers are protesting , while the co-adeherants of the killed are either fleeing for their dear lives or are in hiding.Any one protesting the release of killers , should be arrested and prosecuted for accessory after the fact of murder .

The Federal Government has remained tardy and lousy over this issue , situating its reponses in empty rhetorics and stereotyped diatribes .While the tension was on going over the killing of the girl , the Nigerian Political Class continued their political rallies in arena reeking of blood .While some Presidential Aspirants issued and deleted statements over the issue , others were essentially deaf and dump over the issue .There is an existential problem with our leadership recruitment module for our Presidents and Presidential Hopefuls.They are mostly hypocrites and power mongers , who feast on our sense and sensibilities .They are demagogues who present themselves as idelogues , but they can not protect the synagogue , even if they were christians .They are on this issue , united by inordinate ambition.

Government must understand that the primary purpose of Government is the protection of lives and properties .Government must hold all Institutions responsible for the protection of the life of Deborah answerable for her death .The Rector n of the College of Education , where the girl was annihilated should be dimissed and prosecuted .

Actions must be taken that depicts that Government care about the lives and safety of its citizens .By now some suspects should have been arraigned for murder and the weapons of the killing recovered.But this is not the case .General Sani Abacha as bad as we perceived him took very drastic actions when Gideon Akaluka was beheaded in Kano by islamic fundamentists in the mid 90s , many of which went down for the crime.This sent a strong message to them and it ceased the abnormaly.

Nigeria is gradually turning into a Gang Ster’s Paradise , where religious and tribal goons take out citizens from their homes or on the high way and kill them gruesomely.The impunity is further accentuated by the temerity of these cold blooded animals recording the grisly killings on video and posting same on social media , some times with out any arrests being made , despite the many trails left on their social media handles .Our standing in the comity of nations diminishes every day and we are the laughing stock of a civilised world , who see us a bunch of jerks , that do not have value for human life.

Every one rrsponsible for the death of Deborah should be arrested and prosecuted .Every one who recorded the video , or are connected in the distribution of same to justify the death of the innocent girl should d be arrested and prosecuted .There should be consequences for school and government officials , whose negligence led to the death of the girl and the violence that followed .About 24 Years after the Gideon Akaluka Episode , we are faced with the same fundamentalism .The take away is we must learn our lessons , identify what happened and ensure it does not happen again .The starting point is to remove issues of religion , tribalism and regionalism from On line Platforms of Diversity and all Official Platforms .

Religion is the opium of the poor.

-Karl Marx

About the Author :

Douglas Ogbankwa Esq., is a Benin Based Lawyer , Writer and Policy Analyst. (douglasogbankwa @gmail.com)

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