Date Published: 03/13/10

Dear Editor,

Those Religions Bigots should shut up

I want to know when Nigerians should start knowing that their utterances can make or mar the nation and its populace. Each time there is a situation; Nigerians must try to give it either ethnic or religious colourations.

In the recent unfortunate Jos crisis that sent about 400 harmless and hapless Nigerian citizens to their early graves, many reports read in the media referred to it as ‘reprisal attack’. That was a subtle way of justifying the terrorist action that took place.

Statements by clerics and students comments do not help matters either. A faction of NANS said to be headed by one Imeobong, operating from Uyo had shouted fire. In the same vein, one Bishop Bassey in Uyo said to be the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Chairman for Akwa Ibom State had on page 7 ofDaily Sun of March 9, 2010 was quoted as “warning the federal government to find immediate and lasting solution to anti-Christian violence or else Christian youths would be asked to return fire for fire”. This is not the best from a Christian Bishop.

In another matter in Daily Trust of March 9, 2010, on page 9, fifty-four Muslim organisations from across the country led by Supreme Council of Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN) issued a communiqué which urged the Acting President to reverse the composition of members of the Presidential Advisory Council which had a northern and a south Christians as Chairman and Deputy Chairman respectively. They in addition alleged discrimination whereby Muslims are not encouraged to join the military whose heads they argued are presently occupied by Christian Officers.  To them I want to remind that there was the voted all-Muslim MKO Abiola-Kingibe Presidency, annulled by a Muslim headed military government; and also at a time, all the heads of the Military organisations were headed by only Muslims, and Christians did not complain.

All these people and their way of reasoning should not becloud our progress. They should watch their utterances and stop putting the nation at the edge each time.

Geoffrey Nnadi

University of Maiduguri

Maiduguri, Borno State