This discourse is nothing more than a series of connected anecdotes, but it is not an unbroken chain of one story leading unto the other, rather, what binds them together is the similarities of intent, regarding forces and persons who created the news breaking phenomena. Also, what happened could be situated within the peculiarities of the occurrences of a period as near as last week, it could also be explained from governmental declared positions taken as far back as the beginning of the present democracy, indeed realistically, the circumstance could be said to be have being created at the formation of the country as a nation state, though righteously, it should be said to have evolved with the declaration of independence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Taken from another angle, the issue in contention could have been about ethnic differences, yet to others of similar or even stronger conviction, it is merely a classical depiction of an intense class war, which pitches the rich against the poor or even a disagreement of a different kind, perhaps a very divisive ideological spat, between those who want to hold the capital entrust of others and the others who only wished to seek to acquire everything, despite the people. Rather than the often assumed scenario of a debilitating tribal conflict, the situation may appropriately represent a population co-existing behind artificial fault lines of religion, ethnic group, dialectic border and general cultural barriers. However, in the context of another classification of no less importance, the social friction has a hidden political undertone, where things happen in a way that even our prehistoric forbearers, would have been highly disgusted with a breed of descendants who only makes the progress of a well digger, who is digging deeper into the mother earth in search of a water point and exclaiming progress in the task undertaken.
The events of last week, which are not uniquely momentous or even epochal to a many a Nigerian social observer, though many others had also given it a lot of probative value, could easily explain how circumstantial inferences of yesterday are being programmed to derail tomorrow. What happened actually, was a mere political merger between the opposition All Progressive Congress and a splinter group known as the new People’s Democratic Party, then like a staged play and as it is usual with choreographed events, the orchestra opener began with a subtly implanted mischief, enquiring whether it is even proper to call what happened a merger, since there is an outstanding court order not recognizing the splintered group, despite the fact that what the court only did, was to confirm the legality of the Bamanga Tukur faction, while not withdrawing the legitimate right of the Kawu Baraje faction to dissent as a structured group.
A trite constitutional right of dissent, which was flourishingly preserved in the 1999 constitution, guarantees the right of an elected official to change a political platform, inclusive of the legislator, though in the case of the latter, it must be within the boundaries of a factional fight, which does not necessarily require the blessing of a judicial pronouncement. It is a very simple analogy; a document which allows for the right of switching of political parties without losing a seat, cannot preclude a legislator from doing so, without requiring a court verdict, had the supreme law wanted such a declaratory pronouncement, it would have clearly indicated the necessity.
In faraway Kano city, it was the eve of the year ending and just like in any part of Nigeria, it was the season of destruction for confiscated goods, which has become a sort tradition for agencies of the government seeking publicity and what better way to get it in an avowed Sharia state, than to be filmed and reported smashing bottles of alcohol. The fact that the Kano State Hizba Board, as the party who had executed the destruction of the liquor bottles, applies the Kano State Shari’a Law, which duly recognizes the rights of non Muslims to consume the product in some reserved areas and in their places of abode, which could not be possible, if it is not transported through the city, seemed to be have been lost on the agency. If the general aim is to bar any relationship whatsoever with alcohol, the reality of Value Added Tax on brewed products being part of the state’s federal allocation, has visibly defeated the effort. And if nobody else within the community had realized this contradiction, even the governor who is evidently not an Islamic scholar, the Kano State Shari’a Commission, as the state’s highest advisory body on all matters relating to faith, cannot claim such ignorance.
But was this the first time such an occurrence happened or rather, did the current Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso administration introduced the policy, the answer is a simple no! It has been in existence since the time of Governor Ibrahim Shekarau. Then why is it an issue now, perhaps, it has to do with the decampment of the governor and his rising star as a possible presidential candidate of All Progressive Congress. A fact which had also made the purely executive duty of enforcing environmental laws by Governor Adams Aliu Oshiomhole of Edo state, who was mentioned in the joint ticket, to require a human face in dispensing penal vows of a dispassionate instrument of law.
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