BENEDICT AHANONU
In the northern part of Nigeria, there seems to be an unwritten government policy to wipe out Christians or how can one explain the situation where immediately a Muslim is in charge of government in any state in the north, the agenda will be promotion of Islam through financing of Islamic extremism and deliberate plot to Islamize the whole citizens. Policies are drafted to deny non-Muslims rights as citizens even as these state governments engage in propaganda against Christians. In many states, people have been forced to convert to Islam to get benefits or be accepted.
The Kerekere and Bolawa people of Potiskum, were initially Christians, but now most of them have been forced to convert to Islam. It is the same with the people of Gwoza in Borno State. The Gamargu and Mandara people of Borno, were initially animists and Christians, now, most of them have been forced to convert to Islam by the state that deny them opportunities except they accept Islam. This is widespread in the north where Muslims control any state.
Even before Boko Haram and the crisis in Plateau State, there was a terrorist attack on the headquarters of Evangelical Church Winning All (previously known as Evangelical Church of West Africa, ECWA, founded in 1954), near Brema Primary School in Potiskum, Yobe State.
There was also the Zango-Kataf crisis where Muslims were claiming to be owners of the land. We all remember the brutal attack on the Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, not forgetting the stoning of Deborah Samuel Yakubu to death in Sokoto, killing of Gideon Akalauka from Imo State in Kano, kidnap of Chibok School Girls – who were mainly Christians and the endless genocidal attacks on Christian Communities in Kaduna, Kebbi, Taraba, Adamawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Benue, Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi and Anambra States etc – wrongly designated as herder – farmer conflicts, the list is endless
I pity President Tinubu because he is clearly overwhelmed by the immensity and intensity of the menace of jihadists/terrorists brought upon Nigeria by former President Buhari – now late, with his many disastrous policies including visa – on – arrival policy, which has been replaced by an e-visa system.
President Tinubu should as a matter of urgent importance stop negotiating with terrorists because that projects him as a weak leader.
Truth is that the only language these terrorists understand is violence and force hence, until very tough actions are taken against them, the ugly situation will linger on.
The other wrong step taken by the federal government of Nigeria is the massive recruitment of the so-called “repentant terrorists” into the armed forces – as they now work from within the armed forces as moles, sabotaging genuine efforts by revealing secrets, planned operations and movement of troops to their active members.
That Buhari adamantly refused to label Boko Haram operatives and others as terrorists but was quick to label the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, as a terrorist organization is the height of hypocrisy, bigotry, wickedness, insensitivity, biased and failed leadership – the consequence is what Nigeria is contending with today.
To those sudden nationalists that pretend to love Tinubu and Nigeria more than their stomachs, I say shame on you because you have been deaf and dumb all this while but the moment President Donald Trump took the initiative, your dirty tongues began to wag.
My advice to President Tinubu is that he should apply caution and approach President Donald Trump with sound wisdom, diplomatic tact and not infuriating rhetoric or muscle flexing because Trump can be erratic but the solution is simple – partner with the United States to solve this problem – it will be a win-win situation and it can be done.
President Tinubu should ignore the misleading narratives and utterances of devious sycophants – whose zealousness border on treachery. He should do the needful by taking tough actions that will put a stop to this long-drawn-out menace of terrorism by a group of people that are determined to take Nigeria back to the primitive Stone Age.
The reason is that if, GOD forbid, Tinubu should fail, the same “overzealous sycophants,” will still castigate him.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should therefore prove to the world that he is a strong leader now by identifying and dealing mercilessly with all the enemies of Nigeria hiding in the cloak of religion or other forms – drastic times call for drastic measures and such will send a clear message to the world and the enemies of decency, civilization and humanity that Nigeria is not a Disgraced Country – this is a clarion call, it is possible, history is recording and such will be the effective game changer.
GOD bless Nigeria!
I’m Prince Ben AHANONU
(With Intellectual Swagger that doesn’t Stagger).