*Children at risk: *365 days of* *Muslim/Muslim* *tickets; 8222 *Christians* *and countless* *Muslims killed.*
By Bolaji O. Akinyemi.
Today is International Children’s Day, and two days from now President Tinubu and his vice, Shettima, will be a year in power on Wednesday 29th of May 2024. As we march towards the celebration when our Muslim President and Muslim Vice President will both on Friday the 31st of May head for the Mosque in celebration of their 365 days in power in Thanksgiving to Allah!
Christians would be contented with the padding role of number three citizen we managed to get through the political benevolence of Mr President. The benevolence of Mr President is the only reason Akpabio is the Senate President. You may want to remind me of the office of the first lady. That of course is alien to the Nigerian constitution!
I am here again to sound the alarm, peradventure our nation might be saved from an impending doom. I write everyday to a man who may never have the time to read me till he is out of office. I write to represent the opinion of over 230 million Nigerians whose lives are at the mercy of the President’s decisions; right or wrong. I write not to see the President fail, but so that in aligning with the needs of the people and purpose of eternity, his rejected stone may find a place at one of the four Corners needed on which the Nigeria project will find expression. That he may end up with human admiration; the stone that the builders rejected, same has become the chief corner stone!
I write not to be applauded by time, but to be judged faithful by posterity.
How has Nigerian children faired under the Muslim/Muslim ticket of the Renewed Hope Agenda?
Children are generally referred to as minors and parents, major, in social welfare demographics. Unfortunately for us the average age of a Nigerian today is 17, leaving us with the reality of explosive children population in few years from now!
Research has shown that when a parent is upset, it rubs off on their children. Other factors that increase the risk that a child will have stress symptoms include being female, this calls for special attention on the girl child. It is further established that knowing someone hurt or killed by attacks put our children at the risk of post-traumatic stress disorders. Capturing to know the numbers of person hurt or killed and the number of children exposed to such is a duty to mental healthiness, wellness and wellbeing of the generation to which the future belongs; OUR CHILDREN!
For this the renewed hope agenda must come under review of all sincere citizens, particularly Christ serving and his Kingdom loving believers in Nigeria.
The hope that MKO Abiola’s mandate represented was contemptuous to our faith, the freedom of the poor from poverty was a public facade of a hidden agenda. The conquest of our political system by alien Jihadists is equally contemptuous to peace that Islam symbolises in its simplicity. With unproven allegations of foreign link and the sinking of Bibles on the high Sea, rumours unconfirmed till today. As hard as this may be for you and me to believe, Had there ever been any smoke without fire?
The principal reason for which our Muslim Military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida annulled the June 12, 1993 election was the South West and North East political power conspiracy by Yoruba Muslims and their Kanuri counterparts to edge out other regions out of political power equation in Nigeria, particularly against the Hausa/Fulani and of course the Igbos!
The hatred between Yoruba and the Igbos is being served the tribal toxin to deepen their presumed enmity for political purpose. The Hausa/Fulani are nailed in the coffin of “arch-enmity” to their one nation ideology. For which the narrative of the civil war always comes handy. How a civil war that was planned and executed by a team of 4 Yorubas, 2 Igbos of the then Midwestern Region, now Delta State South South Nigeria, 1 Tiv Officer, 1 Hausa Officer, 1 Ijaw Officer, 1 Uhrobo Officer and 1 Middle belt Officer, found strength and “sense” in the narrative of “Igbo Coup” in a system of government decided by majority is still a mystery to only the sensible among us!
The purpose of Abiola/Kingibe’s ticket was to address and settle the arch rivalry between the Fulani and the Kanuri, though both have Muslims in majority among their tribes, their enmity is dated back to days of Old Kanem Borno Empire, and their fight for superiority in Islam as political tool of achieving that is a never ending one!
Our foolishness is the stupidity of advancing their actions in the name of religion while we remain ignorant of their intentions!
The need to renew old historical alliances birthed the hope Abiola and Kingibe represented and that is the hope Tinubu and Shettima are in power renewing!
Tinubu’s commitment is to these old Yoruba alliances. Besides the Kanuris are the Nupes, Tapa as we called them in Yoruba, the tribe from which the mother of Alaafin Sango, Oko Oya hails from are others like Hausa to the exclusion of Fulani. In recent times, narratives abound separating the Hausa from the Fulani has we have known it to be for many years.
The needs of the nation are secondary to the need to strengthen the Yoruba/Kanuri power agenda and concentrate on that in the next 16 years!
Tinubu 8 years and Shettima 8years!
16 years is long a time enough for the Igbos to be contented with their leadership in commerce and industry and never to smell power. And for the Fulanis whose entrenchment in power has been to the disadvantage of all other ethnic nationalities, public sympathy for the Yoruba/Kanuri agenda against them is already flying. Restructuring for me is way better than an unholy alliance that can only deepen the problem we are trying to solve!
Recently, the political consciousness of the Hausas and other indigenous tribes in Northern Nigeria have been awoken. Efforts are clearly in the open of both Muslim and Christian components of such tribes to dissociate their tribes from the Fulani. Unfortunately, a lot of Nigerians are ill-informed about Northern Dichotomy and can’t tell the difference between Hausa and Fulani. The body language of those around the President who have refused to acknowledge loud and pronounced efforts of organisations like Hausawa Tsantsa Development Association and of a brave woman leader like Queen Amina of old in Kalthoom Alumbe Jitami and to grant them audience is a confirmation of our collective ignorance!
For this, the Christian communities in the north are presently overwhelmed by attacks championed by Extremists using Islam as a political tool, who found courage in the body language of Mohammadu Buhari before 2023. The silence of Tinubu/Shettima on the killings across Christian communities in the North is too loud and deafening to be ignored!
But the truth is, their silence is sponsored by inordinate desire to keep power at whatever it costs to the rest of us.
The decision of Babangida on the annulment we must not forget was informed by intelligence. Has anything changed in the political dynamics of the country that produced the intelligent report upon which Babangida acted between then and now? I doubt!
The larger Christian Association of Nigeria’s body by the support of some unscrupulous politicians in clerical collars in the name of clergy in our midst have by implication accepted that Christians are in the minority in Nigeria!
Silence, therefore is no longer golden for Okoh and the Christian Association of Nigeria!
Democracy is a government wherein the majority, (represented by the Muslim/Muslim ticket) will have their ways. The minority that we have become as a result of our political timidity, has left us as Christians, to only have our say! That is what we are left with!
We have by the wisdom of politics and its dynamics become opposition to the Muslim/Muslim Government of Tinubu and Shettima. The earlier we embrace our reality and start shouting; “there is fire on the mountain!” The better the future will be for us and particularly our children.
The world is crying and crying out loud, while the body that represents the concerned, are for political correctness keeping quiet, consequently suffering and smiling in stupidity of silence!
Tinubu/Shettima Government is believed by recent report to be allowing religious extremists attacks resulting in the killing of hundreds of Christians in 2023 by a U.S. Agency.
According to the report, most incidents that led to the deaths were tolerated as a result of the negligence from the government, both federal and state!
A newly released 2024 annual report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has detailed how hundreds of citizens were killed by religious extremists in Nigeria!
The report documents developments during 2023 and provides recommendations to enhance the U.S. government’s promotion of freedom of religion or belief abroad.
The report says that the Nigerian Government has found it difficult to verify the perpetrators of the violent attacks and the motivation behind the carnage against the Christian faithfuls!
It further revealed that the states with the highest levels of violence were Borno, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Adamawa, and Benue.
For example, the USCIRF’s new study noted that a report by a Nigerian non-governmental organisation, Intersociety, indicated that violent insurgency groups and armed gangs, as well as Nigerian government forces, were responsible for 8,222 Christian killings in Nigeria in 2023!
The report mentioned that in 2023, extremists in Benue state killed 414 people from largely Christian areas while wounding, raping, or kidnapping another 100, and that between May and June 2023, violent gangs killed 450 Christians in three northeastern states!
The report reads: “In 2023, religious freedom conditions in Nigeria remained extremely poor. Violence across Nigeria impacted freedom of religion or belief as the government failed to prevent attacks against faith-based organisations or worshipers, with some accusing it of fomenting such attacks!
“Nigerian government officials were often slow to react to information about possible attacks or to respond after attacks occurred!
In some cases, those impacted by violence directly criticised a lack of government accountability and called for further steps to protect religious freedom!
“Both the police and army drew criticism for not stemming the activities of violent insurgent groups such as Boko Haram, Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP), and Fulani gangs that often worked in collaboration with them!
“Those states where violence was most prevalent include Borno, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Adamawa, and Benue. Additionally, multiple attacks during the year targeted religious leaders”!
The old ideology of smite the shepherd to scatter the sheep has recently become an adopted strategy. If this is allowed to go on unchecked, it’s only a matter of time before it will be “emilokan” of the present leaders of Christian communities!
According to the report; “For example, in January 2023, bandits killed Father Isaac Achi of the Minna Diocese, while others shot and injured assistant parish priest Father Collins Omeh at the Saints Peter and Paul Church in the Paikoro region. In May 2023, insurgents in Benue State killed Pastor Dominic Dajo of St. Peter’s Catholic Church and his wife! In Nasarawa State, Fulani herders killed Pastor Daniel Danbeki of the Evangelical Church Winning All, along with his wife and 41 others!
“In Yobe State, Boko Haram insurgents killed at least 37 people in February 2023 and killed another 40 people in October!
“In May, the Nigerian army rescued two women Boko Haram had kidnapped since 2014 from a Chibok secondary school!
In November, Boko Haram killed 15 farmers in the Muslim-majority Borno State and at least 10 Christians in Taraba State!
“In 2023, the government detained individuals accused of blasphemy and often failed to hold accountable perpetrators of violence related to blasphemy allegations!
“The Nigerian penal code includes a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment for acts of persons considered as a public insult on their religion, with the intention that they should consider the act such an insult!”
“Twelve states in northern Nigeria have implemented Shari’a legal frameworks since 1999. In May, a Sokoto State magistrate released two suspects arrested for the May 2022 mob murder of a Christian, Deborah Samuel for alleged blasphemy, eliminating any accountability for her death!
“In June, a mob in Sokoto State stoned to death Usman Buda after he made a remark misunderstood as a slur against the Prophet Muhammad!
“At least five prisoners remain in state custody on blasphemy charges, including humanist Mubarak Bala and Sufi Muslim Yahaya Sharif–Aminu. At a November 27 hearing in a Bauchi State high court, a judge rejected Christian Rhoda Jatau’s appeal that the court dismiss the blasphemy charges against her; however, on December 10, a Bauchi court judge released her on bail.”
If close to 9000 christians had been killed and still counting, does it mean I careless about Muslims? No! The political conspiracy of interfaith sponsored by the government between CAN and Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, headed by the Sultan of Sokoto called The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, NIREC is the reason CAN is not counting its dead and NSCIA is not concerned about countless Muslims killed in the harvest of political power and its sustainability. The poor keeping of birth and death records among Muslims in northern Nigeria is a conspiracy against the value of human lives and rights of Muslims to be counted either in life or in death.
My advice to the Muslims is to be proactive and pragmatic with their personal interests. There is no such thing as our interest, to politicians; it is only “my” interest, though it may be deceptively presented as our interest.
Or had there been a filling station where muslims are buying gas at subsidized prices? The reality is, Core north state predominantly dominated by muslims are paying more for petroleum products than South Eastern and Western states where Christians are in the majority. How long the Muslims will allow themselves to be scammed by politicians is left to them!
In the same vein goes my advice to CAN in view of the foregoing, as a responsible body representing Christians and the interest of Christianity to be focused on mounting pressure on the Government of Tinubu/Shettima to make the yearnings of the majority for a state that is purely secular the reality of all. Time for constitutional amendment and restructuring of our federation is Now!
CAN, in strategic protest must dissociate herself from the plundering of our Commonwealth in the name of pilgrimages to holy lands. Instead, the development of our youths who often times are the target of the carnages should be prioritized!
We were informed recently by the Vice President, Alhaji Kassim Shettima of 90 billion Naira provided for pilgrimage to Mecca, by the Tinubu Administration, that is 10 billion naira over what Yahaya Bello allegedly stole in 8 years, for which EFCC as declared him wanted! 90 billion Nigeria will waste officially in one year on holy pilgrimage of one faith!
In view of the very indicting report by International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law. (Intersoceity).
For me, the Vice President has queries to answer, the first abduction of 287 children from their school in Chibok under his watch as the Governor of Borno State, from which over 100 girls are still expected back. And he is privileged to be the Vice President under whose watch alongside the President the abduction of another 287 was reported in Kaduna. We were later informed it was 137 and not 287. Ascertaining figures of missing children is another cup of tea altogether. 28 we are told was released out of 137. The consciousness of children as the heritage of God is lost on us. A nation that can’t prioritise the safety of our children has no future. May I ask our Muslim President and Muslim Vice President, how safe are our children? Happy children’s day to all!
Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also President Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table.
email:bolajiakinyemi66@gmail.com
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