By Olu Fasan

HATE-filled ethnocentrism is rupturing the Nigeria state. Instead of dialogue and mutual understanding, Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities are locked in belligerence and brinkmanship.

Nigeria 

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Yet, such bellicosity can tear Nigeria apart! Indeed, two recent events could have pushed Nigeria closer to that precipice.

The ethnic colouration and tribal hijacking of President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan to establish rural grazing areas, RUGA, and the brutal killing of Mrs. Funke Olakunri, daughter of Chief Reuben Fasoranti, leader of the Afenifere, by suspected Fulani herdsmen, could have turned those events into full-blown national crisis.

Take the RUGA. Once the government rightly suspended the controversial plan, everyone should simply have let the sleeping dog lie. But, no, not the Coalition of Northern Groups! They gave Southerners a 30-day ultimatum to accept RUGA or face the consequences! How could any Northern group ignore the atrocities of the herders in the South and, instead of empathising with Southerners, give them an ultimatum to accept cattle colonies in their communities?

Then, there was the dastardly killing of Chief Fasoranti’s daughter by suspected Fulani herdsmen. Of course, the Yoruba were entitled to express outrage and anger. But the North had no soothing words to offer.

Instead, the Northern Elders Forum asked all Fulani herdsmen to leave the Southern part of Nigeria, as if that was the solution.

According to its leader, Professor Ango Abdullahi: “The bottom line is that their safety is far more important than staying there”!

Obviously, Northern leaders care about the safety of Fulani herdsmen in the South. Fair enough, but do they also care about the safety of the Southerners who the herdsmen are allegedly killing rampantly?

When the Ooni of Ife visited President Buhari, and the Alaafin of Oyo wrote to him to complain that Yorubaland was under a siege by criminal herdsmen, do the Northern leaders think they were crying wolf?

Apparently, they do. One Northern leader, Junaid Mohammed, poopooed the Yoruba’s justifiable anger about the criminal activities of the herders, saying that “some Yoruba leaders would be the first to flee Nigeria if war begins”.

But history tells us that the Yoruba fought more than any other ethnic group in Nigeria to keep the country together. It’s arrogant and provocative for anyone to invoke the imagery of war to attempt to silence a people who are under attacks by armed insurgents from another ethnic group. All of this, of course, shows that Nigeria is a very delicate and fragile country, a tinderbox ready to ignite.

Which is why it’s unfortunate that some politicians and commentators tried to trivialise the killing of Chief Fasoranti’s daughter.

In their views, people are killed in Nigeria all the time, so what’s the fuss about? But they betrayed an appalling ignorance, because, in a deeply divided ethno-society, some killings could easily provoke a conflagration. The murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary by a Serbian man was the immediate cause of the First World War. Truth is, in a febrile inter-ethnic situation, some reckless killings could trigger a chain reaction!

Thus, former President Olusegun Obasanjo was right when he warned in his recent open letter to President Buhari that ethnic-based killings such as the murder of Chief Fasoranti’s daughter could provoke spontaneous reprisal attacks and counterattacks which could lead to violent uprising and disintegration of the country.

Unfortunately, Nigeria has a president who is part of the problem. President Buhari lacks the ability to manage Nigeria’s diversity.

He is holed up in Abuja and woefully failing to reach out and build consensus for peace and unity in  the country. Buhari should really read Dale Carnegie’s famous book, How to win friends and influence people. Sadly, the president is too taciturn, reclusive and closed-minded to manage the different ethnic interests across Nigeria.

Instead, he responds to every criticism with a counterattack. For instance, he dismissed those criticising his handling of the security situation in the country as “unpatriotic Nigerians”, saying, rather complacently, that “countries around the world were facing one security challenges or the other”!

But Nigeria has far more than its fair share of global security challenges. According to the Global Index on Terror, the first and fourth most terrible terrorist organisations in the world – Boko Haram and the Fulani herdsmen – operate in Nigeria. When, recently, the All-Party Parliamentary Group in the UK Parliament launched an inquiry into insecurity in Nigeria, it was because Nigeria has become one of the most dangerous places to live in the world.

In their evidence to the inquiry, the National Christians Elders Forum, NCEF, referred to “the wanton murder of Christians in Nigeria”, and accused the Buhari administration of “hostility towards ethnic nationalities other than his own”.

When respected elder statesmen, such as Chief Solomon Asemota and Gen T Y Danjuma, say such things against their government, it would be misguided to ignore them.

Truth is, the herdsmen have operated with impunity in Christian communities and have been emboldened by the government turning a blind eye!

Of course, at the heart of all this is identity politics and a culture of ethnic belligerence. But, according to the German philosopher Jurgen Habermas, who introduced the phrase “Let’s talk”, the solution often lies in dialogue, in communicative action.

Yet, Nigerians won’t talk when the president won’t initiate and lead a national dialogue. Buhari needs a few lessons in inspirational leadership!

Vanguard