By Olu Fasan
STAN LEE, the famous comic book author, wrote a powerful essay against bigotry 50 years ago that recently went viral following his death on November 12. In the piece, Lee described bigotry as one of “the deadliest social evils plaguing our world today”. The bigot, he said, “is an unreasonable hater – one who hates blindly, fanatically, indiscriminately”, that is because of people’s culture, tribe or religion.

President Buhari
during the unveiling of the plaque as he commissions
Portharcourt International Airport Terminal Building in Rivers State on
25th Oct 2018

So, when Nasir el-Rufai, Kaduna state governor, recently called Peter Obi a “tribal bigot”, he couldn’t have used a more pejorative term against the former Anambra state governor and Atiku Abubakar’s running mate in next year’s presidential race. In a tit-for-tat mudslinging, characteristic of the febrile political climate, Femi Fani-Kayode replied el-Rufai, calling him a “religious bigot”. Of course, Obi and el-Rufai took umbrage at being called a bigot. But they protest too much!

Truth is, Nigeria is suffused with bigotry and few people – followers or leaders – are immune to it. I mean, what other explanation is there, if not bigotry, for the endless ethno-religious conflicts? How do you explain the perennial massacre of farmers by herdsmen or the burning of churches and killing of Christians by Islamists? What about Boko Haram or the militant groups across the country? Lest we forget, what about the civil war and the chain of events that caused it?

President Buhari often says that Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable, but he talks only of the oneness of Nigeria as a state entity, not the unity and cohesion of its people. The reality is that the different nationalities in Nigeria co-exist in entrenched mutual suspicion and hostility, eyeing each other with mutual incomprehension and distrust. Every ethnic nationality has its militants or “freedom fighters” in a supposedly “united” Nigeria. Every ethnic group bears historical grudges against others!

In his book, Political Restructuring in Europe, Professor Chris Brown of the London School of Economics argues that in multi-ethnic states, politics “at best takes the form of group bargaining and compromise and at worst degenerates into a struggle for domination”. In Nigeria, the latter is the case! Every ethnic group is struggling for or against domination. When Southern leaders meet, it’s to fight “domination” by the North; when Northern leaders converge, it’s to protect the North’s historical advantages.

https://newlive.vanguardngr.com/2018/10/on-the-reappearance-of-nnamdi-kanu-1/

But bigotry is everywhere. Research into psychology and neuroscience shows that the fear of the “out-group” – e.g. those who don’t share our cultural background or worship like us – is real and can trigger a “fight or flight” response. But any country that values unity must create the conditions that engender a sense of inclusion. And leadership is critical to this. Unfortunately, Nigerian leaders fuel rather than stem bigotry. Take a few examples.

In 2015, the Oba of Lagos said that Igbo in Lagos state must vote for Akinwunmi Ambode or “perish inside the Lagoon”. As governor, Babatunde Fashola, “deported” Igbo “miscreants” from Lagos state. Recently, the same Fashola said Yoruba should vote for Buhari next year to get the presidency in 2023, ignoring the fact that Yoruba have produced Nigeria’s president for eight years and vice president for four or possibly eight years. When would the Igbo, who haven’t governed this country since 1999, produce a president?

Of course, Igbo leaders are also derelict in tackling bigotry. For instance, prominent Igbo leaders, including Obi, are falling over themselves to endorse Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB, whose hate speeches are beyond the pale. Kanu once said, in a widely circulated video: “If your pastor is Yoruba, you are not fit to be a human being, you’re an imbecile”. Unbelievable!

And what about el-Rufai, who is quick to call other people bigots? He is running for re-election on a Muslim/Muslim ticket. Even religious leaders agreed that the ethno-religious conflicts in Kaduna state are mainly caused by “injustices and unfair distribution of resources”. Yet, el-Rufai, a Muslim, wants to have a Muslim deputy, saying he doesn’t care about religion or ethnicity. Really? He is fuelling the emotional hate and bigotry that create a cycle of violence in his state. Interestingly, el-Rufai said President Buhari endorsed his Muslim/Muslim ticket, which brings us to Buhari himself.

Some will recall that, in the early 2000s, Buhari, a former head of state, led a protest to the then governor of Oyo state, Lam Adesina, after a herder-farmer clash in the state, and told the governor, “Your people are killing my people”. But since becoming president in 2015, “his people”, Fulani herdsmen, have killed other people on an industrial scale without as much as a condemnation from him. Or what about Buhari’s lopsided appointments? His inner circle and the country’s security and defence bodies are dominated by people from his ethnic group. Buhari talks a lot about unity but does little to promote it!

So, as Stan Lee would say, let’s lay it right on the line. Bigotry is endemic in Nigeria. But Northern Ireland’s experience shows that a multi-ethnic, multi-religious state can overcome bigotry if, through bargaining and compromise, it creates a political settlement, a governance structure, that, among other things, gives every group a sense of equal status. Of course, leadership matters too!

https://newlive.vanguardngr.com/2018/11/ndigbo-and-audacious-enugu-statement/