A nation whose citizens speak in unison, work harmoniously and pursue vigorously similar goals and objectives irrespective of noticeable individual differences will dance the “triumphant” dance at the end. It should be noted that the wars of yester-years can only guide and protect the peace of today. This is why many countries that had experienced wars in the past hardly ever beat the drum for a renewed war or violence. Experience they say is a teacher. Nigeria as a country had seen one, and wouldn’t want to drink the same ‘liquor’, such terrible ‘vinegar’ and that ‘grape’.
However, conflicts form part of societal struggle, leading to amendments and change. Different goals and ideologies may arise owing to personal choices, which may invariably lead to animosity. This is undoubtedly a “twin brother” to societal transformation if such conflict is managed in the most professional way.
Relatively, certain conflicts have become useful in managing obvious ideological and religious differences between people. In this case, the disagreement that would have ordinarily snowballed into continuous crisis is buried and forgotten. Such, we call positive disagreement, with a lesson.
The growing Fulani crisis in the North has become a source of national headache, as almost all states in the North have been hit by this unfortunate development and our continuous silence over the development calls for a major concern, even as it appears that no lessons have been learnt from the night mere yet.
From the far northern region to its central axis, reports of Fulani infiltration into the hinterlands, and several attempts to pursue the inhabitants from their own communities have been rife; this is gradually becoming a big threat to the relative peace we enjoy as a nation.
While the core Northerner continues to hide from the BoKo Haram menace, which many believe is a carefully planned jihad to dethrone the leadership of the country, the Fulanis have taken a very deadly position to dethrone some North Central Governors of Christian affiliation or otherwise, with massive Christian supports.
Recall that several people have lost their lives in several clashes powered by the Fulanis since the inception of our fragile democracy. In a statistical analysis, more than 300 people are said to have lost their lives to the several clashes.
In a publication of Sunday Trust of 26th May, 2013, it was said, “Incessant clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers from North to South of the country have claimed at least 300 lives in the last five months” This goes to show the magnitude of lives that have been lost to this clashes.
Only this year, six people, including a village head, were escorted to their graves. This resulted from a clash among Tarok, Fulani and Jukun ethnic groups of Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Resulting from a similar attack in Benue State, Over 20 villagers were again killed in renewed clashes that erupted between suspected Tiv militiamen and Agatu/Fulani on the other hand, in Rukubi community of Doma local government area of Nasarawa State.
The Fulani/eggon clashes were not only bloody but threw more than 30 people to the furnace of intolerance, bigotry, and sentiment. They all found their ways to the grave because, love like the dew has since abandoned the scene.
A community in Gwagwalada, Abuja will live to remember the Fulani inversion of their farmland that left two people dead. The crisis was however repelled owing to early intervention.
The prolonged Agatu/ Fulani clashes that left several people dead is also a point of reference.
The recent attack launched on the Attakar in Kaduna state people by some Fulani Herdsmen has pushed some of us into asking the imperative question on whether the killers of those innocent villagers are supposed to live in the human community. It is very sad.
From obvious indication, the affected states are predominantly Christian states, and the clashes appear to have aimed at destabilizing the political affairs of the country or the concerned states.
Most analysts have seen this continuous infiltration as another strategy to hijack power from the various state governors and by extension, the president.
Danfulani, 2009: Smyth and Robinson, 2001, said, “Nigeria is a plural, highly complex, multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-religions polity, with a diversity of ethnic groups” Having understood this, it can be inferred that our politics will continue to be pluralized along those lines. However, other analysts are of the opinion that as the country rises in line with global practices and become more acephalous in its administration, those cultural core-values and pluralism that have characteristically taken over the polity will continue to disappear. However, going by the present situation, the latter notion is quite far from the reality on ground.
Paden, 2008; Schwartz (2010), said “of the population of over 150 million people, the country is almost half Christians and half Muslims, aside other religions” With this equal numeric sharing, many have said that the nation is the most blessed and is expected to live harmoniously without extreme conflicts.
President Goodluck Jonathan, while reacting to the calls by some section of Nigerians calling for a civil uprising, said that the nation cannot entertain another civil war. This succinct statement underscores his zeal to rid the country of all those elements that have continued to pose serious danger to national cohesion. It’s the president’s sensibility and the need to diplomatically and tactically address violence that he has remained focused, believing that violence is never the best option to address violence. His game plan from observation is to employ rich dialogue to forestall future national violence.
It’s therefore imperative to affirm that to attain the peace we all seek, this religious coalition must stop. Our political alliance, if turned religious will gun all of us down, no one will be spared. Among the Fulanis are individuals of political interests who want to hide under the struggle for land to destabilize the polity. The infiltration, to many people is a gradual attempt to truncate our most cherished democracy, which we all must protect.
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