Nigerians must shun tribalism

Tribalism in Nigeria like all other impediments bedeviling the country is destroying the little peace and good image the country still has. The menace of tribalism has gone a long way in ruining all sectors of the nation. It has very negative impact on human relationships and leaderships.

Tribalism has had an influence in every aspect of human relationships, ranging from businesses to marriage. In our contemporary society, it is regarded as a taboo for Igbo or Yoruba to marry Hausa or Fulani, and vice versa.

This is due to the fact that all the tribes are regarding one another as sub-human. When it comes to business relationship same negative impact of tribalism is so much that a member of a particular tribe would have to sell or buy something from or to one of different tribe as him at his last alternative.

No state would development without discarding ego-centrism and calling spade a spade. In the aspect of leadership, both political and traditional, what matters is tribe, no matter how much one deserves the position, or how skillful he is, would never fit unless he shares the same tribe as his subjects.

Same is happening at the course of promotion; where one’s qualifications, dedications and hard-work are just irrelevant to the one in charge of promotion. The relevance is being of the same tribe as his boss. When an influential person holds a stake, the first of his propensity is bringing his fellow tribesman on board, disregarding the absurdity of that, which is responsible for almost all the ineptitude in public offices.

It is quite the influence of tribalism that has hitherto been igniting mayhem akin to the recent one that affected some southern states, which claimed a number of lives as well as destruction of properties, and economically shook Nigeria to its roots. Having perceived the devastating impact of the menace of tribalism on the progress of Nigeria, no prospect of change is imaginable in a multi-tribal society like ours, until the threatening tribe sentiment is obliterated.

Until when we attribute blames to the right shoulders devoid of sentiments, we can’t make a step towards progress. More so, until leaders are elected devoid of tribal sentiment and for the fact that they deserve the seat, tribalism will continue to prosper. When stakeholders work in favour of the entire society not their respective tribes tribalism will not prevail.

Tribalism won’t be eliminated until when we see to it that tribe is no longer one of the paramount requirements of promotion, bringing fellow tribesmen on board is no longer the disposition of stakeholders and all are not condemned and molested for the actions of few, then whirlwind attainment of development in our society can be realized within a blink of an eye.

Hisham Saleh Gidado,

Gombe

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