Reflections About Peaceful Coexistence In Northern Nigeria… I was happy when Global Peace Foundation invited me to speak and reflect on peaceful coexistence in Northern Nigeria held at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna state recently… My brother, Ibraheem Waziri who is a lecturer in the university was also a presenter…Professor Ango Abdullahi, Imam Halliru Maraya, Rev. Joseph Hayab and Bishop Buba Lamido of Wusasa Anglican Diocese were all on ground…it was such a memorable parley…Ibraheem Waziri made a fantastic presentation dwelling on the need to build a new order in Northern Nigeria and the need to address factors militating against peace and development…I will only give you summary of my submission… When it was my turn, I said as a critical journalist, I so much believe in extensive investigation before forming opinion because of our complex nature and outright manipulation of religion and ethnicity for political and economic interests. I have found all these manipulations dangerous and havoc to our habitation, and the greatest pain is all these divisive tendencies are being carried out by politicians, religious leaders and even the media itself. I made it clear that there are real issues of social discrimination, injustices, political marginalization and so on that must be address to ensure self determination in our region... To the religious leaders, I read from Pope St. Gregory’s warning to religious leaders as stated by Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah in his book ‘Democracy and Civil Society in Nigeria’. Pope St. Gregory conscious of the abusive nature of religion advanced: “A religious leader should be careful in deciding when to remain silent and be sure to say something useful when deciding to speak. In this way, he will avoid saying things that would better not be said, or leaving unsaid…ill advised silent can leave people in error when they could have been shown where they are wrong. Negligence religious leaders are often afraid to speak freely and say what needs to be said for fear of losing favour with people…they are acting like hirelings, because hiding behind the wall of silence is like taking flight at the approach of the wolf…if a religious leader is afraid to say what is right, what else can his silence mean but that he has taken flight? Whereas if he stands firm in defence of his flock, he is building up a wall for the house against its enemies. Anyone entering the priesthood accepts the office of herald and must by his words; prepare the way for the terrible judgment of the one who follows. If then the priest neglects his preaching, what sort of warning cry can he, a dumb herald give? That is why the Holy Spirit settled on the first religious leaders in the form of tongues: because those whom he fills, he fills with his own eloquence.” I also believe that aside failure of religious institutions, politicians and traditional institution along with government, the media is also not free from escalating hate and violence. In the quest for power we have witnessed outright manipulation of ethnicity and divide and rule tactics just to cause confusion in our society, with media serving as an avenue while the society burn to ashes. I cite few cases; media compounded our polity and explain each of them before delving into significant peaceful co-habitation in Northern Nigeria…There are many things that joined us together and dismantling it will be herculean task and I will explain. For example, Solomon Matankari, a retired Federal Permanent Secretary is a Hausa-Fulani Christian from Sokoto State, the seat of the Caliphate and has Muslim blood relations, who will separate them? Same for people like AVM Idi Musa from Jigawa State, or Dr.Jibrin Ibrahim, Prof. Adamu Baikie from Kano, whose wife Yarbaba Elizabeth Baikie was buried in Wusasa, Zaria last year. She hailed from Dausayi in Ungogo local government area of Kano State. I listed Dr. Emman Shehu, Bilkisu Labaran, Grace Alheri Abdu and the families of late Ishaya and James Audu. Who will separate them and their relations on religious lines? On the other side, where will the likes of indigenous Southern Kaduna Muslims go to? I mean Prof. Abdullahi Ashafa, Alhaji Ibrahim Nok, the families of late Maude Ahmadu Gyani, who was elected to Northern Regional House of Assembly from the area and converted to Islam in 1961 changing his name to Muhammad Mustapha, the Mosque and the Islamiya are still standing in Gyani town, at least I was there recently and I saw them. Who had read A.D. Yahaya’s book ‘The Native Authority System in Northern Nigeria’, and read story of John Abbas Tafida, the Dangaladima of Zazzau, a Christian and relation of Emir Ja’afaru Dan Isyaku who replaced their brother Katuka Suleiman as District Head of Zangon Kataf? He is the author of the famous Hausa book ‘Jiki Magayi’. On inter-religious/ethnic marriages in Northern Nigeria, let those advancing hate remember that, late Umaru Dikko’s wife, late Hauwa Esther Dikko nee Yusuf was a Fulani Christian, while Umaru Dikko a Fulani Muslim and they had four children, Dr. Bello Umaru Dikko, Engineer Abdulazeez Umaru Dikko, Malam Mustapha Umaru Dikko, Amina Umaru Dikko and two grand children as at 30 October, 2008, when I personally attended her funeral in Wusasa, Zaria. Umaru Dikko is the third son of Alhaji Abdurrahaman Dikko, the Turaki Babba of Zazzau Emirate who was the great grand-son of Sultan Aliyu Babba, the eldest son of Sultan Muhammadu Bello the consolidator of the Caliphate who summoned the first conference of Four Empires- Ghana, Songhay, Mali and Fulani. Alhaji Umaru Dikko therefore is the 6th direct descendant of the famous Islamic scholar and Reformer Shehu Usman Dan Fodio, the founder of the Usumaniya dynasty popularly known as Sokoto Caliphate. I add that Emir Ja’afaru of Zazzau while serving as District Head of Zangon Kataf had a wife from Southern Kaduna; at least I met his late daughter Maryam (Talle) of blessed memory few years back in Zaria. We can also cite example with my former boss, Sam Nda-Isaiah, a Nupe-Northern Nigerian Christian who married Zainab Remawa, a Fulani-Muslim daughter of General Mamman Remawa from Katsina State. Again, Senator Nenadi Esther Usman, who represents Southern Kaduna Senatorial Zone, is married to a Fulani Muslim, Dr. Usman Sa’ad. How about the former military governor of Kaduna state, late AVM Usman Muazu, a Southern Kaduna indigenous Muslim from Jaba local government area who married Esther Habu Mari, daughter of late Rev. Habu Mari, an ECWA Trustee. How about the Chief of Kagoro, Chief Ufuwai Bonet, whose children are all first cousins of former President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangidas children, how? Maryam Babangida was immediate younger sister of Mrs. Elizabeth Nkechi Bonet and all daughters of Asabe and Leonard Okogwu. Interestingly, Hajiya Asabe Mohammed was a Hausa Muslim from Kontagora,Niger State and Leonard Nwanonye Okogwu from Asaba, capital of Delta State, he was Igbo and a Christian. I can authoritatively state here that the first two children of General Babangida, Aisha and Mohammed were all born in St. Gerald Catholic Hospital here in Kaduna, Aisha was born on 25th July, 1970 and Mohammed on 2nd February, 1972 all at the same St. Gerald Catholic Hospital, Kaduna. The life and times and sound leadership of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the only Premier of Northern Nigeria is another story worth telling to stir peace the more. According to John N. Padens book ‘Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto: Values and Leadership’ the father of Sir Ahmadu Bello was Ibrahim, who was the son of Sultan Abubakar Atiku, the father of Abubakar, Paden added was Muhammad Bello. And Sir Ahmadu Bello paternal grand-mother was Zainab who was daughter of the fourth Emir of Kano, Abdullahi One, known as Maje Karofi. Another account said she was daughter of Dabo, the second Emir of Kano and father of Abdullahi. Ibrahim, Sardauna’s father died when he was six while he had Sardauna when he was almost 59 in 1909 as Sardauna was born on 12th June, 1909. On his maternal side, ‘Mamu’ (Mariyamu) the mother of Sir Ahmadu Bello, Paden said in page 75, is said to be from “Adamawa” or “Muri. Some accounts say she was “Fulani,” although this is unlikely given the circumstances. Other accounts, Paden said suggests she is of Jidiga ethnic. The Premier, chose “work and worship” as motto of the North, and no wonder in his Christmas message broadcast in 1959 he stated inter alias: “Here in the Northern Nigeria we have People of Many different races, tribes and religious who are knit together to common history, common interest and common ideas, the things that unite us are stronger than the things that divide us. I always remind people of our firmly rooted policy of religious tolerance. We have no intention of favoring one religion at the expense of another. Subject to the overriding need to preserve law and order, it is our determination that everyone should have absolute liberty to practice his belief according to the dictates of his conscience…” On 16th January, 1966 during his funeral here in Kaduna around 12 noon as told by Paden, many of the ministers were in hiding, only Ibrahim Musa Gashash, Usman Ladan Baki attend, in addition to Dr. Atta and most of civil servants. Obekpa, a Christian from Benue Province also helps with the arrangements. Dr. Russell Barau Dikko, a Fulani-Christian attended the burial. Dikko is the father of former deputy governor of Kaduna state, Mrs. Aishatu Pamela Sadauki. No wonder Christians like Michael Audu Buba, Jolly Tanko Yusuf, George Uru Ohikere, Pastor David Obadiah lot, Peter Simon Achimugu, Ignatius Durlong, Sunday Awoniyi, Ishaya Audu, Dr. RB. Dikko among others who were in his government worked closely with him. With Sardauna, what earned you more favours was your hard work, dedication to duty and honesty. Matthew Hassan Kukah in his book, ‘Religion, Politics and Power in Northern Nigeria’, talked about Sir Ahmadu Bello’s most potent weapon which he call ‘ecumenism’, that is, the ability to accommodate all shades of opinions and peoples. He also cited a display of surprise credited to Sultan Abubakar III who amazed with Bello’s public relations said in Hausa, “Sardauna mai mutane, to, me yahada Audu da Michael? It is also in Olorunfemi Cardinal Onaiyekan’s Wikipedia’s page that Sir Ahmadu Bello had offered him a scholarship to study abroad. Unlike the crisis around ‘Sharia’ we witnessed recently in our history, Sir Ahmadu Bello in the process of undertaking the legal reforms of 1959 involved a Christian in the delegation sent to Sudan, Libya and Pakistan. Peter Achimugu, was the Christian. Late Ambassador Jolly Tanko Yusuf who was among brains behind the formation of Northern Christian Association (NCA), precursor of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on 22nd January, 1994 said of Sardauna’s tolerance, “He did not share, never inclined to condemn or persecute others because of their belief. I recalled on 10th April, 1964, the late Hon. Mr. Edward Manuso, Provincial Commissioner, Sardauna Province and I wrote a top secret letter to him that Northern Christian Association has been formed and that both of us were co-opted members of the Steering Committee. We therefore felt that it would be advisable to keep him informed of the reason and aim of the association. The letter, membership card and the constitution were presented to him in his office. We were not persecuted or removed from office.” He also played tolerant politics and without domination, for instance throughout his reign, the people of Southern Kaduna never went with his Northern Peoples Congress (NPC), they were of Middle Zone League (MZL), United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC), Northern Progressive Elements (NEPU) Action Group (AG) yet he never used force to coerce our people. Our grannies, Aruwan Zonkwa, Maigida Zom, Jock Tagwai, Shekarau Ka’a Layya, D.K. Allamagani, Gwamna Awan, Didam Kagoro, Jatau Gwani, Dauda Kwoi, Pastor Bagaya, Ninkop Kagoro and Maude Gyani among others. This account was well narrated in the book ‘The Native Authority System in Northern Nigeria,’ by A.D. Yahaya. They voted out NPC in our area during 1956 elections and none of our chiefs was threatened even after his extensive campaign. Revisiting resolution of University of Ibadan’s ‘Cross Crisis’ between Muslims and Christians in 1985 is another interesting story. I first read about it in 1999, in a compendium of papers edited by veteran scholar, Anthony Kirk-Greene, Larry Diamond and Oyediran titled ‘Transition Without End: Nigerian Politics and Civil Society Under Babangida’. According to Rotimi Suberu who narrated the Ibadan story titled ‘Religion and Politics: A View From The South’, in December 1985, a new mosque was opened on the university’s ‘holy ground’, on which was already situated a Protestant chapel, a Catholic Church and a small mosque. At the ceremony to mark the opening of the new mosque, some invited people reportedly complained that a 32 year old cross, located between the Catholic and Protestant chapels, and to the east of the new mosques, was offensive to Muslims who are required by Koranic injunction to face the east. The Suberu continued that the sentiment was shared by some of the university’s community, and a panel was set up by the authorities to investigate the issue. But subsequent developments only heightened religious tensions. A wooden statue of the ‘Risen Christ’ at the Protestant chapel was set on fire by unknown persons in May 1986, while Minister of Education allegedly tried to take side with the Muslim community on the cross controversy. Then, in July 1986, some worshippers at the new mosque demonstrated against the decision of the authorities not to relocate the cross as demanded, but rather to erect a wooden veil between the cross and the mosque and/or allow the Muslims to erect the Islamic symbol (the crescent) beside the cross. The real possibility of the demonstrations, believed to have involved mainly from university’s neighborhood, degenerating into a violent conflict, was however sufficient to make the university community let the cross matter rest and work for the restoration of harmony. The amicable resolution did not go unnoticed, New Nigerian Newspapers in their 10th September, 1986 editorial commended worshippers at the university, saying, “Hope for this nation if we all make the effort. We must use the University of Ibadan example to resolve all other religious differences capable of tearing us part.’’ This is summary of my submission…From all these stories; we can see that we have no reason to continue killing one another in the name of religion, politics and ethnicity. We are future of our region, we are hope and bastion, we must stand up and replace hate with love, violence with peace, suspicion with trust, animosity with confidence, hopelessness with hope, fear with courage and misunderstanding with understanding….
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 15:51:54 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015