My Opinion

                     
“We never know how God will answer our prayers, but we can expect that He will get us involved in His plan for the answer. If we are true intercessors, we must be ready to take part in God’s work on behalf  of the people for whom we pray.” – Corrie Ten Boom



                                                                                                                                                     
As Nigeria ends her first century, having come into existence through the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates in 1914, she is entering a new era. This new dawn is coming at a time when the world seem to be experiencing breakthroughs in different fields of endeavor, unprecedented communication channels and opportunities; bringing humanity to a kind of ‘one-stop- communication centre’, connecting all peoples of the world. The challenges are also increasing per second.
We see alignments and re-alignments among nations, businesses, and interests. There seem to be a sudden realization of the fact that, ‘working together towards a common goal, closing the gaps that exists, harnessing and leveraging on unique qualities of constituent units, giving little or no attention to the things that enhances division/disunity…’ is the way to go as life get more challenging and interesting at the same time. Several nations are giving all it takes to keep their people united so as to make the best of what different units bring to the table for the common good. Nigeria should not be left out in all of these.

TRIBALISM
Tribalism reflects strong ethnic or cultural identities that separate members of one group from another, making them loyal to people like them and suspicious of outsiders. “Tribalism undermines efforts to forge common cause across groups. Tribalism may also refer to a way of thinking or behaving in which people are more loyal to their tribe than to their friends, their country, or any other social group. Its work is to, “keep people perpetually disunited and at war with one another.” Tribal loyalties/allegiances give rise to the case where “the good of the nation is not sought first, but rather watching to ensure that one’s tribe has the upper hand.”            Is this not exactly the case in Nigeria? Can we say that, with the level of tribalism here, Nigeria can truly move away from where we are presently politically, economically, educationally, in infrastructure, and even socially?
Nigeria is programmed to be a great country. Going by our size numerically, abundance of both human and natural resources there is no reason why we should be identified with under development. But, here we are today. At the root of Nigeria’s complex economic, social, political and religious challenges is endemic inter and intra-tribal/ethnic distrusts, suspicions, rivalries, prejudices, unhealthy competitiveness, and hate. Over the years the people in Nigeria have given their loyalties and allegiances to their respective ethnic groups and not to the country. To this extent what we have are people of different ethnic groups who live in the geographical space called Nigeria but very few true Nigerians. Things have gone so bad that now nearly everything is judged and interpreted based on ethnic leanings or sympathy. In offices (whether public or private), businesses, schools, sports, politics and so on, people of different ethnic groups usually engage in every imaginable strategy to gain prominence above people of other ethnic groups.

People watch out for others from their own ethnic groups and rarely care about people from other ethnic groups, so long as in so doing they or someone from their own group is enhanced. And in this ‘game’, injustice, wickedness, corruption, marginalization, ineptitude and hate hold swear. Many have lost their promotions to deserved positions/ranks, some have been denied their basic rights and some have even lost their lives in this ‘fight’. The depth, height, width and breath of tribalism/inter and intra ethnic distrusts, dislike/hate, suspicion and fight against one another have reached the level of ‘state of emergency’. Many play down the reality on ground while others are passive. When issues are in the public domain for debate people usually tow ethnic lines. Most times the issue at stake is left while people engage in tribal assaults against one another. Many elderly people are still sowing more seeds of inter/intra-ethnic tensions, dislike and even hatred with the consequences there for everyone to see. The greater challenge is that most people deny or are passive about the problem of tribalism in Nigeria.
The questions begging for answers are, why this burning hatred tribe against tribe in Nigeria? Why is it that, while the world is coming together, building bridges, and different countries are seeking ways to leverage on one another’s strength, we in Nigeria are getting deeper into promoting the things that divide us and fanning the flames of tribalism? Things have reached the level where even the lives of people of an ethnic group do not really matter to many of other groups. Except when a calamity happens to someone or people in our own ethnic group we usually give little or no attention.

Our true greatness is in our ability to accept and work with one another as fellow countrymen and women. Cultivating and nurturing a large heart so as to accommodate the uniqueness of other people, even their weakness, is one of the hallmarks of true great minds.
Our well celebrated religiosity has not helped in this matter as we see that even several religious groups are still divided along tribal lines. It is a shame indeed. So, is there a way out of this? Can different ethnic groups in Nigeria get over this destructive path? Are we not cheating ourselves ultimately?
 Some people are talking about different parts of this country going their different ways as though in it lays the solution to our problems. Do we assume that if Nigeria was to divide today our distrust against one another, suspicions, rivalries, prejudices, hate and fight tribe against tribe will suddenly disappear? Can we beat our chests and say that, even different people groups that make up each of the states or regions in Nigeria will not go the same way of distrust, suspicion and hate if they were to have their own country? I hope we are not just wasting our energies in wishful thinking.

For nearly one hundred years now Nigeria has lived with few true Nigerians. Reason has been that the country was founded on a weak foundation. No wonder the absence of true allegiance and loyalty to Nigeria by the people of different ethnic groups that make up Nigeria. We are still distrustful of one another, ‘fighting’ one another, encouraging different forms of injustices and corruption. However, no matter how challenging the situation may be, I believe that we can change for the best which we so desire as a country.  Neither the circumstances/the process nor the human instruments involved in the amalgamation of 1914 should be allowed to determine who and what we become as a country. The fact that we are people of different ethnic groups amalgamated without our consent or input does not in any way suggest that we cannot make the best of the situation; harnessing the unique endowments of the different units for the common good. Our choice is what is important here and not strictly the actions of some people taken 100 years ago. Yes, it is our chosen responses to the challenges from this amalgamation and its consequences that determine who and what we become and not solely the amalgamation in itself.

It is true that we do not need to deny the innumerable challenges that bedevilled this country for nearly 100 years now, no thanks to the amalgamation. Individuals, groups, businesses, cultures, history of people and even the economic wellbeing of all the people groups that make up Nigeria have one story of woe or the other (right or wrong) to tell. What we are calling on different people that make up Nigeria to do is, to define the future we desire and make the necessary changes for achieving it, beginning with truly accepting one another as fellow countrymen and women. When this is done we would have at least laid the foundation for the TRUE GREATNESS of Nigeria. We can do it!
I see the possibility of Nigeria becoming TRULY great. The foundation for this is in people of different ethnic nationalities seeing and truly accepting one another as fellow countrymen and women. We may disagree on many grounds but we can truly accept one another as fellow countrymen and women.