Is All The Centenary Celebration Worth It?

At 100, Nigeria (a country endowed with a miasma of unexplored resources) still wallows in protracted crimes, ranging from extra-judicial killings, maiming, kidnapping and communal clashes. we wail in endless anguish for ourselves and our country. This country was bequeathed to us by our antecedents who were intrepid and fought valiantly for equity, fairness, and against dispossession and suppression with their God-given wisdom, leaving their footprints in the sands of time. Yet we affirm to have been salvaged from the gripe of imperialists(who with their insatiable hankering for exploitation) handed unrestrained power to us. Unarguably, we are no longer held captive by any imperialists. Now few questions which had for long begged answers are: do we really live in peace with one another like a people who no longer pander to the whims and caprices of the whites, despite our diversity in religion and ethnicity? Does love and tolerance which binds a people together still exist among us? A nation thrives exponentially when its inhabitants, regardless of the dichotomy that exists between them, coexist peacefully. It elicits nothing but endless tears flooding down my eyes each time I relive the number of promising men, women, teens and even children whose lives were reduced to ruin owing to unprovoked, sensless, wantom butchery and destruction mostly in the northern part of the country. These are people who would have impacted the country positively with their sublime qualities. The actrocious acts perpetrated by a group of extremists still constitute a major source of worry to the country. This onslaught which has continued unabated has so far rendered many children today orphans, many women widows and a good number of men widowers. These ungodly acts sprang up sometime in 2011 and has disrupted the existing peace in the country. Another fact that has remained hidden to many. Undeterred by Federal Government's concerted efforts to halt their malignant bid, this breed of humans with innate psychopatic tendencies have sworn never to sheath their swords in the interest of peace. They have defiantly repudiated Federal Government's invitation to reach a truce. Professor Wole Soyinka in an article dated October 14, 2013 in the Daily Sun and titled "Remembering Kofi Awoonor: Humanity and Against(I)," avers that these extremists "delude themselves with vistas of paradise after life, that their delusion is born of the perveted reading of salvation and redemption." In this article written in honour of Professor Kofi Awoonor who was one among many who were victims to the outrage carried out on innocent people by Islamist gunmen at the Westgate shopping mall attack in Nairobi, he dubbed them "enemies of humanity". In his provocative piece, Soyinka thinks of them as people "who arrogate to themselves the right to dispose off innocent lives at will." These pervasive acts of insurgency, brutality and carnage are not just peculiar to Nigeria alone: going by the news we watch, listen and read via satelites, newspapers and radio. Soyinka went further to re-assert that this breed of humans aim at dividing "the world into two irreconcilable parts" thus creating one indivisible fraternity. Syria was and is still being plagued with these pervasive acts which has led to the death of scores of its citizens. Same situation has happened in Egypt where political uprisings have led to the death of scores of citizens. Nasarawa, a state located in the north-central zone of the country is no exception. It has witnessed incessant communal clashes which has resulted in the death of countless souls. This is a state that was formally acclaimed a haven of peace and tranquility. But today, it has morphed into a land of tears and sorrow. Now, we cannot sleep with our eyes closed. Nigeria has suffered from cases of armed robbery, rape, ritual activities, and kidnappings. This series of nefarious acts has brought the country to disrepute even in the comity of nations. It, therefore, requires collective efforts by all and sundry in combating and totally exterminating these acts that has stymied our progress. I entreat us to be all out in in defence of the country's image and to join hands with the Jonathan-led administration to restore normality to our country. Criticism without action is analogous to taking panadol for stomach ache. We must endeavour to report all suspicious acts to law enforcement agencies, who are out there to safeguard our well-being. Like the cliché goes: united we stand, divided we fall.