Of all the living species on earth none enjoys the twenty-four-carat attachment of preponderance and premium than human beings.
In humanity, there must be an utmost sanctity, respect, and non-negotiable value. We were all at initial phase of our existence inborn and inbred as human beings before identifying ourselves with a religion or an ethnic inclination.
It’s certain that one can comfortably declaim and renounce his religion or ethnic identity as his undeniable carte blanche but he can’t try that with his human attributes because it’s inalterable and immutable due to its peculiarity and divinity.
Sadly, while humanity is primary and religion, ethnicity, and other features of the human race are secondary, in a century that’s supposedly more sophisticated, advanced, and enlightened, human beings are killing themselves. And the only crime they committed is belonging to a different tribe and religion which are inferior to the venerable lives.
In Nigeria today, the most endemic ethno-religious crisis occurs almost on daily basis and from Benue, Taraba, Plateau, and Kaduna states, people are always living in apprehension and palpable fear while thousands are innocently killed in different mayhem.
Today, communities are segregated along ethnic and religious lines and whenever crisis erupts, most times, a Christian will not be safe in a Muslim dominated area likewise Muslim will not be safe in a Christian dominated area as all would engage in killing spree.
In Kaduna state, the history of the dire straits has been repeating itself and there are areas that had remained danger zones and flash points depending on one’s ethnic and religious inclination.
While you will hardly find a Christian living in Rigasa, Gonin Gora, Kakuri, and Sabon Tasha are danger zone communities to Muslims. In all the crises recorded including the recent one in Kaduna, what we live to inherit at the aftermath are innermost agonies, unhealed wounds, and colossal loss of lives and properties.
We are degenerating from human beings to human things and no doubt, if decisive actions and lasting solutions are not put in place to curtail the reoccurrence of such crisis, the horrendous trend will take us back to the stone age and philistine aeon where boorish, cantankerous, and inurbane act the part in our societies.
In the mysterious Dura Du pond in Plateau state, there is a deep signal on how barbaric and amoral we are living and the extent to which the seed of disharmony is implanted in both our hearts and communities. Of course, the pond is domiciled within the village, people got killed, their belongings got shared among their killers, and their cars plunged into the pond not once, twice or thrice but severally and the religious and arguably traditional leaders of the communities claimed ignorance of the heinous and dastard act their wards are committing.
All thanks to the Imam who saved the lives of hundreds of Christians in Jos during a crisis by hiding them in the mosque and averted what could have been a catastrophe. And for the presidential handshake and the national honour, an example was set and other imams, pastors and village heads should learn and emulate from the gesture as that will go a long way in curtailing the menace of the killing of innocent people.
One can be dazed and stupefied that, we work harmoniously in banks, military and para-military agencies and all walks of life, went to the same school together and even shared bed spaces, do businesses together but when we come back to our communities and at the times of misunderstanding, we kill one another. What a wicked and odious life? And after the crisis we console ourselves over the incident and the losses we have incurred and even visit those injured and admitted in the hospital. This is indeed a pity and unthinkable.
From the Zango Kataf genocide to similar killings across the country, judicial commissions of inquiry were set up, the members of the commission or fact-finding, truth and reconciliation committees or whatever they were tagged, sip tea, waste papers, and public funds, yet, the reports and recommendations are kept under the carpets and the perpetrators went freely at the end.
To put a stop to all these causes of misery in our societies, government must make sure that, the agents of violence and disruption of peace are always punished when found culpable, irrespective of one’s religious or ethnic background. In every society, religion and traditional leaders must wake up and meet up to their responsibilities in preaching peaceful co-existence amidst our diversity and report the deviants and criminals to the law enforcement authorities.
An idle mind is a devil’s abode. Youth restiveness is another bane of maintaining peace and cohesiveness. Until government creates a means of engaging the millions of graduates coming out from our universities without jobs while on the other hand, they themselves must think out of the box to engage in meaningful way of living. We are sitting on a keg of gun powder.
Enlightenment campaigns, orientation and re-orientation on peace building will equally be of immense importance. Appropriate measures and sanctions against hate speeches, inciting and divisive comments must be applied. May peace return to Kaduna, Taraba, Benue, Plateau and the rest of the country.
Kera, a communication strategist, writes from Kaduna
